2015 KIA Soul EV brake

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Driving your vehicle
Your vehicle's energy economy
depends mainly on your style of driv-
ing, where you drive and when you
drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many miles (kilometers) you can get
from a capacity (kwh) of battery. To
operate your vehicle as economical-
ly as possible, use the following driv-
ing suggestions to help save money
in both energy and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at amoderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can avoid unnecessary braking.
This also reduces brake wear. Drive at a moderate speed. The
faster you drive, the more energy
your vehicle uses. Driving at a
moderate speed, especially on the
highway, is one of the most effec-
tive ways to reduce energy con-
sumption.
Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can increase energy consumption
and also increase wear on these
components. In addition, driving
with your foot resting on the brake
pedal may cause the brakes to
overheat, which reduces their
effectiveness and may lead to
more serious consequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month. Be sure that the wheels are
aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater energy consumption.
Keep your vehicle in good condi- tion. For better energy economy
and reduced maintenance costs,
maintain your vehicle in accor-
dance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. If you drive
your vehicle in severe conditions,
more frequent maintenance is
required (see section 7 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi- mum service, your vehicle should
be kept clean and free of corrosive
materials. It is especially important
that mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be
allowed to accumulate on the
underside of the vehicle. This extra
weight can result in increased
energy consumption and also con-
tribute to corrosion.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION

Driving your vehicle
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5
Travel lightly. Don't carry unneces-
sary weight in your vehicle. Weight
reduces energy economy.
Open windows at high speeds can reduce energy economy.
Energy economy is less in cross- winds and headwinds. To help off-
set some of this loss, slow down
when driving in these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating
condition is important both for econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer perform
scheduled inspections and mainte-
nance.
WARNING
- Vehicle off during motion
Never turn the POWER button
off to coast down hills or any-
time the vehicle is in motion.
The power steering and power
brakes will not function proper-
ly without the vehicle is in the
ready ( ) mode. In addition,
turning off the POWER button
while driving could engage the
steering wheel lock resulting in
loss of vehicle steering. Keep
the vehicle is in the ready ( )
mode and gear lever in
B(Braking) position for engine
braking effect.

539
Driving your vehicle
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extradistance for braking.
Avoid sudden braking or steering.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with
a light up-and-down motion until
the vehicle is stopped.
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS. If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non- slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when
stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehi-
cle is defined as a Crossover Utility
Vehicle (CUV). CUV’s have higher
ground clearance and a narrower
track to make them capable of per-
forming in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design charac-
teristics give them a higher center of
gravity than ordinary vehicles. An
advantage of the higher ground
clearance is a better view of the
road, which allows you to anticipate
problems. They are not designed for
cornering at the same speeds as
conventional passenger vehicles,
any more than low-slung sports vehi-
cles are designed to perform satis-
factorily in off-road conditions. Due to
this risk, driver and passengers are
strongly recommended to buckle
their seat belts. In a rollover crash,
an unbelted person is more likely to
die than a person wearing a seat
belt. There are steps that a driver can
make to reduce the risk of a rollover.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING- Downshifting
Do not downshift with an auto-
matic transaxle while driving on
slippery surfaces. The sudden
change in tire speed could
cause the tires to skid and
result in an accident.

Driving your vehicle
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5
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not
prepared for the slick pavement.
Here are a few things to consider
when driving in the rain: A heavy rainfall will make it harder
to see and will increase the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
Keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape. Replace
your windshield wiper blades when
they show signs of streaking or
missing areas on the windshield.
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.
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Severe weather conditions in the
winter result in greater wear and
other problems. To minimize the
problems of winter driving, you
should follow these suggestions:
Snowy or icy conditions
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tires
on your tires. If snow tires are need-
ed, it is necessary to select tires
equivalent in size and type of the
original equipment tires. Failure to do
so may adversely affect the safety
and handling of your vehicle.
Furthermore, speeding, rapid accel-
eration, sudden brake applications,
and sharp turns are potentially very
hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use regenera-
tive braking to the fullest extent.
Sudden brake applications on snowy
or icy roads may cause skids to
occur. You need to keep sufficient
distance between the vehicle in
operation in front of your vehicle.
Also, apply the brake gently.
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehi-
cle, make sure they are radial tires of
the same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
Keep in mind that the traction provid-
ed by snow tires on dry roads may
not be as high as your vehicle's orig-
inal equipment tires. You should drive
cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires without
first checking local, state and munic-ipal regulations for possible restric-tions against their use.
WINTER DRIVING
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Don’t let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely 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 the parking brake may
freeze, apply it only temporarily while
you put the gear shift lever in P (Park,
automatic transaxle) and block the
rear wheels so the vehicle cannot roll.
Then release the parking brake.
Don't let ice and snow accu-
mulate underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice can build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in severe winter conditions
where this may happen, you should
periodically check underneath the
vehicle to be sure the movement of
the front wheels and the steering
components are not obstructed.
Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the
weather, you should carry appropriate
emergency equipment. Some of the
items you may want to carry include
tow straps or chains, flashlight, emer-
gency flares, sand, shovel, jumper
cables, window scraper, gloves,
ground cloth, coveralls, blanket, etc. We do not recommend using this
vehicle for trailer towing.
TRAILER TOWING

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What to do in an emergency
If the vehicle stalls at a cross-
road or crossing
If the vehicle stalls at a crossroad or
crossing, set the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position and then push the
vehicle to a safe place.
If you have a flat tire while
driving
If a tire goes flat while you are driving:
1. Take your foot off the acceleratorpedal and let the vehicle slow
down while driving straight ahead.
Do not apply the brakes immedi-
ately or attempt to pull off the road
as this may cause a loss of control.
When the vehicle has slowed to
such a speed that it is safe to do
so, brake carefully and pull off the
road. Drive off the road as far as
possible and park on a firm level
ground. If you are on a divided
highway, do not park in the median
area between the two traffic lanes. 2. When the vehicle is stopped, turn
on your emergency hazard flash-
ers, set the parking brake and put
the transaxle in P.
3. Have all passengers get out of the vehicle. Be sure they all get out on
the side of the vehicle that is away
from traffic.
4. When changing a flat tire, follow the instruction provided later in
this section.
If the vehicle stalls while driv-
ing
1. Reduce your speed gradually,keeping a straight line. Move cau-
tiously off the road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try to start the vehicle again. If your vehicle will not start, contact
an authorized Kia dealer or seek
other qualified assistance.
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY WHILE DRIVING

What to do in an emergency
46
IF THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START
If vehicle doesn't turn over or
turns over slowly
1. 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 tightened.
5. Do not push or pull the vehicle to start it. See instructions for "Jump
starting".
WARNING- Push/pull
start
Do not push or pull the vehicle
to start it. Push or pull starting
may cause motor damage.