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Kia Rio Care & Maintenance

PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
Share your tips on how to best maintain your Kia Rio here.
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  • b3nutb3nut Member Posts: 83
    is still a lot cheaper than neglecting it and having things break. I do hope the dealers are going over the importance of scheduled maintenance when delivering the new cars. Russ Darrow Kia has internet coupons for the regular oil changes, a factory-spec oil change for $23 and change. Cheaper than the Jiffy Boob, and done by qualified techs. New Kia buyers would be nuts not to avail themselves of that.

    I don't know what the Russ Darrow Chrysler dealer next door to their Kia shop charges for labor, but I do know they do good work, they never BS-ed my wife when having the '98 Neon worked on, and even squeaked her in for the head gasket recall (she was reeealy close to the mileage cutoff). They got her in post-haste for that...$800 repair, paid for by Chrysler. Phew! The little Neon has been trouble-free since then. Her dad told me Russ Darrow always took good care of them, so I feel pretty good about going there in a couple months for a Rio5. Definitely the most laid-back dealer...and the only one that didn't send a salesman along for the test drive. They just found a Rio5 with power package for me to drive and fetched me a key. :)

    Todd in Beerbratistan
  • lightoutlightout Member Posts: 17
    Hi guys
    Should i use regular or premium gas is my new Kia Rio sedan? is premium going to make a difference?
  • b3nutb3nut Member Posts: 83
    Very few cars require premium gas, and running premium gas in a car designed for regular actually can decrease performance. Nearly all economy cars are designed to run on 87 octane. A handful of performance or luxury cars require 93 octane due to higher combustion-chamber temperatures in their high-performance engines, but mainstream vehicles are almost always tuned for 87.

    From a cars.com article on car myths:

    "2. Vehicles that require regular fuel benefit from a tank of premium gasoline once in a while. Years ago, leaded gas and high-compression engines demanded the occasional tank of premium gas, which included detergents to clean out fuel injectors. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency requires detergents in every grade of gas. Stick with your vehicle's recommended octane level and you're sure to get the adequate detergents to keep your fuel system clean; 87, 89 and 92 correspond to regular, midgrade and premium gas, respectively.

    Jim Williams, senior manager at the American Petroleum Institute, says some gas companies put extra detergents in their premium grade, which might warrant an experimental tank or two to determine whether or not there's improved performance. Many premium-grade "improvements" are just marketing gimmicks, so do your research. Before experimenting, ask yourself if you really need premium gas. Has your engine's performance significantly deteriorated? A tank of premium might seem necessary, but realize you might be masking a more serious problem. It's often best to follow your owner's manual."

    Some gas stations have a lower-than-87 gasoline as their "regular", I'd be wary of that. But just fill your Rio with 87, and it'll be a happy little car, and your wallet will be happier than if you had bought 93. :)

    Todd in Cheesecurdistan
  • b3nutb3nut Member Posts: 83
    Time to get ahold of a body shop and my ins. agent...we got a "hail" of a storm last night. 1/2"-1" hail fell last night, saw the dimples in my hood and roof this morning when my car dried off after my drive to work. :sick: Not too many, maybe a dozen and a half, but I'm still bummed. I was watching it fall from my upstairs bedroom sliding-glass door (to the patio) while getting ready for bed....my wife wondered aloud if our insurance covered hail damage, and I looked down at my poor car, and my face fell. :cry: She gave me crap about it afterward, "you poor widdle car had to sit out all alone in the icky hail"...guess she doesn't understand the "guy and his car" thing. :P Ah well...that's what comprehensive is for I guess....hazard of living in the Midwest...

    At least I don't live one county east of here, they got 4.5" hail...baseball size! :surprise:

    Todd in Beerbratistan
  • yeddoyeddo Member Posts: 20
    :cry:

    We didn't get any of that here in Chicago. Sorry to hear it.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Check out paintless dent removal, PDR (from a reputable company, e.g. we have Dent Wizard here and they are good). I had bad hail damage to my Elantra a few years ago and PDR worked great. You could not tell it had ever been hit, and the original factory finish was left intact. I recently had PDR done on a 626 that got sideswiped. The non-PDR estimate was $1400. With PDR and a little buffing and touch-up of nicks, it was $500. Works great on door dings too, much cheaper than panel repair and no need to mess up the factory finish.
  • chuck1959chuck1959 Member Posts: 654
    I know exactly how you feel. I had to watch mercifully my 2 week old 1972 Cadillac Coupe De Ville getting beaten by a golf ball size hail storm. I swear I threw up!! :sick:
    It amounted to 2 grand worth of damage!

    She gave me crap about it afterward, "you poor widdle car had to sit out all alone in the icky hail"...guess she doesn't understand the "guy and his car" thing

    It just killed me to hear your wife be so insensitive! :(
    For me that would be grounds for DIVORCE!!! LOL....Kidding
    I bet it would have been a VERY different story if it was HER car! If it were my wife's car she'd want a new one!
  • kennybeeakkennybeeak Member Posts: 21
    What wrench size is needed to remove the engine oil drain plug on a 2003 Rio 4-dr sedan?
  • danharrisdanharris Member Posts: 9
    60K miles (100K KM) CHANGE YOUR TIMING BELT.. I frequent alot of Kia forums, everywhere from forums such as this where there are people curious about thier vehicles, to Kia forums where it is all about performance.. And I am fed up with people joining the forums and saying how much Kias suck because they were to cheap or didn't know they had to change thier timing belts.

    01-05 Kia Rios with the 1.6 Mi-tech engines are interferance engines.. If the timing belt breaks you will be lucky not to bend/break all 16 valves.. I've also seen smashed pistons, bent rods.. It's not a pretty sight.. So please people chnage your timing belts as required in your owners manual. The $600 Kia may charge you for the timing belt install is about a tenth the price you will pay to replace your engine after it smashes to bits.
  • huff3huff3 Member Posts: 1
    We have bought two Kia's new and one used. In each case the salesman said this is a regular fuel octain engine, if you put anything else in it your wasting your money. Good advice and As they said it at each sales, I think it was a standard Kia statement.
  • randydriverrandydriver Member Posts: 262
    People have been whining over a the Aveo sight about the same thing...dont change there belts and then cry about it....They dont seem to understand about maintenence....
  • lameclutchlameclutch Member Posts: 1
    We both knew it was her clutch,(or cable) when she called me at work to let me know she had her car towed to the dealer. After breaking down on the interstate without warning. She says there was a loud snap as she released the clutch shifting from 4th to 5th. I calmed her down reminding her that the car had less then 23000 K on it and the warranty would cover what i had guessed as the clutch cable.
    Frustration came the next morning with the phone, when the dealer explained that the clutch had to be replaced. Normal wear and tear. And as the clutch is only warranted for a
    sad 12000 K or a year. Including the cost of $ 97.00 to look and tell us it was the clutch. Replacement would be at $1000.00 more than double the three quotes I have found a little closer to home. I am both discussed and a little embaressed for the kia dealership. How they can talk all the hype about there super warranty, and install a cheep,
    key part in there new vehicals. With a warranty that is less than half the miles, than the cars first scedual tune up. We would like to be one of the many (we are sure) to
    thank kia for an affordable trustworthy product we middle class people work very hard to buy, maintenance, insure and fuel. Tight budgets and a young family makes our 05 Rio a nice yard ornament for a while.
  • daniellefdaniellef Member Posts: 2
    yah..CAN YOU TELL ME HOW TO PUT THE TIMEING BELT ON AND SET THE TIMEING BELT, I GOT THE BELT I JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW IT IS SET? THANKS A LOT, :confuse:
  • max43max43 Member Posts: 6
    Hello, I just bought a new '08 Rio5 and reading through the manuals I see that the first oil change is at 7500 miles. Is this correct? I don't think it has synthetic oil, and have always changed conventional oil @3000-4000 miles. I seem to recall from my last new car in 1997 that the first new car oil change was around 1000 miles. I appreciate any info on this -

    Thanks
    Max
  • patitopatito Member Posts: 1
    Yup~!
    techs in nowdays are far more advanced than you think. You will be surprised how clean it looks your oil even at 7500 first oil change. I got it done over 8000 and driving daily as mail delivery vehicle.(07' Sedona). Its just wonderful~!
    My wife is selling her Volvo wagon to buy rio5 this Saturday.
    We are becoming Kia Mania~!!!!! :)
  • max43max43 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks, that re-assures me. I looked around on the internet on the subject. One of the better sites I came across can be found at:

    link title

    Thanks. Hope you enjoy the rio5, I surely have so far.
  • tsaunderstsaunders Member Posts: 2
    my 2001 kia rio has over 100 thousands miles on it and it suddenly died at a stop light. at first i was told it could be the timing belt, now i am told i need to replace the engine. is timing belts a major cause of kia's stopping?
  • paramedicchuckparamedicchuck Member Posts: 1
    Yes! Change the timing belt. I bought a 2001 Rio with 87,000 miles on it and never thought about the timing belt. Driving on the highway one night and the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. Two teeth busted off the timing belt, causing it to slip about an inch. The exhaust valves were driven through the piston heads. There were metal parts in the oil pan. The car was cashed.

    I just bought an 02 Rio with 51,000 miles on it. Needless to say the timing belt will be changed sometime over the summer.

    Aren't the earlier Rios notorious for having the check engine light come on without a problem? 88 miles into this 'new' one and the light is already on. I will call the dealership in the morning.

    PMC
  • hatchbackqueenhatchbackqueen Member Posts: 10
    Ugh! Just bought a 2002 Kia Rio Cinco and am trying to get the clock on the correct time. There is a teeny-tiny reset button that sets it to 12:00 but I have completely failed to find a way to move the numbers to the current time. Am I supposed to rush to the car just before 12:00 (noon or midnight) to hit the reset button, or is there a way to alter the numbers? Maybe I should just take the AM/FM cassette out of my Mazda before I sell it, and stick it underneath the radio/CD player that was in the car and give up on the factory clock!

    I called Kia and the service guy could only tell me about the reset button, but not how to input the correct time.

    Does anyone know how to do this? :confuse:
  • hatchbackqueenhatchbackqueen Member Posts: 10
    I'm new to my Rio (2 days) but my Mazda 323 has 308,000 miles on it and I may be lax at doing major services, but I changed the oil every 3 months without fail and the timing belt every 60,000 miles. Until fairly recently I never had more than basic maintenance and wear and tear expenses on that car and loved it for the 15/16 years that I've owned it.

    Not sure if I can expect the same of my Kia, but I hope it will behave if I do the same with this car, and follow the advice I am finding here. My '02 Cinco has 65,000 on it, but the engine was replaced in '05 under the warranty so that has only 25,000 on it.
  • rioownerrioowner Member Posts: 45
    Hey Max43. Hello, I wanted to chat at cha a bit. You say you bought a Rio 08' model. I did also, in Jan 08'. Oh, and all the manuals say 7500 miles for oil changes. Any car! The dealer is the one that tells you every 3k so they make a few bucks every few months and get you back in there.
    Anyway, how is your mileage??? Have you been reading about mine??? I am the one that is getting an average of 38.5 city and highway miles, and as much as 47 miles. Per gallon. I was wanting to know how you are doing on mileage. If you have the time, please give me a response so I can get an idea of what other 08' Rio's are doing. Thanks
  • bigblue6bigblue6 Member Posts: 3
    just bought 08 kia reo . would like to change my own oil , is it difficult and where is the oil filter
  • rioownerrioowner Member Posts: 45
    It's not a problem, unless your incapable of getting under the car. I changed it once, the rest of the times have been free. If I remember correctly, the oil filter is right in front of you under something. You just have to look for it, cause it is really, I mean really small. And black. Seems it is on the driver side in front. I guess I could run out there and look, but then, you would have it toooooo easy. Changing the oil couldn't be easier on my Rio. Remember though, it uses a 20 weight, not 10 weight. It tells you that on the cap. Ok, then, back to mileage. By the way, tell me how your mileage is going. I am very interested. I have been excited about the mileage I am getting.
    I drove, or we drove 476.8 miles and wrote down the odometer before starting. Checked the trip odometer minutes ago, both are exactly the same mileage. Again. So, the trip odometer is keeping up with the odometer, exactly in other words. On these dates filling up, I have gotten, 8/9- 51.8 mpg, using 1.43 gallons. 8/12-46.4 mpg, using 1.33 gallons. 8/13-36.2 mpg, using 2.11 gallons. I misplaced a couple, so I will go to- 8/20-39.5 mpg, using 2.445 gallons. 8/22-40.9 mpg, using 2.31 gallons. 8/24-37.6 mpg, using 2.25 gallons. So, I do get less driving the city, but it is not bad at all. I do remember filling up on or about 8/16 using about 4.5 gallons or so and got a whopping 33.4 mpg. It is true, that everytime I use more than 3 gallons, I get worse mpg. So, there it is. No lie, no brag, just better mileage when filling up after traveling less than 100 miles. later
  • bigblue6bigblue6 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the info on the oil filter , haven't looked yet. As far as gas milege , I just put in 7.513 gallons (using 93 octane) and had driven 213.8 miles . In my calculations that just comes out to 28.457 miles per gallon ??? Did I figure that correct?
    Also on the oil , what weight are you using ? I had planned on 5w30 because of our temp. range .

    Thanks,
    big blue
  • rioownerrioowner Member Posts: 45
    If you don't mind me asking, what state are you in??? I am in Ky. and it doesn't get any colder than 0 and it is garaged, so it is a little warmer. I use the, I think, it is the 20w50 penzoil. If you look at your oil cap, it will tell you the weight of oil required. As far as the cold state you are in, if so, be careful not to use too light of a weight. Small engines work hard. Just thinking about the oil filter, it seems you reach it front standing in front of the car, down on the drivers front, have to use a very small oil filter wrench and place a towel or two under it to catch run-off. I am thinking it is a 15 milimeter socket on the oil pan.
    As for your mileage, it may be the way you are driving, (highway or city), and how much you are putting in at one time. I put that much in when I bought the car and it got less than 32 mpg. Now that I have tested that for several months, I find it is better to fillup every 100 miles to get the best mileage. I average about 39 mpg when doing so. Most people won't stop so much. But, when I see what I am getting, I make an effort, because gas costs too much to begin with. So, after ten fillups, I have saved myself a few dollars. Most people think that is not worth the time. I find rolling my window down and throwing two dollars out each week is a little excessive. It may just be me, but I don't throw money out the window, whether I have a million or not. You should get better gas mileage than that. Try filling up before you drive so far. Try it, you may find you can do better. Good luck.
    Something people should know: We were in Franklin Ky a couple months back and there was a man asking every driver that pulled in to fill up for a few bucks to get back to Tenn. One man filled his tank up out of the goodness of his heart. He is a black man, makes no matter, but yesterday at Kroger while filling up, this black man walks up behind me, scares me just a tadbit and asks me for a few bucks to make it back to Tenn. I told him, honestly, I am having a hard time of it just as everyone else is. He walked away praising the Lord and going to each and everyone pumping gas. I am thinking this is the same man from Franklin, but not exactly sure. I went in and told the manager about this. He ran him off. The manager is also black, and I am not starting anything by using race, just stating the facts. It is a fact that someone has no right to pester others as such. Walking up behind women, men, makes no difference and asking for money to get to Tenn, or any state for that fact, makes me uncomfortable. I have no problem with praising the Lord, and do it daily, but to use that to gain monetary gain thru begging on private property, spooking people, using religion as a backsetting, is not allowable, or shouldn't be. Just a warning to others: if you want to give to them, fine, just be careful. I am on a fixed income, have very little resources, am disabled, but able to drive, walk, etc. and am vulnerable to anyone. As are ladies of age, or any gender if a person wants something bad enough. Funny thing is, he could not drive his van away because of the lack of gasoline, but when run off, he went on his way. Sad but true. Help those that help themselves.
  • rioownerrioowner Member Posts: 45
    Oh, and I must ask, why are you using 93 octane??? It will run on 87. You are driving a Rio 08'??? A little car from Kia??? thanks
  • rioownerrioowner Member Posts: 45
    BigBlue6? Did that car fall on you changing the oil??? Did you find the filter???
    I still don't know what state you are in, and why u use 93 octane. It is none of my bussiness, but just curious. Gas went up this morning to 3.65. Went from 3.54 because of the hurricane that may or may not hit. I only got 40.0 mpg filling up this morning, beating the climb, saving .11 a gallon. Wow, I used 2.4 gallons, so it cost me 9.54, I think, and ran 96.1 miles. BigBlue game with the cardinals this weekend. Gonna be packed. later
  • rioownerrioowner Member Posts: 45
    Ever get the feeling you are talking to yourself??? I don't like chat rooms, cause they are full of teens that say stupid stuff. I like this forum. I guess I just like to chat, others don't. Last message.
  • bigblue6bigblue6 Member Posts: 3
    Sorry, Been busy. Live in South Central Ky did not look for filter yet , only have 800 miles on it.
    I like 93 octane because it is hard to find good 87 or 89 around this area. Work ptime at car parts place and see daily the problems people have with 87 . I have always used 93 in all my vehicles and never had any problems with performance or parts related problems that I see daily .

    Hope the game is agood one...... my wife is UK fan and I am a Cardinal fan , We have fun with it .

    Later
  • max43max43 Member Posts: 6
    Hi Howdy Rioowner - Sorry to be slow in replying I was away for August. The oil change thing threw me when first reading it, as I hadn't heard about the extended sump life of the new grades of conventional oils until buying this car. It still made me a little nervous, previously I'd been changing my oil @4000 miles. I've let it get up to 6000 miles per oil change currently, and haven't noticed a dip in mileage during this time. The oil looks no dirtier than the old car at 4000, and smells ok too. For whatever that's worth. I'm not sure if I've posted this link before, but it was the best description of the extended sump life I've come across:

    MEMA Extended Sump Life - pdf

    I do agree, the dealer service plan would have you into the garage twice as often as the manufacturer recommends, which is a little disappointing. You'd hope that one of these dealerships wouldn't be such shysters. I get the notices in the mail and chuck 'em with the rest of the junk.

    Mileage on the whole has been as good as I've hoped. I seem to have levelled out at @41MPG for a 60/40 Hwy/Cty mix - the daily commute. In strict highway driving, I've ranged from 35 -headwind :-< -up to 45MPG. You've got a record going there at 47 MPG. I did pick up one of the scan gauges, and that's been good fun in seeing the effects of different driving styles. I'm at 14000 miles, and the MPG curve is flattening out, so perhaps I'm pretty well through the break-in phase.

    Did you buy a manual or auto? Is it a Rio5 or the sedan? Have you been letting the oil change interval go the full 7500?

    Best-
    M43
  • rioownerrioowner Member Posts: 45
    I just got in myself and don't see many posters on here, which upsets me. I guess they just don't like to talk. I do. Anyway, I will respond a bit later when I can think straight. Right now, I can hardly keep my eyes open. later
  • rioownerrioowner Member Posts: 45
    Hey Max. got some sleep. I am a little bit sleepy still, so I won't be too long. I have a 5 speed, and it is a Rio5. I have about 400 miles left before I hit 3k for my next oil change. Which I won't do at 3k. I am heading out for a week in Oct. first week, and will put around1300 miles on it. Then I will change it when I get back. I don't see the use in changing at 3k when the manu./manual tells you 7500. That cannot be held against you if there is a warranty problem. You go by the book, you are ok. If you keep receipts, of course. I will change oil more often in the summertime. It gets hotter, the oil gets hotter, burns faster, thus, breaks down quicker. Long trips, over 50 miles also get the engine hot as is the oil. Wintertime, one word or two? I let the oil go longer because it lasts longer when it is cooler. But, the oil filter is another solution to keeping a clean engine. You don't have to have a six dollar oil filter. A two dollar oil filter will do just fine, like Campbells soup to Kroger soup. Not much difference, if any. The thing is, if you change the oil filter often, you keep cleaner oil. It is cheaper to change the oil filter only rather paying to have the oil and filter changed. If you don't change your oil, then it may be more difficult to change just the filter. On the Rio though, it is so simple, it being in front, and protruding outward, so only oil you lose is what is in the filter. Replace a cup full and go on. Changing the oil filter every two thousand miles keeps the oil cleaner, saves you on complete oil changes, and you get to see what your engine is doing. Most people don't even look at their engines any longer. I buy three oil filters at a time and when they are gone, it is time to change the oil, unless of course, it is summertime. Ok, change oil in November, run 6k miles on the car. Change the filter at 2k. It will take me four months to put 6k miles on the car. March rolls around, change the oil, remembering to change the filter every 2k, and then run 4500 miles before changing oil. Then, it is 3k when I change it. That will take me to around August, and it is hot, and then back to Nov. Not hard to keep up with. Just have it jotted down in front of you when you are on your puter. Oil changes at the dealer run around 24.95 or more. Val instant runs around the same, probably more, and firestone is about the cheapest at 16.95, but you have to wait, and they don't do much else. Oh, I said I was going to be short. I filled up today and recorded 42 mpg. I put 2.1 gallons in it. I still stop every 75 to 105 miles and fill up. It is better for me, and my wife doesn't run out of fuel, like most will do if left up to them. Don't hate me for that. It is a natural fact. I didn't come up with it. Anyway, let me know how the mileage is going. later
  • boughtrio5boughtrio5 Member Posts: 4
    Everyone busy??? I certainly am, and taking out time to write about my Rio. I love it. I should have bought the two together when they offered it. Two for 222.00 a month, if not paying for it right off. Gas mileage is getting better. Getting an average of 42 mpg now. Of course, I am an excellent drive, better than 98 % of the people that have a license. And know how to get good mileage. You don't, and you should. Gas is coming down in price now, after having enough money for the congressmen/women children all to pay for eight years of college. Isn't it grand to sit back and eat out everyday at Red Lobster, 5th Quarter, etc. and not have to pay for it, knowing all the while, we tax payers are paying thru the nose for it??? Isn't it just wonderful to be able to contribute so much??? Isn't it wonderful, no just marvelous to know we tax payers pay so much for flood victims in Louisianna to move them to shelters, pay for their food, clothing, alcohol, and what not only to be begged by the red cross for more money donations, because they are running low, due to all the victims??? Isn't is just wonderful that we tax payers can pay for the stupid mess AIG, Merrill Lynch, and the others get themselves into??? Why would we turn them down??? It is only right we pay for their misguidings, lies, cheaters, insurance fraud, embezelments, thiefs, and just down right mismangagement??? Look what they do for the taxpayers. They give us the right to charge what they want for insurance. They give us the right to know we are protected against theft, loss, fire, etc. only don't get murdered, less they pay for that, NOT!!! Congress is selling this country out to anyone that has enough money to fill eighteen banks with money for their purpose. That is eighteen each, and there are a lot of congressment/women. If I am wrong, then why don't they ok drilling for OUR OWN OIL??? Why do they pay for someone's mistake that has nothing to do with american taxpayers??? We pay. They take. And take. We get nothing but to sit back and watch our money spent on lobster dinners. We get to live here free. Heck, we did that back in the sixties when they weren't taking so much of our money. Now, the wages have gone back to under what was paid in the 80's and we still pay taxes according to 2008. Real estate taxes haven't gone down, but our value in our homes has!!! Get mad people. Do something people. Quit your job and let someone else pay for cheese giveaways to the ones that won't work, and will only accept food stamps because they allow it. If we stopped working, America would fold, because all the billions of dollars, and I mean hundreds of billions of dollars sitting in banks that are owned by all the congressmen/women, senators, legislators, will never be touched and when this earth no longer exist as we know it today, all those billions upon billions of dollars, that could have helped all the sad, poor, hungry, ill, old, will be burned to a crisp. All in the name of GREED!!!
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    there, boughtrio5. And no, it's sad material, just wanted to state that you expressed yourself very well in your post. Adds up to a whole lot of dishonesty, dishonesty that the man upstairs sees, even if the dorks running things down here think they are so high and mighty. I include the Hollywood elite in there and Oprah as well. Throw Donald Trump and Dennis Rodman in, too. Include the lovely tattoos, for sure. Carry on and carry the stick you feel you ought to carry...and enjoy your Kia Rio's, too, that you all will take good care of. :shades:

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • jt34jt34 Member Posts: 1
    umm, just a thought...You seem to have pulled the race card here. You kept saying that race had nothing to do with it. Then why mention it at all? Just an observation that may save you some criticism in the future.
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