Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Kia Sportage Maintenance and Repair

1…5681011…15

Comments

  • bobselectricbobselectric Member Posts: 8
    Hey all! I have a 2000 Sportage 4x2 manual tranny, with 58000 mi and since I purchased the car new, I've been getting 300 miles/ tank. Lately, the fuel efficiency has dropped off to 175 mi/tank. I have tuned it up, new plugs, air and fuel filters, oil and filter change (10w40 Valvoline) and checked the tire pressure. There are no codes or check engine lights displayed. I can't figure this out. Any suggestions? :P
  • bgrolichbgrolich Member Posts: 2
    Just bought a 2000 Kia Sportage. The 4x4 does not work. I replaced all vacume lines because they were cracked and still no 4x4. Now what?
  • jhl1jhl1 Member Posts: 10
    My post went under the died in traffic one oops. We still have no signal to the injectors. Changed the cam sensor and no help. Check wires and all good. Changed crank sensor and no help. Timing belt is good and timing is ok. Changed relays and no help. Changed the computer and no help. Put a new fuel pump in it and no help. Still no signal to the injectors to make them work.
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    Check for proper operation of the vacuum solenoid : with key ON and engine not running, see if you can hear the solenoid "click" when plugging and unplugging the electrical connector. (shown disconnected in picture)
    image
    Then start and let the engine run, then unplug and check "vacuum from reserve" hose, and then if OK plug back and check the "vacuum to hubs" port when 4WD is applied and 4WD light is ON.
    If no vacuum, then connect direct "vacuum from reserve" to "vacuum to hubs" using small piece of plastic tubing.
    IF hubs still do not apply, hubs are shot....a common occurrence ..or the bearing seals are shot... THese hubs do not wotk well in cold climates anyway. Best Change for Warn manual or autos...too bad because the vacuum are the most convenient and provide seamless operation ..when they work.
  • ricklwalkerricklwalker Member Posts: 3
    Any body out there know how to replace the front window motors on a 2000 Kia Sportage..and where the best place to find them...????...I pulled the front panels off and got the driver side to work...it has a loose wire somewhere..smacking the driver door will get it to roll up..that is until I hit a big bump again and it will stop working again...now the passenger side will roll down but not up...so now its down and I can't get it to roll up at all...so I have the motor loose, but it is still connected to the cables..how do you get the cables off of the motors...????...any photos would be helpful...I can't find a repair manual anywhere...somebody said there is one online but I can't find it...help....Thanks for any help you guys can send my way....Rick
  • dani73dani73 Member Posts: 2
    Hi everyone,
    I am about to start test driving cars this week. The kia sportage is high on my list of cars I'm interested in. I had a mechanic to tell me they have lots of problems, the parts are expensive & can only be obtained from the factory, and that his customers with kias have not had much luck getting the company to honor their warranties. What can ya'll tell me about this? Thanks!
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    What year models are you considering? Pre 2002 do have some drawbacks..but people either like or hate them anyway...and they are true little trucks
    Newer models are Hyundai, in fact, copycat of Tuckson, and are car based; they were rated high recently in COnsumers Report.
  • dani73dani73 Member Posts: 2
    I'll probably look at 2007 & 2008 sportages. I'm also going to check out Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass, Toyota RAV4 & Hyundai Tuscon (which looks to be almost the same as Sportage). Any advice?
  • marykrhodesmarykrhodes Member Posts: 2
    Hi, did you ever find that manual? I need one desperately! :cry:
  • ebennetebennet Member Posts: 2
    Problem: If I'm driving with the AC on, after an hour the air from the vents becomes less and less cool until it is essentially the same temp as the air in the car. Miserable in humid weather! I hit the AC button and let just the fan run for 10-15 minutes, then hit the AC button again (to turn it on), and the air blasts out cold! It stays cold for 20-30 minutes, and then the "coolness" fades again. And so it goes. One dealer (when I was on the road) replaced the AC motor (which was clogged with ice). Local dealership has said a number of things, including "It's a flaw in the vehicle," "It can't be fixed," "We might be able to fix it, but we'd have to take out the dash and can't guarantee...." Does anybody know what's going on? Should I push the issue? Help! FYI, this is my first forum post ever, on any site. :)
  • ppage1ppage1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Kia Sportage and my engine light has been on for about 3 years. I had it checked, but it just keeps coming on so I ignore it. Haven't noticed any problems. And after reading here, I'm thinking it's a Kia glitch. So I will continue to ignore it till my Kia gives me a reason not to.
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    register here:
    www.kiatechinfo.com

    About codes, indeed it generates them quite easily, specially spark and purge canister. IF you have a chance to read them though, go for it , at least, for the record. Autozone will read them for free in the USA, I'm told.
  • lilbrat53lilbrat53 Member Posts: 3
    :cry: A few months ago my Kia developed a really strange problem. It starts great, idles great, put it in gear and still great...until I step on the gas. The car moves a few feet and stops. No sputtering or bucking...just stops! Like someone pulled the plug! Changed the cam sensor, but that didn't fix it. The dealer service guy disconnected the torque converter to get the car to stop stalling. Then....when I picked up my car, I noticed that my lights (interior and exterior both) were going dim and then bright, then dim, then flicker...you get the picture. Thought it might be the alternator, but the car runs fine and starts right up. Has anyone experienced one or both of these issues? I'd appreciate any help.
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    Take a continuous voltage reading before starting, then once started..should read near 14.5... Low voltage indeed has tricky consequences, so better clear this issue first, but I agree that if car starts easily, it looks as it charges at least enough, but do not guess that: verify.
    It was a good idea to disconnect the TCC...just in case, because it happens that a stuck or sticky TCC solenoid valve would stall the engine as soon as a gear is engaged, or, more often, after normal starting, running, then when coming to a stop. But if the valve is stuck in the activated state, that could explain the case...maybe just needing a little more hydraulic pressure as trigged when depressing throttle.... In fact, please state it clearly, do you mean that after having disconnected the TCC, it would not stall anymore....? ..in which case the voltage problem would be "in addition to...", but not "related to...."
    Is the "check engine light" ON?....If so, read the codes and post.
  • lilbrat53lilbrat53 Member Posts: 3
    Dear Imp,
    Thanks for the advice. You sound very knowledgable. However, this stupid car is stalling again. The guys at the dealer said that they disconneted the torque converter to stop the car from stalling. I'm at my wits end. It ran all the way back from the dealer's (about 15 miles) and now it's stalling again! Still starts right up, but step on the gas and I get about 10 feet before it stalls. You mentioned reading the codes, but I don't have any way to do this, but according to the dealer, they had codes for alternator, cam sensor, timing belt, water pump, transmission, etc. etc. Trust me, the guy who's been working on my car says their wrong. The only reason I took the car to the dealer was to have it coded. This is the first time in 10 years that he's been stumped and this guy is an amazing diagnostition. If you've got any other ideas...we're open!
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    CHeck all vacuum connections..it looks like the MAF sensor does not see the increase in air flow and does not feeed the fuel as it should. A disconnected vacuum hose and faulty EGR connection did it recently in two other cases.
    I'm told AUtozone will read the codes for free in the USA. IF you can, then write down the codes and post them here. Buying a code reader..$100 will do it, is a good investment. although it does not provide necessarily the culprit , it can be a great help and avoids nerve cracking visits to the dealer...
    ... alternator, cam sensor, timing belt, water pump, transmission....interesting, but one at a time :) that is, I'm somewhat skeptical of all that together, but at least check the voltage with a simple multimeter....that would clear one item....
    Were there any other symptom you can have noticed before it turned unserviceable?
    .
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    ...and, check 14th item on the coupon list:
    OBD2
    ..if there is a store near you, don't miss it...several members on another Sportage forum tell it works perfectly.
  • lilbrat53lilbrat53 Member Posts: 3
    I don't think Ive mentioned this earlier, but I had a new trans put in my car last summer. Since then, the hold light has been flashing. I was told to get the computer reflashed and it would stop, that it was reacting to the new trans. Then the dealer tells me there's no computer to reflash. HUH? :confuse: Oh yeah...the check engine light came on too. Other than the lights, the car ran great. Then it just went nuts! I'm passing your postings onto my friend (my mechanic). He's ready to push the car off a cliff, but he wants to find out what it is that's stumping him first. LOL
  • ricklwalkerricklwalker Member Posts: 3
    I ran the codes on my 2000 Kia Sportage and it came up with P1586..????..any body know what this means.....
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    P1586
    It refers to "selected gear encoder signal" sent from transmission to computer . Generally no effect is seen but it can limit rpm or car speed . As described, a faulty contact either from witing of the encoder itself is the culprit.
  • ricklwalkerricklwalker Member Posts: 3
    thank you...where do I look for the contact...???...is it on the transmission or under the hood...inquiring minds want to know....Rick
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    The "encoder" ia a set of contacts within the transmission. It is connected to the external world by a plug containing several conductors.
    This is not an "offensive" code and somtimes it is a one time incident and the light will turn off after a few cycles. As long as there are no other syptoms, look for all wires connected to transmission, plugs properly insrted in sockets, remove any dirt, check for chaffing, ..and wait and see...
  • gzaldivargzaldivar Member Posts: 4
    Hello everyone, I'm new here and would like to know if anyone has had this problem before. The heater core went out while I was driving and made a mess, :( I was about 20 miles from the house, made it home in about 5 hours. Car heated up, I would pull over, let it cool down...(managed to hook up the water line to circulate the water direct to the engine).had trouble starting it everytime, finally got it home after about 6 or 8 stalls. :cry: Now I can't get the car started, changed the plugs, the other ones were burnt,cleaned the radiator, no water leaks..redid the timing, checked to see if I have spark, that's good, have fuel coming in... it seems like it's still out of time.. :sick: is something else damaged? or is the engine shot..I have 151173 miles on it..
  • lesndealesndea Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 kia sportage that starts overheating when I turn the ac on any suggestios
  • ssoperatorssoperator Member Posts: 4
    We bought an '07 last Oct. and have been very satisfied with it. We just finished driving it to Atlanta from Oklahoma and had not one issue, Good mileage for a SUV, we now have over 10000 miles and not a single problem, which I can't say about the Lumina (Lemona) that it replaced. I wouldn't trust the Lemona going around the block neverless on a 1500 mile trip. I hate to say it, but we will not buy another American car until something drastic happens in Detroit. I posted areview of the 1999 Lumina at Carsurvey.org. :shades:
  • marika1marika1 Member Posts: 7
    I have a Kia Sportage which had a whole bunch of major repairs (ie. transfer case, wheel hubs, etc.)., I've noticed over the past week that the two wheels on the drivers side whistle when I drive and come to a stop. I know its not the brakes and they were inspected. Anyone have any ideas what could be causing this or how it can be fixed. Thanks so much.
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    I have a 2001 kia sportage that starts overheating when I turn the ac on any suggestios
    Those living in warm areas have complained about this quite often. Check if electric AC cooling fan in front of radiator turns on when AC is trigged ON. ALso there is a thermostatic switch on right radiator tank..that is passenger side of radiator. YOu can bypass it with a jumper to test the fan. The fan relay is under the dash.

    OF course check all obvious issues like clogging of radiator by leaves and other debris. The viscous clutch fan drive has been blamed in some occasions too. It is quite common to get rid of it and replace it with an electric fan.
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    Engine damage after slight overheat has been reported before...but I hope it is not your case.
    "redid the timing".....???..was the timing off the mark...and why?..or you mean you just checked it out...
    Was the timing belt changed before?
    BY the way, if you go for a heater core change, you can do from inside the car, without touching the AC evaporator....not the excruciating way the KIA manual says....
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    THIS to illustrate core replacement
  • gzaldivargzaldivar Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for that info..I will get at that soon..however my main concern is that the engine is not starting. :mad: .yes The timing went off and I aligned everything accordingly, I have spark on all 4 cylinders, I try starting the engine and it turns over but won't start, :sick: I rechecked the new plugs, setting is still good, but plugs come out black, like carbon on them :( . I was adviced to open the gap a bit more til it starts..I'm thinking the valves went bad or seals on the valves melted. the boots to the plugs were melted! :(
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    New plugs already turned black seems to indicate rich mixture....why?....injectors blocked opened?....false signal from MAF?....I'd unplug the injectors and try starting with starting fluid...pressure can type....
    I.m still not confortable with the idea that "timing was off".....since this indicates the timing belt skipped cogs, this is serious business....again, was the t-belt changed before? And realignment of cams properly done...
    mark1
    mark2
    Is it possible cam journals had seized...?
  • freaketozefreaketoze Member Posts: 2
    :confuse: Hello everybody...new to this, so I apologize if I do something wrong (and a relatively new car owner, so I don't even know where to start)! There are few things that keep happening to my car, and I'm wondering if they are all related. If so, does anybody know where I should start?

    1st: the rear brake lights are on the fritz. Sometimes they all work fine, sometimes the left side will work and not the right and vice versa, and sometimes they won't work at all. I've already replaced the bulbs, but that's not it, they still do the same thing.

    2nd: The ESC light comes on at random. And pressing the button will not make it go away.

    3rd: The cruise control works at random. Also, it won't work if my headlights are on.

    Are all these related to one common system in the car?

    Thank you for any ideas, suggestion, help, etc. you can offer.
  • bpeters850bpeters850 Member Posts: 3
    The thermostat may be sticking or malfunctioning :confuse: The Idle air Control valve could also be sticking. Both units are controling the air intake to the cylinders.
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    About freak brake lights: ground problems/contacts have been a common issue with the former model...maybe it has been carried on to the new model even if a totally different car..but this kind of "light" problem has happened for decades in all cars anyway. I had same issue with left headlight (2000) a month ago...turned out the ground contact inside the headbeam connector had gone awry....

    2 and 3: mmm...ESC...not familiar with the new model....but cruise and traction control and ABS need speed correlation from car speed pickup and wheels sensors....and...if headlights impair cruise, I'd look for contacts/grounds again...
  • freaketozefreaketoze Member Posts: 2
    Thank you! This gives me at least one place to get started. I'll give it a looking at. Thanks again! :)
  • bpeters850bpeters850 Member Posts: 3
    AutoRepairInfo.org has a CDROM they sell for $15.95 plus shipping and tax. I found them on E-bay. The information is good but the information of equipment location :cry: is very patchy.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Isn't the Kia Tech Info site still free if you register?
  • gzaldivargzaldivar Member Posts: 4
    Yes the timing was off, and yes I had just changed the t-belt, and I did reset the timing. since I have done that I have tried starting the engine several times and the engine has not kicked over yet... however the timing marks are still good. hmm cam journals..should I remove the cyl head?
  • gzaldivargzaldivar Member Posts: 4
    By the way, I tried turning the cams with a socket and a wrench and they won't turn. but if I turn the ignition on , I can see the cams turning, could they be worped or broken? I'll try taking the cyl head off..I'll keep you posted. I have not messed with the heater core yet...as soon as I get the engine started, I will go after the heater core. I got to it last time, I just didn't take it off...I'll try the opening or removing the injectors. Thanks!
  • bpeters850bpeters850 Member Posts: 3
    I'm not sure if this will help, but I just fixed my light issue. The gas caps "O" ring dries out and leaks air. Once it i replaced to reset the light you need to disconnect the negative from the battery and wait for the computer to reset. (20 seconds). After hooking up the battery back up I started the engine to reboot the computer. The Light went out since the vacume leak to the tank was fixed.

    I now will have the water pump, timing belt,tension pulley, thermostat and coolant changed since the vehicle has 121,000 miles on it. This way it should be good for another 100,000 miles.
  • joaquin2joaquin2 Member Posts: 3
    97 Kia sportage. With 150 k, I knew it was gonna happen. Check engine off. will turn over but no start. Towed to start (m/t) will run but not idle. Kicker.. emulsified oil in pan. Does this spell the end or can it simply be a head gasket? Any input before I go in? Thanks
  • lmp4lmp4 Member Posts: 188
    THis problem is reported from time to time. It depends how it happened: did the engine overheat? Engines that have overheated seem to be prone to cam journals seizing...then it cna mean having to replace the head. IN other cases, a good head gasket job with possibly refacing the head has been a success in several reported cases.
  • joaquin2joaquin2 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks Imp4 for your response. I'm pulling the head tomorrow and we shall see. Using KGIS site which is a gold mine of info, but experience is invaluable. Thanks again
  • maxstermaxster Member Posts: 1
    Hi all. My sons sportage fails to start after driving sometimes. It takes quite a bit of cranking over at times to start. Don't want to burn out another starter. What a bi@#h to replace! No codes have come up and the dealer did a thorough diagnostic on it and came up with nothing since it didn't exhibit any of those conditions while at their shop. They did a fuel pressure check and that was fine. Could this be a cam positioning sensor problem? I know on my ford diesel when it acted up, it gave me the same headaches and no codes showed. Took me awhile to figure that one out. Thanks.... :confuse:
  • bonanzabowlerbonanzabowler Member Posts: 1
    2000 sportage. Going down the road it just shuts off. pull over and it will start back up. No problem. Any idea?
  • connie14connie14 Member Posts: 2
    I am having electrical issues think we found short and fixed it now the air bag light is blinking on air bag under stearing wheel knee bag? i have a 2000 kia sportage. do i need to reset the light some how? have tried battery cables please help becky
    beckymcutchen@yahoo.com
  • connie14connie14 Member Posts: 2
    after fixing electrical issues air bag light is blinking the bag under stearing wheel for knees i guess. can this be reset if so how have tried battery cable reset. please help becky beckymcutchen@yahoo.com
  • cujoe57cujoe57 Member Posts: 1
    I'm told the belt needs replaced and it will be over $2000. This seems high to me. How do I do it myself?
  • altaredaltared Member Posts: 12
    A friend of mine just had a timing belt on her 2002 Sportage go while on an expressway. She doesn't recall having de-clutched when that happened as she was primarily focused on getting to the shoulder. The timing belt was replaced and her vehicle seems to perform fine since then.

    But I am concerned there may be engine damage, particularly if this is an interference type engine rather than non-interference type, i.e. possible valve or piston damage. Does any one know if the 2002 Sportage has an interference or non-interference type engine?

    As well, is there substantial risk there could have been bearing, cylinder wall, or valve seal damage due to lack of lubrication? Clearly, not having lubrication even for a short time is not a good thing, it is not clear to me that 30 seconds or so of the engine being turned over would require damage to the extent of engine overhaul. Thoughts?
  • greeneyes40greeneyes40 Member Posts: 1
    I also have a 2000 kia sportage that does the same thing however even at times it won't start its like my alarm system resets and won't allow the car to start or it activates and cuts the car off. does yours do the same thing?
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles