Update time again:
It's been a while for reasons I'll get to now.
Basically I started hearing a ticking noise from the engine. In doing my research I found out that this 2.0L is a variant of the 2.4 they were/are putting in higher power Fortes, Sonatas/Optimas, Sorento's/Santa Fe Sports...you know..the one that likes to randomly fail. Yeah, they've been failing in these too and, in Canada, people are getting their engines replaced in Fortes with little to no fuss. Here it's been quite a different story.
So naturally I was worried. It sounded tappy before the engine was warmed up and at certain RPM's that I'd hit with my semi aggressive driving style. So I brought it in to my mechanic. They do a bunch of diagnostics and at first couldn't replicate the issue - turns out they weren't driving it like I was. So the next day I demonstrated the noise to them and they noted the RPM's at which it occurs.
They look some more - they noticed when the Intake VVT Solenoid/Oil Control Valve was unplugged, the noise went away. They also noted that TSB that reminds of H/K's mandate to only use their filter as others can result in inadequate oil flow and noises. They changed the oil using the Kia filter and said it quieted it down considerably but that a noise was still present.
Their estimate to fix was around $2,900 because they'd replace both solenoids, actuators,, the timing chain, tensioners and guides due to the shared labor.
They didn't recommend going forward because they couldn't definitively say if the noise would go away or if we'd just hear different noises - according to their databases, this engine can just be noisy - something that's been proved out in various owner forums and groups I've been in. "You might as well just drive it and then if it gets worse maybe we can re assess but for now...keep driving it" - or something to that effect.
In a panic I wondered what I can get if I were to trade in the car for some shitbox from Carvana or something. It wasn't much and It would basically require me to get a 2nd job but it would have been doable. But it just seemed to be a bad idea - the cars would be even worse in terms of interest factor (think stripper Spark and other piles of mediocre shit...) and i'd be paying far more and longer for a car I'd hate rather than just be moderately disinterested by.
So I sit down, hit up YouTube, and apparently the intake solenoid/Oil Control Valve doesn't require engine disassembly - it's right on front of the engine:
[VIDEO]
I have had a lot happen between that initial google search and today in my personal life including a death in the family that caused me to put off ordering the replacement part until this past week or so.
Well, as it turns out with things I own/do...it's never that easy.
Turns out, between the first generation of these engines and the generation in the car in the photo...the bolt holding the solenoid changed.
In my car it's a torx bolt with a round head that no socket can grip.
In the 2nd gen of the Theta II/World Engine, the bolt is a traditional bolt that one could easily use a socket wrench on and get good leverage, etc. Furthermore, one is able to get straight onto the bolt in the 2nd gen - there's the power steering pump in the first gen that can prevent one from getting a bit solidly centered into the hex head bolt.
So naturally I struggled to get the T30 bit centered and ended up stripping it due to it being pretty much seized to the block plus the weird angle. I even tried swivel extensions to get it centered to no avail. I also lost said bit twice. The first time I was able to retrieve the bolt with a mechanics magnet I bought at the auto parts store. The 2nd time though the bolt fell deep into a crevasse around the engine, never to be seen again.
I researched some more and tried to press on. I attempted the following popular ways to unscrew a stripped screw/bolt:
- Rubber glove folded around tip of screwdriver
- Hammering a flathead into the screw and attempting to turn it - it created a slot, yes, but I'm not strong enough to turn it and most of my wrenches fit around the ergo rubber handles on any of my screwdrivers. The one that does just slips around because of the rubber grip.
I haven't tried the rubber band method yet nor have I tried the spring punch method. At this point I'm probably gonna cut my losses, return the part to amazon and move on with my life. I've got 2 years and 8 months to milk this along and that's if I don't get a new job where I can dump extra money in to pay it off sooner - one of the benefits of a super low car payment.
I scheduled a oil change with Kia for a week from now. We shall see how that goes. Inquired about a transmission fluid change, got a quote for $258 bucks. Car shifts fine so I'll likely save this for the oil change after this upcoming one.
A few weeks ago I noticed that my AC was not working - I suspect that this is the reason why:
My winter accident continues to plague me and now I realize I should have took the L and filed another claim so everything could be fixed. Unless I can change the VVT part (or if not changing it isn't a problem), I won't invest in replacing the AC Condenser. A bit inconvenient due to the work conference I have to drive to in July 3 hours away and my trip to Atlantic City in 2 weeks but I'll deal. I've certainly done so before with the Taurus, the Jeep, etc.
Did I mention that I accidentally drove over a curb in mid May? Cause yeah, that happened too:
Damage:
Repair:
A shit ton of undercoating and crimping took place.
So yeah, the Kia has achieved peak beater status. Aside from most mechanical needs, I'm not putting a dime into it other than the car payment, insurance, and gas. It's not worth investing in it at this point. So no aftermarket carplay, no nothin. Not a cent beyond AC if it's worth fixing. Not proud of myself, because despite being dent covered and being as boring and unsatisfying as a piece of generic brand white bread, I wanted to take care of it but hey:
Here we are. 2 years and 8 months can't come fast enough.