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BTW, anyone has an experience with Zymol Leather Cleaner and Conditioner (not 2-in-1 formular)? I also like the Lexol.
Steve - Teflon?
Happy car detailing!
Steve, Host
Either that or they are all stranded in remote areas without access to the web! ;-)
tidester, host
Hey! Folks. Any suggestion on car detailing products? I am going to work on my Sorento. I have not work on the leather seats except regular hand wash (exterior) and wheel cleaning. I heard the Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner are very good. What about Zymol?
www.griotsgarage.com
They've got everything you need - and some items you didn't KNOW you needed! Been using their waxes, polishes and detailing products for over four years and I'm extremely satisfied.
They have leather cleaners and conditioners, wheel cleaners, etc, etc. Also the best spray detailer I've ever seen to use between waxings. They offer boar's hair brushes for washing the car and wheels - they're softer than that lambswool mitt everyone pushes.
I usually spend one full day each Spring detailing my car, and then once again in September/October before it gets too cold.
Check them out, you won't be sorry. Prices are competitive with the auto parts places.
Deke
My trailer lights went out the day before I made the trip. Mice had chewed through some clearance light wiring and the wires shorted against the trailer body. The short in the trailer lights blew an inline fuse under the hood, just forward of the fuse/relay box on the driver's side. As a result, there was no power to the trailer lighting module located near the spare. Evidently, this module serves two functions: a) converts separate stop light and turn signal circuit on the Sorento to combined stop/turn circuit on most trailer AND b) isolates the trailer lighting from the vehicle circuit. Item b) is crucial since a short in the trailer circuits would blow the stop, turn or running light circuit fuses in the Sorento- rendering these lights inoperative. If you purchase an aftermarket light converter, I would make sure that it includes this isolation feature.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/announce/press/pressdisplay.cfm?ye- ar=2003&filename=pr22-03.html
tidester, host
:-)
Steve, Host
luvmysorento - Zymol. That's what I thought. By the way, is this leave the white powder when you finish the waxing? I have to try the leather cleaner and conditioner by Zymol.
I am not sure this is a problem. But I have been noticed a bumpy ride on less than smooth pavement since few days ago. It is wrost on rough road surface. My car has 5500 miles.
I checked the tire pressure. It was 37 psi on four tires. Well, I haven't checked the tire pressure since day one. I assumed they were 35 psi or high for oversea shipment.
I figured the pressure is too high. Then I lowered pressure to 32 psi then to 31 psi (manufacturer recommends 30 psi). I still feel bumpy.
Anyone know if this is a problem like people mentioned it a while ago? But they have it since they pick up their cars. And I am sure I have nothing wrong with the alignment or suspension. There are still few hundreds miles before my next oil change in my dealer. Any suggestion?
Thanks
-mike
I am basis my comments on the WORST CAR EVERY MADE for TIRE WEAR- the Ford Taurus 1986 tp 1995
1.) The alignment can cause a funny edge to develop on either a front or rear tire depending on weather the front or back alignnet is wrong.
2.) Missing Wheel Balance weights can cause a tire to develop a irregular spot which you can feelas " bumpy"
3.) Tire Pressure- If it is way too high, like maybe 40 PSI on a 35 PSI tire, AND you have a bad alignment , then you might develop a bad spot quickly.
There are some cars ( i had some Tuarus like this ) that were welded crooked at the factory. The factory admitted the problem and they had the dealer " bend " the unibody into the correct shape with body shop rams. then the tieres could be aligned.
Base on you LOW MILES I am going to suggest you have a bad tire , period.
One easy way to tell if the tire is bad:
Jack up the car, one wheel at a time , SAFELY , and rotat the tire by hand very slowly. Take a solid object that rests on the floor and place it near the tire until it just touches. IF the object touchs and then does no touch- you have ann OUT of ROUND condition of some sort. The tire shop has an actual mechnical gauge with a plunger that can measure this to the nearest 1/ 1000th of an inch.
My local Goodyear shop found a problem with a new radial one time, and they replaced it under warranty.
Man oh Man - when you get a crooked or warped tire it can really wear on you , especially if you are often a PASSENGER since it seems worse when you are not the driver. Good Luck.
5,000 miles is too soon to have this noises and virbration.
(1) Wheel alignment - I am not sure. It only has 5600 miles. I didn't hit any pothole or anything like that and cause damage to the wheels.
(2) Wheel balance - I noticed there is a piece of metal which attaches to each wheel. Like 25g, 35g. Are they supposed the same on each wheel?
(3) Tire pressure - Same rough ride at 30 psi (cold) or even as high as 37 psi (cold).
I am still not sure how to test the tire. I may have to go back to the dealer after the holiday. I hope they will figure it out what's wrong and know how to fix it.
But the big (bad) news... I've had trouble finding a tire shop that carries the Michelin 245 17r16 tire! Apparently, the speed rating H has something to do with finding an adequate replacement..? It's a special order, and most likely will costs around $135 a tire! Anyone have better luck with this?
Finally had to go to our Kia dealership. Of course, they had none in stock. Said he'd have to order a new one on Tuesday...
Hopefully, I won't have a flat before then!
Anyway, Crutchfield already has some data on 2003 Kia Sorento for speaker replacement (6 & 3/4"), DVD player and more. I believe the Navi system is being offered as a factory option for Sorento in Korean and European markets. I doubt Kia will put this on U.S. Sorento.
thanks in advance!
FYI...The best priceing I've seen in Alabama so far is $500 under invoice.
When you are in the business manager's office, they will sell you everything they can to make profit. I don't know anything about the special coating. I doubt it will prevent any chipping. I drove on the highway during the winter months with snow, rain, sleet and road salt, I only found few nicks near the front grill area.
$500.00 under MSRP (sticker price)? I would say $200 or maybe $300 over the dealer invoice is a fair price. You will find the factory invoice from Edmunds and add 2% (holdback) over that = dealer invoice.
Your target price is $25400 (MSRP) - $500 (discount) - $1000 (cash back) = $23900
I don't know why but I couldn't any invoice price info for the Sorento from Edmunds this moment. But they figured the TMV is $24337 in my area (MA). And that is before the $1000 cash back. It will be $23337. You can also figure if the low APR is saving you money than the cash back in the next few years if you are going finance it. Maybe you will end up losing the $1000.00 in few years with high APR (3.9% or higher for 36 months).
Good luck!
I PAID $250.OO BELOW INVOICE. And this was way back in November when the vehicle was relativly new to the market.
I have never paid over invoice....EVER! And I have purchased 4 new vehicles in my lifetime.
Do your research like lok888 says....THEN...be a hard [non-permissible content removed]! Your there to buy a vehicle, not to be pals with the sales team. This is the chance in your life to let the devious mean streaked and bitter side of consumerism loose in the face of....well, CONSUMERISM!
There, now I feel better.
Now, when I get a chance to type for more than a few minutes, I will tell you all about 100 mile trip on the White Rim Proper Trail in the Canyonlands of Utah, near Moab.
I will report on the good and bad things I experienced with my Sorento along the way. Stay tuned....
I would be start at invoice and go up to 2% over factory invoice (roughly$500).
lok is also correct about the cash back. Check to see what your local bank or credit unions will give you. It will probably be within a percent or so of the 3.9% so then you would be better off with the cash. Do what works best for you .
As to the after market I don't know what my salesman told the F & I guy but he tried to sell me nothing additional. I guess my statement to the salesman that he was up front with me and let's not let the F & I guy hassle me to strike the deal worked.
The only possible thing you might want to check out is Gap insurance and if you do think you need it you can probably get it from your insurance agent a heck of a lot cheaper than the F & I guy.
I hope this helps!
dbgindy - There wasn't any incentive on Sorento back in December. 3.9% was the best I can get from a local bank. Kia is now offering different APR on different terms (0% = 24 mons., 1.9% = 36 mons and up to 3.9% = 60 mons). So people should do a math to determine whether to take the low APR or cash back (can't be combined). I don't know much about Gap insurance. My insurance agent mentioned you can consider this when you are leasing a car.
looking4Kia - Since you have the MSRP, INVOICE (plus Holdback) and TMV information from Edmunds, then start the internet car shopping or faxing. Make a list and compare. Most importantly is your out the door price. Ask the dealers about the fees. Good luck!
"Standard Mid-Size Sport Utility - Kia Sorento: "We've said it before, we'll say it again: Watch out for the Koreans! The Hyundai-Kia combine seems to have mid-size SUVs particularly well dialed-in, having satisfied best in 2001 and 2002 with Santa Fe, and now in 2003 with Sorento. We've been commenting for some time on the need for all of us to recalibrate our thoughts regarding Korean design, execution and quality. Widely acclaimed 5-year bumper-to-bumper warranties, combined with 10-year powertain warranties, underscore Korean confidence in the product and commitment to the long haul."
"Sorento itself deserves specific mention. This is a really beautiful vehicle, exceptionally well laid out, designed and equipped. It has a strong and confident presence. It also backs up its brawn with a full ladder chassis, RWD/AWD powertrain, and tangible off-road capability. The Hyundai organization in general, and Kia in particular, are to be commended for keeping Sorento separate and unique from Santa Fe. This way, each vehicle is allowed to pursue its own audience with its own distinct product attributes. The separate-platform approach costs more, but expands horizons for both Santa Fe and Sorento exponentially. No wonder Santa Fe sales keep increasing, and Sorento has been sold-out since launch."
Seriously not even taking into consideration the value of money factor, is it worth roughly $2500 more to you to have a tow package and 8700 less miles? If it is go for it. If it isn't don't.
I hope that helps.:-)
Thanks for the comments!
I decided to use my Sorento as one of the "support" vehicles for the ride. So, basically my Sorento was filled to the gills with food, clothing, tools, water, etc...for 4 riders.
Anyway...here are some of my thoughts and experiences I had on what would be considered a intermediat to difficult offroad trail.
First, the BAD: The Sorento's air-conditioning is absolutely inadequate for anything over 90 degrees F. Actually, I was very shocked at how bad the air-conditioning performed...the air out of the vents just wasnt very cold. Now I understand that 90-103 degrees is pretty hot...but don't they test these vehicles in the hottest spots on earth to make sure the climate controls are adequate?
The tires suck on the loose red sand and dirt in Moab...but hey, there meant for the road really. The suspension rocks wayyyyy to much from side to side in technical rocky sections...way more so than the Ford Explorer that was also there as a support vehicle. Again, I understand that if I plan on more off-road excursions like this in the future that I should replace the tires and perhaps the springs and shockvalving for better offroad performance...but I mention it just in case anybody was curious. Also...the front suspension really rattles through the steering wheel on rocky and washboard surfaces...so much in fact that I have made an appointment to have Kia check to see if there is something loose. The limited slip differential in 4-low...or even 4-high, was sometimes very slow in reacting to the surface and slip angles of the terrain...causing a brief moment of hesitation for the vehicle to decide what it wanted to do. But once it figured it out...up and down you went...yipee!
Ok...thats not so bad...not to the GOOD sfuff.
This thing just loves to climb anything! Though the performance in technical and sandy situations were comprimised by the tires and suspension...it still clawed, chewed, bit, and screemed its way up some very hairy and technical sections through rock fields, tight hairpins with some scary 600 foot dropoffs on each side of the vehicle! Power was always more than adequate...even at those elevations. Over the hood siteline going up very steep hills was pretty good, considering the width of the vehicle. The frame and body of the Sorento never skipped a beat, this things is very very stiff with no groans or noticable flexing of the chassis. Seats were very forgiving and comfortable when seated for more than 5 hours at times. I was also impressed by the approach and exit angles of the Sorento...at times I was positive I was going to scrape the bumper or rear tailpipe...but never did. Ok...once (4times?) I hit the front underbody skid plate, which is a little flimsy...but is still in once piece. And though I did scrapethe undercarriage a few times...not real noticable damage is evident...most of the expensive stuff is really tucked up under the frame.
Well, without boring you anymore...those are just some observations of mine. Would love to hear from others that intend to use their Sorento's offroad and hear about your experiences.
Thanks.
Mark.
-mike
Has OME come out with a setup for the sorento yet? They make the best shocks/spring combos for the Trooper/Jackaroos, so I bet they'll have a good setup for the Sorento as well.
-mike
I haven't looked at OME yet...I feel that it is going to take about another 8-12 months or more for some of the aftermarket offroad suppliers to get some products out for the Sorento...But I will certainly keep my eye out for them. Thanks for the tip there!
Mike- as always thanks for the technical knowledge.
:-)
I do notice when offroading that it's best to air down a bit, especially on rocks. The last 2 times I went to Uwharrie, i had to re-try a few climbs that would not have had to be re-tried had I not had like 37psi in the tires.
The ones I'm looking at to replace them are the Bridgestone Dueller REVOs. I've had several good reports from offroad buddies that they are great tires. Another one that people swear by are the BF Goodrich T-KO or KOs.
-mike
I had Pirelli Scorpions (not Scorpion Zeros) on my Jeep Grand Cherokee. I was happy with them in sand, mud and snow- but did no rock climbing. They cost me about $78 apiece including mounting but not balancing. This was in the P235/75-15 XL size. Treadwear seemed good when I sold the GC for my Sorento :>).
When we did the road test, I asked him why Kia offers such as good warranty coverage and selling their cars with such as low price. We both feel
Kia (Hyundai as well) maybe spending more money on drivetrain and maybe doing some cost cutting on interior materials and parts.
The service manager showed showed me some accessories for Sorento: chrome tail lamp guards, chrome mirror plates and sunroof deflector. The sunroof deflector looks different than others. It looks like a piece of plastic to me. It will fit the sunroof opening and with the roof racks on both side. Of course, sunroof and roof racks are standard on EX.
Thanks,
Duncan