189 replies to this topic

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Well... as Title Said, this is the Result of my Wife's Search...

We was about to Buy a Local -Honduran- 1990 Subaru Legacy with LADM (Latin American Domestic Market)  Specs, which mean that its EJ20 engine came factory with a Huge Hitachi Carburator and Distribuitor, and its 5 speed manual transmission has Dual Range; you can see Photos and a Video of that, in the following thread, ~► Here.

 

But between my Wife and I, the only one who liked it was me... also Subaru doesn't have Dealer Support nor aftermarket support anymore in my Country, so to obtain spare parts for Subarus became difficult here; you can read more about that "fading" Subaru Dealer situation, ~► Here.

 

We needed a Second Car and our "New"  car shall have plenty Dealership and aftermarket support to avoid the problem of Lack of spare parts I'm facing with my Subaru; and also we were on a very low budget; so we won an Auction at the COPART website and we obtained a used 2000 Kia sephia Sporty sedan.

 

It was Ridiculously Cheap: $ 300.ºº US Dollars for the Car plus another $ 300.ºº for the Delivery inside a Container, on a Merchant Vessel from Georgia (USA) to Honduras (Central-America) we're very near; then we just paid the cheap import taxes... and Kias are so abundant here, plenty of Dealership and aftermarket support.

 

The car came with a minor Hit on the upper part of the front trunk and faded paint, but also it has a Very Clean interior...

 

I know that older Kias were Junk; but they have improved the Overall Quality in Recent Kias, I think from year 2000 they're Much better than the previous models used to be for sure; but still Kias are Cheap cars, and Used cars are Expensive in my Country, so that Kia was a good bargain for us.   

 

 

The Question is: Does Anybody at this Club, have Experience with Kias / Kia Sephia? ... I will Love to have any Advice...

 

The Car is 1.8L DOHC MPFi in-line 4 cyl. Engined, Automatic with Overdrive (it has Around 111,000 Miles) and the CD Stereo has a Missing Faceplate... 

Any Advice will be Very Welcome!    

Kind Regards.

Edited by Loyale 2.7 Turbo, 24 February 2013 - 11:57 AM.

[Twitch de la Brat]

Well... as Title Said, this is the Result of my Wife's Search...

She Won one Auction at the COPART Website (Where the USA insurance Companies Sells via internet the Cars they obtain from Crashes) so She obtained a Very Nice Looking 2001 Kia Sephia...

I Know Those cars are Cheap, but this one had only one Previous Owner who installed Luxury 15" Rims and CD Stereo... I Believe that The Car is the Sporty Version or I Think so because it has Spoilers and other minorities that makes it to look different than the average Kia Sephias...

The Car had a Minor (Very Small) UP Frontal Crash, but it Broke the Radiator, the Grille and twisted the Upper Sheet metal, the Hit has the size of around one Feet of total damaged Area... I Believe that The Car must have Hit a very Tall Bumper's Towing Ball or Something Small Like That...

My Wife obtained it with a "Run & Drive" Certificate and including the Cost to Bring it Here in a Cargo Vessel, it ended with a Very Very Cheap Price... it is Coming Soon...
(So I Will Have more "Fixing & Painting" Weekends Job Guaranteed for a While)

The Question is: Does Anybody at this Club, have Experience with Kias / Kia Sephia? ... I will Love to have any Advice... The Car is 1.8L Engined Automatic with Overdrive (it has Around 100,000 Miles) and the CD Stereo has a Missing Faceplate...

Any Advice will be Very Welcome!

Kind Regards.
JesZeK

You're not going to like my advice...
RUN LIKE YOU'RE BEING CHASED BY A MADMAN WITH AN AXE!!!

One of my friends has an 05 Rio and she has replaced the transmission
already and and its starting to act up again.
They are renowned for being absolute garbage.
If it has missed any oil changes or and scheduled maintenance, you WILL be
replacing things.
One of my other friends worked at a KIA dealership, and the mechanics told
him to never buy a KIA.
They are the ones who told me that replacement is necessary if anything is
missed, and they aren't expected to last beyond their 100,000 mile warranty.

Twitch

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Holy Cow!  

Well... The Car Just Came, it is on Customs Clearance.

 

I Will Check it Very Carefully and I Hope to Make it Run Safely, for my Wife.

The only Nice Thing is that There are Lots of those Kias Here and their Parts are Very Very Cheap and Easy to Find.

I will Post here any Update as I Receive & Check the Car.

Kind Regards.

Edited by Loyale 2.7 Turbo, 24 February 2013 - 12:01 PM.

[Kerplunk105]

1997 Kia Sephia was my first car. I think it I got $150 for it when I went to trade it in.

[Hondasucks]

Kia = Korean junk. Only good to get BRAND NEW with the 100,000 mile warranty and dump before the warranty expires. Resale value on them is DIRT!

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

The 100,000 mile Warrany? ...  ... Well, it Came with 111,000! 

I Already Know those cars are cheap and they are Build with thin Metal Sheet on their Panels, etc... but we obtained it Very Very Cheap, even including the Maritime Shipping Costs from South Georgia (USA) to Port Cortes (Honduras)

 

 

That Car was Assembled there, in Georgia, isn't it? ... I'm Not Sure.
 

... Resale value on them is DIRT!

Yes, but That applies only in USA ... Here is Another Story, Used cars are Expensive here.

 

The Local used Car's Price depends on the Mechanical Conditions and Looks of the Vehicle, also if the Car had an Engine Swap or upgrades such like New Stereo / Rims \ Paint, etc; its cost will Raise Up a Lot.

Right Now the Car is under the Custom's Clearance documentation Process... I'll go to pick it up at Port Cortes ASAP.

Kind Regards.

Edited by Loyale 2.7 Turbo, 24 February 2013 - 12:09 PM.

[markjw]

Some of my favorite cars of all times were considered "throw aways"...The Ford Pinto,Ford Maverick. Anything made by AMC. Mid '90's escorts, Chevy Luv, and many others. Considered "Junk" by the masses. Cast away at the first sign of mechanical trouble. But,I still see these cars on the road today. Driven by people who are willing to work out the bugs and take good care of them.

I say you take care of the Kia,maintain it as any automobile should be maintained,and prove to the masses that the Koreans Can build a automobile that will last 30 plus years. People hammered Japanese "Junk" cars for two or three decades. I see lots of them on the road.

[xoomer]

Kia's are excellent cars. You take care of them and the will take care of you...

No Im not saying that because I worked for a kia dealership.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Thank you for your Nice Comments!

...I say you take care of the Kia, maintain it as any automobile should be maintained, and prove to the masses that the Koreans Can build a automobile that will last 30 plus years. ...

That is Exactly what I am Planning to Do

... Mid '90's escorts ...

The First Sephias were Based on Those Scorts / Mazda 323

Work Progress So Far: Yes the Radiator was Cracked (It is Made of Plastic), So I'm Searchin' for another one in good Shape; also the Air Conditioner's Condenser was Bent and had a Minor tear, so I Took it to the A/C Shop to get Welded.

Both Headlamps are Plastic, they Survived but the're not as Transparent as they must be; so I Will Try to Polish them after I Finish the Main Repairs and the Paint Job.

I Guess that the Car was Runnin' at Normal Operating Temps when was Hit and the Radiator Break must decompressed the Engine... So Tomorrow I Plan to Take out the Engine's Head to Check engine internals...

I Guess this car was Parked under Open Sky for More than a Year since the Hit Day untill they Sold it, 'cos the Paint is Faded and the Dashboard is Curved a Little bit in front of Driver's Side and Passenger's Side, but not the Middle; so it has a Curvy "M" Shape...

Does Anybody Know Where I Could Obtain a New Faceplate for the Stereo? ... The Original one is Missing... but I have not Taked out the Stereo Yet, so I need to Know the Make / Model Before... it is a Non-Stock with CD Player.

Kind Regards.

[hatchsub]

Pull the stereo out. There should be a model # on the back of it. Not sure how easy it will be to just get the faceplate and not the whole unit. You can probably get a decent aftermarket radio for the 50 dollar range used.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Thank you for your Kind Reply, I'll Check for the Stereo's Details as Soon as I Finish First with the Mechanical Repairs.

Seems like the Guy / Girl who was the Previous Owner, NEVER Changed the Brake Pads and the Automatic Transmission Fluid! ... ... I Removed out the Rear Drums and the Front Discs and Sent 'em to the Mechanic Shop to Polish... they had Scratches but not too Deep.

The ATF Fluid came as Dark as Muddy Water and as Liquid as Water... Just like Dirty Water...
I Just Poured New & Fresh Chevron Red ATF Fluid.

Excuse my ignorance but I'm New to Automatics... Does the Differential has its Own Oil or it Shares the ATF with the Auto Gearbox?

Any Advice will be Very Welcome!

Kind Regards.

[SubieDaddy80]

Some of my favorite cars of all times were considered "throw aways"...The Ford Pinto,Ford Maverick. Anything made by AMC. Mid '90's escorts, Chevy Luv, and many others. Considered "Junk" by the masses. Cast away at the first sign of mechanical trouble. But,I still see these cars on the road today. Driven by people who are willing to work out the bugs and take good care of them.

I say you take care of the Kia,maintain it as any automobile should be maintained,and prove to the masses that the Koreans Can build a automobile that will last 30 plus years. People hammered Japanese "Junk" cars for two or three decades. I see lots of them on the road.

I have to agree. I had a little Kia Spectra and I beat that little thing and it just kept going. I kept up on the normal maint. but it stayed strong for 250,000 miles.

[Twitch de la Brat]

Thank you for your Kind Reply, I'll Check for the Stereo's Details as Soon as I Finish First with the Mechanical Repairs.

Seems like the Guy / Girl who was the Previous Owner, NEVER Changed the Brake Pads and the Automatic Transmission Fluid! ... ... I Removed out the Rear Drums and the Front Discs and Sent 'em to the Mechanic Shop to Polish... they had Scratches but not too Deep.

The ATF Fluid came as Dark as Muddy Water and as Liquid as Water... Just like Dirty Water...
I Just Poured New & Fresh Chevron Red ATF Fluid.

Excuse my ignorance but I'm New to Automatics... Does the Differential has its Own Oil or it Shares the ATF with the Auto Gearbox?

Any Advice will be Very Welcome!

Kind Regards.

Watch the transmission very carefully...

And the ATF is separate from the diff.
The diff, I believe, is sealed but you may be able to access it without splitting
the transmission case.

And the factory brakes are almost never of good quality, so its not surprising
that the rotors have scratching.
It may not help if the owner is neglectful like most people are :-\

Twitch

[nipper]

Kias are probably the only western/asian made cars on the plante that will not make it to 100,000 miles.

If its not the trnasmission, its the bottom end letting loose at 0-80,000 miles.


nipper

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

As Far as I Know, Kias are the Twin Brothers of Hyundais, (Hyunday Purchased Kia in 1997) Just like Ford & Mercury so it is interesting Why only one has that issue...

Could I Ask you about the "Bottom End" ... is that the "U" Joint?

Kind Regards.

[Twitch de la Brat]

As Far as I Know, Kias are the Twin Brothers of Hyundais, (Hyunday Purchased Kia in 1997) Just like Ford & Mercury so it is interesting Why only one has that issue...

Could I Ask you about the "Bottom End" ... is that the "U" Joint?

Kind Regards.

Hyundais are as bad as Kia's, but Kia's are a little better known.

And the "Bottom end" is the engine block and associated parts.
The "Top end" is the head(s) and included hardware such as the cams.

Twitch

[nipper]

It's very easy to list Kia's bad points. Its everything.

http://www.consumera...omotive/kia.htm

http://www.lemonlawc...ne_problems.htm

Bottom end refers to main bearings and connecting rods and connecting rod bearings.

nipper

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Holy Cow! ... I Already Read the Complaints, let me Tell you That I did that Before buy it, but That Kia was our only Choice due to the Very Little Amount of Money we Had to Purchase another Car...

My First Option was Another Subaru Of Course, I even Found one but the Price was too High (Here in my Country Used cars are Very Expensive) You can see the Subie I Found at This Thread:

http://www.ultimates...ad.php?t=101887

Kind Regards.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Today I Found that the Main Pulley is Li'l Bent ... Already Asked to the Parts Shop for it, Thanks God it Was not Expensive!

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Well...

it is Alive! ... ... and Runnin' very "Fast & Furious"!

The Brand new Pulley Came, I Already Changed it and the Engine's Head Gasket, Serviced the Valves and its seals, Poured New Fresh "Motul" Brand Oil 20W~50 and Brand new Oil Filter, a Brand New Radiator and Sparkplugs there.. also the A/C Condenser came Welded and the Disc & Drum Brakes came Repaired from the Shop and all is Back on its Place again; including new Brake Pads.

After all the Work was Done, The Car Started Right in the First Try! and it Drives Awesome, But... it Blews a White Cloud of Smoke While Engine is Still Cool ... ...

I Believed that I have Overfilled it with too much Oil ... because the Dipstick comes like This: on its Front Shows Oil Mark Just Between F and L, but on its Back is comes Full of Oil up untill Half Dipstick, Far away above the F and I am Not Sure How to Understand this... All the Other Cars I've Repaired and the Ones I Own Shows the same Oil Level in the Front or in the Back of their Dipsticks...

Now I've Obtained the 2001 Sephia Owner's Manual (Downloaded in .pdf format) because the Car Didn't came with it; after some readin' it Says that to look more accurate the Engine's Oil Level, first Start the engine for a While and Then shut it off, let the Oil get Back to the Oil Pan (let it Rest some Minutes) and after all that, Pull out the Dipstick.

So I Opened the Engine's Oil Cap and let the Engine Drain out all the Oil during All night Long... I Discovered this:

The Total Amount of Drained Oil Didn't Reached to the Full Gallon, I Didn't removed the Oil Filter so that Might explain it in Part but I was Expecting some More Oil because I Believed it was Overfilled... the Total amount Drained was just 3.2 US Quarts.

I Closed everything, re cap and then I Refilled the Engine with Fresh "Motul" 20W~50 Oil, just 3.5 US Quarts as the Manual Said (The Amount when Oil Filter is Not Removed) and Started the Engine, then I Drove it for Twenty Minutes.

After that, I Shut it Off and let it Rest for other Twenty Minutes in order to Let the Oil Go Down to the Oil Pan... then I Measured the Oil with the Dipstick.

But This Time Things Have Changed: Now the Dipstick comes out Completely Clear to Read: it Came in the "F" of Full on Both Sides! :cool:

But the White Smoke Cloud still Happens when the Car is Just Started or While Drivin' at Cruise Speeds and I Do a Deep Fast Acceleration.

So, Seems like the Oil Rings on the Pistons are Stuck, due to the Long Time Sat... Because there comes a Huge White oily Cloud from the Smoke when First Started, That dissapear (or reduce to levels that can not be Seen) when the car has around Three Minutes of Run.

Does anybody Know if there is Something, some additive that I Could Add Safely to the Engine's Oil that can Make those Oil Rings to be Loosen Free Again?


Also the Car had this other Problem:

When I Stop it for a While, in example at a Red Traffic Light Semaphore; the Idle Slowly Drops to an "Almost Die" Level and then Accelerates to its Regular RPM's by itself ... Then Again the Idle Slowly Drops to an "Almost Die" Level but it Accelerates itself to the Normal RPM's again ... and So On ... it Keeps Doin' That all the Stopped Time at Idle...

It Takes ~ Three or Four Seconds from the Normal Idle RPM's Speed to the "Almost Die" RPM's but it Accelerates back to the Normal RPM's Speed Faster than a Second.

Also the "Check Engine" Light Came along this Behaviour...

I am in a Developing Country where is Not Easy nor Cheap to Find Someone who Has the Special Equipment that connects to the Car's Computer, So I Can not Obtain Any Codes; ... last night I Removed the Possitive (+) Terminal from the Battery, Then Manually Checked and Double Checked again for Loose Connections in ALL the Plugs and anything electrical I Found under the Hood... I re-connected the Battery just untill Next Morning.

The "Check Engine" Light went Off and the Idle Dance too... now I Just want to see if the White Cloud of Smoke is Gone too...

What could caused that Behaviour?

Kind Regards.

Edited by Loyale 2.7 Turbo, 09 December 2009 - 02:39 AM.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

...
Does anybody Know if there is Something, some additive that I Could Add Safely to the Engine's Oil that can Make those Oil Rings to be Loosen Free Again?

...

Well... I Just came Back from "Hunting" at Different Car Parts' Shops and I Came back Home with a Bottle of an additive Named "Marvel Mystery Oil" also Known Here as "MMO".

It reads that I can Pour it in the Gas Tank And in the Crankcase... I've never Used MMO Before... please Let me Know any Idea or Suggestion about it... I Want to use it Mainly (Or entirely) with Engine's Oil in order to get Free the Oil Rings from the Pistons... What do you Think About that?

Kind Regards.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

I just Removed the Stereo (That Came Without its FacePlate) from the Sephia's Dashboard... so Now I am Able to Know its Characteristics and maybe to Obtain another FacePlate.

The Stereo CD Receiver unit is Brand: JVC model KD-S640
I Found it Here.

It Came with a CD inside! ... ... Named: "Dj Infamous: Young Dro & Young LA – Black Boy, White Boy" ... that can be Seen Here. (Also I Found in the Car a Huge Pink EarRing without its Pair)

I Already Found a Couple of Websites where there are Available Used FacePlates for it, but Seeing that Stereo Unit that Says "Made July 1999" makes me Think that it should be a Better Idea to install a New Unit there, because it is a Decade Old Stereo and maybe Don't Worth the Effort to obtain a New FacePlate... also Maybe it is Damaged too.

Kind Regards.

Edited by Loyale 2.7 Turbo, 14 December 2009 - 01:41 AM.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Well, Today I Poured four ounces of "Marvel Mystery Oil" also Known Here as "MMO" on the Sephia's Oil Pan and I Drove it for 40 Miles in Mixed Traffic conditions...

Let's See Tomorrow Morning's First engine Start, I Hope to see Less ~or No~ White exhaust's Cloud...

Also I Had to Sign up at a Kia Forum site, there is a Thread with further Details than This thread, 'cos that's a Kia site.

you can see that here:

http://www.kia-forum...ephia-help.html

But in Both Threads I am feelin' so Alone...

Kind Regards.

Edited by Loyale 2.7 Turbo, 14 December 2009 - 01:59 AM.

[john in KY]

I would think worn valve guides and or worn valve seals would be the cause of the white smoke.

Check for white smoke when doing this little test. Take the car out on the highway and get up to a good speed. Then remove foot from gas pedal and allow the car to coast. If there appears a cloud of white smoke behind the car, almost a given oil is being pulled into the combustion chambers.

[joostvdw]

I would think worn valve guides and or worn valve seals would be the cause of the white smoke.

Check for white smoke when doing this little test. Take the car out on the highway and get up to a good speed. Then remove foot from gas pedal and allow the car to coast. If there appears a cloud of white smoke behind the car, almost a given oil is being pulled into the combustion chambers.

I always thought burning oil gives a blueish/black smoke? White sounds like coolant burning off.

But it's easy to check, just drive it around town and do your thing. And keep an eye on fluid levels, you'll quickly see which one is disappearing.

Did the car have a blown head gasket when yo bought it? It could be old coolant in de catalytic converter burning off..