2012 KIA Soul battery

Driving your vehicle
20
5
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
Depress the brake pedal and the push button when shifting.
The shift lever can be shifted freely. Press the push button when shifting.
OAM052002
Automatic transaxle operation
The automatic transaxle has 6 for-
ward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically, depending on the
position of the shift lever.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle,
if the battery has been disconnected,
may be somewhat abrupt. This is a
normal condition, and the shifting
sequence will adjust after shifts are
cycled a few times by the TCM
(Transaxle Control Module) or
PCM (Powertrain Control Module).

Driving your vehicle
30
5
When you drive on a road having
poor traction, such as an icy road,
and have operated your brakes
continuously, the ABS will be active
continuously and the ABS warning
light may illuminate. Pull your car
over to a safe place and stop the
engine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light goes off, then your
ABS is normal. Otherwise, you
may have a problem with the ABS.
Contact an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the
engine may not run as smoothly and
the ABS warning light may turn on
at the same time. This happens
because of low battery voltage. It
does not mean your ABS has mal-
functioned.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
Electronic stability control
(ESC)
The Electronic Stability control (ESC)
system is designed to stabilize the
vehicle during cornering maneuvers.
ESC checks where you are steering
and where the vehicle is actually
going. ESC applies the brakes on
individual wheels and intervenes with
the engine management system to
stabilize the vehicle. Electronic stability control (ESC) will
not prevent accidents. Excessive
speed in turns, abrupt maneuvers
and hydroplaning on wet surfaces
can still result in serious accidents.
Only a safe and attentive driver can
prevent accidents by avoiding
maneuvers that cause the vehicle to
lose traction. Even with ESC
installed, always follow all the normal
precautions for driving - including
driving at safe speeds for the condi-
tions.
The Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) system is an electronic system
designed to help the driver maintain
vehicle control under adverse
conditions. It is not a substitute for
safe driving practices. Factors
including speed, road conditions and
driver steering input can all affect
whether ESC will be effective in
preventing a loss of control. It is still
your responsibility to drive and corner
at reasonable speeds and to leave a
sufficient margin of safety.
OAM059006

Driving your vehicle
50
5
Use high quality ethylene gly-
col coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high
quality ethylene glycol coolant in the
cooling system. It is the only type of
coolant that should be used because
it helps prevent corrosion in the cool-
ing system, lubricates the water
pump and prevents freezing. Be sure
to replace or replenish your coolant
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. Before winter,
have your coolant tested to assure
that its freezing point is sufficient for
the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on
the battery system. Visually inspect
the battery and cables as described
in section 7. The level of charge in
your battery can be checked by an
authorized Kia dealer or a service
station.
Change to "winter weight" oil
if necessary
In some climates it is recommended
that a lower viscosity "winter weight"
oil be used during cold weather. See
section 8 for recommendations. If
you aren't sure what weight oil you
should use, consult an authorized
Kia dealer.
Check spark plugs and igni-
tion system
Inspect your spark plugs as
described in section 7 and replace
them if necessary. Also check all
ignition wiring and components to be
sure they are not cracked, worn or
damaged in any way.
To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing,
squirt an approved de-icer fluid or
glycerine into the key opening. If a
lock is covered with ice, squirt it with
an approved de-icing fluid to remove
the ice. If the lock is frozen internally,
you may be able to thaw it out by
using a heated key. Handle the heat-
ed key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window
washer system from freezing, add an
approved window washer anti-freeze
solution in accordance with instruc-
tions on the container. Window wash-
er anti-freeze is available from an
authorized Kia dealer and most auto
parts outlets. Do not use engine
coolant or other types of anti-freeze
as these may damage the paint fin-
ish.
Don’t let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to hap-
pen when there is an accumulation
of snow or ice around or near the
rear brakes or if the brakes are wet.
If there is a risk the parking brake
may freeze, apply it only temporarily
while you put the gear shift lever in P
(Park, automatic transaxle) or in first
or reverse gear (manual transaxle)
and block the rear wheels so the
vehicle cannot roll. Then release the
parking brake.

What to do in an emergency
46
IF THE ENGINE WILL NOT START
If engine doesn't turn over or
turns over slowly
1. If your car has an automatictransaxle, be sure the shift lever is
in N (Neutral) or P (Park) and the
emergency brake is set.
2. Check the battery connections to be sure they are clean and tight.
3. Turn on the interior light. If the light dims or goes out when you oper-
ate the starter, the battery is dis-
charged.
4. Check the starter connections to be sure they are securely tight-
ened.
5. Do not push or pull the vehicle to start it. See instructions for "Jump
starting".
If engine turns over normally
but does not start
1. Check the fuel level.
2. With the ignition switch in theLOCK position, check all connec-
tors at the ignition coils and spark
plugs. Reconnect any that may be
disconnected or loose.
3. Check the fuel line in the engine compartment.
4. If the engine still does not start, call an authorized Kia dealer or
seek other qualified assistance. Connect cables in numerical order
and disconnect in reverse order.
WARNING - Push/pull
start
Do not push or pull the vehicle
to start it. Push or pull starting
may cause the catalytic con-
verter to overload and create a
fire hazard.
EMERGENCY STARTING
1VQA4001
Discharged
battery
Jumper Cables
Booster
battery
(-)
(+)
(+)(-)

65
What to do in an emergency
Jump starting
Jump starting can be dangerous if
done incorrectly. Therefore, to avoid
harm to yourself or damage to your
vehicle or battery, follow these jump
starting procedures. If in doubt, we
strongly recommend that you have a
competent technician or towing serv-
ice jump start your vehicle.
Jump starting procedure
Absorbent Glass Matt (AGM) batter-
ies are maintenance-free and should
only be serviced by an authorized
Kia dealer. For charging your AGM
battery, use only fully automatic bat-
tery chargers that are specially
developed for AGM batteries.
When replacing the AGM battery,
use only the Kia genuine battery for
the ISG system.
✽ ✽NOTICE
If the AGM battery is reconnected
or replaced, ISG function will not
operate immediately.
If you want to use the ISG function,
the battery sensor needs to be cali-
brated for approximately 4 hours
with the ignition off and then, turn
the engine on and off 2 or 3 times.
CAUTION - 12 volt
battery
Use only a 12-volt jumper sys-
tem. You can damage a 12-voltstarting motor, ignition system,and other electrical partsbeyond repair by use of a 24-volt power supply (either two12-volt batteries in series or a24-volt motor generator set).
WARNING - Battery
Never attempt to check the elec-
trolyte level of the battery as
this may cause the battery to
rupture or explode.
WARNING - Frozen batteries
Do not attempt to jump start the
vehicle if the discharged battery
is frozen or if the electrolyte
level is low as the battery may
rupture or explode.
WARNING - Battery
Keep all flames or sparks away
from the battery. The battery
produces hydrogen gas which
will explode if exposed to flame
or sparks.
WARNING - Sulfuricacid risk
When jump starting your vehi-
cle be careful not to get acid on
yourself, your clothing or on the
vehicle. Automobile batteries
contain sulfuric acid. This is
poisonous and highly corro-
sive.
WARNING - AGM battery
cap
Do not open or remove the cap
on top of the battery. This may
cause the leak of dangerous
internal electrolytes.

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.

What to do in an emergency
22
6
It is possible that some tires, espe-
cially with larger punctures or dam-
age to the sidewall, cannot be sealed
completely.
Air pressure loss in the tire may
adversely affect tire performance.
For this reason, you should avoid
abrupt steering or other driving
maneuvers, especially if the vehicle
is heavily loaded or if a trailer is in
use.
The Tire Mobility Kit is not designed
or intended as a permanent tire
repair method and is to be used for
one tire only.
This instruction shows you step by
step how to temporarily seal the
puncture simply and reliably.
Read the section "Notes on the safe
use of the Tire Mobility Kit".Notes on the safe use of the
Tire Mobility Kit
Park your car at the side of the
road so that you can work with the
Tire Mobility Kit away from moving
traffic.
To be sure your vehicle will not move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your park-
ing brake.
Only use the Tire Mobility Kit for sealing/inflation passenger car
tires. Only punctured areas located
within the tread region of the tire
can be sealed using the tire mobil-
ity kit.
Do not use on motorcycles, bicy- cles or any other type of tires.
When the tire and wheel are dam- aged, do not use Tire Mobility Kit
for your safety.
Use of the Tire Mobility Kit may not be effective for tire damage larger
than approximately 6 mm (0.24 in).
Please contact the nearest Kia
dealership if the tire cannot be
made roadworthy with the Tire
Mobility Kit. Do not use the Tire Mobility Kit if a
tire is severely damaged by driving
run flat or with insufficient air pres-
sure.
Do not remove any foreign objects such as nails or screws that have
penetrated the tire.
Provided the car is outdoors, leave the engine running. Otherwise
operating the compressor may
eventually drain the car battery.
Never leave the Tire Mobility Kit unattended while it is being used.
Do not leave the compressor run- ning for more than 10 min. at a time
or it may overheat.
Do not use the Tire Mobility Kit if the ambient temperature is below -
30°C (-22°F).

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