Ask the Car People.SM


Kia Sportage Maintenance and Repair

707 messages,  Last post on Dec 02, 2012 at 1:46 PM

You are in the Kia Sportage Forum.

What is this discussion about? Kia Sportage, SUV

    
 
Go to NHTSA to file a safety complaint.
 
Or call Monday-Friday (8 am to 8 pm ET) (888) 327-4236 TTY: (800)424-9153

Messages Page 27 of 72

#252 of 707 Re: 1999 kia sportage 4x4 overheating [ort102] by lmp4

Feb 03, 2008 (7:44 pm)

Replying to: ort102 (Feb 03, 2008 7:03 pm)
I was questioning the pump , just trying to find a thread where I remember someone said the blades from the water pump had all broken out..but I don't thnk that was in a KIA forum...probably a GM 3.1 or 3.4....so I'd rather dowplay this option.
WHen you say "take all that off to give it a tune"...I suppose y0u mean the valve cover...hey?...well just to change the spark plugs, no. You would need to remove the intake tube and the plastic cover...and then you have the coils and the holes to the spark plugs..the plugs are hidden under down there and you grab them with a plug socket and an extension to your ratchet...
..and possibly, you could apply air to the plug holes .. it is a long reach....but possible...but you would have some problem seeing which piston is at top dead center without seeing the cam position....
THe first time I had to do the spark plugs, I thought it was hell to have to do all of that just to reach the plug...and I still think the same...but in fact, a plug change can be done in just a little more than an hour...and with 8 or 9 extra 10mm bolts, the valve cover is out..and then back in. ANnoying, but easy and straight forward.

#253 of 707 Re: 1999 kia sportage 4x4 overheating [lmp4] by lmp4

Feb 03, 2008 (7:54 pm)

Replying to: lmp4 (Feb 03, 2008 7:44 pm)
...but you did not tell me about the fan....you are sure it has a belt driving it? My son had a similar problem with his NIVA..overheating and alternator failure........just to discover the fan belt was simply gone.....and with all those things around there, it needed to peek intentionally to notice something was missing....

#254 of 707 Re: 1999 kia sportage 4x4 overheating [lmp4] by ort102

Feb 03, 2008 (7:59 pm)

Replying to: lmp4 (Feb 03, 2008 7:54 pm)
do you just mean the white fan behind the radiator? if so it starts when i turn the car on. so that would mean it would continue to run once the car was on correct?

#255 of 707 Re: 1999 kia sportage 4x4 overheating [ort102] by lmp4

Feb 04, 2008 (6:15 am)

Replying to: ort102 (Feb 03, 2008 7:59 pm)
..yes, the fan between radiator and engine. Is it electrical or belt driven? factory is belt, but some owners replaced it with an electric fan. ANyway Ohio is not that warm at this time of the year, I suppose...

#256 of 707 Re: 1999 kia sportage 4x4 overheating [lmp4] by ort102

Feb 04, 2008 (9:32 am)

Replying to: lmp4 (Feb 04, 2008 6:15 am)
It is belt driven. now i guess i have another question, is there anything else i would notice if the head gasket was blown. and i also noticed that when i tirned the blower motor on the guage did move up a little bit with thuring it on then dropped down a little once i shut it off.

#257 of 707 Re: 1999 kia sportage 4x4 overheating [ort102] by lmp4

Feb 04, 2008 (12:09 pm)

Replying to: ort102 (Feb 04, 2008 9:32 am)
i noticed that when i turned the blower motor on the guage did move up a little bit with thuring it on then dropped down a little once i shut it off
  That is almost "normal" as the return grounds for dash and blower are common and slight variation is expected. WHen the ground connection goes awry, the variation worsens.
 
 is there anything else i would notice if the head gasket was blown.
 
in SOME cases, coolant spills in a cylinder when the car is stopped and is ejected in the exhaust manifold at start-up and this produces a short duration heavy white cloud at startup ....THis is somewhat confusing in cold weather because it is difficult to make the difference with what we already experience. HOwever when it shows in warm weather, the difference is more conspicuous. But absence of such cloud is not a sign that the problem does not exist.
 
If the coolant spill invades the oil pan, the inside of oil cap will be covered with a disgusting white-brownish foamy sludge. But many times , specially when the leak is not severe, it happens only when the engine runs and exhaust goes from the cylinder to the cooling system.. However, when a car is run only for short treks in very cold temperatures, stray water vapour as a combustion product is not readily evaporated by high heat and accumulates and can generate some foamy goo...and that would stop showing in the summer.
 
draining the oil pan might show traces of coolant
 
The car will require topping the coolant tank almost daily
 
Irregular heat flow from heater and erratic temp needle are telltale signs....
 
-"intestinal" noises (borborygmi) in the heater system
 
GOing for a head gasket replacement is something one wants not to think of and this is why when I suspect such, I want a sure proof and the compressed air test is really a go-nogo clue. IF compressed air into a cylinder generates bubbles at the radiator cap, you have no choice. ...just starting the engine with the fuel pump relay disconnected might be able to pump air through a leak and bring bubbles at radiator because of the compression cycle in cylinders...but I do not like the noise and strain on starter and battery and the result is less conspicuous...so I prefer to use externally compressed air. My late Dodge Omni was a regular user of that test....but the spark plugs were an easy reach...
 
Several would prefer to try everything else and many go to large expenses to avoid this operation and a few in the forums changed radiators, water pump, thermostat of course, installed a larger electric fan.....sometimes this procures some extra cooling margin but if the head gasket was failed, all of this ended up as waisted expenses added to the replacement cost...so I would go no farther than low cost "tests" like checking the radiator hoses for internal peeling ...rare but just to be sure .. even try a radiator flushing agent... and as I said, running the car WITHOUT a thermostat because a totally free flow might make coolant circulation to radiator easier to be seen.
 
My first choice would be the unambiguous compressed air testing: if it proves positive...you will have some of the work already done. Somewhere I had written a "procedure" for spark plugs replacement...will look for....
yeah...here

#258 of 707 Re: 1999 kia sportage 4x4 overheating [lmp4] by lmp4

Feb 04, 2008 (12:42 pm)

Replying to: lmp4 (Feb 04, 2008 12:09 pm)
in previous post I wrote:
If the coolant spill invades the oil pan, the inside of oil cap
                    I'm talking of the oil filler cap....

#259 of 707 Re: 1999 kia sportage 4x4 overheating [lmp4] by ort102

Feb 04, 2008 (2:11 pm)

Replying to: lmp4 (Feb 04, 2008 12:42 pm)
Ok i went and looked at the oil cap and there was a little bit of a milky whit substance there so i wiped it clean and i will look again after i drive the car to see of more appears.

#260 of 707 Re: Help 2001 Kia Sportage no power [lmp4] by sue45

Feb 05, 2008 (4:58 pm)

Replying to: lmp4 (Jan 30, 2008 7:07 pm)
We did the test it is not the fuel pump, running out of ideas. Does any one have suggestions

#261 of 707 Re: Help 2001 Kia Sportage no power [sue45] by lmp4

Feb 06, 2008 (6:27 am)

Replying to: sue45 (Feb 05, 2008 4:58 pm)
sue 45 said:
We did the test it is not the fuel pump, running out of ideas. Does any one have suggestions
 
OK then for fuel supply. What about the other tests I suggested in my first reply:
WHen voltage runs low (for alternator problem) engine starts being erratic : injectors do not fire, spark is poor, ..and battery runs down. Use a voltmeter and test battery voltage with engine running (14.2-14.7)
There have been cases of blocked catalyser...disconnect exhaust and run a test with a lot of noise..(That's fun)...
 
ALso, I cannot dismiss the possibility of the timing belt having jumped a cog or 2, so I'd certainly verify that. You said it had been changed...when?
Is the Check ENgine Light ON? And if so, retreive codes and post them.
 
YOU said it lacks power...can you describe that with more details? DOes the engine start well?
IS it a manual or automatic? If an auto, do you start from standstill with the HOLD light ON? (this starts in 2nd gear., quite mushy.).

Messages Page 27 of 72

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement