2017 KIA SOUL ESP

13
Introduction
Your new Kia vehicle is designed to use
only unleaded fuel having a pump
octane number ((R+M)/2) of 87
(Research Octane Number 91) or high-
er. (Do not use methanol blended fuels)
Your new vehicle is designed to obtain
maximum performance with UNLEAD-
ED FUEL, as well as minimize exhaust
emissions and spark plug fouling.
Never add any fuel system cleaning
agents to the fuel tank other than what
has been specified. (Consult an
authorized Kia dealer for details.)Tighten the cap until it clicks one
time, otherwise the fuel cap open
warning indicator light (or LCD
display) will illuminate.
Gasoline containing alcohol and
methanol
Gasohol, a mixture of gasoline and
ethanol (also known as grain alco-
hol), and gasoline or gasohol con-
taining methanol (also known as
wood alcohol) are being marketed
along with or instead of leaded or
unleaded gasoline.
Pursuant to EPA regulations, ethanol
may be used in your vehicle. Do not
use gasohol containing more than 15
percent ethanol, and do not use
gasoline or gasohol containing any
methanol. Ethanol provides less
energy than gasoline and it attracts
water, and it is thus likely to reduce
your fuel efficiency and could lower
your MPG results. Methanol may
cause drivability problems and dam-
age to the fuel system, engine control
system and emission control system.
✽ ✽

NOTICE
Never use any fuel containing
methanol. Discontinue use of any
methanol containing product which
may inhibit proper drivability.
FUEL REQUIREMENTS
WARNING - Refueling
• Do not "top off" after the noz- zle automatically shuts off.
Attempts to force more fuel
into the tank can cause fuel
overflow onto you and the
ground causing a risk of fire.
Always check that the fuel cap is installed securely to pre-
vent fuel spillage, especially
in the event of an accident.

17
Introduction
VEHICLE DATA COLLECTION AND EVENT DATA RECORDERS
This vehicle is equipped with an
event data recorder (EDR). The
main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near
crash-like situations, such as an
air bag deployment or hitting a
road obstacle, data that will assist
in understanding how a vehicle's
systems performed. The EDR is
designed to record data related to
vehicle dynamics and safety sys-
tems for a short period of time,
typically 30 seconds or less. The
EDR in this vehicle is designed to
record such data as:
* How various systems in yourvehicle were operating;
* Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts were
buckled/ fastened;
* How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator
and/or brake pedal; and,
* How fast the vehicle was travel- ing. These data can help provide a bet-
ter understanding of the circum-
stances in which crashes and
injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data
are recorded by your vehicle only
if a non-trivial crash situation
occurs; no data are recorded by
the EDR under normal driving con-
ditions and no personal data (e.g.,
name, gender, age, and crash loca-
tion) are recorded. However, other
parties, such as law enforcement,
could combine the EDR data with
the type of personally identifying
data routinely acquired during a
crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR,
special equipment is required, and
access to the vehicle or the EDR is
needed. In addition to the vehicle
manufacturer, other parties, such
as law enforcement, that have the
special equipment, can read the
information if they have access to
the vehicle or the EDR.
Your rights with respect to the
information discussed above may
vary from state to state. In some
states, such information is consid-
ered private, is exclusively owned
by the owner of the motor vehicle,
and is not retrievable or usable by
another person or entity.

Safety features of your vehicle
23
You will find many safety precautions
and recommendations throughout
this section, and throughout this man-
ual. The safety precautions in this sec-
tion are among the most important.Always wear your seat belt
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of accidents. Air bags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with air
bags, ALWAYS make sure you and
your passengers wear your seat
belts, and wear them properly.
Restrain all children
All children under age 13 should ride
in your vehicle properly restrained in
a rear seat, not the front seat. Infants
and small children should be
restrained in an appropriate child
restraint. Larger children should use
a booster seat with the lap/shoulder
belt until they can use the seat belt
properly without a booster seat.
Air bag hazards
While air bags can save lives, they
can also cause serious or fatal
injuries to occupants who sit too
close to them, or who are not prop-
erly restrained. Infants, young chil-
dren, and shorter adults are at the
greatest risk of being injured by an
inflating air bag. Follow all instruc-
tions and warnings in this manual.
Driver distraction
Driver distraction presents a serious
and potentially deadly danger, espe-
cially for inexperienced drivers.
Safety should be the first concern
when behind the wheel and drivers
need to be aware of the wide array of
potential distractions, such as drowsi-
ness, reaching for objects, eating,
personal grooming, other passen-
gers, and using cellular phones.
Drivers can become distracted when
they take their eyes and attention off
the road or their hands off the wheel
to focus on activities other than driv-
ing. To reduce your risk of distraction
or getting into an accident:
IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

33
Safety features of your vehicle
• ALWAYS set up your mobiledevices (i.e., MP3 players, phones,
navigation units, etc.) when your
vehicle is parked or safely stopped.
ONLY use your mobile device when allowed by laws and when
conditions permit safe use. NEVER
text or email while driving. Most
states have laws prohibiting drivers
from texting. Some states and
cities also prohibit drivers from
using handheld phones.
NEVER let the use of a mobile device distract you from driving.
You have a responsibility to your
passengers and others on the road
to always drive safely, with your
hands on the wheel as well as your
eyes and attention on the road.Control your speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current condi-
tions, regardless of the maximum
speed posted.
Keep your vehicle in safe con-
dition
Having a tire blowout or a mechani-
cal failure can be extremely haz-
ardous. To reduce the possibility of
such problems, check your tire pres-
sures and condition frequently, and
perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance.

35
Safety features of your vehicle
WARNING- Uprightingseat
Do not press the release lever
on a manual seatback without
holding and controlling the
seatback. The seatback will
spring upright possibly impact-
ing you or other passengers.
WARNING- Loose objects
Do not place anything in the dri-
ver's foot well or under the front
seats. Loose objects in the dri-
ver's foot area could interfere with
the operation of the foot pedals.WARNING- Driver respon-
sibility for passengers
The driver must advise the pas-
senger to keep the seatback in
an upright position whenever
the vehicle is in motion. If a seat
is reclined during an accident,
the restraint system's ability to
restrain will be greatly reduced.
1KMN3662
WARNING - Seat cushion
Occupants should never sit on
aftermarket seat cushions or sit-
ting cushions. The passenger's
hips may slide under the lap por-
tion of the seat belt during an
accident or a sudden stop.
WARNING- Driver’s seat
Never attempt to adjust the seat while the vehicle is mov-
ing. This could result in loss
of control of your vehicle.
Do not allow anything to inter- fere with the normal position
of the seatback. Storing items
against the seatback could
result in serious or fatal injury
in a sudden stop or collision.
Sit as far back as possible from the steering wheel while still
maintaining comfortable con-
trol of the your vehicle. A dis-
tance of at least 10" from your
chest to the steering wheel is
recommended. Failure to do so
can result in airbag inflation
injuries to the driver.

Safety features of your vehicle
32
3
Child restraint system (CRS)
Infants and younger children must be
restrained in an appropriate rear-fac-
ing or forward-facing CRS that has
first been properly secured to the
rear seat of the vehicle. Read and
comply with the instructions for
installation and use provided by the
manufacturer of the child restraint.
Selecting a Child Restraint
System (CRS)
When selecting a CRS for your child,
always:
Make sure the CRS has a label
certifying that it meets applicable
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards (FMVSS 213).
Select a child restraint based on your child’s height and weight. The
required label or the instructions
for use typically provide this infor-
mation.
Select a child restraint that fits the vehicle seating position where it
will be used.
Read and comply with the warn- ings and instructions for installation
and use provided with the child
restraint system.
WARNING
-
Child Restraint Installation
An improperly secured child
restraint can increase the risk
of serious injury or death in an
accident. Always take the fol-
lowing precautions when using
a child restraint system:
Always follow the child restraint system manufactur-
er’s instructions for installa-
tion and use.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Always properly restrain yourchild in the child restraint.
If the vehicle head restraint prevents proper installation of
a child seat (as described in
the child restraint system
manual), the head restraint of
the respective seating posi-
tion shall be readjusted or
entirely removed.
Do not use an infant carrier or a child safety seat that
"hooks" over a seatback, it
may not provide adequate
protection in an accident.
After an accident, have a Kia dealer check the child restraint
system, seat belts, tether
anchors and lower anchors.

343
Safety features of your vehicle
How does the air bag system
operate
Air bags are activated (able toinflate if necessary) only when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
or START position.
The appropriate air bags inflate instantly in the event of a serious
frontal collision or side collision in
order to help protect the occupants
from serious physical injury.
In normal conditions, the airbag is designed to deploy based on certain
angle and intensity of the collision.
These two factors are crucial ele-
ments for deciding whether to trans-
mit airbag deployment signal or start
the electrical operation or not.
The airbag will deploy based on angle and intensity of the collision.
It will not deploy in every crash or
collision situations The front air bags will completely
inflate and deflate in an instant.
It is virtually impossible for you to
see the air bags inflate during an
accident.
It is much more likely that you will
simply see the deflated air bags
hanging out of their storage com-
partments after the collision.
In addition to inflating in serious side collisions, side and/or curtain
air bags will inflate if the sensing
system detects a rollover.
When a rollover is detected, cur- tain air bags will remain inflated
longer to help provide protection
from ejection, especially when
used in conjunction with the seat
belts. In order to help provide protection,
the air bags must inflate rapidly.
The speed of the air bag inflation is
a consequence of extremely short
time in which to inflate the air bag
between the occupant and the
vehicle structures before the occu-
pant impacts those structures. This
speed of inflation reduces the risk
of serious or life-threatening
injuries and is thus a necessary
part of the air bag design.
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which can include
facial abrasions, bruises and bro-
ken bones because the inflation
speed also causes the air bags to
expand with a great deal of force.
There are even circumstances under which contact with the
steering wheel or passenger air
bag can cause fatal injuries,
especially if the occupant is
positioned excessively close to
the steering wheel or passenger
air bag.

361
Safety features of your vehicle
Curtain air bag
Curtain air bags are located along
both sides of the roof rails above the
front and rear doors.They are designed to help protect
occupants in certain side impacts
and to help prevent them from eject-
ing out of the vehicle as a result of a
rollover, especially when the seat-
belts are also in use.
The curtain air
bags are designed to deploy during
certain side impact collisions, depend-
ing on the crash severity, angle, speed
and point of impact. The side and/or
curtain air bags do not only deploy on
the side of the impact but also on the
opposite side. Also, the curtain air bags
on both sides of the vehicle will deploy
in certain rollover situations. The curtain
air bags are not designed to deploy in
all side impact or rollover situations. Do
not allow the passengers to lean their
heads or bodies against the doors, put
their arms on the doors, stretch their
arms out of the window or place objects
between the doors and passengers
when they are seated on seats
equipped with side impact and/or cur-
tain air bags.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
Never try to open or repair any com-
ponents of the side and curtain air
bag system. This should only be
done by an authorized Kia dealer.
OPS033024
OPS033038
❈ The actual air bags in the vehicle may dif-
fer from the illustration.
WARNING - No attaching
objects
Do not place any objects over the air bag. Also, do not attach
any objects around the area
the air bag inflates such as the
door, side door glass, front
and rear pillar, roof side rail.
objects on the clothes hanger.