2014 KIA Soul brakes

527
Driving your vehicle
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
Disc brakes wear indicator
When your brake pads are worn and
new pads are required, you will hear
a high-pitched warning sound from
your front brakes or rear brakes. You
may hear this sound come and go or
it may occur whenever you depress
the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving
conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.WARNING - Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs serv-
ice. If you ignore this audible
warning, you will eventually
lose braking performance,
which could lead to a serious
accident.
CAUTION
To avoid costly brake repairs,do not continue to drive withworn brake pads.
Always replace the front or rear brake pads as pairs.
WARNING- Parkingbrake
Applying the parking brake
while the vehicle is moving at
normal speeds can cause a
sudden loss of control of the
vehicle. If you must use the
parking brake to stop the vehi-
cle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.
WARNING
Do not operate the parking
brake while the vehicle is mov-
ing except in an emergency sit-
uation. It could damage the
vehicle system and endanger
driving safety.

Driving your vehicle
30
5
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)The ABS continuously senses the
speed of the wheels. If the wheels
are going to lock, the ABS system
repeatedly modulates the hydraulic
brake pressure to the wheels.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a “tik-tik’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum ben-
efit from your ABS in an emergency
situation, do not attempt to modulate
your brake pressure and do not try to
pump your brakes. Press your brake
pedal as hard as possible or as hard
as the situation allows the ABS to
control the force being delivered to
the brakes.
WARNING
ABS (or ESC) will not prevent
accidents due to improper or
dangerous driving maneuvers.
Even though vehicle control is
improved during emergency
braking, always maintain a safe
distance between you and
objects ahead. Vehicle speeds
should always be reduced dur-
ing extreme road conditions.
The braking distance for vehi-
cles equipped with an anti-lock
braking system (or Electronic
Stability Control System) may
be longer than for those without
it in the following road condi-
tions.
(Continued)
(Continued)
During these conditions the
vehicle should be driven at
reduced speeds:
Rough, gravel or snow-cov-ered roads.
On roads where the road sur- face is pitted or has different
surface height.
The safety features of an ABS
(or ESC) equipped vehicle
should not be tested by high
speed driving or cornering. This
could endanger the safety of
yourself or others.

531
Driving your vehicle
✽
✽NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the engine is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that the anti-lock brake
system is functioning properly.
Even with the anti-lock brake sys-
tem, your vehicle still requires suf-
ficient stopping distance. Always
maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you.
Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake system cannot
prevent accidents resulting from
excessive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake
system may result in a longer stop-
ping distance than for vehicles
equipped with a conventional
brake system.
CAUTION
If the ABS warning light is on and stays on, you may have aproblem with the ABS. In thiscase, however, your regularbrakes will work normally.
The ABS warning light will stay on for approximately 3 sec-onds after the ignition switchis ON. During that time, theABS will go through self-diag-nosis and the light will go off ifeverything is normal. If thelight stays on, you may have aproblem with your ABS.Contact an authorized Kiadealer as soon as possible.
W-78
CAUTION
When you drive on a road hav-
ing poor traction, such as anicy road, and have operatedyour brakes continuously, theABS will be active continuous-ly and the ABS warning lightmay illuminate. Pull your vehi-cle over to a safe place andstop the engine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light goes off, thenyour ABS system is normal.Otherwise, you may have aproblem with the ABS.Contact an authorized Kiadealer as soon as possible.

Driving your vehicle
32
5
✽
✽
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 stabi-
lize 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 manage-
ment system to stabilize the vehicle.
OPS053013
WARNING
Never drive too fast according
to the road conditions or too
quickly when cornering.
Electronic stability control
(ESC) will not prevent acci-
dents. Excessive speed in
turns, abrupt maneuvers and
hydroplaning on wet surfaces
can still result in serious acci-
dents. 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 precau-
tions for driving - including driv-
ing at safe speeds for the condi-
tions.

533
Driving your vehicle
The Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) system is an electronic sys-
tem designed to help the driver main-
tain vehicle control under adverse
conditions. It is not a substitute for
safe driving practices. Factors includ-
ing speed, road conditions and driv-
er steering input can all affect
whether ESC will be effective in pre-
venting a loss of control. It is still your
responsibility to drive and corner at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
sufficient margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a “tik-tik’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ESC is active.
✽ ✽NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the engine is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that the Electronic
Stability Control System is function-
ing properly.
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
When the ignition is turnedON, ESC and ESC OFF
indicator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESC is turned on.
ton for at least half a sec-
ond after turning the igni-
tion ON to turn ESC off.
(ESC OFF indicator will
illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC
OFF button (ESC OFF
indicator light will go off).
you may hear a slight tick-
ing sound. This is the ESC
performing an automatic
system self-check and does
not indicate a problem. When operating
When the ESC is in opera-
tion, the ESC indicator light
blinks.
Stability Control is operat-
ing properly, you can feel a
slight pulsation in the vehi-
cle. This is only the effect
of brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.
mud or driving on a slip-
pery road, pressing the
accelerator pedal may not
cause the engine rpm
(revolutions per minute) to
increase.
-

537
Driving your vehicle
Malfunction indicator
The VSM can be deactivated even if
you don’t cancel the VSM operation
by pressing the ESC OFF button. It
indicates that a malfunction has
been detected somewhere in the
Electric Power Steering system or
VSM system. If the ESC indicator
light ( ) or EPS warning light
remains on, take your vehicle to an
authorized Kia dealer and have the
system checked.
✽ ✽NOTICE
• The VSM is designed to function
above approximately 13 mph (22
km/h) on curves.
• The VSM is designed to function above approximately 6 mph (10
km/h) when a vehicle is braking on
a split-mu road. The split-mu road
is made of surfaces which have dif-
ferent friction forces.
Hill-start assist control (HAC)
A vehicle has the tendency to roll
back on a steep hill when it starts to
go after stopping. The Hill-start
Assist Control (HAC) prevents the
vehicle from rolling back by applying
the brakes automatically for about 2
seconds. The brakes are released
when the accelerator pedal is
depressed or after about 2 seconds.WARNING
The Vehicle Stability
Management system is not a
substitute for safe driving
practices but a supplemen-
tary function only. It is the
responsibility of the driver to
always check the speed and
the distance to the vehicle
ahead. Always hold the steer-
ing wheel firmly while driving.
Your vehicle is designed to activate according to the dri-
ver’s intention, even with
installed VSM. Always follow
all the normal precautions for
driving at safe speeds for the
conditions – including driving
in clement weather and on a
slippery road.
Driving with varying tire or wheel sizes may cause the
VSM system to malfunction.
When replacing tires, make
sure they are the same size as
your original tires.
WARNING
The HAC is activated only for
about 2 seconds, so when the
vehicle is starting off always
depress the accelerator pedal.

Driving your vehicle
38
5
✽
✽
NOTICE
• The HAC does not operate when
the transaxle shift lever is in the P
(Park) or N (Neutral) position.
• The HAC activates even though the ESC is off but it does not acti-
vate when the ESC has malfunc-
tioned.
Good braking practices Check to be sure the parking brake
is not engaged and the parking
brake indicator light is out before
driving away.
Driving through water may get the brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the vehicle is washed. Wet
brakes can be dangerous! Your
vehicle will not stop as quickly if the
brakes are wet. Wet brakes may
cause the vehicle to pull to one
side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action
returns to normal, taking care to
keep the vehicle under control at
all times. If the braking action does
not return to normal, stop as soon
as it is safe to do so and call an
authorized Kia dealer for assis-
tance.
WARNING
Whenever you leave or parkyour vehicle, always set the
parking brake as far as possi-
ble and shift the vehicle to 1st
(First) gear or R (Reverse) for
manual transaxle, or P (Park)
for automatic transaxle. If the
parking brake is not fully
engaged, the vehicle may
move inadvertently and injure
yourself and others.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully
engaged when parking to
avoid inadvertent movement
of the vehicle which can injure
occupants or pedestrians.

539
Driving your vehicle
Don't coast down hills with thevehicle out of gear. This is extreme-
ly hazardous. Keep the vehicle in
gear at all times, use the brakes to
slow down, then shift to a lower
gear so that engine braking will
help you maintain a safe speed.
Don't "ride" the brake pedal. Resting your foot on the brake
pedal while driving can be danger-
ous because the brakes might
overheat and lose their effective-
ness. It also increases the wear of
the brake components.
If a tire goes flat while you are driv- ing, apply the brakes gently and
keep the vehicle pointed straight
ahead while you slow down. When
you are moving slowly enough for it
to be safe to do so, pull off the road
and stop in a safe place. If your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic transaxle, don't let your
vehicle creep forward. To avoid
creeping forward, keep your foot
firmly on the brake pedal when the
vehicle is stopped.
Be cautious when parking on a hill. Firmly engage the parking brake
and place the shift lever in P (auto-
matic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle). If
your vehicle is facing downhill, turn
the front wheels into the curb to
help keep the vehicle from rolling. If
your vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb to help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to
keep the vehicle from rolling, block
the wheels. Under some conditions your park-
ing brake can freeze in the
engaged position. This is most like-
ly to happen 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
that the parking brake may freeze,
apply it only temporarily while you
put the shift lever in P (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.
Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade with the accelerator
pedal. This can cause the transaxle
to overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.