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Kia Sedona Starting/Stalling/Idling Problems

135

Comments

  • tdonahuetdonahue Member Posts: 10
    Do you have a Lemon Law where your are located. The Kia people in Massachusetts were helpful but felt like they were looking for a needle in a hay stack. I told them I was going to envoke the states lemon law if the third fix didn't work. It was some leverage but I do think they were trying their best.
    Try calling Hyannis Kia or New Bedford Kia and asking the service managers
    the solution they found for this problem. If you can get a couple of Kia service managers talking it may help. I know the main computer not identifying the problem because of the defective IPM was a real problem.

    Good luck

    Terry
  • frustratedx8frustratedx8 Member Posts: 3
    Mentioned New York Lemon Law in conversation last Thursday with consumer affairs rep. Has yet to call me back. Called California and asked for someone new to take my case. That was over two hours ago and still no call back. We love the the van and just want it fixed! Bought a jump starter for my Disney World trip. Afraid of getting stuck on I-95. This is ridiculous for a new car. I believe Sam is in the same office as the gentleman on my case. Hopefully she can help and get that IPM module replaced. I think they just want me to go away. Anyway thanks for your input. I'll let everyone know if this works out.
  • gatottengatotten Member Posts: 8
    Yes, I read the entire thread.

    My son's van is having similar problems so we replaced the fuel filter and fuel pump assemblies and installed new plugs, and we still have the same problem....it starts, warms up for about 3-5 minutes and then dies.

    On start up you cannot take the rpm's over 4,000. After the warm up the car won't run. I am amazed that there ars so many Kia's with the same problem. I don't own one and after reading these post - I never will.

    Has anyone found a "root cause" for this problem? We checked the OBD codes and they were vague. It must be a real problem for the technicians because this forum is full of stories about guessing as to which part to change next.

    I cleaned all of the electrical connectors, the MAF, checked the fuses that would affect the fuel supply, and I am now going to clean the ISC and TPS. What a mess!
  • gatottengatotten Member Posts: 8
    I pulled the MAF connector and started the engine, to put it in LIMP mode. That worked and I have driven the van for about 5 miles and everything worked. I realize that fuel economy (yeah...like this van is economical) will suffer but it allows my son to use the van until I can download and perform some diagnostics.

    Since I am bypassing the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor and the van runs OK, I now suspect that the MAF or the intake manifold may have a leak. I did download the troubleshoooting procedures from kia-tech and I will try those tomorrow.

    I think it would be worthwhile for those of you who are experiencing stalling to disconnect the MAF and see if your van runs OK in LIMP mode. It's not a solution but it makes the van driveable.
  • kashbykashby Member Posts: 2
  • kashbykashby Member Posts: 2
    has any body had any engine issues with there sedona. wife was driving on hiway and she said it made some wierd noises, pushed on gas and there was nothing there, and then just died. towed to shop and the mechanic there got it started next day said it would idle but when he took it for a drive (not far) did the same thing. He thinks that the engine is done. any thoughts.
  • jimjimjjimjimj Member Posts: 5
    have had similar problem twice; driving on highway, accelerating to pass another car, engine just shuts off (?idles in neutral)... once easing up on the pedal completely and shifting got back, second time had to come to complete stop, turn off engine, and then restart.

    Dealer thought we were crazy, took it for a couple of test drives and couldn't find anything wrong... Needless to say, we get a bit anxious whenever on the highway now days. Shouldn't be like that with your new car...
  • gatottengatotten Member Posts: 8
    My problem was a failing fuel pump and the fuel filter. The fuel filter is in the tank, with the pump, it is not an in-line item. My filter was full of metal filings where the pump was self machining itself! I found both parts on-line at a really low price compared to the dealer.

    The fuel filter can be removed through the access cap located on the floor behind the drivers seat. You'll have to pull back the carpet to get to the panel. It comes out with a few screws. You may have to lower the front of the tank to get enough clearance to tap the locking ring loose (Use a piece of hardwood if you do not have a brass drift).

    I had a similar problem with a 1985 VW. The fuel pump replacement fixed it too.
    I am sure that your Kia dealer is aware of this failure mode - they just don't want to pay for the parts cost.
  • ravenfan2ravenfan2 Member Posts: 1
  • ehenesehenes Member Posts: 1
    I bought my Kia Sedona new in 2004. I have loved it until now. For the second time it cut - stopped running completely. The radio, windows and middle console (AC, cigarette lighters, etc) don't work. It still turns over but nothing happens. Last time, I had it towed to a shop and they couldn't get to it until morning at which time it started right up! They kept for a couple days and plugged it into the computer and found nothing wrong. Well, it has happened again. My only other option is to have it towed to a dealer (2 hours away). But I worry it will start right up for them. At this point I am going to just wait until morning and try it but I think there is something seriously wrong and I wonder if anyone else has had the same problem.

    Thank you.
  • vetternapavetternapa Member Posts: 1
    Was having problems with Sedona not starting and engine light came on. Code reader showed that crankshaft sensor needed replaced. Put new sensor on and disconnected batt. cable to reset computer. Sedona will start about 5 times and then stops like before. If you reset computer, it will start about 5 times. Engine light is not on and there is no code errors coming up. Please help!!! Any suggestions welcome.
  • mykidsrockmykidsrock Member Posts: 1
    Have you figured it out yet or had any luck....we have the same problem with a new van. Kia Sedona 2008...they say nothing is wrong either and we almost got in an accident today on the highway with our three kids. The trip was a 2 hour trip...somethings is seriously not safe in these vans and I fear for our safety. We do not have money to buy a new car, this is so unfair. It is going to take a death for them to wake up about this problem.

    We drive it stops accelerating, engine shuts down and we are trying to cruise to the side of the interstate yet we have no power to pass cars. We turn our hazards on and try to get over. The scary part is when we have to drift over passing an exit merging onto the highway as we are trying to get to the side with no power...I am going to the dealership tomorrow to tell them about it. I am going to bring in the blogs and prove I am not crazy. Did you know that there is an attorney named Howard Gutman in NJ that deals with Kia problems...this apparently is a huge problem. I am going to demand that Kia give me a letter in writing telling me it is safe to drive and they found nothing wrong with it. If they think we are all crazy then they should have NO problem writing letters. If they do not help me I am filing a complaint and filing one with the Better Business Burea and attorney general's office. We need to do something before someone is killed!
  • gatottengatotten Member Posts: 8
    Look at my post #115. If you are not seeing any other lights - just power loss, sudden, and usually on the highway that are not easily reproduced, you have a failing fuel pump. I am sure that Kia is aware of the pump failures and they do not want to replace them. You can find the pump on line, or better yet go to you AutoZone and order one. That way if it's not correct they'll take it back. You only need someone with medium level mechanical skills to replace the pump. It's accessed by pulling up the carpeting behid the drivers seat and lowering the tank. If the tank is full - siphon it down before you lower it. There is a ring on the top of the tank. It has to be "tapped" with a screw driver and hammer to loosen it. The only other thing that causes your Kia Sedona to run crappy is a failed or failing Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF) but they're to damn expensve so start with the fuel pump. It's usually the failure mode; it self machines itself. The "sock" filter on the end of the fuel pump will have little gray particles in it. Do not let any dirt fall into the tank. Good Luck. I hope you have a current warantee or a service contract.
  • ontariocaontarioca Member Posts: 1
    We have been having problems with our 2008 Sedona LX since November 2008. Our issue has been with stalling. Van worked beautifully for over six months before problem surfaced. Has been in dealership for more than 7 weeks out of last 9 1/2 weeks. We have had to take it in on five different occasions during this period because after they "fix" it the problem recurs. They are on the third computer. It is all covered through warranty but this is of little comfort because we still don't have use of our vehicle which we are continuing to make payments on. We are in Canada so there are no "lemon" laws so we will have to deal with it through an independent arbitration process which will take some time.
  • 72gremlin72gremlin Member Posts: 1
    This sounds similar to a problem we had with our 2006 Sedona after about 313 Miles on it. Traveling down the highway, lose accelerator power, engine light comes on, oil light comes on., etc. Turned the flashers on clear right and get on the shoulder of the road. We turned the van off, then after a few minutes restarted it w/o any problems and drove it 15 more cautious miles home. We took it to the dealership the first time and they thought it was an oil temperature sensor (I don't remember exactly). Drove it home the next day, and a few days later, the check engine light comes back on. I was NOT HAPPY. After paying >$24,000 for a new vehicle I expect it to run. I took it back and thank goodness we have a master mechanic at our Kia dealership. They "TESTED PIN CONNECTIONS FOR OIL TEMP SENDING UNIT; THEN SECURED ALL PIN CONNECTORS AT PCM AND RECHECKED TEST" -- all verbatim off the service receipt. I guess what happened was the van thought it was overheating, degrades to a "limp" mode--so you can get it off the road, then runs fine after it is reset (by restarting). Go figure. It's all computers these days. Have your mechanic check this out.

    I really love this van, though...

    Now on to my other problem... no starting.... think I have that one figured out...
  • jirkajirka Member Posts: 15
    Did you figure it out?

    I have a similar problem with my Kia Sedona 2007.
    - Suddenly the gas stops responding. The car slows down.
    - the Check Engine and ESC-OFF lights turns on.
    - I can continue to drive but only at about 8 mph. Depressing the gas does not make any difference - the RPMs of the engine do not change.
    - When I stop, put the gear shift into "D" while standing on the brake, the car starts to jump like an old tractor (when I move it to "P" it stops but the engine still isn't running as smoothly as normally).
    - Stopping and restarting (sometimes twice with a pause ) fixes the problems. The check engine light stays on for some time and then goes away.

    It happened three times so far. The dealer says he cannot do much unless the check-engine light stays on (I would think the computer logs the error codes ...)
  • jimjimjjimjimj Member Posts: 5
    I've resorted to trying to have a video camera on hand the next time it happens so I can try to film it while trying to keep from being killed when it stalls on the highway. There is clearly something wrong as we are all having this problem; don't know why we can't get Kia's attention. I guess they would rather hope we go away a risk one of us getting killed and the big lawsuit. You would think the potential bad press would be deterrent.

    No customer service these days, even before the economy tanked. People used to stand behind their products.
  • JonathanSFRJonathanSFR Member Posts: 1
    Hi mate . Don't suppose you could give me the name of the electrical shop so I can get part number. My Kia has told me part is a Bosch immobiliser and costs £500 excluding fitting.
    Many Thanks if you can
    John
  • jirkajirka Member Posts: 15
    Had it at the dealer today - they read the following error codes (the Check Engine light stayed on this time): P2106 p1295 P2135.

    They applied some stabilant 22 and cleaned the TPS sensor following KT2009012207 Technical article (if that's a date 2009-01-22, it is pretty recent). It worked for about 5 hours. Then it started to happen again. About every 5min.

    Based on the codes it seems similar this post (for Hyunday Veracruz) - in that case the ETC Actuator and Gasket was replaced.
  • mattonemattone Member Posts: 5
    I have 2 Kia 2008 Sedonas, I had this problem with one of the vehicles going into limp home mode a couple weeks ago and had error codes P2135 and P1295 the dealer seemed to fix it and since we were on our way to Disneyland, we ended up putting on a couple thousand more miles, with out problems. Today my other kia had the same problem with the accelerator basically not working and I had to turn it off and restart it to get it out of "limp home mode". I had to have my wife pick me up in her Sedona. And on the way home, unbelievably the same thing happened to hers. So now both of my vehicles have this same problem and I don't how I will get them both to the shop. But even worse, it doesn't seem like anyone can fix this problem, and I am surprised more people aren't having this problem (considering it happened to both of my Sedona's in a 2 hour period. Any advice?
  • jirkajirka Member Posts: 15
    1. Towing to the nearest shop is covered by the warranty. Just call the hotline.

    2. How did they fix it the first time? In my case they first cleaned the TPS (if I understand it right it is the thing that communicates the info from your accelerator to the engine) which helped for few hours :), they replaced it the next day and I haven't have problems since.
  • mattonemattone Member Posts: 5
    They ended up replacing the throttle body assembly, which they said included the TPS, so I was confident this would resolve the problem, it also looks like they replaced the ETC Actuator and the ETC Gasket. Unfortunately I didn't get 3 miles from the dealer and the same problem reoccurred with one of them (we are waiting for it to happen again to the other, its like walking on thin ice every time we drive it, but we need something to drive). Now its back in the shop and I feel like no one has any idea what is wrong with these 2 vans much less how to fix them. Can I really have such bad luck that I happen to have 2 vans with this exact same problem and no one else has seen this problem?
    the codes that came up again, were p2106, p2195 and p2135.
  • gatottengatotten Member Posts: 8
    Replacing all of that stuff is OK - if you are still under waranty; however, the problems you are describing sound like a fuel pump failure. It is a known flaw in the pump design. The pump grinds itself into very fine metal particles, you start the car and drive and it's OK for a short while or until you try to accelerate onto the highway, then the metal clogs the filter (which is better than allowing it into you injectors!) and the car stops running. You let it sit for a while, the metal particles fall off the screen filter and your car will appear to start and run normally but it will fail again. If you are close to the end of the waranty insist that your dealer pulls the fuel pump and checks the filter screen. A second possible cause, but not as likely, is the Mas Air Flow (MAF) sensor. If one of the wires shorts out the car's computer goes into "limp" mode. (Adding Viagra to the gas tank will not help!) ;^)
  • jirkajirka Member Posts: 15
    I do not know how long you have your car and what is the lemon law in your state. But: if I am not mistaken, in Ohio, if you have the vehicle for less than 12 mos (or the problem was first discovered in that period) and the problem is DANGEROUS they have only ONE chance to repair it (they have more chances in other cases). They tried yours 3times and it is still not OK. And it is dangerous - going into a limb mode without warning while in the left lane on a freeway is very dangerous. So if I were you I would check the lemon law in your state and then get your money back.... You can use it to buy a new Kia or Honda or whatever ...
  • mattonemattone Member Posts: 5
    Unfortunately they are used, and from what I have read regarding the lemon laws they only apply to new cars.I got my car back today after 5 days at the dealer, they replaced the ground bolts the tech said a couple of the grounds were rusted and that may have caused the problem. This was a recommendation from Kia and apparently they realized this problem was out there. The part number were GD8, G19, and G29. They also reflashed the ECM per Update. Frankly, I would be SHOCKED if this worked, but when the tech explained it to me it did make sense. And I was able to drive it home. If this doesn't work I will be asking about the fuel pump. But with under 20,000 miles on it I can't imagine how it can be the issue described above, involving the fuel pump
  • jerryb_kcjerryb_kc Member Posts: 4
    We had the same problem with our 2006 Kia Sedona at about 25,000 miles. The problem repeated about 5 times and got worse each time. It took a couple of trips to the dealership, but they finally figured out the problem. They replaced both the Accelerator Pedal assembly and the sensor on the engine that the accelerator pedal connects to. That was about 5,000 miles ago and we have not had the problem since.
  • jerryb_kcjerryb_kc Member Posts: 4
    Here is a more detailed description of what happend to us:
    We had a problem with our 2006 Kia Sedona at about 25,000 miles.
    - Suddenly the gas stops responding. The car slows down.
    - The Check Engine and ESC-OFF lights turns on.
    - The engine continues to run but nothing happens when you push the accelerator pedal.
    - Turning the engine of and the restarting fixed the problems temporarily.

    The problem repeated about 5 times and got worse each time. The first time we shut down and restarted it worked fine for about 50 miles. By the fifth time it happened it ran only about a mile before it happened again.

    It took a few trips to the dealership, but they finally figured out the problem. They replaced both the Accelerator Pedal assembly and the sensor on the engine that the accelerator pedal connects to. That was about 5,000 miles ago and we have not had the problem since.
  • mattonemattone Member Posts: 5
    It sounds like a number of us have a very similar issue, but it sounds like we are all given different solutions from our dealers. Your situation sounds identical to mine. Both of mine 08 Sedonas are running fine now, but as I said I have no faith that they have found the fix. So next time, I will suggest your service departments idea and hope that works. You would think Kia would be able keep all their mechanics informed. Thanks for the suggestion
  • bikash007bikash007 Member Posts: 10
    I am very close to buying a Kia Sedona. But reading the comments in this forum I am really scared. In the past I drove a Mercedes and a Toyota. They never gave me any weird problem. I put more than 200K on my Toyota without a single unusual problem. But reading the post, I think I am signing up for a death warrant. What would you guys advise me? I would rather spend another 10 grand and buy a safer vehicle for my family than buy a death machine that stalls on the highway.
  • gatottengatotten Member Posts: 8
    "....than buy a death machine that stalls on the highway". You already answered your own question. The Kia is HEAVY, gas mileage isn't great, electrical problems that appear to rival the legendary 1990 VW Corrado - why buy a Kia? Chrysler's new minivans are being sold at reduced prices...buy the top of the line, leather seats, large v6 - more bang for the buck. My son kept his Kia because he was upside down on the loan so it was fix it or take a loss. WIth Kia's poor reputation the resale value has dropped. Even is you don't like the Chrysler minvan - at least drive one for comparison to the other models before you buy. (no, I don't work for a car mfg. or dealer)
  • jerryb_kcjerryb_kc Member Posts: 4
    I bought my first car in 1975 and have purchased over 20 vehicles since then, both new and used. While many of them have had the usual minor problems, none has ever had the number of serious safety problems that our 2006 Kia Sedona has experienced. From the headlights that both quit working without warning, to the total loss of power while driving on a busy interstate, this is not a vehicle that I would ever recommend a person to buy. In reading the forums I find that these problems are not unique to my particular van, but with Sedona's in general.

    Do yourself a big favor and pick another vehicle.
  • bikash007bikash007 Member Posts: 10
    Thanks a lot for helping me make the right decision. I am going to buy a Honda odyssey LX instead, which may cost me couple of grand more, but will ensure that my family is safe.
  • jimjimjjimjimj Member Posts: 5
    Actually, it'll probably cost you 6000-10000 more for a comparable vehicle, but I don't blame you and would do the same thing today if I could as it will have a much better resale value.

    I just wish/hope some one who gives a darn at Kia reads this and realizes they are shooting themselves in the foot by ignoring this issue and buyers like you will not buy a Kia and understandably pay a premium for for a Honda or Toyota.

    Pretty shortsighted of them; penny-wise, pound foolish for sure.
  • jirkajirka Member Posts: 15
    I am not sure. I wanted to buy Honda Odyssey, but ended buying Sedona, because it has better crash ratings. It was hard for me to ignore the fact that the difference in crash ratings is in the second row where my kids sit. The door on Odyssey just got out from the hinges in the tests.

    The problem is that Sedona is safer when the crash occurs, and Odyssey is more reliable, so it might be easier to avoid the crash (it is not very safe to switch into a limb mode while driving on the freeway). Hard to say.
  • stushstush Member Posts: 62
    You should go into the Honda Odyssey forum. Look at all of the complaints about the transmission failing. It seems Honda doesn't want to admit they have a problem, make your own decision.
  • rstoffmanrstoffman Member Posts: 1
    I turn the start key and all I hear is "click"! The starter does not respond at all.
    After repeated "turn start key" actions (might take 10 - 15 times), the starter eventually respond and the engine works properly. The phenomena happens all the time, the battery is in a very good condition. Can anybody advise here.
  • lavrishevolavrishevo Member Posts: 312
    The solenoid in the starter is going bad. This is the part that engages the starter. On some starters the solenoid is on the outside and can be replaced while keeping the starter but most are now built into the starter. So, soon you will have to buy a new starter or have yours rebuilt.
  • pl411pl411 Member Posts: 6
    My van runs OK but has a very loud vibration when idling while in gear. It's so loud that I often pop it into neutral when I stop at a red light. Also, it seems to be a bit harsh when accelerating, though that one might just be me being overly sensitive. I purchased my 2006 Sedona a few months ago with ~42k miles. It now has 46k miles. I do not recall it doing this at first, but it has been doing it for a few months now. Has anyone else experienced this problem? What was the fix?
  • likellehlikelleh Member Posts: 35
    Ok here is one for all of you. I have a 2006 Sedona EX that I love and basically have had minimal problems with. HOWEVER, In the past 4 months,when i have gone to put the key into the ignition, it won't go in! After playing with the steering wheel for sometimes up to 15 mins it eventually will go in. Intermitantly at first and now more consistant When it happened this past weekend i found that when it does happen I could still turn the steering wheel and that it wasn't in a locked position. In the past few days it has become worse and now I can't take the key out of the ignition in fear it won't go back in again. I have had it to my dealership twice before and because, " they can't duplicate the problem" have not been able to do anything. I called them again yesterday and now I will be dropping it off Wed night and they are going to see if they can figure it out now that we know the steering will not lock when it does it. Fortunately for me, I have an extra car I can use. Has anyone ever hear of anything like this? The dealer I go to is great, but they have never seen anything like this before?.
  • likellehlikelleh Member Posts: 35
    Update...Well took it to the dealer and for the 3rd time heard the proverbial "we can't seem to duplicate the problem.". Well those words aren't the ones i want to hear so I told the Service manager i was only 15 mins away and would be right over. When i got there I talked to him for a few minutes and he gave me the key and told me to see if i could duplicate the problem. The first few times i put the key in nice and smooth...took it out for a short drive and parked it. Key again went in smooth. Took it for a 10 minute drive, did a hard u-turn to get the steering wheel to completely turn, brought it back to the dealer, pulled a hard turn with the wheel till it could go no more and shut the car off. Guess what! Key wouldn't go in. I went in and got the service manager and he came out. His thought that the small hinged pin inside the ignition cyclinder is sticking and so he is ordering it and will have to take it back next week for replacement...I'll keep you posted.
  • clark_kentclark_kent Member Posts: 1
    New to the forum and thanks to all for the helpful info on here. Own a Sedona 2007 EX and it has about 16K miles. Very happy with a loaded vehicle that we obtained for a great price. Sunroof leaked on day 2 but more on that later. Recently it would not start and I kept jumping it. Tried all sorts of combinations as to turning power off to the doors and liftgate but if left for more then 18 hours it went dead. Went to Kia in Portsmouth, NH, where we purchased it. The service manager was very helpful. It appears that Kia does some, well, weird (read: not very smart) design things when it comes to power. When you first turn on the car the Instument Control Module ("ICM") is in charge of all the icons that display on the dashboard and for maintaining master control over the vehicle's power needs. In most cars, when you turn them off power is briefly retained so you can, say, close the windows (for just one example) for about 10-20 seconds. Kia, in it's wisdom, retains the power for much longer. Don't know for exactly how long, or WHY??, but it's for minutes not seconds. So, the ICM continues to draw power from the battery even after you've shut the vehicle down, locked it, and went into your house. In my case though the ICM isn't shutting off and it's draining the battery completely. The ICM is a rather expensive part to replace and the dealer has only had to do one before that malfunctioned as ours does. Thankfully, we are under warranty, he ordered the part (no dealer stocks it as it's too expensive), and they will replace it on Friday. Kudos to the service manager at Bourneval Kia for doing the right thing, even if it is under warranty, and not screwing us around by just giving us another battery and wishing us good luck. Will let you all know if it solves the problem.

    As to the sunroof, if you have one and it's from 2005 or later, read on. So, I'm sure all know that no sunroof is designed to be watertight or airtight. Rather, when water lands on the sunroof there are a series of channels that the water flows into and out of the car unseen. Not so for us and we watched the water leak onto the front seat belt on the passenger side. This was the clue as it was only on the passenger side and leaking exactly where the front side air bag is loaded and bolted next to the A-pillar, slightly above and to the rear of the front passenger. Kia's design here could be a lot better. What Kia does when they make a car with a sunroof is to first install the drainage tubes that handle any water flow on a rainy day. Btw, the design of the tubes is poor all by itself, but should still work. Then, after the tubes are installed along the roofline, they install the side airbag assembly and bolt it in several places to the same approximate location as the drainage tubes. Of necessity, they bolt it well and tighten it. As they tighten the air bag assembly it begins to constrict the drainage tubes and water cannot flow to the aft of the vehicle and then down and out. Rather, it goes to the path of least resistance and drops vertically down into the car about where the front passenger seat belt resides. So, not only will Kia being replacing my instrument control module on our Sedona but will have to take off the entire front side air assembly, repair/replace the drainage tubes, and rebolt the assembly .

    I posted this in the hope that it will help others who have similar problems. We bought our Kia because we felt it had great value for the money, looked good, and our only complaint (besides what's being fixed as noted above) is the crappy mileage. No way does it meet the 18-25 listed. That said, the warranty convinced us and now that warranty is paying off big time. Wish we didn't need it but we do and Kia (Bourneval) in Portsmouth, NH, is doing the right thing. We'll see how it goes and just hope this dealership stays alive; Kia dealers seem to be dropping like flies in this economy. Hope this is helpful. - CK
  • lavrishevolavrishevo Member Posts: 312
    Good post Clark. As far as the MPG goes you will see an improvement with additional mileage, but if I may offer some advice.

    First, tire pressure is always a little gain. I suggest right around 36 PSI. My tires have a max pressure of 44 but with just 3 - 5 extra PSI you will have less rolling resistance and hence better MPG and longer tire life.

    Second, is go with a K&N washable air filter and if your slightly brave remove the air-restricting filter right before the MAF sensor in the intake tube. Very easy to do, here is my instructions: http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f16f1df

    Third, Go with a full synthetic oil like Mobile One or similar. Synthetic oil not only last longer but lubricates much better and has shown to improve gas mileage as well as improve power. Same can be said about the K&N.

    Fourth, and really this is the most important, is driving habits. The ONLY way your going to get 18/25 or better which, I achieve on my 2006, is by keep your foot off the gas pedal. Letting the engine shift right around 2000 RPM's and keeping the your speed limit at 65 MPH or under with not fast starts will give your great gains in MPG. Not easy to do with a powerful engine that is fun to use. Give this a try for a week and see your results. Remember though, it is all about nice and easy starts and stops in traffic and letting the engine shift at low RPM's. I have seen as high as 30 MPG in ideal conditions. Also, Edmund's highest mileage on the 2006 long-term test was 29 MPG @ 25,000 miles. Seems the 3.8's take a while to break in.
  • alanzdbaalanzdba Member Posts: 3
    Similar to our 2007 Hyundai Entourage (same vehicle). Key goes IN but won't turn. Sometimes takes 30 minutes. Have tried putting the key in and out multiple times, turning the key over, using a different key, and remote starting it first - no difference. Took it twice and they said "no problem". On the 3rd visit I was finally able to show the Service Manager the issue and he was able to replicate it - but said there was nothing he could do. I finally went to the GM who contacted Director of Service who is contacting Hyundai Field Engineering Services about this. We cannot afford for my wife to get stuck someplace if I am travelling. The Dealer treied to tell me it wasn't covered by the warranty. They changed their mind. :-)
  • likellehlikelleh Member Posts: 35
    I have heard of the key problem not turning. It's actually a lock mechanism in the car and there is a little cover you can pop to the right of the shift to unlock the steering lock to get the key to turn. I just can't get the key in period. It's like the small lock bar in the cylinder get stuck. Still very frustrating on both issues when you can't start the car when you want to. My dealer is replacing the cylinder and has to co ordinate with a lock smith to replace. Right now they are trying to wait till I call them because they will be picking up the tab for telling me the first few times nothing was wrong. :(
  • cgdcgd Member Posts: 1
    Hi-we have had very similar problems with our 2006 Sedona. ESC-OFF light comes on and the accelerator does not function. Stopping and restarting the car seems to get things going. The codes that came up were P2106, P1295 and P2135. On 8/25 the dealership replaced the TPS and reprogrammed the ECM. Things were good until a few days ago, and then the same thing happened again (!).

    Did the grounding problem that you mentioned fix the problem? Have you had any more of these issues with your Sedonas since April?
  • jerryb_kcjerryb_kc Member Posts: 4
    When we had the problem, the dealership replaced both the TPS and the actual gas peddle assembly. Apparently the peddle assembly includes some electronic sending unit that connects by wire to the engine. That was over a year ago and the problem has not re-occurred.
  • regi_dogregi_dog Member Posts: 4
    Was recently driving on the highway (with my two infant children) when while going up a slight incline the van started to miss and hesitate. I pulled over-rev'd the engine hoping it would clear out any richness-this did not work. I shut the engine off - waited a few seconds and restarted-still the engine felt like it was missing. Finally after allowing the engine to sit (not running) for a minute, I restarted it and it ran fine. Drove it for approximately another 30 miles will no problem.. This has occurred twice with this vehicle. Has anyone had a similar problem??
  • jfinc2jfinc2 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 Kia Sedona that over the course of the past 2 months has had the check engine light go on and off and sometimes when the van is not fully warmed up will act as if it is miss firing. I took the van to a local mechanic and asked him to do a full tune up but he would not do a tune up instead he said he ran a diagnostic test and told me it was the throttle position sensor that needed replaced. I guess the mechanic took me on this because that did not fix the problem. I just had another scan test done today and it showed miss fires in cylinders 1, 2 and 3.
  • huerohuero Member Posts: 5
    Hey check engine light came on no signs of any problems took it to auto zone and they said code read throttle position sensor heres my problem car in texas with buddy and not sure if it will make it home approx. 750 miles nonstop hate to have somebody else work on car also does anybody know where it is located appreciate any help
  • eal4noleseal4noles Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 Kia Sedona and just had a misfire in cylinder 4. We moved the spark plug wires around and it was then a misfire in cylinder 6. The problem was the coil pack. We had that replaced by Kia and it fixed the problem. Unfortunately, there are 3 coil packs and each one costs over $100, without labor costs. So, it is only a matter of time before the other 2 go bad.
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