KIA Soul EV (2018 year). Manual — part 26

7 19

Maintenance

EXPLANATION OF SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ITEMS

Cooling system

Check the cooling system compo-
nents, such as the radiator, coolant
reservoir, hoses and connections ,
coolant 3way valve, chiller for leak-
age and damage. Replace any dam-
aged parts.

Coolant

The coolant should be changed at
the intervals specified in the mainte-
nance schedule.

Brake hoses and lines

Visually check for proper installation,
chafing, cracks, deterioration and
any leakage. Replace any deteriorat-
ed or damaged parts immediately.

✽

✽

NOTICE -

NHTSA Safety
Corrosion Alert

NHTSA has warned all vehicle own-
ers of all brands that they must main-
tain their vehicles in a manner which
will prevent brake hose and brake line
failures due to corrosion when such
vehicles are exposed to winter road
salt and related chemicals. While seri-
ous corrosion conditions typically only
manifest themselves as safety issues
after 7 years of vehicle use, the corro-
sion process starts immediately and
thus underbody cleaning maintenance
must commence from your vehicle's
first exposure to road salts and chem-
icals. NHTSA urges vehicle owners to
take the following steps to prevent
corrosion:

(Continued)

(Continued)
1. Wash the undercarriage of your

vehicle regularly throughout the
winter and do a thorough washing
in the spring to remove road salt
and other de-icing chemicals.

2. Monitor the brake system for

signs of corrosion by having regu-
lar professional inspections and
watching for signs of problems,
including loss of brake fluid,
unusual leaks and soft or spongy
feel in the brake pedal.

3. Replace the entire brake pipe

assembly if you find severe corro-
sion that causes scaling or flaking
of brake components.

Maintenance

20

7

Brake fluid

Check the brake fluid level in the
brake fluid reservoir. The level should
be between “MIN” and “MAX” marks
on the side of the reservoir. Use only
hydraulic brake fluid conforming to
DOT 3 or DOT 4 specification.

Brake discs, pads, calipers
and rotors

Check the pads for excessive wear,
discs for run out and wear, and
calipers for fluid leakage.

Suspension mounting bolts

Check the suspension connections
for looseness or damage. Retighten
to the specified torque.

Steering gear box, linkage &
boots/lower arm ball joint

With the vehicle stopped and off,
check for excessive free-play in the
steering wheel.
Check the linkage for bends or dam-
age. Check the dust boots and ball
joints for deterioration, cracks, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts.

Drive shafts and boots

Check the drive shafts, boots and
clamps for cracks, deterioration, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts and, if necessary, repack the
grease.

Air conditioning refrigerant

Check the air conditioning lines and
connections for leakage and dam-
age.

7 21

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 climate.

Checking the coolant level

Turn the vehicle 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 cooling system.
When you are sure all the pressure
has been released, press down on
the cap, using a thick towel, and con-
tinue turning counterclockwise to
remove it.

WARNING

Removing radiator
cap

Never attempt to remove the
radiator cap while the motor
compartment is operating or
hot. Doing so might lead to
cooling system damage and
could result in serious personal
injury from escaping hot
coolant or steam.

CAUTION

-

Radiator
/Inverter cap

Never attempt to remove the
radiator or inverter cap while
the motor is operating or hot.
Doing so might lead to cooling
system and motor damage.

Maintenance

22

7

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 F and L marks on the side
of the coolant reservoir when the
motor room is cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protec-
tion against freezing and corrosion.
Bring the level to F, but do not over-
fill. If frequent additions are required,
see an authorized Kia dealer for a
cooling system inspection.

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
damage.

• 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, which would
reduce the effectiveness of the
solution.

• The cooling circuit of a vehicle

equipped with a heat pump system
may freeze in extremely low tem-
perature when the concentration of
the antifreezing liquid is below
45%.

OPSE074002

WARNING

- Cooling fan

Use caution when
working near the
blade of the cooling
fan.

The electric

motor (cooling fan) is

controlled by coolant tempera-
ture, refrigerant pressure and
vehicle speed. it may some-
times operate even when the
vehicle is not running.

7 23

Maintenance

For mixture percentage, refer to the
following table.

Changing the coolant

Have the coolant changed by an
authorized Kia dealer according to
the Maintenance Schedule at the
beginning of this chapter.
Put a thick cloth around the radiator
cap before refilling the coolant in
order to prevent the coolant from
overflowing into motor compartment.

OPSE074002

Ambient

Temperature

Mixture 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

40

WARNING

Radiator cap

Do not remove the radiator cap
when the motor compartment
and radiator are hot. Scalding
hot coolant and steam may
blow out under pressure which
may result in serious injury.

Maintenance

24

7

BRAKE FLUID

Checking the brake fluid level

Check the fluid level in the reservoir
periodically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN 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.

If the level is low, add fluid to the
MAX level. The level will fall with
accumulated mileage. This is a nor-
mal condition associated with the
wear of the 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.

OPSE074003

CAUTION

-

Proper fluid

Only use brake fluid in brake
system.

Small amounts of

improper fluids can cause dam-
age to the brake system.

7 25

Maintenance

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.

Maintenance

26

7

WASHER FLUID

Checking the washer fluid
level

The reservoir is translucent so that
you can check the level with a quick
visual inspection.
Check the fluid level in the washer
fluid reservoir and add fluid if neces-
sary. Plain water may be used if
washer fluid is not available.
However, use washer solvent with
antifreeze characteristics in cold cli-
mates to prevent freezing.

OPSE074004

WARNING

- Flammable

Fluid

Do not allow the washer fluid to
come in contact with open
flames or sparks.The windshield
washer fluid reservoir is flamma-
ble under certain circumstances.
This can result in a fire.

WARNING

- Coolant

• Do not use radiator coolant or

antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.

• Radiator coolant can severely

obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windshield and may
cause loss of vehicle control.

WARNING

- Windshield

fluid

Do not drink the windshield
washer fluid. The windshield
washer fluid is poisonous to
humans and animals.

7 27

Maintenance

CLIMATE CONTROL AIR FILTER

Filter inspection & replacement

The climate control air filter should
be replaced according to the mainte-
nance schedule. If the vehicle is
operated in severely air-polluted
cities or on dusty rough roads for a
long period, it should be inspected
more frequently and replaced earlier.
When you replace the climate control
air filter, replace it performing the fol-
lowing procedure, and be careful to
avoid damaging other components.

1. Open the glove box.

2. With the glove box open, remove

the Air filter cover.

OPS073009

OPSE074032

Maintenance

28

7

3. Remove the climate control air fil-

ter case by pulling out both sides
of the cover.

4. Replace the climate control air filter.
5. Reassemble in the reverse order

of disassembly.

When replacing the climate control
air filter install it properly. Otherwise,
the system may produce noise and
the effectiveness of the filter may be
reduced.

OPSE074021

OPS073011

7 29

Maintenance

WIPER BLADES

Blade inspection

Commercial hot waxes applied by
automatic vehicle washes have been
known to make the windshield diffi-
cult to clean.

Contamination of either the wind-
shield or the wiper blades with for-
eign matter can reduce the effective-
ness of the windshield wipers.
Common sources of contamination
are insects, tree sap, and hot wax
treatments used by some commer-
cial vehicle washes. If the blades are
not wiping properly, clean both the
window and the blades with a good
cleaner or mild detergent, and rinse
thoroughly with clean water.

Blade replacement

When the wipers no longer clean
adequately, the blades may be worn
or cracked, and require replacement.
To prevent damage to the wiper arms
or other components, do not attempt
to move the wipers manually.
The use of a non-specified wiper
blade could result in wiper malfunc-
tion and failure.

1JBA5122

CAUTION

- Wiper blades

To prevent damage to the wiper
blades, do not use gasoline,
kerosene, paint thinner, or other
solvents on or near them.

Maintenance

30

7

Front windshield wiper blade

Type A

1. Raise the wiper arm and turn the

wiper blade assembly to expose
the plastic locking clip.

2. Compress the clip and slide the

blade assembly downward.

3. Lift it off the arm.
4. Install the blade assembly in the

reverse order of removal.

Type B

1. Raise the wiper arm.

1LDA5023

CAUTION

- Wiper arms

Do not allow the wiper arm to
fall against the windshield,
since it may chip or crack the
windshield.

1JBA7037

1JBA7038

OHM078059

7 31

Maintenance

2. Turn the wiper blade clip. Then lift

up the blade clip.

3. Push the clip (1) and push up the

wiper arm (2).

4. Push down the wiper arm (3) and

install the new blade assembly in
the reverse order of removal.

5. Return the wiper arm on the wind-

shield.

Rear window wiper blade

1. Raise the wiper arm and pull out

the wiper blade assembly.

OHM078062

OSBL071001

OSBL071003

OSBL071002

Maintenance

32

7

2. Install the new blade assembly by

inserting the center part into the
slot in the wiper arm until it clicks
into place.

3. Make sure the blade assembly is

installed firmly by trying to pull it
slightly.

To prevent damage to the wiper arms
or other components, have an
authorized Kia dealer replace the
wiper blade.

OHM078063

7 33

Maintenance

BATTERY

For best battery service

• Keep the battery securely mount-

ed.

• Keep the battery top clean and dry.
• Keep the terminals and connec-

tions clean, tight, and coated with
petroleum jelly or terminal grease.

• Rinse any spilled electrolyte from

the battery immediately with a
solution of water and baking soda.

• If the vehicle is not going to be

used for an extended time, discon-
nect the battery cables.

Always read the following
instructions carefully when
handling a battery.

If any electrolyte gets into
your eyes, flush your eyes
with clean water for at least
15 minutes and get immedi-
ate medical attention.
If electrolyte gets on your
skin, thoroughly wash the
contacted area. If you feel
pain or burning sensation,
get medical attention imme-
diately.
An inappropriately disposed
battery can be harmful to the
environment and human
health. Dispose the battery
according to your local law(s)
or regulation.

Never attempt to recharge the bat-
tery when the battery cables are con-
nected.

OPSE074005

WARNING

- Risk of

explosion

Keep lit cigarettes and
all other flames or
sparks away from the
battery.
The battery contains
hydrogen -- a highly
combustible gas which
will explode if it comes
in contact with a flame or
spark.
Keep batteries out of the
reach of children
because batteries con-
tain highly corrosive
SULFURIC ACID and
electrolytes.

Do not

allow battery acid to
contact your skin, eyes,
clothing or paint finish.
Wear eye protection
when charging or work-
ing near a battery.
Always provide ventila-
tion when working in an
enclosed space.

Maintenance

34

7

✽

✽

NOTICE

If you connect unauthorized elec-
tronic devices to the battery, the bat-
tery may be discharged. Never use
unauthorized devices.

Battery recharging

Your vehicle has a maintenance-free,
calcium-based battery.
• If the battery becomes discharged

in a short time (because, for exam-
ple, the headlights or interior lights
were left on while the vehicle was
not in use), recharge it by slow
charging (trickle) for 10 hours.

• If the battery gradually discharges

because of high electric load while
the vehicle is being used, recharge
it at 20-30A for two hours.

CALIFORNIA PROPO-

SITION 65 WARNING

Battery posts, terminals, and
related accessories contain
lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer, birth
defects and reproductive harm.
Batteries also contain other
chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer.
Wash hands after handling.

WARNING

- Risk of elec-

trocution

Never touch the electrical igni-
tion system while the vehicle is
running. This system works
with high voltage which can
"zap" you.

WARNING

- Recharging

battery

Never attempt to recharge the
battery when the battery cables
are connected.