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SUVs Kia Sportage Kia Sportage Gasoline Leak
13 messages, Last post on Dec 29, 2008 at 1:51 PM
You are in the Kia Sportage Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
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Replying to: kim48 (Sep 15, 2007 4:51 am) This tank is subject to a recall (inspection !!) in the USA, but not in Canada . The tank is easy to remove ...but disconnect all hoses and electrical connectors first from the top access panel, under rear seat. The clamp for filler hose can be cut with a Dremmel tool then replaced, rather than trying to remove . THe tank has a drain plug ...quite unusual...but a welcome feature that has a flaw : main cause of fuel leak proved to be the corrosion of the fuel tank drain plug seal/washer. This washer is aluminum and contact with steel tank and plug creates electrolysis and unavoidable corrosion of washer .  I replaced it with a steel washer and used teflon to seal the plug. The corrosion was all over the tank tankbefore top Leaving it unattended would have lead to a total disintegration down the line but it still proved worthy at this time. The metal used is lower grade than tanks I have had on other cars. The padding between the shield and the tank keeps water and is a problem in itself. After buffing the tank I covered it with 2 coats of spray rubberised asphalt as sold for undercar protection. after1 after2 After reinstallation a tiny leak on bottom proved to have been exacerbated . TO be sure, I had not reinstalled the shield specifically in prevision of such an event so I did not have to remove the tank again. The leak cleared the asphalt coating a few incles around: emptying the tank again and tilting the car slighty on one side allowed to cure the hole with epoxy as the little remaining fuel was on the other side of the tank. I painted the shield with Tremclad skid plate but did not reinstall the padding . An array of hoses are sandwitched between the tank and frame lines and the space was filled with sand and other debris: this is a trap for corrosion and I will ensure to wash that area from time to time. After removing as much rust as possible, I covered it all with spray asphalt. Bottom line: this tank NEEDS maintenance in the first place, and then needs being washed with water specially in areas where salt is used in winter. Access from the top is easy and it can be washed from there, as well as the space between tank and frame. Replace the plug seal as soon as possible as the aluminum original will corrode away inevitably.
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Replying to: lmp4 (Oct 10, 2007 1:54 am) |
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I was suprised how widespread the problem with the Kia fuel tank was, and how costly it can be to fix. I'm a used vehicle dealer, and recently had a customer return shortly after purchasing a 2000 Sportage after filling the gas tank. It's not a problem for me to make things right when there's a obvious defect. But I'm used to dealing with lots of resources to purchase parts and found that no-one makes an aftermarket tank. It seems there is such a demand for these tanks due to the failure rate, they are nearly non-existant used. It clearly is a design defect, as the shield traps dirt and sediment which can rub the tank, and cause it to rust out. This is something that Kia should take care of, immediately.
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Replying to: johnfarmer (Oct 15, 2007 8:31 pm) RECALL Canadian dealers say this recall does not apply in Canada so here we are on our own. It states clearly that if leaks are revealed, the dealer must change the damaged part...however I saw no one on several KIA forums saying they had their tank changed for free, though........
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Replying to: lmp4 (Oct 17, 2007 1:12 pm)
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Replying to: robjbp (Dec 05, 2007 3:03 pm) WIll print and show....
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Replying to: lmp4 (Dec 05, 2007 4:50 pm) |
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| http://www.auto123.com/en/used/recalls/ | |
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I recieved a recall in the mail from kia that said a fuel leak from fuel tank is a problem in highly salted road areas, I was able to remove the shield on my 99 and clean it before it rusted. I highly recomend you do the same before you get a leak. You can also use a rubberized undercoating before you put the shield back on. 
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My fuel tank is leaking on my 2000 Kia Sportage. I printed out the Service Campaign 1996-2002 Sportage Fuel Tank Inspection .PDF and took it to both my local dealers. Niether dealer wanted to touch the tank or honor the NHTSA inspection. I read on the 'Vehicles Affected' column that it's 1996-2002 MY Sportage Models. Are those special models? How do you tell if you have a Sportage AL or KM? All the dealers would tell me is that were no recalls on my model and that they couldn't help me. Up till today I haven't had any major complaints about Kia...but the more I have to work with Kia dealers the farther I get from ever buying another Korean/Kia model car. Thank you in advance for any information. The dealer instructed me that Campaigns were different from Recalls and that to replace my gas tank would be over $400.ooUSD |
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