2018 KIA SOUL EV Owners Manual

719
Maintenance
EXPLANATION OF SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ITEMS
Cooling system
Check the cooling system compo-
nents, such as the radiator, coolant
reservoir, hoses and connections ,
coolant 3way valve, chiller for leak-
age and damage. Replace any dam-
aged parts.
Coolant
The coolant should be changed at
the intervals specified in the mainte-
nance schedule.
Brake hoses and lines
Visually check for proper installation,
chafing, cracks, deterioration and
any leakage. Replace any deteriorat-
ed or damaged parts immediately.
✽ ✽NOTICE - NHTSA Safety
Corrosion Alert
NHTSA has warned all vehicle own-
ers of all brands that they must main-
tain their vehicles in a manner which
will prevent brake hose and brake line
failures due to corrosion when such
vehicles are exposed to winter road
salt and related chemicals. While seri-
ous corrosion conditions typically only
manifest themselves as safety issues
after 7 years of vehicle use, the corro-
sion process starts immediately and
thus underbody cleaning maintenance
must commence from your vehicle's
first exposure to road salts and chem-
icals. NHTSA urges vehicle owners to
take the following steps to prevent
corrosion:
(Continued)(Continued)
1. Wash the undercarriage of your
vehicle regularly throughout the
winter and do a thorough washing
in the spring to remove road salt
and other de-icing chemicals.
2. Monitor the brake system for signs of corrosion by having regu-
lar professional inspections and
watching for signs of problems,
including loss of brake fluid,
unusual leaks and soft or spongy
feel in the brake pedal.
3. Replace the entire brake pipe assembly if you find severe corro-
sion that causes scaling or flaking
of brake components.

Maintenance
20
7
Brake fluid
Check the brake fluid level in the
brake fluid reservoir. The level should
be between “MIN” and “MAX” marks
on the side of the reservoir. Use only
hydraulic brake fluid conforming to
DOT 3 or DOT 4 specification.
Brake discs, pads, calipers
and rotors
Check the pads for excessive wear,
discs for run out and wear, and
calipers for fluid leakage.
Suspension mounting bolts
Check the suspension connections
for looseness or damage. Retighten
to the specified torque.
Steering gear box, linkage &
boots/lower arm ball joint
With the vehicle stopped and off,
check for excessive free-play in the
steering wheel.
Check the linkage for bends or dam-
age. Check the dust boots and ball
joints for deterioration, cracks, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts.
Drive shafts and boots
Check the drive shafts, boots and
clamps for cracks, deterioration, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts and, if necessary, repack the
grease.
Air conditioning refrigerant
Check the air conditioning lines and
connections for leakage and dam-
age.

721
Maintenance
COOLANT
The high-pressure cooling system
has a reservoir filled with year round
antifreeze coolant. The reservoir is
filled at the factory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year, at the
beginning of the winter season, and
before traveling to a colder climate.Checking the coolant levelTurn the vehicle off and wait until it
cools down. Use extreme care when
removing the radiator cap. Wrap a
thick towel around it, and turn it
counterclockwise slowly to the first
stop. Step back while the pressure is
released from the cooling system.
When you are sure all the pressure
has been released, press down on
the cap, using a thick towel, and con-
tinue turning counterclockwise to
remove it.
WARNING
Removing radiator
cap
Never attempt to remove the
radiator cap while the motor
compartment is operating or
hot. Doing so might lead to
cooling system damage and
could result in serious personal
injury from escaping hot
coolant or steam.
CAUTION - Radiator
/Inverter cap
Never attempt to remove theradiator or inverter cap whilethe motor is operating or hot.Doing so might lead to coolingsystem and motor damage.

Maintenance
22
7
Check the condition and connections
of all cooling system hoses and
heater hoses. Replace any swollen
or deteriorated hoses.
The coolant level should be filled
between F and L marks on the side
of the coolant reservoir when the
motor room is cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protec-
tion against freezing and corrosion.
Bring the level to F, but do not over-
fill. If frequent additions are required,
see an authorized Kia dealer for a
cooling system inspection.
Recommended coolant
When adding coolant, use only
deionized water or soft water for
your vehicle and never mix hard
water in the coolant filled at the fac-
tory. An improper coolant mixture
can result in serious malfunction or
damage.
DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol coolant or mix them with the spec-
ified coolant.
Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze or less
than 35% antifreeze, which would
reduce the effectiveness of the
solution.
The cooling circuit of a vehicle equipped with a heat pump system
may freeze in extremely low tem-
perature when the concentration of
the antifreezing liquid is below
45%.
OPSE074002
WARNING- Cooling fan
Use caution when
working near the
blade of the cooling
fan. The electric
motor (cooling fan) is
controlled by coolant tempera-
ture, refrigerant pressure and
vehicle speed. it may some-
times operate even when the
vehicle is not running.

723
Maintenance
For mixture percentage, refer to the
following table.Changing the coolant
Have the coolant changed by an
authorized Kia dealer according to
the Maintenance Schedule at the
beginning of this chapter.
Put a thick cloth around the radiator
cap before refilling the coolant in
order to prevent the coolant from
overflowing into motor compartment.
OPSE074002
Ambient
Temperature Mixture Percentage
(volume)
Antifreeze Water
5°F (-15°C)35 65
-13°F (-25°C)4060
-31°F (-35°C)5050
-49°F (-45°C)6040
WARNING
Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the motor compartment
and radiator are hot. Scalding
hot coolant and steam may
blow out under pressure which
may result in serious injury.

Maintenance
24
7
BRAKE FLUID
Checking the brake fluid level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir
periodically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap
and adding brake fluid, clean the
area around the reservoir cap thor-
oughly to prevent brake fluid contam-
ination. If the level is low, add fluid to the
MAX level. The level will fall with
accumulated mileage. This is a nor-
mal condition associated with the
wear of the brake linings. If the fluid
level is excessively low, have the
brake system checked by an author-
ized Kia dealer.
Use only the specified brake fluid.
(Refer to “Recommended lubricantsand capacities” in chapter 8.) Never mix different types of fluid.
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an authorized Kia dealer.
When changing and adding brake
fluid, handle it carefully. Do not let it
come in contact with your eyes. If
brake fluid should come in contact
with your eyes, immediately flush
them with a large quantity of fresh
tap water. Have your eyes examined
by a doctor as soon as possible.
OPSE074003
CAUTION - Proper fluid
Only use brake fluid in brake
system. Small amounts ofimproper fluids can cause dam-age to the brake system.

725
Maintenance
Brake fluid, which has been exposed
to open air for an extended time
should never be used as its quality
cannot be guaranteed. It should be
disposed of properly.
CAUTION - Brake fluid
Do not allow brake fluid to con-tact the vehicle's body paint, aspaint damage will result.

Maintenance
26
7
WASHER FLUID
Checking the washer fluid
level
The reservoir is translucent so that
you can check the level with a quick
visual inspection.
Check the fluid level in the washer
fluid reservoir and add fluid if neces-
sary. Plain water may be used if
washer fluid is not available.
However, use washer solvent with
antifreeze characteristics in cold cli-
mates to prevent freezing.
OPSE074004
WARNING- Flammable
Fluid
Do not allow the washer fluid to
come in contact with open
flames or sparks. The windshield
washer fluid reservoir is flamma-
ble under certain circumstances.
This can result in a fire.WARNING- Coolant
Do not use radiator coolant or antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windshield and may
cause loss of vehicle control.
WARNING- Windshield
fluid
Do not drink the windshield
washer fluid. The windshield
washer fluid is poisonous to
humans and animals.