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I'm having somewhat of an unusual issue with my 2014 Kia Forte EX GDI. Everything about this car is perfect, it's built well, handles well, and when it decides to drive like it should, it's a really awesome car to drive.
I bought it back in May of 2013 with 37 miles and it now has 10,977 to be exact. Towards the latter part of ownership, the car has intermittently ran into this problem.
Here's what happens when I experience "the problem", when I'm driving (doesn't matter if it's city or highway) the acceleration of the car slows down, the shifting is totally out of sync and it is in a huge hurry to get to the 6th gear from a dead stop to 30/35 MPH. Because of that, the acceleration and the car in general feel extremely stiff. It's hard to explain but say I'm at a stop sign and I lightly accelerate to get up to speed, 1st gear is fine, then it gets into 2nd/3rd/4th and so on, by 2nd and every other gear after, the engine sounds like it's under this tremendous load. The vibration and noise are very noticeable. So much that the vibration will rattle my sunglasses sitting in the cup holder. The car just doesn't have that power that I'm used to. By the time I'm on the highway and going about 65 MPH, everything is fine until I need to speed up, it almost refuses to downshift unless I press a little more on the accelerator, then it does about 1-2 gears and there is no noticeable power gain or speed increase, just engine noise (like it's under strain), you really have to get on it to speed up and when it does downshift, it's weak. Now there aren't any rough shifts or anything, they're smooth. What I notice is that when I do accelerate moderately hard from a dead stop, there is a hesitation and it seems as if the transmission is still in a higher gear then it shifts into first, maybe second. I even did a 0-60 test and when I do have this problem, it takes the car about 8-9 seconds to reach 60. When I don't, 6-6.5.
On a day that this doesn't happen the engine is hardly noticeable and it shifts at the appropriate times. Even when I'm on the highway and I reach the slightest incline it downshifts a gear to compensate, I can easily pass other cars with no problem and there isn't that noise or vibration. It's brisk and has power that I'm used to.
I took it in for this problem and of course when I drove it with the service advisor and the service advisor test drove it, it drove perfectly. They kept it 2 days and ran diagnostics, nothing came up. They reset the adaptive values, so it could re-learn my driving habits, didn't help at all. Of course I wanted to take it yesterday when the problem was extremely bad but they couldn't see me until Tuesday the 29th.
I asked around on Kia Forums and some that own this same vehicle have noticed the issue just like I have. My parents 2013 Soul and neighbors 2014 Optima certainly don't have this problem. A TSB has been released for an ECU flash, maybe that could be it? Don't know...
Personally, I don't think it's a mechanical issue but an electronics issue.
I just ask that the negative Kia haters don't comment on this thread and bash me for buying one. They are not the economy manufacturer they used to be in the 90's (even though you still have 1999 Kia's still running with 372,000 miles on them). I am a loyal Kia owner and this is my 3rd and have never had any type of problem like this.
The GDI's have a problem believe it or not of carbon building up on intake valves [inside] .Most shops have a vacuum - shop air-walnut shell blasting system that allows cleaning with just removal of the intake manifold.
All the dealers should provide this service.
Have the dealer check to see if that's the issue.I could be wrong.
The GDI's have a problem believe it or not of carbon building up on intake valves [inside] .Most shops have a vacuum - shop air-walnut shell blasting system that allows cleaning with just removal of the intake manifold.
All the dealers should provide this service.
Have the dealer check to see if that's the issue.I could be wrong.
I've heard of that before. But do you think that it would possibly happen at only 10,000 miles?
Those deposits in the pic above are a result of oil consumption and are a symptom, not a cause. Cleaning that off is a Band-Aid, not a cure. If anyone reading this has a vehicle suffering from this be sure to maintain your complaint to prevent you just being pacified until warranty expiration.
This is moot question. It's new car under warranty. Bring her back to dealer, take no "we can't find it" and let them have it. It's shame you have to hassle with this.
The next time it is happening, drive straight to the dealer. Do not shut the engine off. Make them look at your car immediately. Do not take no for an answer.
I think it is engine electronics.
A sludge problem would not occur that soon, and its impact would be constant, not erratic. Sludge doesn't come and go.
The next time it is happening, drive straight to the dealer. Do not shut the engine off. Make them look at your car immediately. Do not take no for an answer.
I think it is engine electronics.
A sludge problem would not occur that soon, and its impact would be constant, not erratic. Sludge doesn't come and go.
You beat me to it. Intermittent problems are a pain for all involved, and this may be the only way for the dealers to see firsthand what is happening.
Some say it doesnt work, but I would put a can of SeaFoam in the tank and maybe even draw some in through the intake.
Could just be a mistake having the wrong spark plugs installed, or using crappy gas.
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