'03 Optima High Temp Gauge

Hopefully my fellow Kia owners are as diligent about posting as my fellow Saturn owners. It seems like I can always find info in Google Groups.

I have a 2003 Kia Optima, with about 68,000 miles on it. A few weeks ago the temperature gauge started climbing up. Its the car my husband primarliy drives, and its reached the point where he's got to have the heater on full blast to keep the guage from getting into the red. With the heater on it sits just under the midway mark.

I've never had a thermostat/radiator issue on a car with miles so far below 150,000. Is this a normal occurance for an Optima? Is there something else I should be looking at??

Any insight you can offer will be greately appreciated.

Thanks everyone!!!

Reply to
Jackie M
Loading thread data ...

Start with a fresh thermostat. The quality of them is very poor these days. Nexy issue may be a failing head gasket. This can be checked at a radiator shop where they can run a test to see if there are combustion gases mixed in the coolant.

Hope the fix is the cheap one!

-SP

Jackie M wrote:

Reply to
Speedy Pete

i.m a kia tech you have a ground wire bad most likely the ground battery cable

Reply to
DrGuRu

A failed cooling fan or cooling fan relay will cause the problems you describe. Do the fans run when the temp gauge starts to climb up? Have you checked the coolant level? Have you had the cooling system flushed and refilled?

Chris

Reply to
halatos

So after numerous trips to test the car, we found out the the temp sender is broken. (I think that's what they called it.) Something is relaying mis-information to the gauge, causing it to go haywire. The radiator never emitted steam, and there were never any other symptoms of the car overheating, other than the gauge going nuts. The price for the part is absurd. So we have yet to get it fixed. Quite honestly, I've been really dissatisfied with Kia's service department. Their parts are ridiculously expensive, and all of the techs (in our area) have to be some of the rudest people I've ever encountered. I can't wait until we sell this car.... we definitely will not be purchasing another Kia.

Reply to
Jackie M

Jackie M wrote in news:1181315820.525851.283920 @w5g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:

Which area is that?

Flame

Reply to
Flame

I'm sorry about your experience. Regardless of the brand name, you would think that car companies are finally "getting it" that customer satisfaction, especially in the service department, is EVERYTHING in terms of getting repeat buyers.

I don't know where you live, or who the service people are. I can only say that not all Kia techs or service departments are like that. In my area (about a 50 mile radius) I have four Kia dealerships. Of the other three, I'm told that two are pretty good and one is an absolute dud (maybe the same one you have). But the one I use is top notch, and that is compared to any brand, any service department.

Without a doubt, it makes a difference in terms of overall satisfaction, and a willingness to give repeat business. Very honestly, because of the way I have been treated, I can promise you this dealership (and this car company) WILL get my repeat business again.

Again, sorry for your experience.

Reply to
Rev. Tom Wenndt

Good to see it was a simple fix.

I concur on the rude personnel. AFter 4 months of trying to get an intake valve from a dealer I DID get it last week, but the parts manager was really nasty about it. I asked the other parts guy if he was just a grouch that day he said he's always rude.

Oh well.

-SP

Jackie M wrote:

Reply to
Speedy Pete

Any wrecking yards in your area? I wouldn't hesitate to pull a sensor of that nature from a junked car.

Chris

Reply to
halatos

And what was the absurd price ?

Reply to
PhilO

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.