2015 KIA Soul parking brake

489
Features of your vehicle
Headlamp escort (if equipped)
If you turn the ignition switch to the
ACC or OFF position with the head-
lights ON, the headlights remain on
for about 5 minutes. However, if the
driver’s door is opened and closed,
the headlights are turned off after 15
seconds.
The headlights can be turned off by
pressing the lock button on the trans-
mitter (or smart key) twice or turning
the light switch to the OFF or Auto
position. However, if you turn the light
switch to the Auto position when it is
dark outside, the headlights will not
be turned off immediately.
Battery saver function
The purpose of this feature is toprevent the battery from being dis-
charged. The system automatically
turns off the parking lights when
the driver removes the ignition key
and opens the driver-side door (in
that order).
With this feature, the parking lights will turn off automatically if the driv-
er parks on the side of the road at
night.
If necessary, to keep the lights on
when the ignition key is removed,
perform the following:
1) Open the driver-side door.
2) Turn the parking lights OFF and ON again using the light switch
on the steering column.
Daytime running light
Daytime Running Lights (DRL) may
help make it easier for others to see
the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many dif-
ferent driving conditions, and it is
especially helpful after dawn and
before sunset.
The DRL system turns OFF when:
1. The front fog light or headlight (low
beam) switch is ON.
2. The engine is OFF.
3. The parking brake is applied.
LIGHTING

55
Driving your vehicle
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-trols are easily reached.
Buckle your seat belt.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light
goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
WARNING
- Check surroundings
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
putting a vehicle into D (Drive)
or R (Reverse).
WARNING- Fire risk
When you intend to park or stop
the vehicle with the engine on,
be careful not to depress the
accelerator pedal for a long
period of time. It may overheat
the engine or exhaust system
and cause fire.WARNING- Loose
objects
Securely store items in your
vehicle. When you make a sud-
den stop or turn the steering
wheel rapidly, loose objects
may drop on the floor and it
could interfere with the opera-
tion of the foot pedals, possibly
causing an accident.
WARNING- Driving while
intoxicated
Do not drive while intoxicated.
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Even a small amount of
alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgment.
Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
as or more dangerous than driv-
ing drunk.

57
Driving your vehicle
START
Turn the ignition switch to the START
position to start the engine. The
engine will crank until you release
the key; then it returns to the ON
position. The brake warning light can
be checked in this position.The anti-theft steering column lock (if
equipped) is not a substitute for the
parking brake. Before leaving the dri-
ver’s seat, always make sure the shift
lever is engaged in 1st gear for the
manual transaxle or P (Park) for
automatic transaxle, set the parking
brake fully and shut the engine off.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement may occur if these pre-
cautions are not taken.
Starting the engine
1.Make sure the parking brake is
applied.
2. Manual Transaxle - Depress the
clutch pedal fully and shift the
transaxle into Neutral. Keep the
clutch pedal and brake pedal
depressed while turning the igni-
tion switch to the start position.
Automatic Transaxle - Place the
transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine when
the shift lever is in the N (Neutral)
position.
WARNING - Ignition switch
Never turn the ignition switch to
LOCK or ACC while the vehicle
is moving. This would result in
loss of directional control and
braking function, which could
cause an accident.
WARNING -Proper
footwear
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels,
ski boots,etc.) may interfere
with your ability to use the
brake and accelerator pedal.

511
Driving your vehicle
If you press the ENGINE
START/STOP button without
depressing the clutch pedal for man-
ual transaxle vehicles or without
depressing the brake pedal for auto-
matic transaxle vehicles, the engine
will not start and the ENGINE
START/STOP button changes as fol-
low:
OFF ➔ACC ➔ON ➔OFF or ACC✽ ✽

NOTICE
If you leave the ENGINE START/
STOP button in the ACC or ON
position for a long time, the battery
will discharge.
Starting the engine with a
smart key (if equipped)
1.Carry the smart key or leave it
inside the vehicle.
2.Make sure the parking brake is firmly applied
3. Manual Transaxle - Depress the
clutch pedal fully and shift the
transaxle into Neutral. Keep the
clutch pedal and brake pedal
depressed while starting the engine.
Automatic transaxle - Place the
transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine when the shift lever is in the N (Neutral)position.
4.Press the ENGINE START/STOP button while depressing the brake
pedal.
It should be started withoutdepressing the accelerator.
5.Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the vehicle remains sta-
tionary.
Start driving at moderate engine
speeds. (Steep accelerating and
decelerating should be avoided.)
WARNING
- Starting vehicle
Never press the ENGINE
START/STOP button while the
vehicle is in motion except in an
emergency. If the engine stops
while the vehicle is in motion,
this would result in loss of
directional control and braking
function, which could cause an
accident.

515
Driving your vehicle
During cold weather, shifting maybe difficult until the transaxle lubri-
cant has warmed up. This is nor-
mal and not harmful to the
transaxle.
If you've come to a complete stop and it's hard to shift into 1st or R
(Reverse), put the shift lever in N
(Neutral) position and release the
clutch. Press the clutch pedal back
down, and then shift into 1st or R
(Reverse) gear position.Using the clutch
The clutch should be pressed 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 repeat-
edly.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch wear and damage, do notdrive with your foot resting onthe clutch pedal. Also, don’tuse the clutch to hold thevehicle stopped on an uphillgrade, while waiting for a traf-fic light, etc.
Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, asthis can result in prematurewear of the transaxle shiftforks.
CAUTION
When operating the clutchpedal, depress the clutch pedaldown fully. If you don’t depressthe clutch pedal fully, the clutchmay be damaged or noise mayoccur.
WARNING
- Incline parking
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.

Driving your vehicle
18
5
For smooth operation, depress the
brake pedal and the lock release but-ton when shifting from N (Neutral) toa forward or reverse gear.
When stopped on an incline, do not
hold the vehicle with the engine
power. Use the service brake or the
parking brake.
Transaxle ranges
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park). This
position locks the transaxle and pre-
vents the drive wheels from rotating.
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehi-
cle is in motion will cause the drive
wheels to lock which will cause you
to lose control of the vehicle.
WARNING- Leaving the
vehicle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (Park) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off. Do not use
the P position in place of the
parking brake. Always make
sure the shift lever is latched in
the P position and set the park-
ing brake fully. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are
not followed.
CAUTION-Transaxle
To avoid damage to your transaxle, do not accelerate theengine in R (Reverse) or any for-ward gear position with thebrakes on. The transaxle may bedamaged if you shift into P(Park) while the vehicle is inmotion.

519
Driving your vehicle
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 6-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, sports mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the D
(Drive) position into the manual gate.
To return to D (Drive) range opera-
tion, push the shift lever back into the
main gate.
In sports mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
In contrast to a manual transaxle, the
sports mode allows gearshifts with
the accelerator pedal depressed.
CAUTION - Shifting
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is inmotion, except when “Rockingthe vehicle” explained in thissection.
OPS053009
Sports mode
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D
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Driving your vehicle
22
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.
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.
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.
Moving up a steep grade from a
standing start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on
a steep hill, the vehicle may have a
tendency to roll backwards.
Shifting the shift lever into 2
(Second Gear) will help prevent
the vehicle from rolling back-
wards.