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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / General Car Topics / June 20072004 Kia Optima
I am posting to these newsgroups because of the vast expertise available. Thank you for indulging me. On April 30, 2007, I purchased a 2004 KIA Optima that had been used by the dealer as a loaner. The car had about 19,000 miles on it when purchased by me. The car had been placed in Service by the dealer on June 30, 2005. When purchased by me, there was a little over 3 years and 40, 000 miles left on the warranty. I have noticed on several occassions the car appeared to be leaning to the left (when viewed from the rear) while parked in my driveway. Yesterday, I took a few measurements in the driveway and the car leans about 1/2" to the left. Measurements were taken at a point near the left front, left rear, right front and right rear. I moved the car into my garage, on a level floor, re-measured, and confirmed my original measurements. I will be taking this up with the dealer but would like any ideas as to what may have caused this problem and how to resolve it. Thanks for any information. Your not going to like this but the most obvious answer is it was wrecked, the suspension damaged or unit body structure bent or both, and then not properly repaired. I'd take it to a good alignment shop and have them give it a through going over. Or you might take it to a shop that does a lot of crash repairs and get them to check it out for any damage or signs of repairs. I actually had a vehicle (a Jeep Comanche) that had a definite tilt to it for a while, it happened when I hit a piece of broken curb at about 45 mph and bent the front axle. Good luck! Jeff DeWitt > I am posting to these newsgroups because of the vast expertise available. > Thank you for indulging me. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Thanks for any information. >I am posting to these newsgroups because of the vast expertise available. > Thank you for indulging me. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Thanks for any information. Too much chocolate cake. Seriously, could be it was driven by someone that was a bit on the heavy side and has some sag in the suspension. Usually takes more than 19,000 miles though. Check the manufacturer's tolerance too, it may be close to specification. > I am posting to these newsgroups because of the vast expertise available. > Thank you for indulging me. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Thanks for any information. I've seen this on much older vehicles, caused by the sagging springs of a vehicle driven mostly by the lone driver. If the KIA springs sagged that soon they must be of quite poor quality. >> I am posting to these newsgroups because of the vast expertise available. >> Thank you for indulging me. [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > a vehicle driven mostly by the lone driver. > If the KIA springs sagged that soon they must be of quite poor quality. Don't know if it applies to Kia, as I've heard of it mostly in conjunction with Ford, but it's possible a left side spring has broken near the bottom. Corrosion from road chemical build-up in the spring seat is the culprit AFAIK. Mike > >> I am posting to these newsgroups because of the vast expertise available. > >> Thank you for indulging me. [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > Mike Thanks, I'll have a look. Biggest problem is that it is a Kia. The car is already 3 years old, its probably pretty close to the end of its life! >> >> I am posting to these newsgroups because of the vast expertise > available. [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] >> > Thanks, I'll have a look. > Biggest problem is that it is a Kia. > The car is already 3 years old, its probably pretty close to the end of > its life! Driving a 5 year old that I do service calls out of , basically beating the crap out of it to put if bluntly, hauling around tools and parts , don't think it's "pretty close to the end of it's life " or are you a previous owner of one? >> Biggest problem is that it is a Kia. >> The car is already 3 years old, its probably pretty close to the end of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > don't think it's "pretty close to the end of it's life " or are you a > previous owner of one? FWIW, wife drives a 2002 Optima. The car has just shy of 100,000 miles on it and is still fantastic. Only consistent issue we had was window regulators which now are sorted. Very happy we bought the car. >> Biggest problem is that it is a Kia. >> The car is already 3 years old, its probably pretty close to the end of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > don't think it's "pretty close to the end of it's life " or are you a > previous owner of one? My daughter-in-law is on her second Sephia. Her experience is that it isn't a rugged car, but as long as she treats it gently it is reliable enough. It's those 3K mile oil change requirements to maintain the warranty that bug her. She has to have 33 done by the time the warranty expires. Mike > My daughter-in-law is on her second Sephia. Her experience is that it isn't > a rugged car, but as long as she treats it gently it is reliable enough. > It's those 3K mile oil change requirements to maintain the warranty that bug > her. She has to have 33 done by the time the warranty expires. That's one way to make a profit on the vehicle. >:) > My daughter-in-law is on her second Sephia. Her experience is that it isn't > a rugged car, but as long as she treats it gently it is reliable enough. > It's those 3K mile oil change requirements to maintain the warranty that bug > her. She has to have 33 done by the time the warranty expires. Cheap insurance, on any car. >> My daughter-in-law is on her second Sephia. Her experience is that it >> isn't [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Cheap insurance, on any car. I think 3K is awfully short. I do 5K on my cars and that's a short interval. 10K is stretching it just a little bit IMO. The manual on my Toyota calls for 7500 mile changes (5K severe duty) but the European manual calls for 10K mile or 15 K km changes. My daughter's '93 Honda calls for 7500 mile changes in either regular or severe duty and it's still going strong at 235K miles. The price difference between 5K and 3K changes (if not DIY) can be substantial. Even at $20 the additional 13 changes is $260, and a $20 oil change has to be one with oil and filter I would never put in a car I wanted to keep. Again, my opinion. I realize this is one of those "religious" topics, so everybody is welcome to follow their own star. Mike Costs me about $12 and takes maybe 10 min. I do it myself, about every 3000-3500 miles, oil is a LOT cheaper than an engine. Jeff DeWitt >>> My daughter-in-law is on her second Sephia. Her experience is that it >>> isn't [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Mike > Costs me about $12 and takes maybe 10 min. > > I do it myself, about every 3000-3500 miles, oil is a LOT cheaper than an > engine. > > Jeff DeWitt Okay, Jeff, but if your oil change takes only ten minutes, you must have either a hydraulic hoist or a lubrication pit built into your garage. I (and most people) couldn't get the front wheels onto jacks in ten minutes. >> Costs me about $12 and takes maybe 10 min. >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > either a hydraulic hoist or a lubrication pit built into your garage. I > (and most people) couldn't get the front wheels onto jacks in ten minutes. Yikes, take me ten minutes to get the durned jack out of the trunk and remember how the new fangled things work :) Course I'm old and long retired anyways, so who cares? Reminds me - how many old retired guys does it take to change a light bulb? Just one. But it takes him all day. Take care. Ken >>> Costs me about $12 and takes maybe 10 min. >>> [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Ken In the case of this retired guy, it takes me three days - one to decide if the bulb is, in fact, burned out. One to actually decide to change it, and one to actually get it done. As for the ten minutes, I make the oil change a complete check over. The Optima is the car wife drives, so I want no surprises for her. I check the tires, lube the door hinges, check the bulbs, etc., etc., etc. Whole process, including getting the ramps out/put away takes ½ hour. I know 3,000 may be a little soon in today's oil world, but it forces me under the car to check it out. Rich "mookie" <z@tink.net> wrote in message > As for the ten minutes, I make the oil change a complete check over. The > Optima is the car wife drives, so I want no surprises for her. I check > the tires, lube the door hinges, check the bulbs, etc., etc., etc. Whole > process, including getting the ramps out/put away takes ½ hour. Yep, I used to do it like that too. Last time though, was my '91 Regal. What PITA to get to the filter without a lift (I have ramps). After that I found it much easier to pay $24.95, especially in the winter. When it is on the lift at Bill's, it take a look underneath while he is changing the filter and checking the tires. >> Costs me about $12 and takes maybe 10 min. >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > either a hydraulic hoist or a lubrication pit built into your garage. I > (and most people) couldn't get the front wheels onto jacks in ten minutes. Nope, neither one, I've got a Cherokee and don't have to lift it up to change the oil, same is true of my Studebaker Champ. Jeff DeWitt > my Studebaker Champ. Now THAT brings back some memories.... >> my Studebaker Champ. > > Now THAT brings back some memories.... Both coming and going :) >>> my Studebaker Champ. >> >> Now THAT brings back some memories.... > > Both coming and going :) Yep <G> But my Champ is the one from 1960, the pickup truck not the Champion sedan from earlier years. Jeff DeWitt > > Cheap insurance, on any car. > > I think 3K is awfully short. Doesn't change the fact that it's cheap insurance on any car. >> I think 3K is awfully short. > > Doesn't change the fact that it's cheap insurance on any car. Cheap insurance against what, exactly? This thread is heavily cross-posted, so it offers us the voice of a lot of experience. Everybody, everywhere, when was the last time you saw an engine that actually suffered from 5K mile oil changes? Even 10K mile? (Note the specific exception below.) And how many have you seen fail because of timing belt neglect or head gasket failure? Have you ever heard (in recent times) of an oil analysis at 5K miles saying the oil was no longer usable? Or even at 10K miles? Have you heard of any engine (again, in the last 30 years or so) that suffered damage or sludge from 5K change intervals? My view is well summarized in www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm#Oil%20Change%20Intervals - 3K oil changes are from days long gone except as recommended by those entities that wish the instructions could say "drain, fill, repeat." The previously mentioned site noted that engines with hydraulic timing chain snubbers are an exception, and I agree with that. I would also expand it to any engine with internal hydraulics, like variable valve timing engines. However, I think higher detergency oils are a more important factor in those engines than excessively frequent oil changes. Mike > I am posting to these newsgroups because of the vast expertise available. > Thank you for indulging me. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Thanks for any information. 2 easy things to check; Are all 4 tires the same size? Do they all have the same pressure? HTH, Ben > > I am posting to these newsgroups because of the vast expertise available. > > Thank you for indulging me. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > HTH, > Ben Thanks for the input. Yes, all 4 tires are the same size (put on 4 new ones in May) and checked the pressure the day I did the measurements. |
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