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Comments
On our EX 4x4 luxury pack i've noticed that an start there is the 4x4 light that looks like 4 wheels and the transfer case, it goes off with all the rest. I think there is no use for this light in the 4x4 with lux pack, it should be on if 4hi engaged on regular 4x4.. does anybody knows???
-mike
#1457: nrooks, no vibrations of the sort you described. There was an occasional soft, rapid rattling noise coming from the luggage area. I finally isolated it to the luggage cover, which I did not properly seat in those two half-grooves.
#1467: mdsorento, thanks for the info about the auto load leveling. I couldn't find any reference to it in the manual either. Sales and Service at our dealer told us the same thing - namely that it works all by itself. Reassuring that you heard this directly from KIA.
-mike
mdsorento - I hope Kia can tell us more about automatic load leveling. And I think there should be light to indicate when the feature is on. The sale and service didn't tell much about it except it will help when loading heavy stuff and towing. And, I don't see any light on when driving on a dirt road (with stones and small rocks) with the 4WD "Lo" turn on.
I called Kia Customer Service today about the seatbelt warning light, they said it has to work as described in the manual. I have not been back to the dealer yet, but i'll be there tomorrow. They also said they are going to see with the factory tech if there has been any mods but there were not any known to her.
If you have a Silver sorento You must visit that page...
Personally I'm not concerned about it, I wear it all the time, I would like it more if there was a way to know when the rear pasengers unbuckle their belts, since most times they are kids...(wish list)
On another note, I've seen 2 other sorentos on the roan a silver and a green...
http://www.compustar.org/products/2WFM.html
And it looks the WeatherTech finally has the custom fit rubber mats for Sorento. They come with grey, tan and black. See www.mats.com
Also told me Kia is going on line after the 1st of the year and that We'll be able to talk to them on the internet directly....
I asked him about the levelers, and told me again the shocks that are self leveling, and work themselves to a predetermined level..
I am thinking on installing a tornado air device (www.tornadoair.com)... does anybody have any experience with them ??? supposedly it improves fuel burn / power...
Steve, Host
That Cobra-sor site... I went up there to see the accessories. Some nice items I would be interested in the step bars or step rail. It looks like that they are a German Company and I wonder if you can order from them.
Hciaffa, I believe nowadays international shopping is no big deal but I do not know, maybe they have a local distributor for those neat accesories..
lok888....sorry I got my postings mixed on the tornado item. The K&N filter does work but the horse power gain is not that drastic. It does allow the engine to breath better but the problems many have is when they go to clean a the filter and re-apply the oil they put to much and it really messes up the MAS sensor creating problems with the engine.
also for got to mention that its been over a week and I have not received any response from KIa on a question. About if the leather seats are all leather or just the inserts on the top and back. My dealer really could not answer the question. Anyone have any idea.
:-)
www.sorento-forum.de/html/home.htm ,( under #11) there are some other sorentos there. one of the links shows the korean version (different kia logo) with what looks as the navigation screen.
Lok888 I hope 2003 is like 2002 for Kia, NO recalls.. www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls
To all of You, HAPPY HOLIDAYS....I wish Santa Brings me another Sorento..
OK, after complaining, I finally saw a Sorento...in a Mall Parking Lot! Just purchased today...so they do exist.
#2 – Keys: You can have a locksmith cut you a key. I did and it works flawlessly. The Kia’s DO NOT use chips in their keys.
#3 – Load Leveling: I posted a similar question regarding what type of load leveling is in the Sorento. A gentleman responded via email to me with the following, excellent explanation:
I saw your late October post on edmunds about auto leveling. Did you ever get the answer you were looking for about how it works? Assuming you didn't, I thought I'd offer you a bit of information. The system is rather elegant from an engineering point of view, but no salesman could ever explain it properly. I looked into it when I used to work as an engineer for Toyota.
The system consists of rear shock absorbers made by Sachs, a Germany company. They call them Nivomats. They are used extensively in Europe, where headlight aiming rules are strictly enforced, no matter what the load in a car. They are used stateside on the rear of Tahoes, Suburbans, and Chrysler minivans.
These have hydraulic chambers that are SELF PRESSURIZING, which is why you have heard no compressor noise - there isn't one. There are no lines or anything outside the shocks. It's all done internally. The really neat part is these absorbers act as shock absorbers AND as supplemental rear springs. The rear coil springs on your Sorento are no doubt softer than Sorentos without leveling, because your rear shocks are also behaving as springs, and variable rate springs at that. To get the total rear spring rate on your car you combine the coil spring rate with the Nivomat spring rate.
The shocks have a couple of ports on an internal shaft. When you load the vehicle and it sags below the lowest port, a circuit is opened that directs hydraulic fluid into a chamber. How does the fluid enter the chamber? By the pumping action created by suspension movement as you drive. It takes a half mile, perhaps more if the road is very smooth. It keeps pumping until it gets to the upper port on that internal shaft.
So your car may look low when you first add weight, but after driving a while it will pump up to normal height. The spring rate of the shock increases in proportion to how much fluid pressure is needed to bring the car back up to level, which is to say, the rear spring rate increases as rear axle weight increases. When you park a loaded vehicle, it will hold pressure for 24 hrs or more. Start driving and it pumps back up again. If you unload, the pumped up shock may extend ABOVE the upper port, causing pressure to be released from the chamber until the car settles down below the upper port. This takes a minute or so, so it may look a little high in the rear when you first unload.
All in all, it is very slick! Self-contained, no outside parts, circuits, or wiring to need maintanance, transparent operation.
The only downside is you have to keep using these shocks. If one ever needs replacing, you have to make sure that a Sachs Nivomat made for a Sorento (correct size and port locations) is put on. And that means going to the dealer. And don't assume that the dealer service guy will know the difference himself. Make sure you point it out. If anyone ever puts regular rear shocks on, then you no longer have the spring rate that the Nivomat provides (and it does provide quite a bit, even when the car is empty), so the rear suspension would be WAY too soft.
And finally, thanks for the real-world report on KIA keys. I didn't think it has a chip, despite what others have posted. So it's reassuring that you know for certain we don't have to return to the dealer for extra keys.
Tell me what key they used...
I would only try that in very controlled circumstances or situations where there is no danger if the outcome is unexpected.
If you are stopped for something else, and found not wearing a seat belt, you could be fined.
Sorry I couldn't find a better link, but this is the best I could do for now:
http://www.state.ma.us/rmv/jol/8.htm
"As soon as we know if the items will fit the US Models, we do list them on the site. In many cases, the vehicles have slight differences because of standards. So what might fit a European model, may not fit a US model.
As soon as we know if the items will fit, they will be listed on our site."
http://www.trucktoys4less.com/cobprodfromg.html
I liked the quality. I liked the styling, both interior and exterior. I was satisfied with rear seat room, and cargo space.
My only gripe was (IS!) that I can't fit in the darn thing!!! What a bummer! I really really like this truck, but my head hits the roof and the seat could go back maybe another inch or so. The model I tried was loaded with leather and sunroof, so maybe I could try one with just the leather or cloth seats and see how that fits me. What a disappointment!
I forgot if I asked here before or not, are these available with a front bench seat?
By the way, the colors were gold and beige or something like that. Very handsome, at least at night.
I have been waiting for two weeks on a question I wrote to Kia on wether the leather seats are all leather as the dealer thinks they are or just the inserts on the top and back of the seats. Reason is that some leather conditioners do not work well on vinyl. Anyone have any ideas.
Any opinions. We should write up a wish list to Kia to tell them that as they improve on the Sorento to include some of the customer feed back they get.
Thanks
Leather - I can smell the leather on the seating surface and the door panel. Yeah!! But I don't feel leather on the back and side of the seats. For me, they should also use vinyl on the headliner. It is easy to clean than the cloth. I have beige Sorento with beige leather interior. Soon or later the seat color will become tan. What do you use for leather cleaning and polishing? I will also add an active auto alarm (possible with car starter) for more security and insurance rate discount. The alarm system should be standard or factory opinion. I think Santa Fe LX has one.
lok888, I could be wrong, but I don't think the door panels are lined in leather. Is it possible the 'leather smell' is actually the tanning or dyeing solution?
Also, did you figure out how to remove the cross bars and adding a safety device for your garage door? On some minivans and SUV, you have to remove the end caps by screwdriver and slide the cross bars to the end. You normally can't just remove the cross bars by press the release buttons or turn a knob. This is not safe.