Car Question...clearly NF

[motv8tr]

Hey all, my car is now 5 yrs old and has 419000km plus a bit. I'm not looking to get a new car right now. I have a Kia Sportage, and it's starting to burn a bit of oil and lose power on hills. Is there anything you can recommend that I might try to give it a bit of a boost??? I have tried Slick 50 but no difference at all in the performance. Any thoughts on what might help...other than scrapping it??? Oh it's a 5 speed if that makes any difference...

 

I also have a bit of a shimmy when I accelerate, usually when I get near 80-90km/h, but, if I'm coasting no noticeable shimmy....I've had the control arm and ball joints replaced and to the best of my knowledge the tie rods are fine..

 

Thanks for any thoughts

Maureen

[Sinker]

I'd say your doing well to get a kia to last that many KM's.

 

We bought a new one, and it blew up before 80K!!

 

The shimmy could be a CV joint. Under power it will shake, but coasting you won't feel it as much. Does your steering wheel shake? Do you feel the shimmy in your butt, or in your feet?

 

S.

[misfish]

Mo,you are lucky to get that kind of millage from that ride. I have to tell ya,when that motor goes,it will sieze up and theres nothing you can do about it.Theres no repairing it. If it throws the timing chain,it,s game over. My manager had the same ride. This is what happen to him.

[davey buoy]

A friend of mine has a 2003 with over 400km's.Older style, Just finished a vibration problem. Replaced seizing front drive shaft,and both front 4 wheel hubs. Picked up the parts for him at cook stown wreckers. All those parts for $300.00,saved over$1200.00. Not sure if the same vibration as yours but the symptoms seem the same. Changed himself(not a mechanic),very easy. Good luck.

Edited August 27, 2012 by davey buoy

[motv8tr]

Sinker, thanks for the thought on the CV joint, I'll have my friend take a look at that. The shimmy when bad, ie going up a hill pushing to 80/90 it's in the steering wheel, but I also feel the butt shake

 

I have not had to do much to this car at all, it's a 4 cylinder and the only other thing replaced was the starter and there are a few electrical issues, but I managed to work around those so far.

 

Thanks for the help

Maureen

[misfish]

feel the butt shake

 

[TennesseeGuy]

Do you feel the shimmy in your butt, or in your feet?

 

S.

 

I'm guessing that a car which provides a shimmy to a sensitive body part would bring a good dollar on the market. Might make for a happy driver.

[ecmilley]

most likely a bad axle or engine mount.

as for burning oil and loss of power get a compression test done on the engine, change your pcv valve and drop a litre of lucas oil stabilizer in it seen many hyundai/kia engines make it way farther than this with out to many issues

[bigbuck]

You are getting to the end of its useful life. As for losing power on hills, you've got a tired engine. Try some thicker oil, it will slow the burning and hopefully help the compression. As for the vibration, sounds like worn out cv joints. Start planning on a new ride. 80k a year is a lot of driving. I used to drive 60k a year and felt like I lived in the car.

[ttahhan]

Hey there, there are three models fwd, rwd and 4wd which one do you have ?

 

If its FWD - Get the front tires checked as your shimmy could be an internal belt shift in the tire.

If its RWD or 4WD - Still get the front tires checked as well as the front and rear u-joints on the drive shafts.

 

As for increasing compression as your rings sound like there worn a very excellent additive that works is RESTORE you can buy a can at any Canadian Tire.

 

Hope this helps.....

[Gerritt]

blown belt in a tire

[Lunker777]

Cheese and rice .... 5 yrs and 419000 kms !?!?!?!?!?!?!? I thought my uncle was bad with his 212000 kms 2007 Dodge ! hahaha

 

I would try the restore aswell.... as far as the "shimy" goes, can't help ya there

[Spiel]

blown belt in a tire

 

That would be the first thing I would check and likely the cheapest fix, then go from there.

[motv8tr]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I will try the thicker oil, and I have used both Restore and Lucas oil but no noticible difference...will keep trying though with a thicker oil, maybe the combination of the two.

 

I know the tires are ok as I replaced them right after I did the control arms and ball joints. I thought maybe the engine mounts too, I'll see if the guy who replaced the control arms can take a look at the stuff you mentioned...he did say replacing the CV joints might be costly though...

 

I do appreciate the suggestions...if possible I'd like to hang on to it for a couple of more years...

 

Maureen

[aplumma]

Maureen give a P.M. to Bernie and see if he has a few tricks to keep the car going.

 

Art

[danbouck]

change your pcv valve and drop a litre of lucas oil stabilizer in it

 

x2

[DRIFTER_016]

When you get a new vehicle start using full synthetic oil right away.

I used to run 60-75K per year and when I started running Mobile1 full synthetic I never had another motor wear related issue.