Kia Soul (2020 year). Owner's manual — part 13

Features of your vehicle

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4

Manual climate control system

Air conditioning system operation
tips

䳜 If the vehicle has been parked in

direct sunlight during hot
weather, open the windows for a
short time to let the hot air inside
the vehicle escape.

䳜 To help reduce moisture inside of

the windows on rainy or humid
days, decrease the humidity
inside the vehicle by operating the
air conditioning system.

䳜 During air conditioning system

operation, you may occasionally
notice a slight change in engine
speed as the air conditioning
compressor cycles. This is a nor-
mal system operation character-
istic.

䳜 Use the air conditioning system

every month only for a few min-
utes to ensure maximum system
performance.

䳜 When using the air conditioning

system, you may notice clear
water dripping (or even puddling)
on the ground under the passen-
ger side of the vehicle. This is a
normal system operation charac-
teristic.

䳜 Operating the air conditioning

system in the recirculated air
position provides maximum cool-
ing, however, continual operation
in this mode may cause the air
inside the vehicle to become stale.

䳜 During cooling operation, you may

occasionally notice a misty air

flow because of rapid cooling and
humid air intake. This is a normal
system operation characteristic.

Climate control air filter (if
equipped)

The climate control air filter
installed behind the glove box filters
the dust or other pollutants that
come into the vehicle from the out-
side through the heating and air
conditioning system.

A: Outside air

B: Recirculated air

C: Climate control air filter

D: Blower

E: Evaporator core

F: Heater core

If dust or other pollutants accumu-
late in the filter over a period of
time, the air flow from the air vents
may decrease, resulting in moisture
accumulation on the inside of the
windshield even when the outside

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Features of your vehicle

Manual climate control system

(fresh) air position is selected. If this
happens, have the climate control
air filter replaced by an authorized
Kia dealer.

NOTICE

䳜 Replace the filter according to the

Maintenance Schedule.
If the vehicle is being driven in
severe conditions such as dusty or
rough roads, more frequent air
conditioner filter inspections and
changes are required.

䳜 When the air flow rate suddenly

decreases, have the system
checked by an authorized Kia
dealer.

Checking the amount of air condi-
tioner refrigerant and compressor
lubricant

When the amount of refrigerant is
low, the performance of the air con-
ditioning is reduced. Overfilling also
has a bad influence on the air condi-
tioning system.

Therefore, if abnormal operation is
found, have the system inspected
by a professional workshop.

Kia recommends to visit an autho-
rized Kia dealer.

WARNING

Vehicles equipped with R-1234yf*

Because the refrigerant is

mildly inflammable and at very high
pressure, the air conditioning sys-
tem should only be serviced by
trained and certified technicians.
It is important that the correct type
and amount of oil and refrigerant is
used.
Otherwise, it may cause damage to
the vehicle and personal injury.

* : Your vehicle is filled with R-

1234yf according to the regulation
in your country at the time of pro-
ducing. You can find out which air
conditioning refrigerant is applied
your vehicle at the label inside of
engine room.

Features of your vehicle

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Automatic climate control system

Automatic climate control system

1. Driver's temperature control knob
2. AUTO (automatic control) button
3. Front windshield defroster button
4. Rear window defroster button
5. Air conditioning button
6. Air intake control button
7. Blower OFF button
8. Fan speed control button
9. Mode selection button
10.Passenger's temperature control knob
11.SYNC button
12.A/C display

NOTICE

Operating the blower when the igni-
tion switch is in the ON position
could cause the battery to dis-
charge. Operate the blower when
the engine is running.

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Features of your vehicle

Automatic climate control system

Heating and air conditioning auto-
matically
1. Press the AUTO button.

The modes, fan speeds, air intake
and air-conditioning will be con-
trolled automatically by setting
the temperature.

2. Turn the temperature control

switch to the desired tempera-
ture.

䳜 To turn the automatic operation

off, select any button or switch of
the following:
- Mode selection button
- Air conditioning button
- Front windshield defroster but-

ton (Press the button one more

time to deselect the front
windshield defroster function.
The 'AUTO' sign will illuminate
on the information display once
again.)

- Air intake control button
- Fan speed control switch

The selected function will be
controlled manually while other
functions operate automati-
cally.

䳜 For your convenience and to

improve the effectiveness of the
climate control, use the AUTO
button and set the temperature
to 22 C (72 F).

NOTICE

Do not place anything over the sen-
sor located on the instrument panel
to ensure better control of the
heating and cooling system.

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Automatic climate control system

Manual heating and air conditioning

The heating and cooling system can be controlled manually by pressing but-
tons or turning knob(s) other than the AUTO button.

In this case, the system works sequentially according to the order of but-
tons or knob(s) selected.
1. Start the vehicle.
2. Set the mode to the desired position.

For improving the effectiveness of heating and cooling;
䳜 Heating:
䳜 Cooling:

3. Set the temperature control to the desired position.
4. Set the air intake control to the outside (fresh) air position.
5. Set the fan speed control to the desired speed.

If air conditioning is desired, turn the air conditioning system on.

Press the AUTO button in order to convert to full automatic control of the
system.

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Features of your vehicle

Automatic climate control system

Mode selection

The mode selection button controls
the direction of the air flow through
the ventilation system.

The air flow outlet port is converted
as follows:

Face-Level (B, D)

Air flow is directed toward the
upper body and face. Additionally,
each outlet can be controlled to
direct the air discharged from the
outlet.

Bi-Level (B, C, D, E)

Air flow is directed towards the face
and the floor.

Floor-Level (A, C, D, E)

Most of the air flow is directed to
the floor, with a small amount of
the air being directed to the wind-
shield and side window defrosters.

Floor/Defrost-Level (A, C, D, E)

Most of the air flow is directed to
the floor and the windshield with a
small amount directed to the side
window defrosters.

Defrost-Level (A, D)

Most of the air flow is directed to
the windshield with a small amount
of air directed to the side window
defrosters.

Instrument panel vents

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Automatic climate control system

The outlet vents can be opened or
closed separately using the thumb-
wheel. (if equipped)

Also, you can adjust the direction of
air delivery from these vents using
the vent control lever as shown.

Temperature control

The temperature will increase to the
maximum (28 C (82 F)) by turning
the knob to the extreme right.

The temperature will decrease to
the minimum (17 C (62 F)) by
turning the knob to the extreme
left.

When turning the knob, the tem-
perature will increase or decrease
by 0.5 C / 1 F. When set to the
lowest temperature setting, the air
conditioning will operate continu-
ously.

Adjusting the driver and passenger
side temperature equally

䳜 Press the "SYNC" button to adjust

the driver and passenger side
temperature equally. The passen-
ger side temperature will be set
to the same temperature as the
driver side temperature.

䳜 Turn the driver side temperature

control knob. The driver and pas-
senger side temperature will be
adjusted equally.

Adjusting the driver and passenger
side temperature individually

䳜 Press the "SYNC" button again to

adjust the driver and passenger
side temperature individually. The
illumination of button turns off.

䳜 Operate the driver side tempera-

ture control knob to adjust the
driver side temperature.

䳜 Operate the passenger side tem-

perature control knob to adjust
the passenger side temperature.

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Features of your vehicle

Automatic climate control system

Temperature conversion

You can switch the temperature
mode from Centigrade to Fahren-
heit as follows:

While pressing the OFF button,
press the AUTO button for 3 sec-
onds or more. The display will
change from Centigrade to Fahren-
heit, or from Fahrenheit to Centi-
grade. If the battery has been
discharged or disconnected, the
temperature mode display will reset
to Fahrenheit.

Controlling air intake

This is used to select the outside
(fresh) air position or recirculated air
position.

To change the air intake control
position:
䳜 Push the control button.

Outside (fresh) air position

With the outside (fresh) air
position selected, air
enters the vehicle from

outside and is heated or cooled
according to the function selected.

Recirculated air position

With the recirculated air
position selected, air from
the passenger compart-

ment will be drawn through the
heating system and heated or
cooled according to the function
selected.
Prolonged operation of the heater in
the recirculated air position (without
air conditioning selected) may cause
fogging of the windshield and side
windows and the air within the pas-
senger compartment may become
stale.
In addition, prolonged use of the air
conditioning with the recirculated air
position selected will result in
excessively dry air in the passenger
compartment.

Controlling fan speed

The fan speed can be set to the
desired speed by operating the fan
speed control button.

To change the fan speed:
䳜 Press button right for higher

speed, or press button left for
lower speed.

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Automatic climate control system

䳜 To turn the fan speed control off,

press the front blower OFF but-
ton.

Air conditioning

䳜 Press the A/C button to turn the

air conditioning system on (indi-
cator light will illuminate).

䳜 Press the button again to turn the

air conditioning system off.

WARNING

Reduced Visibility
Continuous use of the climate con-
trol system in the recirculated air
position may allow humidity to
increase inside the vehicle which
may fog the glass and obscure visi-
bility.

WARNING

Recirculated Air
Continued use of the climate control
system in the recirculated air posi-
tion can cause drowsiness or sleepi-
ness, and loss of vehicle control. Set
the air intake control to the outside
(fresh) air position as much as pos-
sible while driving.

WARNING

Sleeping with A/C on
Do not sleep in a vehicle with the air
conditioning or heating on as this
may cause serious harm or death
due to a drop in the oxygen level
and/or body temperature.

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Features of your vehicle

Automatic climate control system

Turning off the front air climate
control

䳜 Press the front blower OFF but-

ton to turn off the front air cli-
mate control system.
However, you can still operate the
mode and air intake buttons as
long as the ignition switch or
START/STOP button is in the ON
position.

Automatic ventilation

The system automatically selects
the outside (fresh) air position when
the climate control system operates
over a certain period of time (5 min-
utes) in low temperature with the
recirculated air position selected.

To cancel or reset the Automatic
Ventilation

When the air conditioning system is

on, select Face Level

mode and

press the recirculated air position
more than five times within 3 sec-
onds while pressing A/C button.

When the automatic ventilation is
canceled, the indicator blinks 3
times. When the automatic ventila-
tion is activated, the indicator blinks
6 times.

System operation

Ventilation

1. Set the mode to the

position.

2. Set the air intake control to the

outside (fresh) air position.

3. Set the temperature control to

the desired position.

4. Set the fan speed control to the

desired speed.

Heating

1. Set the mode to the

position.

2. Set the air intake control to the

outside (fresh) air position.

3. Set the temperature control to

the desired position.

4. Set the fan speed control to the

desired speed.

5. If dehumidified heating is desired,

turn the air conditioning system
(if equipped) on.
䳜 If the windshield fogs up, set

the mode to the

or

position.

Operation Tips

䳜 To keep dust or unpleasant fumes

from entering the vehicle through
the ventilation system, tempo-

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Automatic climate control system

rarily set the air intake control to
the recirculated air position. Be
sure to return the control to the
fresh air position when the irrita-
tion has passed to keep fresh air
in the vehicle. This will help keep
the driver alert and comfortable.

䳜 Air for the heating/cooling system

is drawn in through the grilles just
ahead of the windshield. Care
should be taken that these are
not blocked by leaves, snow, ice or
other obstructions.

䳜 To prevent interior fog on the

windshield, set the air intake con-
trol to the fresh air position and
fan speed to the desired position,
turn on the air conditioning sys-
tem, and adjust the temperature
control to desired temperature.

Air conditioning (if equipped)

All Kia Air Conditioning Systems are
filled with R-1234yf refrigerant.
1. Start the vehicle. Press the air

conditioning button.

2. Set the mode to the

position.

3. Set the air intake control to the

outside-air or recirculated air
position.

4. Adjust the fan speed control and

temperature control to maintain
maximum comfort.
䳜 When maximum cooling is

desired, set the temperature
control to the extreme left
position, set the mode control

to the MAX A/C position, then
set the fan speed control to the
highest speed.

CAUTION

Excessive A/C Use
When using the air conditioning sys-
tem, monitor the temperature
gauge closely while driving up hills or
in heavy traffic when outside tem-
peratures are high. Air conditioning
system operation may cause vehicle
overheating. Continue to use the
blower fan but turn the air condi-
tioning system off if the tempera-
ture gauge indicates vehicle
overheating.

CAUTION

When opening the windows in humid
weather, air conditioning may cre-
ate water droplets inside the vehi-
cle. Since excessive water droplets
may cause damage to electrical
equipment, air conditioning should
only be used with the windows
closed.

127

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4

Features of your vehicle

Automatic climate control system

Air conditioning system operation
tips

䳜 If the vehicle has been parked in

direct sunlight during hot
weather, open the windows for a
short time to let the hot air inside
the vehicle escape.

䳜 To help reduce moisture inside of

the windows on rainy or humid
days, decrease the humidity
inside the vehicle by operating the
air conditioning system.

䳜 During air conditioning system

operation, you may occasionally
notice a slight change in vehicle
speed as the air conditioning
compressor cycles. This is a nor-
mal system operation character-
istic.

䳜 Use the air conditioning system

every month only for a few min-
utes to ensure maximum system
performance.

䳜 When using the air conditioning

system, you may notice clear
water dripping (or even puddling)
on the ground under the passen-
ger side of the vehicle. This is a
normal system operation charac-
teristic.

䳜 Operating the air conditioning

system in the recirculated air
position provides maximum cool-
ing; however, continual operation
in this mode may cause the air
inside the vehicle to become stale.

䳜 During cooling operation, you may

occasionally notice a misty air

flow because of rapid cooling and
humid air intake. This is a normal
system operation characteristic.

Climate control air filter (if
equipped)

The climate control air filter
installed behind the glove box filters
the dust or other pollutants that
come into the vehicle from the out-
side through the heating and air
conditioning system.

If dust or other pollutants accumu-
late in the filter over a period of
time, the air flow from the air vents
may decrease, resulting in moisture
accumulation on the inside of the
windshield even when the outside
(fresh) air position is selected. If this
happens, have the climate control
air filter replaced by an authorized
Kia dealer.

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Automatic climate control system

NOTICE

䳜 Replace the filter according to the

Maintenance Schedule. If the
vehicle is being driven in severe
conditions such as dusty or rough
roads, more frequent air condi-
tioner filter inspections and
changes are required.

䳜 When the air flow rate suddenly

decreases, the system should be
checked at an authorized Kia
dealer.

Checking the amount of air condi-
tioner refrigerant and compressor
lubricant

When the amount of refrigerant is
low, the performance of the air con-
ditioning is reduced. Overfilling also
has a negative impact on the air
conditioning system.

Therefore, if abnormal operation is
found, have the system inspected
by an authorized Kia dealer.

WARNING

The oil and refrigerant in your vehi-
cle's air conditioning system is
under very high pressure. If proper
service procedures are not followed
an explosion may result. To reduce
the risk of serious injury or death,
the air conditioning system in your
vehicle should only be serviced by
trained and certified technicians.

CAUTION

It is important that the correct type
and amount of oil and refrigerant is
used, otherwise damage to the
vehicle may occur. To prevent dam-
age, the air conditioning system in
your vehicle should only be serviced
by trained and certified technicians.

WARNING

Vehicles equipped with R-1234yf

Because the refrigerant is

mildly inflammable and at very high
pressure, the air conditioning sys-
tem should only be serviced by
trained and certified technicians.
It is important that the correct type
and amount of oil and refrigerant is
used.
Otherwise, it may cause damage to
the vehicle and personal injury.

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Features of your vehicle

Windshield defrosting and defogging

Windshield defrosting and
defogging

When the windshield is covered with
frost or moisture, the front view is
blurred, so you should remove the
frost and moisture.

WARNING

Windshield heating

Do not use the

or

position

during cooling operation in
extremely humid weather. The dif-
ference between the temperature
of the outside air and the windshield
could cause the outer surface of the
windshield to fog up, causing loss of
visibility. In this case, set the mode

selection to the

position and

fan speed control to the lower
speed.

䳜 For maximum defrosting, set the

temperature control to the
extreme right/hot position and
the fan speed control to the high-
est speed.

䳜 If warm air to the floor is desired

while defrosting or defogging, set
the mode to the floor-defrost
position.

䳜 Before driving, clear all snow and

ice from the windshield, rear win-
dow, outside rear view mirrors,
and all side windows.

䳜 Clear all snow and ice from the

hood and air inlet in the cowl grill

to improve heater and defroster
efficiency and to reduce the prob-
ability of fogging up the inside of
the windshield.

Manual climate control system

You can defog or defrost using the
manual climate control system.

To defog inside windshield

1. Select any fan speed except "0"

position.

2. Select desired temperature.
3. Select the

or

position.

4. The outside (fresh) air and air

conditioning will be selected auto-
matically.

If the air conditioning and outside
(fresh) air position are not selected
automatically, press the corre-
sponding button manually.

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Windshield defrosting and defogging

To defrost outside windshield

1. Set the fan speed to the highest

(extreme right) position.

2. Set the temperature to the

extreme hot position.

3. Select the

position.

4. The outside (fresh) air and air

conditioning will be selected auto-
matically.

Automatic climate control system

You can defog or defrost using the
automatic climate control system.

Defogging inside windshield with
the automatic climate control

1. Set the fan speed to the desired

position.

2. Select desired temperature.
3. Press the defroster button (

).

4. The outside (fresh) air position

will be selected automatically and
the air conditioning will turn on
according to the detected ambi-
ent temperature.

If the air conditioning and outside
(fresh) air position are not selected
automatically, adjust the corre-
sponding button manually. If the

position is selected, lower fan

speed is adjusted to a higher fan
speed.

Defrosting outside windshield with
automatic climate control

1. Set the fan speed to the highest

position.

2. Set the temperature to the

extreme hot (HI) position.

3. Press the defroster button (

).

4. The outside (fresh) air position

will be selected automatically and
the air conditioning will turn on

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Features of your vehicle

Windshield defrosting and defogging

according to the detected ambi-
ent temperature.

Defogging logic (if equipped)

To reduce the possibility of fogging
up the inside of the windshield, the
air intake or air conditioning is con-
trolled automatically according to
certain conditions such as

or

position.

To cancel automatic defogging logic
or return to the automatic defog-
ging logic, do the following.

Manual climate control system

1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON

position.

2. Turn the mode selection knob to

the defrost position (

).

3. Push the air intake control button

at least 5 times within 3 seconds.
The indicator light in the air intake
control button will blink 3 times. It
indicates that the defogging logic
is canceled or returned to the
programmed status.

If the battery has been discharged
or disconnected, it resets to the
defog logic status.

Turning the defogging logic on or
off

1. Turn the ignition switch or START/

STOP button to the ON position.

2. Press the defroster button (

).

3. While pressing the air conditioning

button (A/C), press the air intake
control button at least 5 times
within 3 seconds.

The recirculation indicator blinks 3
times in 0.5 second of intervals. It
indicates that the defogging logic is
canceled or returned to the pro-
grammed status.

If the battery has been discharged
or disconnected, it resets to the
defog logic status.

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