Kia Soul: General Safety Information and Caution

Kia Soul EV (PS EV) 2015-2020 Service Manual / General Information / General Safety Information and Caution

Safety Precaution

Since electric vehicles contain high voltage batteries, mishandling the high voltage system or vehicle may lead to a serious accident, including electric shock and electric leakage.

•	Be sure to shut off the high voltage by removing the safety plug before inspecting or repairing the high voltage system (Refer to “High Voltage Shut-off Procedures”).

•	A responsible worker should keep removed safety plugs to prevent it from being connected by mistake.

•	Keep away from any metal objects (watch, ring etc.) while working on the high voltage system, as they may cause serious accidents like electric shock.

•	Before beginning to work on the high voltage system, workers should wear personal protective equipment to prevent safety accidents (Refer to “Personal Protective Equipment”).

•	At any time, do not allow workers not wearing personal protective equipment to touch the high voltage system. High voltage components should be covered with an insulation sheet to prevent safety accidents.

•	Do not take over 70°C(158°F)/30min or 80°C(176°F)/20min when painting because exposing a high voltage battery to intense heat may cause deterioration.

•	Use insulation tools when working on the high voltage system.

•	Place removed high voltage components on an insulation mat.

•	Check that voltage between the high voltage terminals is below 30V after removing the safety plug.

•	All the high voltage wiring and connectors are in orange.

•	A caution label for high voltage is attached to the high voltage components

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High voltage components : High Voltage Battery, Power Relay Assembly (PRA), Quick Charge Relay Assembly (QRA), Motor, Power Cable, BMS ECU, Inverter, LDC, On-Board Charger (OBC), Main Relay, Pre-charge Relay, Pre-charge resistor, Battery Current Sensor, Safety Plug, Main Fuse, Battery Temperature Sensor, Bus Bar, Charge Port, A/C Compressor, Electric Power Control Unit (EPCU), High Voltage Heater, High Voltage Heater Relay etc.

•	Inform of possible danger of high voltage by placing a "high voltage caution" sign on the vehicle as in the image below.

Personal Protective Equipment

Name	Illustration	Description
Insulation gloves		Used when inspecting or working on the high voltage components [Insulation performance : 1000V / 300A or above]
Insulation shoes		Used when inspecting or working on the high voltage components
Insulation clothes
Insulation helmet
Safety glasses		Used in the following cases : • During Removal & installation or inspection of the high voltage battery terminals or wiring, which spark might happen. • When working on the high voltage battery pack assembly.
Face shield
Insulation mat		All removed high voltage components are placed on an insulation mat to prevent safety accidents.
Insulation sheet		Insulation sheet is used to cover high voltage components to protect people not wearing personal protective equipment from safety accidents.
Warning tape		Used for infomring that it is dangerous to come over this line.

Personal Protective Equipment Inspection

•	Check that the personal protective equipment is not damaged.

•	Check that the insulation gloves are not torn or damaged.

•	Wear the insulation glove after removing moisture.

Fold the insulation glove as above.

Fold again 3~4 times to make it airtight.

Squeeze the inflated glove to see if the glove is torn or damaged.

Caution when repairing the power cable

•	When installing the high voltage terminal, insulate the terminal using insulation tape.

•	Tighten the high voltage screw with specified torque.

•	Be careful that the (+) terminal does not contact the (-) terminal.

Precautions when handling high voltage battery

•	Battery Control System - Refer to "High Voltage Battery Handling Guide"

Precautions in case of fire in High Voltage Battery System

•	Turn OFF the Button Start. Then keep the Smart Key 2m or farther away from the vehicle to prevent unintended engine start.

•	If the fire is at initial stage, quickly turn OFF the Safety Plug (refer to "High Voltage Shut-off Procedure").

•	If fire broke out indoors, ventilate the area to clear out hydrogen gas.

•	If fire can be put out, then do so using a CO? fire extinguisher. If this is not available, then use water or other types of fire extinguisher.

•	CO?has high insulation characteristics against electricity, so it is appropriate for electricity (C Rating) related fire.

•	If fire cannot be put out, evacuate to a safe location, notify the fire department and do not approach the vehicle until the fire has been extinguished.

•	Turn OFF the vehicle Key in case of vehicle submersion/collision, and then exit the vehicle as quickly as possible.

Precautions in case of high voltage battery gas and/or electrolyte leakage

•	Turn OFF the Button Start. Then keep the Smart Key 2m or farther away from the vehicle to prevent unintended engine start.

•	If the fire is at initial stage, quickly turn OFF the Safety Plug. (refer to "High Voltage Shut-off Procedure").

•	Gas is hydrogen and alkali vapor. If the fire occurred indoor, ventilate the area immediately and evacuate to a safe location.

•	If leaked liquid comes in contact with your skin, neutralize the area immediately with boron, and then clean with running water or saline solution.

•	If leaked vapor or liquid gets in your eye, immediately clean with running water, then get medical attention.

•	In case of gas leakage due to high temperature, do NOT use the battery until the high voltage battery cools down to room temperature.

Precautions when handling vehicle after an accident

•	Be sure to wear insulated gloves (or rubber gloves), protective goggles, insulated suit, and insulated boots.

•	Do NOT touch the bare cable when its insulation covering has been peeled. (refer to "Precautions When Handling Power Cable")

•	In case of fire on the vehicle and if the fire can be put out, then do so by using a CO? fire extinguisher. If this is not available, then use water or other types of fire extinguisher.

•	If more than half of the vehicle is submerged, then do not attempt to approach high voltage components, such as the Safety Plug. If such a component must be handled, then first relocate the vehicle to a safe location, then handle the component.

•	if fire broke out indoors, ventillate the area immediately and evacuate to a safe location. because the gas id hydorgen and akali fumes.

•	If leaked liquid comes in contact with your skin, neutralize the area immediately with boron, and then clean with running water or saline solution.

•	If high voltage needs to be shut-off, then refer to "High Voltage Shut-off Procedure" when handling relevant components.

Preparations when servicing accident affected vehicle

•	Insulated gloves (or rubber gloves), protective goggles, insulated suit, and insulated boots.

•	Boric Acid Powder or Solution.

•	CO? fire extinguisher or other fire extinguisher.

•	Towel for cleaning electrolyte.

•	Vinyl tape (for terminal insulation)

•	Megaohm Tester (for checking high voltage insulation resistance)

Precautions when EV is unattended for a prolonged period

•	Turn OFF the Start Button. Then keep the Smart Key 2m or farther away from the vehicle to prevent unintended engine start. (This is to prevent rapid discharging of high voltage battery from dark current.)

•	If the high voltage battery state of charge (SOC) is less than 30%, then do not leave the vehicle unattended for a prolonged period.

•	If the vehicle is unattended for prolonged period, then fully recharge the battery via normal charging once every 3 months to prevent the high voltage battery SOC from becoming 0.

•	When checking the auxiliary battery for discharge status or when replacing the auxiliary battery, check for problem related to high voltage battery SOC reset.

Hybrid Vehicle Refrigerant Recovery / Charging Precautions

•	Since the electric compressor uses high-voltage, POE oil with high Volumetric Resistivity Should be used.

•	Do not use the same A/C recovery / charging station as conventional belt-driven compressors.

If the POE oil in the system gets mixed with PAG oil, it may result in dielectric breakdown due to decreased volumetric resistivity and inoperative A/C compressor, disabling the A/C compressor.

General Information

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High Voltage Shut-off Procedures

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