KIA Soul EV (2018 year). Instruction — part 21

5 17

Driving your vehicle

Power brakes

Your vehicle's brake system is
power-assisted by the electric
hydraulic pump.
In the event the brakes lose power
because of a brake control system
malfunction, unstable power supply
or some other reason, you can still
stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you
normally would. The stopping dis-
tance, however will be longer. Please
have the system checked as soon as
possible.
If the brake pedal does not return to
its normal position when released,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Take your vehicle to
an authorized Kia dealer and have
the system checked.

Wet brakes may impair the vehicle’s
ability to safely slow down; the vehi-
cle may also pull to one side when
the brakes are applied. Applying the
brakes lightly will indicate whether
they have been affected in this way.
Always test your brakes in this fash-
ion after driving through deep water.
To dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.

BRAKE SYSTEM

WARNING

- Steep hill

braking

Avoid continuous application of
the brakes when descending a
long or steep hill by shifting to a
lower gear. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.

WARNING

Do not turn off the vehicle while
going down a hill. The brake
booster may not work suffi-
ciently and the braking distance
may be longer.

CAUTION

Do not depress the brake pedal
continuously without READY
(

) status. The battery may be

discharged.

CAUTION

- Brake Pedal

Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormally high brake
temperatures which can cause
excessive brake lining and pad
wear.

Driving your vehicle

18

5

In the event of brake failure

If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.

Disc brakes wear indicator

When your brake pads are worn and
new pads are required, you will hear
a high-pitched warning sound from
your front brakes or rear brakes. You
may hear this sound come and go or
it may occur whenever you depress
the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving
conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.
Always replace the front or rear
brake pads as pairs.

WARNING

- Parking brake

Applying the parking brake
while the vehicle is moving at
normal speeds can cause a
sudden loss of control of the
vehicle. If you must use the
parking brake to stop the vehi-
cle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.

WARNING

- Brake wear

Do not ignore high pitched
whining sounds from your
brakes. If you ignore this audi-
ble warning, you will eventually
lose braking performance,
which could lead to a serious
accident.

5 19

Driving your vehicle

Electronic parking brake (EPB)

Applying the parking brake

To apply the EPB (electronic parking
brake):

1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Pull up the EPB switch.
Make sure the warning light
comes on.
• After parking the vehicle, if the igni-

tion button is turned OFF when the
transmission shift lever is in Park,
the electronic parking brake will
lock automatically.

For neutral parking and prevention
of freezing in winter, press down on
the electronic parking brake switch
and turn the ignition button OFF.
Then, the brake will not lock auto-
matically.

• During wintry season, the electron-

ic parking brake may freeze. Avoid
gradients when parking the vehicle
and park on safe and level ground.
When the EPB has to be used,
block the wheel to prevent unin-
tended movement.

✽

✽

NOTICE

A click or electric brake motor whine
sound may be heard while operating
or releasing the EPB, but these con-
ditions are normal and indicate that
the EPB is functioning properly.

Releasing the parking brake

To release the EPB (electronic parking
brake), press the EPB switch in the
following condition:

• Have the POWER button in the ON

position.

• Depress the brake pedal.
Make sure the brake warning light

goes off.

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WARNING

Always shift your vehicle to the
Park gear prior to exiting your
vehicle. Failure to shift to Park
could result in your vehicle
rolling away unoccupied and
causing an accident.

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Driving your vehicle

20

5

To release EPB (electronic parking
brake) automatically:

• Shift lever in P (Park)

With the vehicle is in the ready
(

) mode depress the brake

pedal and shift out of P (Park) to R
(Reverse) or D (Drive).

• Shift lever in N (Neutral)

With the vehicle is in the ready
(

) mode depress the brake

pedal and shift out of N (Neutral) to
R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
1. The vehicle is in the ready (

)

mode.

2. Fasten the driver's seat belt.
3. Close the driver's door, tailgate.
4. Depress the accelerator pedal

while the shift lever is in R(Rear)
with trunk closed, D (Drive).

Make sure the brake warning light

goes off.

✽

✽

NOTICE

• You can engage the EPB even

though the POWER button is in
the OFF position, but you cannot
release it.

• Depress the brake pedal and

release the parking brake manual-
ly with the EPB switch when you
drive downhill or when backing
up the vehicle.

Do not follow the above procedure
when driving on a flat level ground.
The vehicle may suddenly move for-
ward.

✽

✽

NOTICE

If the parking brake warning light

is still on even though the EPB

has been released, have the system
checked by an authorized Kia dealer.

EPB (electronic parking brake) may
be automatically applied when:

• Requested by other systems

CAUTION

Do not drive your vehicle with
the EPB applied. It may cause
excessive brake pad and brake
rotor wear.

5 21

Driving your vehicle

System warning

• If you try to drive off depressing the

accelerator pedal with the EPB
applied, but the EPB doesn't
release automatically, a warning
will sound and a message will
appear.

• If the driver's seat belt is not fas-

tened and any door, the tailgate is
opened, a warning will sound and
a message will appear.

• If there is a problem with the vehi-

cle, a warning may sound and a
message may appear.

If the above situation occurs, depress
the brake pedal and release EPB by
pressing the EPB switch.

• A click or electric brake motor

whine sound may be heard while
operating or releasing the EPB, but
these conditions are normal and
indicate that the EPB is functioning
properly.

• When leaving your keys with a

parking lot attendant or valet, make
sure to inform him/her how to oper-
ate the EPB.

• When you automatically release

EPB by depressing the accelerator
pedal, depress it slowly.

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WARNING

- Parking

Brake Use

• Never allow a passenger to

touch the parking brake. If the
parking brake is released
unintentionally, serious injury
may occur.

• All vehicles should always

have the parking brake fully
engaged when parked to
avoid inadvertent movement
of the car which can injure
occupants or pedestrians.

Driving your vehicle

22

5

EPB malfunction indicator

This warning light illuminates if the
POWER button is changed to the ON
position and goes off in approximate-
ly 3 seconds if the system is opera-
tion normally.
If the EPB malfunction indicator
remains on, comes on while driving,
or does not come on when the
POWER button is changed to the ON
position, this indicates that the EPB
may have malfunctioned.

If this occurs, have your vehicle
checked by an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.
The EPB malfunction indicator may
illuminate when the ESC indicator
comes on to indicate that the ESC is
not working properly, but it does not
indicate a malfunction of the EPB.

• The EPB warning light may illumi-

nate if the EPB switch operates
abnormally. Shut the vehicle power
off and turn it on again after a few
minutes. The warning light will go
off and the EPB switch will operate
normally. However, if the EPB
warning light is still on, have the
system checked by an authorized
Kia dealer.

• If the parking brake warning light

does not illuminate or blinks

even though the EPB switch was
pulled up, the EPB is not applied.

• If the brake warning light (

) is

blinking while the [EPB] warning
light is on, press the electronic
parking brake (EPB) switch once to
release the parking brake and turn
off the vehicle.
Turn on the vehicle again and pull
the EPB switch to engage the
parking brake. Check if the [EPB]
warning light turns off. If the [EPB]
warning lamp remains on, contact
an authorized Kia dealer and have
the system checked.

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5 23

Driving your vehicle

Emergency braking

If there is a problem with the brake
pedal while driving, emergency brak-
ing is possible by pulling up and
holding the EPB switch. Braking is
possible only while you are holding
the EPB switch.

✽

✽

NOTICE

During emergency braking by the
EPB, the parking brake warning
light will illuminate to indicate that
the system is operating.

If you notice a continuous noise or
burning smell when the EPB is used
for emergency braking, have your
vehicle checked by an authorized Kia
dealer.

When the EPB (electronic parking
brake) is not released

If the EPB does not release normal-
ly, take your vehicle to an authorized
Kia dealer by loading the vehicle on
a flatbed tow truck and have the sys-
tem checked.

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)

ABS (or ESC) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or dangerous
driving maneuvers. Even though
vehicle control is improved during
emergency braking, always maintain
a safe distance between you and
objects ahead.

Vehicle speeds

should always be reduced during
extreme road conditions. The vehicle
should be driven at reduced speeds
in the following circumstances:
• When driving on rough, gravel or

snow-covered roads

• When driving with tire chains

installed

• When driving on roads where the

road surface is pitted or has differ-
ent surface heights.

Driving in these conditions increase
the stopping distance for your vehi-
cle.

WARNING

Do not operate the electronic
parking brake while the vehicle
is moving except in an emer-
gency situation. Applying the
electronic parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden
loss of control of the vehicle. If
you must use the electronic
parking brake to stop the vehi-
cle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.

Driving your vehicle

24

5

The ABS continuously senses the
speed of the wheels. If the wheels
are going to lock, the ABS system
repeatedly modulates the hydraulic
brake pressure to the wheels.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a “tik-tik’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum ben-
efit from your ABS in an emergency
situation, do not attempt to modulate
your brake pressure and do not try to
pump your brakes. Press your brake
pedal as hard as possible or as hard
as the situation allows the ABS to
control the force being delivered to
the brakes.

✽

✽

NOTICE

A click sound may be heard in the
motor compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the vehicle is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that the anti-lock brake
system is functioning properly.

• Even with the anti-lock brake sys-

tem, your vehicle still requires suf-
ficient stopping distance. Always
maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you.

• Always slow down when cornering.

The anti-lock brake system cannot
prevent accidents resulting from
excessive speeds.

• On loose or uneven road surfaces,

operation of the anti-lock brake
system may result in a longer stop-
ping distance than for vehicles
equipped with a conventional
brake system.

The ABS warning light will stay on for
approximately 3 seconds after the
POWER button is ON. During that
time, the ABS will go through self-
diagnosis and the light will go off if
everything is normal. If the light stays
on, you may have a problem with
your ABS. Contact an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.

W-78

5 25

Driving your vehicle

• When you drive on a road having

poor traction, such as an icy road,
and have operated your brakes
continuously, the ABS will be active
continuously and the ABS warning
light may illuminate. Pull your vehi-
cle over to a safe place and turn off
the POWER button.

• Restart the vehicle. If the ABS

warning light goes off, then your
ABS system is normal. Otherwise,
you may have a problem with the
ABS. Contact an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.

✽

✽

NOTICE

When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the
ABS warning light may turn on.
This happens because of low battery
voltage. It does not mean your ABS
has malfunctioned.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before

driving the vehicle.

Electronic stability control
(ESC)

The Electronic Stability control
(ESC) system is designed to stabi-
lize the vehicle during cornering
maneuvers. ESC checks where you
are steering and where the vehicle is
actually going. ESC applies the
brakes on individual wheels to stabi-
lize the vehicle.

Electronic stability control (ESC) will
not prevent accidents. Excessive
speed in turns, abrupt maneuvers and
hydroplaning on wet surfaces can still
result in serious accidents. Only a
safe and attentive driver can prevent
accidents by avoiding maneuvers that
cause the vehicle to lose traction.
Even with ESC installed, always fol-
low all the normal precautions for driv-
ing - including driving at safe speeds
for the conditions.
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system is an electronic system
designed to help the driver maintain
vehicle control under adverse condi-
tions. It is not a substitute for safe driv-
ing practices. Factors including speed,
road conditions and driver steering
input can all affect whether ESC will be
effective in preventing a loss of control.
It is still your responsibility to drive and
corner at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the wheels,
you may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensa-
tion in the brake pedal. This is normal
and it means your ESC is active.

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Driving your vehicle

26

5

✽

✽

NOTICE

A click sound may be heard in the
motor compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the vehicle is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that the Electronic
Stability Control System is function-
ing properly.

✽

✽

NOTICE

For maximum protection, always
wear your seat belt. No system, no
matter how advanced, can compen-
sate for all driver error and/or driv-
ing conditions. Always drive
responsibly.

ESC operation

ESC ON condition

• When the POWER button

is turned ON, ESC and
ESC OFF indicator lights
illuminate for approximately
3 seconds, then ESC is
turned on.

• Press the ESC OFF but-

ton for at least half a sec-
ond after turning the igni-
tion ON to turn ESC off.
(ESC OFF indicator will
illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC
OFF button (ESC OFF
indicator light will go off).

• When starting the vehicle,

you may hear a slight tick-
ing sound. This is the ESC
performing an automatic
system self-check and does
not indicate a problem.

When operating

When the ESC is in opera-
tion, the ESC indicator light
blinks.
•

When the Electronic

Stability Control is operat-
ing properly, you can feel a
slight pulsation in the vehi-
cle. This is only the effect
of brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.

-

WARNING

Electronic stability control (ESC)
will not prevent accidents.
Excessive speed in turns, abrupt
maneuvers and hydroplaning on
wet surfaces can still result in
serious accidents. Only a safe
and attentive driver can prevent
accidents by avoiding maneu-
vers that cause the vehicle to
lose traction. Even with ESC
installed, always follow all the
normal precautions for driving -
including driving at safe speeds
for the conditions.

5 27

Driving your vehicle

ESC operation off

ESC OFF state

This car has 2 kinds of ESC
off states.
If the POWER button is turn
off when ESC is off, ESC
remains off. Upon restarting
the vehicle, the ESC will
automatically turn on again.

• ESC off state 1
To cancel ESC operation, press the
ESC OFF button (ESC OFF

)

shortly (ESC OFF indicator light
(ESC OFF

) illuminates). At this

state, the vehicle control function
does not operate. It means the trac-
tion control function does not oper-
ate. Brake control function only oper-
ates.

• ESC off state 2
To cancel ESC operation, press the
ESC OFF button (ESC OFF

) for

more than 3 seconds. ESC OFF indi-
cator light (ESC OFF

) illuminates

and ESC OFF warning chime will
sound. At this state, the vehicle con-
trol function and brake control func-
tion do not operate. It means the car
stability control function does not
operate any more.

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Driving your vehicle

28

5

Indicator light

When POWER button is turned to
ON, the indicator light illuminates,
then goes off if the ESC system is
operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks when-
ever ESC is operating or illuminates
when ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes
on when the ESC is turned off with
the button.

ESC OFF usage

When driving

• ESC should be turned on for daily

driving whenever possible.

• To turn ESC off while driving, press

the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.

CAUTION

Driving with varying tire or
wheel sizes may cause the ESC
system to malfunction. When
replacing tires, make sure they
are the same size as your origi-
nal tires.

WARNING

- Operating

ESC

Never press the ESC OFF but-
ton while ESC is operating (ESC
indicator light blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may slip
out of control.

WARNING

- Electronic sta-

bility control

Drive carefully even though
your vehicle has Electronic
Stability Control. It can only
assist you in maintaining con-
trol under certain circum-
stances.

■

ESC indicator light

■

ESC OFF indicator light

5 29

Driving your vehicle

✽

✽

NOTICE

• When operating the vehicle on a

dynamometer, ensure that the
ESC is turned off (ESC OFF light
illuminated). If the ESC is left on,
it may prevent the vehicle speed
from increasing, and result in false
diagnosis.

• Turning the ESC off does not

affect ABS or brake system opera-
tion.

Vehicle stability management
(VSM)

This system provides further
enhancements to vehicle stability
and steering responses when a vehi-
cle is driving on a slippery road or a
vehicle detects changes in coeffi-
cient of friction between right wheels
and left wheels when braking.

VSM operation

When the VSM is in operation, ESC
indicator light (

) blinks.

When the vehicle stability manage-
ment is operating properly, you can
feel a slight pulsation in the vehicle
and/or abnormal steering responses
(EPS). This is only the effect of brake
and EPS control and indicates noth-
ing unusual.

The VSM does not operate when:

• Driving on bank road such as gra-

dient or incline

• Driving in reverse
• ESC OFF indicator light (

)

remains on the instrument cluster

• EPS indicator light remains on the

instrument cluster

VSM operation off

If you press the ESC OFF button to
turn off the ESC, the VSM will also
cancel and the ESC OFF indicator
light (

) illuminates.

To turn on the VSM, press the button
again. The ESC OFF indicator light
goes out.

Driving your vehicle

30

5

Malfunction indicator

The VSM can be deactivated even if
you don’t cancel the VSM operation
by pressing the ESC OFF button. It
indicates that a malfunction has
been detected somewhere in the
Electric Power Steering system or
VSM system. If the ESC indicator
light (

) or EPS warning light

remains on, take your vehicle to an
authorized Kia dealer and have the
system checked.

✽

✽

NOTICE

• The VSM is designed to function

above approximately 13 mph (22
km/h) on curves.

• The VSM is designed to function

above approximately 6 mph (10
km/h) when a vehicle is braking on
a split-mu road. The split-mu road
is made of surfaces which have dif-
ferent friction forces.

• The Vehicle Stability Management

system is not a substitute for safe
driving practices but a supplemen-
tary function only. It is the respon-
sibility of the driver to always check
the speed and the distance to the
vehicle ahead. Always hold the
steering wheel firmly while driving.

• Your vehicle is designed to activate

according to the driver’s intention,
even with installed VSM. Always
follow all the normal precautions
for driving at safe speeds for the
conditions – including driving in
clement weather and on a slippery
road.

Hill-start assist control (HAC)

A vehicle has the tendency to roll
back on a steep hill when it starts to
go after stopping. The Hill-start
Assist Control (HAC) prevents the
vehicle from rolling back by applying
the brakes automatically for about 2
seconds. The brakes are released
when the accelerator pedal is
depressed or after about 2 seconds.
The HAC is activated only for about 2
seconds, so when the vehicle is
starting off always depress the accel-
erator pedal.

5 31

Driving your vehicle

Good braking practices

• Check to be sure the parking brake

is not engaged and the parking
brake indicator light is out before
driving away.

• Driving through water may get the

brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the vehicle is washed. Wet
brakes can be dangerous! Your
vehicle will not stop as quickly if the
brakes are wet. Wet brakes may
cause the vehicle to pull to one
side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action
returns to normal, taking care to
keep the vehicle under control at
all times. If the braking action does
not return to normal, stop as soon
as it is safe to do so and call an
authorized Kia dealer for assis-
tance.

• Don't coast down hills with the

vehicle out of gear. This is extreme-
ly hazardous. Keep the vehicle in
gear at all times, use the brakes to
slow down, then shift to a lower
gear so that regenerative braking
will help you maintain a safe
speed.

• Don't "ride" the brake pedal.

Resting your foot on the brake
pedal while driving can be danger-
ous because the brakes might
overheat and lose their effective-
ness. It also increases the wear of
the brake components.

• If a tire goes flat while you are driv-

ing, apply the brakes gently and
keep the vehicle pointed straight
ahead while you slow down. When
you are moving slowly enough for it
to be safe to do so, pull off the road
and stop in a safe place.

WARNING

- Maintaining

Brake Pressure on Incline

HAC does not replace the need
to apply brakes while stopped
on an incline. While stopped,
make sure you maintain brake
pressure sufficient to prevent
your vehicle from rolling back-
ward and causing an accident.
Don’t release the brake pedal
until you are ready to accelerate
forward.

Driving your vehicle

32

5

• If your vehicle is equipped with an

automatic transaxle, don't let your
vehicle creep forward. To avoid
creeping forward, keep your foot
firmly on the brake pedal when the
vehicle is stopped.

• Be cautious when parking on a hill.

Firmly engage the parking brake
and place the shift lever in P (auto-
matic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle). If
your vehicle is facing downhill, turn
the front wheels into the curb to
help keep the vehicle from rolling. If
your vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb to help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to
keep the vehicle from rolling, block
the wheels.

• Under some conditions your park-

ing brake can freeze in the
engaged position. This is most like-
ly to happen when there is an
accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes or if
the brakes are wet. If there is a risk
that the parking brake may freeze,
apply it only temporarily while you
put the shift lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) and block the
rear wheels so the vehicle cannot
roll. Then release the parking
brake.

• Do not hold the vehicle on the

upgrade with the accelerator
pedal. This can cause the transaxle
to overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.