2014 KIA Soul traction control

517
Driving your vehicle
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 again need to
increase your speed. When the vehi-
cle is traveling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
Good driving practices
Never take the vehicle out of gearand 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. To shift into
reverse, depress the clutch, move
the shift lever to neutral, then shift
to the reverse position. Exercise extreme caution when
driving on a slippery surface. Be
especially careful when braking,
accelerating or shifting gears. On a
slippery surface, an abrupt change
in vehicle speed can cause the
drive wheels to lose traction and
the vehicle to go out of control.

Driving your vehicle
24
5
Good driving practices
Never move the gear shift lever
from P (Park) to any other position
with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Never move the gear shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.
Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the vehicle out of gear and coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the vehicle in gear when moving.
Do not "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. Otherwise, the lower
gear may not be engaged. Always use the parking brake. Do
not depend on placing the
transaxle in P (Park) to keep the
vehicle from moving.
Exercise extreme caution when driving on a slippery surface. Be
especially careful when braking,
accelerating or shifting gears. On a
slippery surface, an abrupt change
in vehicle speed can cause the
drive wheels to lose traction and
the vehicle to go out of control.
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a colli-sion, an unbelted occupant is
significantly more likely to be
seriously injured or killed than
a properly belted occupant.
Avoid high speeds when cor- nering or turning.
Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as
sharp lane changes or fast,
sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control
of your vehicle at highway
speeds.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
oversteers to reenter the road-
way.
In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not
steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into
the travel lanes.
Never exceed posted speed limits.

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.

557
Driving your vehicle
If your tires are not in good condi-tion, making a quick stop on wet
pavement can cause a skid and
possibly lead to an accident. Be
sure your tires are in good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it easier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large pud- dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
Driving off-road
Drive carefully off-road because your
vehicle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. Become familiar with
the off-road conditions where you
are going to drive before you begin
driving.
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pres-
sures will result in overheating and
possible failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires
which may result in reduced traction
or tire failure.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tire
inflation pressure shown on the
tires.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated
tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and
sudden tire failure leading to
accidents, injuries, and even
death. Always check tires for
proper inflation before driv-
ing. For proper tire pressures,
refer to “Tires and wheels” in
section 8.
Driving on tires with no or insufficient tread is danger-
ous. Worn-out tires can result
in loss of vehicle control, col-
lisions, injury, and even death.
Worn-out tires should be
replaced as soon as possible
and should never be used for
driving. Always check the tire
tread before driving your vehi-
cle. For further information
and tread limits, refer to “Tires
and wheels” in section 7.

751
Maintenance
Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
OEN076053
Tread wear indicator
WARNING - Replacingtires
To reduce the chance of serious
or fatal injuries from an acci-
dent caused by tire failure or
loss of vehicle control:
Replace tires that are worn, show uneven wear, or are
damaged. Worn tires can
cause loss of braking effec-
tiveness, steering control, and
traction.
Do not drive your vehicle with too little or too much pressure
in your tires. This can lead to
uneven wear and tire failure.
When replacing tires, never mix radial and bias-ply tires
on the same vehicle. You must
replace all tires (including the
spare) if moving from radial to
bias-ply tires.
(Continued)(Continued)
Using tires and wheels otherthan the recommended sizes
could cause unusual handling
characteristics and poor vehi-
cle control, resulting in a seri-
ous accident.
Wheels that do not meet Kia’s specifications may fit poorly
and result in damage to the
vehicle or unusual handling
and poor vehicle control.
The ABS works by comparing the speed of the wheels. The
tire size affects wheel speed.
When replacing tires, all 4
tires must use the same size
originally supplied with the
vehicle. Using tires of a differ-
ent size can cause the ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System) and
ESC (Electronic Stability
Control) to work irregularly.

755
Maintenance
4. Tire ply composition and mate-rial
The number of layers or plies of rub-
ber-coated fabric in the tire. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the
materials in the tire, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
The letter "R" means radial ply con-
struction; the letter "D" means diago-
nal or bias ply construction; and the
letter "B" means belted-bias ply con-
struction.
5. Maximum permissible inflationpressure
This number is the greatest amount
of air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the maximum
permissible inflation pressure. Refer
to the Tire and Loading Information
label for recommended inflation
pressure.
6. Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When
replacing the tires on the vehicle,
always use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
7. Uniform tire quality grading
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and maxi-
mum section width.
For example:
TREADWEAR 200
TRACTION AA
TEMPERATURE A Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one-and-a-
half times (1½) as well on the gov-
ernment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
These grades are molded on the
side-walls of passenger vehicle tires.
The tires available as standard or
optional equipment on your vehicle
may vary with respect to grade.

Maintenance
56
7
Traction - AA, A, B & C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on spec-
ified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction perform-
ance. Temperature -A, B & C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B and C representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of perform-
ance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
WARNING - Tire
tempera-
ture
The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
build-up and possible sudden
tire failure. This can cause loss
of vehicle control and serious
injury.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on straight-
ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include accelera-
tion, cornering, hydroplaning,
or peak traction characteristics.

Index
8I
Recommended cold tire inflation pressures . . . . . . . 7-47
Tire care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47\
Tire maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52
Tire replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
Tire rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
Tire sidewall labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-53
Tire traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52
Wheel alignment and tire balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
Wheel replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. 6-24 Emergency towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26
Removable towing hook (front) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-25
Towing service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
Trip computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-72 Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-74
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-72
Trip A/B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-73\
Vehicle Break-In Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Vehicle certification label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Vehicle identification number (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Vehicle load limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-62 Certification label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-66
Tire and loading information label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-62
Vehicle weight glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-68 Base curb weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-68 Cargo weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-68
GAW (Gross axle weight) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-68
GAWR (Gross axle weight rating) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-68
GVW (Gross vehicle weight). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-68
GVWR (Gross vehicle weight rating) . . . . . . . . . . . 5-68
Vehicle curb weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-68
Warning and indicator lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-76 Indicator Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-83
Warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-76
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34 Checking the washer fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
4-26 Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Windshield defrosting and defogging. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-125 Automatic climate control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-126
Defogging logic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-127
Manual climate control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-125
Winter driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-59 Carry emergency equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-61
Change to "winter weight" oil if necessary . . . . . . . 5-60
Check battery and cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-60
Check spark plugs and ignition system . . . . . . . . . . 5-60
Don’t let your parking brake freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-61
Don't let ice and snow accumulate underneath . . . . 5-61
Snowy or icy conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-59
V
W