Kia Soul: Driving your vehicle / Economical operation
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many kilometers (miles) you can get from a
liter of fuel. To operate your vehicle as economically as possible, use the following
driving suggestions to help save money in both fuel and repairs:
- Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moderate rate. Don't make "jackrabbit"
starts or full-throttle shifts and maintain a steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights.Try to adjust your speed to the traffic so you don't have
to change speeds unnecessarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever possible. Always
maintain a safe distance from other vehicles so you can avoid unnecessary braking.
This also reduces brake wear.
- Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your vehicle
uses. Driving at a moderate speed, especially on the highway, is one of the
most effective ways to reduce fuel consumption.
- Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components. In addition, driving with your foot resting
on the brake pedal may cause the brakes to overheat, which reduces their effectiveness
and may lead to more serious consequences.
- Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at least once a month.
- Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too fast over irregular surfaces. Poor
alignment causes faster tire wear and may also result in other problems as well
as greater fuel consumption.
- Keep your car in good condition. For better fuel economy and reduced maintenance
costs, maintain your car in accordance with the maintenance schedule Chapter
8, Maintenance. If you drive your car in severe conditions, more frequent maintenance
is required (see Chapter 8, Maintenance for details).
- Keep your car clean. For maximum service, your vehicle should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials. It is especially important that mud,
dirt, ice, etc. not be allowed to accumulate on the underside of the car. This
extra weight can result in increased fuel consumption and also contribute to
corrosion.
- Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your car. Weight reduces
fuel economy.
- Don't let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting (and
not in traffic), turn off your engine and restart only when you're ready to
go.
- Remember, your vehicle does not require extended warm-up. After the engine
has started, allow the engine to run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to placing the
vehicle in gear. In very cold weather, however, give your engine a slightly
longer warmup period.
- Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in
too high a gear resulting in the engine bucking. If this happens, shift to a
lower gear. Over-revving is racing the engine beyond its safe limit. This can
be avoided by shifting at the recommended speeds.
- Use your air conditioning sparingly. The air conditioning system is operated
by engine power so your fuel economy is reduced when you use it.
- Open windows at high speeds can reduce fuel economy.
- Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset some
of this loss, slow down when driving in these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating condition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have the system serviced by a professional workshop.
Kia recommends to visit an authorized Kia dealer/service partner.
WARNING
Engine off during motion
Never turn the engine off to coast down hills or anytime the vehicle is in
motion. The power steering and power brakes will not function properly without the
engine running. Instead, keep the engine on and downshift to an appropriate gear
for engine braking effect. In addition, turning off the ignition while driving could
engage the steering wheel lock resulting in loss of vehicle steering which could
cause serious injury or death.
The drive mode may be selected according to the driver's preference or road condition. The mode changes whenever the DRIVE MODE button is pressed. NORMAL mode : NORMAL mode provides soft driving and ...
Hazardous driving conditions When hazardous driving conditions are encountered such as water, snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow these suggestions: Drive cautiously and allow extra distance ...
Other information:
Applying the parking brake To engage the parking brake, first apply the foot brake and then pull up the parking brake lever as far as possible. In addition it is recommended that when parking the vehicle on a incline, the shift lever should be in a low gear on manual transaxle vehicles. CAUTION Driving ...
Use the sunvisor to shield direct light through the front or side windows. To use the sunvisor, pull it downward. To use the sunvisor for the side window, pull it downward, unsnap it from the bracket (1) and swing it to the side (2). To use the vanity mirror, pull down the visor and slide the mirror ...