2012 KIA Soul clutch

Driving your vehicle
18
5
Using the clutch
The clutch should be depressed 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
driving. This can cause unnecessary
wear. Do not partially engage the
clutch to hold the vehicle on an
incline. This causes unnecessary
wear. Use the foot brake or parking
brake to hold the vehicle on an
incline. Do not operate the clutch
pedal rapidly and repeatedly.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or while driving up steep hills,
downshift before the engine starts to
labor. Downshifting reduces the
chance of stalling and gives better
acceleration when you need to
increase your speed again. When the
vehicle is traveling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
Good driving practices
Never take the vehicle out of gear
and coast down a hill. This is
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the vehicle in gear.
Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and mal-
function. Instead, when you are
driving down a long hill, slow down
and shift to a lower gear. When you
do this, engine braking will help
slow down the vehicle.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. This will help avoid
over-revving the engine, which can
cause damage.
Slow down when you encounter cross winds. This gives you much
better control of your vehicle.
Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift
into reverse. The transaxle can be
damaged if you do not.CAUTION - Prematurewear
Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the clutch pedal or usethe clutch pedal to hold thevehicle stopped on an uphill orat a traffic light. This will resultin premature clutch wear.
Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, as thiscan result in premature wear ofthe transaxle shift forks.
WARNING - Incline park- ing
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.

539
Driving your vehicle
To temporarily accelerate with
the cruise control on:
If you want to speed up temporarily
when the cruise control is on,
depress the accelerator pedal.
Increased speed will not interfere
with cruise control operation or
change the set speed.
To return to the set speed, take your
foot off the accelerator.
To cancel cruise control, do
one of the following:
Press the brake pedal.
Press the clutch pedal with a man-ual transaxle.
Shift into N (Neutral) with an auto- matic transaxle.
Push the CANCEL switch located on the steering wheel.
Decrease the vehicle speed lower than the memory speed by 20
km/h (12 mph).
Decrease the vehicle speed to less than approximately 40 km/h (25
mph).
Each of these actions will cancelcruise control operation (the SETindicator light in the instrument clus-ter will go off), but it will not turn thesystem off. If you wish to resumecruise control operation, push theRES + switch located on your steer-ing wheel. You will return to your pre-viously preset speed.
OAM059014L

What to do in an emergency
66
1. Make sure the booster battery is12-volt and that its negative termi-
nal is grounded.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, do not allow the vehicles
to come in contact.
3. Turn off all unnecessary electrical loads.
4. Connect the jumper cables in the exact sequence shown in the illus-
tration. First connect one end of a
jumper cable to the positive termi-
nal of the discharged battery (1),
then connect the other end to the
positive terminal of the booster
battery (2).
Proceed to connect one end of the
other jumper cable to the negative
terminal of the booster battery (3),
then the other end to a solid, sta-
tionary, metallic point (for example,
the engine lifting bracket) away
from the battery (4). Do not con-
nect it to or near any part that
moves when the engine is cranked. Do not allow the jumper cables to
contact anything except the correct
battery terminals or the correct
ground. Do not lean over the bat-
tery when making connections.
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster battery and let it run at
2,000 rpm, then start the engine of
the vehicle with the discharged
battery.
If the cause of your battery discharg-ing is not apparent, you should haveyour vehicle checked by an author-ized Kia dealer.
Push-starting
Vehicles equipped with automatic
transaxle and manual transaxle vehi-
cles equipped with clutch lock sys-
tem cannot be push-started.
Follow the directions in this section
for jump-starting.
CAUTION - Battery cables
Do not connect the jumper
cable from the negative terminalof the booster battery to thenegative terminal of the dis-charged battery. This can causethe discharged battery to over-heat and crack, releasing bat-tery acid.WARNING - Tow starting vehicle
Never tow a vehicle to start it
because the sudden surge for-
ward when the engine starts
could cause a collision with the
tow vehicle.

7
Engine compartment / 7-2
Maintenance services / 7-4
Owner maintenance / 7-6
Scheduled maintenance service / 7-8
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items / 7-22
Engine oil / 7-26
Engine coolant / 7-28
Brake/clutch fluid / 7-31
Washer fluid / 7-32
Parking brake / 7-33
Air cleaner / 7-34
Wiper blades / 7-35
Battery / 7-38
Tires and wheels / 7-41
Fuses / 7-54
Appearance care / 7-66
Emission control system / 7-72
Maintenance

77
Maintenance
At least monthly:
Check the coolant level in theengine coolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn
signals and hazard warning flash-
ers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check the radiator, heater and air conditioning hoses for leaks or
damage.
Check the windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean
the wiper blades with clean cloth
dampened with washer fluid.
Check the headlight alignment.
Check the muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year:
Clean the body and door drainholes.
Lubricate the door hinges and checks, and hood hinges.
Lubricate the door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate the door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Check the power steering fluid level.
Inspect and lubricate the automat- ic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean the battery and terminals.
Check the brake/clutch fluid level.

Maintenance
10
7
12,000 km or 6 months
❑ Inspect air cleaner filter
❑Inspect air conditioning compressor, air conditioner refriger-
ant and performance (if equipped)
❑ Inspect cooling system *1
❑Inspect drive shaft and boots
❑Inspect visually the following items.
1) Battery condition
2) Brake fluid / clutch(if equipped) fluid
3) Brake lines, hoses and connections
4) Brake pedal and operation
5) Chassis/body nuts and bolts
6) Drum brake and linings (if equipped)
7) Disc brakes and pads(if equipped)
8) Exhaust pipe and muffler
9) Front suspension ball joints
10) Fuel tank, cap, lines and hoses
11) Lubricate all locks and hinges
12) Parking brakes
13) Steering operation and linkage
14) Suspension mounting bolts
(Continued)
(Continued)
❑ Replace engine oil and filter
(Every 12,000 km or 12 months)
❑Add fuel additive *6
(Every 12,000 km or 12 months)
❑Rotate tires - including tire pressure and tread wear
(Every 12,000 km or 12 months)
NORMAL MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE (CONT.)

711
Maintenance
NORMAL MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE (CONT.)
24,000 km or 12 months
❑Inspect air cleaner filter
❑Inspect air conditioning compressor, air conditioner refriger-
ant and performance (if equipped)
❑ Inspect cooling system *1
❑Inspect drive shaft and boots
❑ Inspect visually the following items
1) Battery condition
2) Brake fluid / clutch(if equipped) fluid
3) Brake lines, hoses and connections
4) Brake pedal and operation
5) Chassis/body nuts and bolts
6) Drum brake and linings (if equipped)
7) Disc brakes and pads(if equipped)
8) Exhaust pipe and muffler
9) Front suspension ball joints
10) Fuel tank, cap, lines and hoses
11) Lubricate all locks and hinges
12) Parking brakes
13) Steering operation and linkage
14) Suspension mounting bolts
❑ Replace climate control air filter (if equipped)
❑Replace engine oil and filter
(Every 12,000 km or 12 months)
(Continued)
(Continued)
❑Add fuel additive *6
(Every 12,000 km or 12 months)
❑Rotate tires - including tire pressure and tread wear
(Every 12,000 km or 12 months)

Maintenance
12
7
NORMAL MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE (CONT.)
48,000 km or 24 months
❑ Inspect air conditioning compressor, air conditioner refrig-
erant and performance (if equipped)
❑ Inspect cooling system *1
❑Inspect drive shaft and boots
❑Inspect fuel filter *2
❑Inspect fuel line, hoses and connection
❑Inspect fuel tank air filter *2
❑Inspect manual transaxle fluid (if equipped)
(Every 60,000 km or 48 months)
❑ Inspect vapor hose and fuel filler cap
❑Inspect visually the following items
1) Battery condition
2) Brake fluid / clutch (if equipped) fluid
3) Brake lines, hoses and connections
4) Brake pedal and operation
5) Chassis/body nuts and bolts
6) Drum brake and linings (if equipped)
7) Disc brakes and pads (if equipped)
8) Exhaust pipe and muffler
9) Front suspension ball joints
10) Fuel tank, cap, lines and hoses
11) Lubricate all locks and hinges
(Continued)
(Continued)
12) Parking brakes
13) Steering operation and linkage
14) Suspension mounting bolts
❑ Replace air cleaner filter
❑ Replace climate control air filter (if equipped)
❑Replace engine oil and filter
(Every 12,000 km or 12 months)
❑Add fuel additive *6
(Every 12,000 km or 12 months)
❑Rotate tires - including tire pressure and tread wear
(Every 12,000 km or 12 months)