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Soul Clutch Problems

21K views 17 replies 12 participants last post by  GeoSoul 
#1 ·
Hi Everyone-

About 6 weeks ago I bought a pre-owned 2010 Soul with 21,000 miles on it. I love the car, except for a few things that I would like to get your thoughts on.

1) When the clutch is "disengaged" it is making kinda like a "squeaking noise" and, when I press the clutch back in to shift or whatever it goes away.....does anyone know what is causing this? I did take it to the dealer and they said the clutch is performing up to factory specs.....but I have owned nothing but 5-speeds the last ten years, and I know this is not normal.

2) I have also noticed 3-4 times when sitting in traffic, or at an idle that the engine will engage itself and rev high and stay that way. It is like the throttle gets stuck. For example, the other day I was at Sonic and was waiting on my order...the car was on, emergency brake was engaged, it was in neutral, and it was reving normally at around 600-750RPMS, then it spiked up to 2,000 RPM's and stayed there. I left Sonic with it doing this, drove home and then the RPM's was normal again once I got home and had the car idling. Any thoughts?

3) I have the Exclaim/Sport model, with the 18 inch wheels. After I bought the car and noticed on the highway at speeds at or above 65mph the car steering wheel will shimmy...not real horrible, but it is noticeable, and at times very annoying. The tires are all fairly new and in good condition. I have had the car aligned, the tires rotated and balanced and I am still noticing this issue. Is this just part of having those big tires, or another problem? If it is just the tires, does anyone recommend others that might be more useful for a better ride?

Thanks so much for everyones help,

Soul_thinkr047
 
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#2 ·
Sounds like you car was in an accident. Just a thought. So, the 'squeaking' is only present when the car is in neutral with the engine idling?

Do you have aftermarket floor mats that get stuck on the accelerator?

Wheel size should have nothing to do with that. If your tires are balanced, the alignment is good, then you might have a tire that is out of round.
 
#3 · (Edited)
were they able to duplicate anything or was car running fine when they documented that everything was within specs?? intermittent and excessive revving seems to be the nature of the beast for some of us that they don't seem to know much about right now.... and squealing noise could be related to t/o bearing so might wanna request that they specifically check this and be sure to get everything documented in your own words (not their words) - recently learned something about not doing this that can work against you should you need to get warranty work done and/or elicit outside help to get warranty honored etc... additionally, the NHTSA is a very great resource to check out and use b/c they have complete power over the manufactures and the more they know the better they can assist, which many folks don't realize.... https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

adding

"...Clutch noise is another problem that may be tricky to pinpoint. If a squealing or chirping noise appears or goes away when the clutch pedal is depressed, the cause may be a bad release bearing. Other causes include a bad pilot bushing, a worn or defective input shaft bearing in the transmission, a worn, bent or improperly lubricated release fork, a worn input shaft, improper disc installation, misalignment, damaged bearing retainer, loose flywheel bolts, damaged disc splines, or worn stop pins or broken damper.

A growling or grinding noise when the clutch is engaged may be due to a bad transmission input shaft bearing.

A squealing sound that occurs when the clutch pedal is depressed and held is usually caused by a bad pilot bearing or bushing.

A chirping noise that intensifies when the pedal is slowly depressed would indicate a bad release bearing.

If you hear chirping while idling in neutral and the noise goes away when the pedal is slowly depressed, the fork/pivot ball contact point is making the noise. http://www.automotive-clutches.com/basic_clutch_info.html ..."
 
#8 ·
^^ you really are assuming way too much b/c she is probably a he, especially when you consider the nature of the links that were left... and rodville decided to sign up for the moderator job and her posts be gone :)
 
#12 ·
if dealer/kia doesn't get it corrected then you might wanna add your complaint to the nhtsa site b/c they already forced one recall and if you read through kia's history you will see that steering has been an issue for em with many models and is probably why the nhtsa didn't let any grass grow under their feet and nailed em for that one steering shaft falling out of the soul....https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
 
#15 ·
I actually have been experimenting with the air pressures. I have also had the tires balanced, rotated, and aligned. I then had a thought to up the tire pressures. The specs say, that the optimal air pressure for the 18 inch HanKook tires is 32PSI, but I bumped mine up to 35 for each tire, and I have since noticed a major improvement.

I think, at least for me, that a lot of the problem has been that there is not much sidewall to these tires, bad roads, and the tire pressures.

Thats my .02.

We'll see how it goes as time goes on.
 
#16 ·
Regarding the chirping noise, the dealers have been very uninterested in repairing these under warranty - BUT IT IS COVERED! Diagnostic work is also covered, so don't let them bully you around. After threatening Kia Corporate with a law suit, the regional service manager spoke to the dealer and now the dealer is being VERY helpful. It looks like there is at least anecdotal evidence on the forums if you search the chirping/mechanical sounds from the transmission/clutch that may require or suggest the need for a recall. Anyone else having these issues?
 
#17 ·
From day one, brand new 2011 Kia Soul when idling at red light, when starting in first gear, I have to rev the engine to at least 25 RPM's to get going. If not enough RPMs, it will stall. Now recently, the 2011 only has 38000 while on highway it I exceed 60 mph the RPM's exceed 3000. If the speed limit is high, like 75, the RPM's exceed 45 RPM's. Didn't used to.
 
#18 ·
On day two I would have taken it back to Kia using it's 10 year warranty if I felt something was wrong.

What size is the engine in your Soul?
 
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