Good Driving Practices - Kia Soul 2020 Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
WARNING
• Before leaving the driver's seat,
always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Then
make sure the transmission 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 pre -
cautions are not followed in the
order identified.
• 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.
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 partially 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.
5 20
CAUTION
When operating the clutch pedal,
press the clutch pedal down fully. If
you don't press the clutch pedal
fully, the clutch may be damaged or
noise may occur.
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, 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.
Manual transmission