2021 KIA NIRO PHEV Owners Manual

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 cli-
mate.Checking the coolant level Turn the engine 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 cool-
ing system.
When you are sure all the pressure
has been released, press down on
the cap, using a thick towel, and
continue turning counterclockwise
to remove it.
Even if the engine is not operating,
do not remove the radiator cap or
the drain plug while the engine and
radiator are hot. Hot coolant and
steam may still blow out under
pressure, causing serious injury.
The engine coolant and/or inverter
coolant level is influenced by the
hybrid system temperature. Before
checking or refilling the engine
coolant and/or inverter coolant,
turn the hybrid vehicle off.
WARNING
Removing radiator
cap
Never attempt to remove the
radiator cap while the engine is
operating or hot. Doing so
might lead to cooling system
and engine damage and could
result in serious personal injury
from escaping hot coolant or
steam.
CAUTION - Radiator cap
Never attempt to remove the
radiator cap while the engine is
operating or hot. Doing so
might lead to cooling system
and engine damage.

Maintenance
22
7
Engine coolant
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 MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the coolant reservoir when
the engine is cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protec-
tion against freezing and corrosion.
Bring the level to MAX, but do not
overfill. If frequent additions are
required, see an authorized Kia deal-
er for a cooling system inspection.
Inverter coolant
The coolant level should be filled
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the coolant reservoir when
the engine is cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protec-
tion against freezing and corrosion.
Bring the level to MAX, but do not
overfill. If frequent additions are
required, see an authorized Kia deal-
er for a cooling system inspection.
WARNING- Cooling fan
Use caution when
working near the
blade of the cooling
fan. The electric
motor (cooling fan) is
controlled by engine coolant
temperature, refrigerant pres-
sure and vehicle speed. It may
sometimes operate even when
the engine is not running.
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723
Maintenance
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
engine damage.
The engine in your vehicle has alu-
minum engine parts and must be
protected by an ethylene-glycol
with phosphate based coolant to
prevent corrosion and freezing.
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. This would
reduce the effectiveness of the
solution.For mixture percentage, refer to the
following table.
Ambient
TemperatureMixture Percentage
(volume)
Antifreeze Water
5°F (-15°C)35 65
-13°F (-25°C)40 60
-31°F (-35°C)50 50
-49°F (-45°C)60 40ODE076006
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■Inverter coolant reservoir cap
■Engine coolant reservoir cap

Maintenance
24 7
✽
✽
NOTICE
Make sure the coolant cap is proper-
ly closed after refill of coolant.
Otherwise the engine could be over-
heated while driving.
1. Check if the radiator cap label is
straight front.2. Make sure that the tiny protru-
sions inside the coolant cap
should be securely interlocked.WARNING
Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator
are hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure which may result in
serious injury.
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■Engine room front view
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■Engine room rear view

725
Maintenance
Changing the coolant
Have the coolant changed by an
authorized Kia dealer according to
the Maintenance Schedule at the
beginning of this chapter.
CAUTION
Put a thick cloth or fabric
around the radiator cap before
refilling the coolant in order to
prevent the coolant from over-
flowing into engine parts such
as the generator.

Maintenance
26 7
BRAKE FLUID
Checking the brake fluid level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir
periodically. The fluid level should be
between MAX (Maximum) and MIN
(Minimum) 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.Periodically check that the fluid level
in the brake fluid reservoir is
between MIN and MAX. The level will
fall with accumulated mileage. This is
a normal condition associated with
the wear of 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 lubricants
and 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.
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, as
paint damage will result.
CAUTION - Proper fluid
Only use brake fluid in brake
system. Small amounts of
improper fluids (such as engine
oil) can cause damage to the
brake system.
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727
Maintenance
CAUTION
To maintain your vehicle’s best
brake and ABS/ESC perform-
ance, use Kia genuine brake
fluid as in the specification.
(Classification : SAE J1704 DOT-
4 LV, ISO4925 CLASS-6,
FMVSS116 DOT-4)

Maintenance
28 7
ENGINE CLUTCH ACTUATOR FLUID
Checking the engine clutch
actuator fluid level
In normal driving conditions, the
actuator fluid level does not go down
rapidly. However, oil consumption
rate may rise as vehicle mileage
increases, and leakage in actuator
related parts may result in increased
consumption of the engine clutch
actuator oil. Regularly check and
make sure the engine clutch actuator
oil fluid level is between [MIN] and
[MAX] marks.
If the oil level is below [MIN] mark,
we recommend that your vehicle be
checked by an authorized Kia dealer.If the fluid level is excessively low, we
recommend that the system be
checked by an authorized Kia dealer.
Use only the specified engine clutch
actuator fluid.
(Refer to “Recommended lubricants
or capacities” in chapter 8.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
✽ ✽
NOTICE - Loss of engine
clutch actuator fluid
In the event the engine clutch actua-
tor requires frequent additions of
fluid, we recommend that the system
be inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer.
WARNING- Engine clutch
actuator fluid
When changing and adding
engine clutch actuator fluid,
handle it carefully. Do not let it
come in contact with your eyes.
If engine clutch actuator fluid
should come in contact with
your eyes, immediately flush
them with a large quantity of
fresh water, and seek medical
attention as soon as possible.
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