2011 KIA Soul stop start

5
Before driving / 5-3
Key positions / 5-4
Starting the engine / 5-6
Engine start/stop button / 5-7
Manual Transaxle / 5-12
Automatic transaxle / 5-15
Brake system / 5-22
Cruise control system / 5-32
Economical operation / 5-36
Special driving conditions / 5-38
Winter driving / 5-43
Trailer towing / 5-45
Vehicle load limit / 5-46
Vehicle weight / 5-50
Driving your vehicle

57
Driving your vehicle
Illuminated ENGINE START/STOP
button
Whenever the front door is opened, the
ENGINE START/STOP button will illumi-
nate for your convenience. The light will
go off after about 30 seconds when the
door is closed.
ENGINE START/STOP button
position
OFF
• With automatic transaxle
To turn off the engine (START/RUN posi-
tion) or vehicle power (ON position),
press the ENGINE START/STOP button
with the shift lever in the P (Park) posi-
tion. When you press the ENGINE
START/STOP button without the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, the
ENGINE START/STOP button will not
change to the OFF position but to the
ACC position.
Also, the steering wheel locks when the
ENGINE START/STOP button is in the
OFF position to protect you against theft.
It locks when the door is opened or when
you pull out the smart key from the smart
key holder.If the steering wheel is not locked prop-
erly when you open the driver's door, the
warning chime will sound. Try locking the
steering wheel again. If the problem is
not solved, have it checked by an author-
ized KIA dealer.
In addition, if the ENGINE START/STOP
button is in the OFF position after the dri-
ver's door is opened, the steering wheel
will not lock and the warning chime will
sound. In such a situation, close the door.
Then the steering wheel will lock and the
warning chime will stop.
✽ ✽


NOTICE
If the steering wheel doesn't unlock
properly, the ENGINE START/STOP
button will not work. Press the ENGINE
START/STOP button while turning the
steering wheel right and left to release
the tension.
ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON (IF EQUIPPED)
OAM050021
Not illuminated

Driving your vehicle
85
ACC(Accessory)
• With automatic transaxle
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button
while it is in the OFF position without
depressing the brake pedal.
The steering wheel unlocks and electri-
cal accessories are operational.
If the ENGINE START/STOP button is in
the ACC position for more than 1 hour,
the button is turned off automatically to
prevent battery discharge.
ON
• With automatic transaxle
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button
while it is in the ACC position without
depressing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not leave
the ENGINE START/STOP button in the
ON position for a long time. The battery
may discharge, because the engine is
not running.Orange indicatorGreen indicator
CAUTION
You are able to turn off the engine(START/RUN) or vehicle power(ON), only when the vehicle is not inmotion. In an emergency situationwhile the vehicle is in motion, you are able to turn the engine off andto the ACC position by pressing theENGINE START/STOP button formore than 2 seconds or 3 timessuccessively within 3 seconds. Ifthe vehicle is still moving, you canrestart the engine without depress-ing the brake pedal by pressing the ENGINE START/STOP button withthe shift lever in the N (Neutral)position.

59
Driving your vehicle
START/RUN
• With automatic transaxle
To start the engine, depress the brake
pedal and press the ENGINE START/
STOP button with the shift lever in the P
(Park) or the N (Neutral) position. For
your safety, start the engine with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position.
✽ ✽

NOTICE
If you press the ENGINE START/STOP
button without depressing the brake
pedal for automatic transaxle vehicles,
the engine will not start and the ENGINE
START/STOP button changes as follow:
OFF ➔ ➔
ACC ➔
➔
ON ➔
➔
OFF or ACC
✽
✽

NOTICE
If you leave the ENGINE START/ STOP
button in the ACC or ON position for a
long time, the battery will discharge.
WARNING
Never press the ENGINE
START/STOP button while the
vehicle is in motion. This would
result in loss of directional con-
trol and braking function, which
could cause an accident.
The anti-theft steering column lock is not a substitute for the
parking brake. Before leaving the
driver's seat, always make sure
the shift lever is engaged in P
(Park), set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement may occur if these
precautions are not taken.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Never reach for the ENGINESTART/STOP button or any other
controls through the steering
wheel while the vehicle is in
motion. The presence of your
hand or arm in the area could
cause loss of vehicle control, an
accident and serious bodily
injury or death.
Do not place any movable objects around the driver's seat as they
may move while driving, interfere
with the driver and lead to an
accident.
Not illuminated

Driving your vehicle
10
5
Starting the engine
✽
✽

NOTICE - Kick down mecha-
nism (if equipped)
If your vehicle is equipped with a kick
down mechanism in the accelerator
pedal, it prevents you from driving at
full throttle unintentionally by making
the driver require increased effort to
depress the accelerator pedal. However,
if you depress the pedal more than
approximately 80%, the vehicle can be
at full throttle and the accelerator pedal
will be easier to depress. This is not a
malfunction but a normal condition.
Starting the gasoline engine
(if equipped)
1. Carry the smart key or leave it inside the vehicle.
2. Make sure the parking brake is firmly applied.
3. Place the transaxle shift lever in P (Park). Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine when
the shift lever is in the N (Neutral)position.
4. Press the ENGINE START/STOP but- ton.
5. In extremely cold weather (below -18°C / 0°F) or after the vehicle has
not been operated for several days, let
the engine warm up without depress-
ing the accelerator.
Whether the engine is cold or warm, it
should be started without depressing the
accelerator. Even if the smart key is in the vehicle,
if it is far away from you, the engine
may not start.
When the ENGINE START/STOP but- ton is in the ACC position or above, if
any door is opened, the system checks
for the smart key. If the smart key is not
in the vehicle, the " " indicator will
blink or the warning "Key is not in vehi-
cle" will illuminate on the LCD display.
And if all doors are closed, the chime
will sound for 5 seconds. The indicator
or warning will turn off while the vehicle
is moving. Always have the smart key
with you.
KEY
OUT
WARNING
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels, ski
boots,etc.) may interfere with your
ability to use the brake and acceler-
ator pedal.
WARNING
The engine will start, only when the
smart key is in the vehicle.
Never allow children or any person
who is unfamiliar with the vehicle
touch the ENGINE START/STOP
button or related parts.

511
Driving your vehicle
✽
✽

NOTICE
• If the battery is weak or the smart key
does not work correctly, you can start
the engine by inserting the smart key
in the smart key holder. When you
pull out the smart key from the smart
key holder, press the smart key and
pull it out.
• When the stop lamp fuse is blown, you can't start the engine normally.
Replace the fuse with a new one. If it
is not possible, you can start the
engine by pressing the ENGINE
START/STOP button for 10 seconds
while it is in the ACC position. The
engine can start without depressing
the brake pedal. But for your safety
always depress the brake pedal before
starting the engine.
CAUTION
Do not press the ENGINE START/
STOP button for more than 10 sec-onds except when the stop lamp fuse is blown.
CAUTION
If the engine stalls while the vehicleis in motion, do not attempt to movethe shift lever to the P (Park) posi-tion. If the traffic and road condi-tions permit, you may put the shift lever in the N (Neutral) positionwhile the vehicle is still moving andpress the ENGINE START/STOPbutton in an attempt to restart theengine.
OAM050020

Driving your vehicle
12
5
E050000AUN E050100BUN-C1
Manual transaxle operation
The manual transaxle has 5 forward
gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on the shift
knob. The transaxle is fully synchronized
in all forward gears so shifting to either a
higher or a lower gear is easily accom-
plished.
Press the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, then release it slowly.
If your vehicle is equipped with an igni-
tion lock switch, the engine will not start
when starting the engine without
depressing the clutch pedal. (if equipped)
The gearshift lever must be returned to
the neutral position before shifting into R
(Reverse).
The ring (1) located immediately below
the shift knob must be pulled upward
while moving the shift lever to the R posi-
tion. (if equipped)
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into R (Reverse).
Never operate the engine with thetachometer (rpm) in the red zone.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OAM059001
CAUTION
When downshifting from fifth gear to fourth gear, cautionshould be taken not to inadver- tently press the gear shift leversideways in such a manner thatsecond gear is engaged. Such a drastic downshift may cause theengine speed to increase to the point that the tachometer willenter the red-zone. Such over- revving of the engine may possi-bly cause engine damage.
Do not downshift more than 2 gears or downshift the gear whenthe engine is running at highspeed (5,000 RPM or higher). Such a downshifting may damagethe engine.
The shift lever can be moved without pulling
the ring (1).
The ring (1) must be pulled up while moving
the shift lever.

513
Driving your vehicle
During cold weather, shifting may bedifficult until the transaxle lubricant has
warmed up. This is normal and not
harmful to the transaxle.
If you've come to a complete stop and it's hard to shift into 1st or R (Reverse),
put the shift lever in N (Neutral) posi-
tion and release the clutch. Press the
clutch pedal back down, and then shift
into 1st or R (Reverse) gear position.E050101AUN
Using the clutch
The clutch should be pressed all the way
to the floor before shifting, then released
slowly. The clutch pedal should always be
fully released while driving. Do not rest
your foot on the clutch pedal while driv-
ing. This can cause unnecessary wear.
Do not partially engage the clutch to hold
the car on an incline. This causes unnec-
essary wear. Use the foot brake or park-
ing brake to hold the car on an incline. Do
not operate the clutch pedal rapidly and
repeatedly.
E050102AUN
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or while driving up steep hills, down-
shift before the engine starts to labor.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration
when you again need to increase your
speed. When the vehicle is traveling
down steep hills, downshifting helps
maintain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.
This vehicle is geared for improved fuel
economy and may need to be driven in a
lower gear when driving up hills or into
high winds. Using top gear is best for fuel
economy, but you should use the best
gear for the road conditions.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch wear and damage, do not drive withyour foot resting on the clutchpedal. Also, don’t use the clutchto hold the vehicle stopped on an uphill grade, while waiting for atraffic light, etc.
Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, as thiscan result in premature wear ofthe transaxle shift forks.
WARNING
Before leaving the driver’s seat, always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Then
make sure the transaxle is shifted
into 1st gear when the vehicle is
parked on a level or uphill grade,
and shifted into R (Reverse) on a
downhill grade. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are not
followed in the order identified.