KIA Soul (2018 year). Manual — part 21

Driving your vehicle

14

6

Manual transaxle operation

• The manual transaxle has 6 for-

ward gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on
the shift knob. The transaxle is fully
synchronized in all forward gears
so shifting to either a higher or a
lower gear is easily accomplished.

• Press the clutch pedal down fully

while shifting, then release it slowly.
If your vehicle is equipped with an
ignition lock switch, the engine will
not start when starting the engine
without depressing the clutch
pedal. (if equipped)
In order to start the vehicle, slowly
let go of the fully depressed clutch
pedal. Then, push the accelerator
pedal to start.

• The gearshift lever must be

returned to the neutral position
before shifting into R (Reverse).
The ring (1) located immediately
below the shift knob must be pulled
upward while moving the shift lever
to the R (Reverse) position. (if
equipped)

•

Make sure the vehicle is complete-
ly stopped before shifting into R
(Reverse).
Never operate the engine with the
tachometer (rpm) in the red zone.

MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)

CAUTION

• When downshifting from 5

(Fifth) gear to 4 (Fourth) gear,
caution should be taken not to
inadvertently move the shift
lever sideways in such a man-
ner that second gear is
engaged.

Such a drastic

downshift may cause the
engine speed to increase to
the point that the tachometer
will enter the red-zone. Such
overreving of the engine may
possibly cause engine and
transaxle damage.

• Do not downshift more than 2

gears or downshift the gear
when the engine is running at
high speed (5,000 RPM or
higher). Such a downshifting
may damage the engine,
clutch and the transaxle.

(Continued)

OJD053058

The ring (1) must be pushed while
moving the shift lever.

The shift lever can be moved without
pushing the ring (1).

6 15

Driving your vehicle

• During cold weather, shifting may

be 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.

CAUTION

• To avoid premature clutch wear

and damage, do not drive with
your foot resting on the clutch
pedal. Also, don’t use the clutch
to hold the vehicle stopped on
an uphill grade, while waiting
for a traffic light, etc.

• Do not use the shift lever as a

handrest during driving, as this
can result in premature wear of
the transaxle shift forks.

• When operating the clutch

pedal, depress the clutch pedal
down fully. If you don’t depress
the clutch pedal fully, the clutch
may be damaged or noise may
occur.

• To prevent possible damage to

the clutch system, do not start
with the 2nd (second) gear
engaged except when you start
on a slippery road.

• Do not exceed the maximum

weight limits of the loading
weight. Improper loading can
result in damage to clutch sys-
tem.

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.

• If your vehicle has a manual

transaxle not equipped with a
ignition lock switch, it may
move and cause a serious acci-
dent when starting the engine
without depressing the clutch
pedal while the parking brake is
released and the shift lever not
in the neutral position.

• Do not use the engine brake

(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slippery
roads. The vehicle may slip
causing an accident.

(Continued)
• When shifting between 5th

and 6th gear, you should
always push the gear level all
the way to the right. You could
otherwise shift unintentionally
into 3rd or 4th gear and dam-
age the transaxle.

Driving your vehicle

16

6

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 par-
tially 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 repeatedly.

*

1)

: Half clutch?

A condition where the clutch is half-
engaged and sliding. It may occur when
the clutch pedal is partially depressed
(not fully depressed), or vehicle power is
transferred to the clutch before the pedal
is fully let go.

CAUTION

• If half-clutch*

1)

driving style is

adopted, or driver’s foot is
placed on the pedal while driv-
ing, the clutch may be dam-
aged or worn out prematurely.

• While parking on a steep

grade, do not use half clutch
method to park the vehicle. It
will cause premature wear of
the clutch disc.

• While driving at fast speed, do

not abruptly shift to low
speed. It may lead to engine
and transaxle damage.

CAUTION

• When starting a fully stopped

vehicle, refrain to start in 2nd
gear. When starting in 2nd
gear, abnormal clutch disc fric-
tion heat may occur and result
in clutch cover and clutch disc
damage.

• When the vehicle is in motion,

please refrain from using half
clutch. The use of half clutch
while the vehicle is in motion
may result in early clutch disc
wear, abnormal vibration or
noise.

• The clutch pedal should be

depressed fully for any opera-
tion. When letting go of the
depressed pedal, make sure
not to depress the pedal again
before the pedal goes back to
its initial position. If such unin-
tended re-depressing occurs,
the clutch system may be dam-
aged.

6 17

Driving your vehicle

Downshifting

When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or while driving up steep hills,
downshift before the engine starts to
labor. Downshifting reduces the
chance of stalling and gives better
acceleration when you again need to
increase your speed. When the vehi-
cle is traveling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.

Good driving practices

• Never take the vehicle out of gear

and coast down a hill. This is
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the vehicle in gear.

• Don't "ride" the brakes. This can

cause them to overheat and mal-
function. Instead, when you are
driving down a long hill, slow down
and shift to a lower gear. When you
do this, engine braking will help
slow down the vehicle.

• Slow down before shifting to a

lower gear. This will help avoid
over-revving the engine, which can
cause damage.

• Slow down when you encounter

cross winds. This gives you much
better control of your vehicle.

• Be sure the vehicle is completely

stopped before you attempt to shift
into reverse. The transaxle can be
damaged if you do not. To shift into
reverse, depress the clutch, move
the shift lever to neutral, then shift
to the reverse position.

• Exercise extreme caution when

driving on a slippery surface. Be
especially careful when braking,
accelerating or shifting gears. On a
slippery surface, an abrupt change
in vehicle speed can cause the
drive wheels to lose traction and
the vehicle to go out of control.

• Always buckle-up! In a collision, an

unbelted occupant is significantly
more likely to be seriously injured
or killed than a properly belted
occupant.

• Avoid high speeds when cornering

or turning. High speed cornering
and turning increase the risk of
vehicle rollover. Rollover accidents
are violent and unpredictable.

• Never exceed posted speed limits.

Driving your vehicle

18

6

WARNING

• Always buckle-up! In a colli-

sion, an unbelted occupant is
significantly more likely to be
seriously injured or killed than
a properly belted occupant.

• Avoid high speeds when cor-

nering or turning.

• Do not make quick steering

wheel movements, such as
sharp lane changes or fast,
sharp turns.

• The risk of rollover is greatly

increased if you lose control
of your vehicle at highway
speeds.

• Loss of control often occurs if

two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
oversteers to reenter the road-
way.

• In the event your vehicle

leaves the roadway, do not
steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into
the travel lanes.

• Never exceed posted speed

limits.

6 19

Driving your vehicle

Automatic transaxle operation

The automatic transaxle has 6 for-
ward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically, depending on the
position of the shift lever.

✽

✽

NOTICE

The first few shifts on a new vehicle,
if the battery has been disconnected,
may be somewhat abrupt. This is a
normal condition, and the shifting
sequence will adjust after shifts are
cycled a few times by the TCM
(Transaxle Control Module) or
PCM (Powertrain Control Module).

AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)

OPS053008

+

+

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P

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P

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--

--

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D

D

D

D

O

O

O

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N

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The shift lever can be shifted freely.

Press the lock release button when shifting.

Depress the brake pedal and the lock release button when shifting.
(If the shift lock system is not equipped, it is not necessary to depress the brake pedal.
However, it is recommended to depress the brake pedal to avoid inadvertent movement
of the vehicle.)

Driving your vehicle

20

6

For smooth operation, depress the
brake pedal and the lock release but-
ton when shifting from N (Neutral) to
a 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.

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.

CAUTION

- Transaxle

To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate the
engine in R (Reverse) or any for-
ward gear position with the
brakes on. The transaxle may be
damaged if you shift into P
(Park) while the vehicle is in
motion.

WARNING

- Leaving the

Vehicle

To avoid unexpected or sudden
vehicle movement, never leave
your vehicle if the transmission
is not locked in the P (Park)
position and the parking brake
is fully engaged. Before leaving
the driver's seat, always make
sure the shift lever is engaged in
P (Park), set the parking brake
fully and shut the engine off.

CAUTION

- Shifting

Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion, except when “Rocking
the vehicle” explained in this
section.

6 21

Driving your vehicle

- Parking in N (Neutral) gear
Follow below steps when parking
and you want the vehicle to move
when pushed.

1.After parking your vehicle, step on

the brake pedal and move the shift
lever to [P] with the ignition button in
[ON] or while the engine is running.

2.If the parking brake is applied

unlock the parking brake.

3.While pressing the brake pedal,

turn the ignition button [OFF].
- For smart key equipped vehicles,

the ignition switch can be moved
to [OFF] only when the shift lever
is in [P].

4.Change the gear shift lever to [N]

(Neutral) while pressing the brake
pedal and pushing [SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE] button or inserting,
pressing down a tool (e.g. flathead
screw-driver) into the [SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE] access hole at the same
time. Then, the vehicle will move
when external force is 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 automatically 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.

CAUTION

• With the exception of parking

in neutral gear, always park
the vehicle in [P] (Park) for
safety and engage the parking
brake.

• Before parking in [N] (Neutral)

gear, first make sure the park-
ing ground is level and flat. Do
not park in [N] gear on any
slopes or gradients.
If parked and left in [N], the
vehicle may move and cause
serious damage and injury.

OPS053009

Sports mode

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Driving your vehicle

22

6

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.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once

to shift up one gear.

Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards

once to shift down one
gear.

• In sports mode, the driver must

execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, taking care to
keep the engine speed below the
red zone.

• In sports mode, only the 6 forward

gears can be selected. To reverse
or park the vehicle, move the shift
lever to the R (Reverse) or P (Park)
position as required.

• In sports mode, downshifts are

made automatically when the vehi-
cle slows down. When the vehicle
stops, 1st gear is automatically
selected.

• In sports mode, when the engine

rpm approaches the red zone shift
points are varied to upshift auto-
matically.

• To maintain the required levels of

vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain gearshifts when the shift lever
is operated.

• When driving on a slippery road,

push the shift lever forward into the
+(up) position. This causes the
transaxle to shift into the 2nd gear
which is better for smooth driving
on a slippery road. Push the shift
lever to the -(down) side to shift
back to the 1st gear.

6 23

Driving your vehicle

Shift lock system

For your safety, the automatic
transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
from P (Park) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park)
into R (Reverse):
1.Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2.Start the engine or turn the ignition

switch to the ON position.

3.Move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, a chat-
tering noise near the shift lever may
be heard. It is a normal condition.

Shift-lock override

If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position into R
(Reverse) position with the brake
pedal depressed, continue depress-
ing the brake, then do the following:
1.Carefully remove the cap covering

the shift-lock access hole (1).

2.Insert a screwdriver into the

access hole and press down on
the screwdriver.

3.Move the shift lever.
4.Have your vehicle inspected by an

authorized Kia dealer immediately.

WARNING

- Shifting from

park

Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in
or around the vehicle.

OPS053010

Driving your vehicle

24

6

Ignition key interlock system

The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. Even if the ignition
switch is in the LOCK position, the
key also cannot be removed.
If your vehicle is equipped with
ENGINE START/STOP button, the
button will not change to the OFF
position unless the shift lever is in the
P (Park) position.

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.

6 25

Driving your vehicle

Dual clutch transmission oper-
ation

The dual clutch transmission has
seven forward speeds and one
reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically in the D (Drive) posi-
tion.

DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (DCT) (IF EQUIPPED)

OPS053008

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The shift lever can freely operate.

Press the shift button while moving the shift lever.

Depress the brake pedal and press the shift button while moving the shift lever.

❈

To move the shift lever from/to P (Parking) or between R (Reverse) and D (Drive), you must
depress the brake pedal for the vehicle to stand still.

Driving your vehicle

26

6

• The Dual Clutch Transmission

gives the driving feel of a manual
transmission, yet provides the
ease of a fully automatic transmis-
sion. Unlike a traditional automatic
transmission, the gear shifting can
be felt (and heard) on the dual
clutch transmission
- Think of it as an automatically

shifting manual transmission.

- Shift into Drive range and get fully

automatic shifting, similar to a con-
ventional automatic transmission.

• Dual clutch transmission adopts

dry-type dual clutch, which is dif-
ferent from torque converter of
automatic transmission, and
shows better acceleration perform-
ance during driving. But, initial
launch might be little bit slower
than Automatic Transmission.

• The dry-type clutch transfers

torque and provides a direct driv-
ing feeling which may feel different
from a conventional automatic
transmission with a torque convert-
er. This may be more noticeable
when starting from a stop or low
vehicle speed.

WARNING

To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death:
• ALWAYS check the surround-

ing areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a vehicle into
D (Drive) or R (Reverse).

• Before leaving the driver's

seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in the P (Park)
position, then set the parking
brake, and place the ignition
switch in the LOCK/OFF posi-
tion. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur
if these preNOTICEs are not
followed.

• Do not use the engine braking

(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads. The vehicle may
slip causing an accident.

CAUTION

• To avoid damage to your

transmission, do not try to
accelerate in R (Reverse) or
any forward gear position with
the brakes on.

• When stopped on slope, do

not hold the vehicle with
accelerator pedal. Use the
service brake or the parking
brake.

6 27

Driving your vehicle

• When rapidly accelerating at low

vehicle speed, engine could rev at
high rpm depending on vehicle
drive condition.

• For smooth launch uphill, press

down the accelerator pedal
smoothly depending on the current
conditions.

• If you release your foot from the

accelerator pedal at low vehicle
speed, you may feel strong engine
brake, which is similar to manual
transmission.

• When driving downhill, you may

use Sports Mode and press the
paddle shifters to downshift to a
lower gear in order to control your
speed without using the brake
pedal excessively.

• When you turn the engine on and

off, you may hear clicking sounds
as the system goes through a self
test. This is a normal sound for the
Dual Clutch Transmission.

✽

✽

NOTICE

If your transmission should fail,
your gear shift lever may not move
from and position indicator (D,R,N,
etc.) will blink on the cluster. If this
occurs, have the system checked by
an authorized Kia dealership.

• To hold the vehicle on a hill use the

foot brake or the parking brake. If
the vehicle is held by applying the
accelerator pedal on a hill the
clutch and transmission will be
overheated resulting in damage.
At this time, a warning message
(“Steep grade! Press brake pedal”)
will appear on the LCD display and
you may feel a vibration.

OJF055111L

Driving your vehicle

28

6

• If the clutch becomes overheated

by excessive use of the clutch to
hold on a hill, you may notice a
shudder feeling and a blinking dis-
play on the instrument cluster.
When this occurs, the clutch is dis-
abled until the clutch cools to nor-
mal temperatures. If this occurs,
pull over to a safe location, shift
into P (Park) and apply the foot
brake for a few minutes.

• If the LCD warning is active, the

foot brake must be applied.

• Ignoring the warnings can lead to

damage to the transmission.

• If the display continues to blink, for

your safety, we recommend that you
contact an authorized Kia dealer.

• Under certain conditions such as

repeated launch on steep grades,
the clutch in the transmission could
overheat. When the clutch is over-
heated, the safe protection mode
engages.
If the safe protection mode
engages, the gear position indica-
tor on the cluster blinks with a
chime sound.
At this time, a warning message
(“Transmission temp. is high! Stop
safely”, “Trans Hot! Park with
engine on”, “Trans Cooling.
Remain parked for 00 min.”, “Trans
cooled.

Resume driving”) will

appear on the LCD display and
driving may not be smooth.
If you ignore this warning, the driv-
ing condition may become worse.
To return the normal driving condi-
tion, stop the vehicle and apply the
foot brake for a few minutes before
driving off.

• Gear shifts may be more notice-

able than a conventional automatic
transmission. This is a normal
characteristic of this type of dual
clutch transmission.

OJF055117L

OJF055115L

OJF055119L

6 29

Driving your vehicle

• Repetitive kick downs may lead to

overheating of the transmission.
This will lead to change in the vehi-
cle speed shift pattern, and illumi-
nate some warning message.
To return the normal driving condi-
tion, refrain from kick down speed
changes. When the warning mes-
sage illuminates, park the vehicle
at a safe location.

• During the first 1,500 km (1,000

miles), you may feel that the vehi-
cle may not be smooth when accel-
erating at low speed. During this
break-in period, the shift quality
and performance of your new vehi-
cle is continuously optimized.

• Always come to a complete stop

before shifting into D (Drive) or R
(Reverse).

• Do not put the shift lever in N

(Neutral) while driving.

Transmission 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).
To shift from P (Park), you must
depress firmly on the brake pedal
and make sure your foot is off the
accelerator pedal.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
before turning the engine off.

R (Reverse)

Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.

WARNING

• Shifting into P (Park) while the

vehicle is in motion may
cause you to lose control of
the vehicle.

• After the vehicle has stopped,

always make sure the shift
lever is in P (Park), apply the
parking brake, and turn the
engine off.

• Do not use the P (Park) posi-

tion in place of the parking
brake.

CAUTION

Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transmission if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion.

CAUTION -

Holding the

Vehicle Using Accelerator
Pedal

Do not attempt to hold your
vehicle on a hill by applying the
accelerator pedal. This can
cause your clutch and transmis-
sion to be damaged as a result
of overheating.