Hi Scotty! I just got a 2008 Kia Sportage 2wd, 229,000 miles, automatic- I got a good deal on it but bought it almost sight unseen knowing the person who owned it had done really good maintenance and the price was very right. The body, interior etc are all pristine and well cared for. I was told that some dash lights were on but a mechanic had told the previous owner it was only a $30 sensor that was out that was causing them and not to worry about it. Well, as it turns out ALL the brake associated lights are on-- the ABS, ECH and the red parking brake light, and they all stay on all the time. Of course, I am concerned about driving a car like that. I got a cheap ODB scanner and ran a scan, it came up with only P0130. It is my first time using one so I could be doing it wrong. I only saw one kind of generic sounding "ABS unit" in the list of things scanned, and it did not even come up. Again, I could just be doing it wrong. I cleared the P0130 error, drove it, and it didn't come back. It does seem to drive like a charm. The heater blower does make weird noises now and again though.
After binge watching your channel, I ran my VIN to look for recalls-- and lo and behold, there is one for the HECU. I pasted it below. So I am happy thinking maybe I will be able to get it looked at for free. Not sure that repair will solve the problem entirely.
But alas here is the rub, and my question: I live in a small town on top of a mountain over 7000ft. Turns out the local KIA dealer went bust. The nearest dealer is 65 miles one way, or 75 miles the other way. I called KIA and they said they were the only two options nearby. The one 65 miles away is over a mountain road, often snowy and icy in winter, with very very steep grades. The other way is flatter, but curvy, can also be snowy and icy. Either way good brakes needed. So firstly- would it be safe to drive the car with all those brake lights on, to one of these dealers? The original owner was driving it all over just thinking it was a $30 sensor, but I'm not so sure. Is there anything I can do to know if the brake issue is physically dangerous or 'just a sensor'? They feel good and responsive, if that counts.
Secondly, do you think the recall fix will fix all of it? What would be your advice to get this vehicle up to par- any typical things to look out for or prevent?
Thank you, Scotty I've enjoyed your videos! Jaylee
NHTSA RECALL#
16V815
DESCRIPTION:
KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC. HAS DECIDED THAT A DEFECT WHICH RELATES TO VEHICLE SAFETY EXISTS IN CERTAIN 2008-2009 MY KIA SPORTAGE VEHICLES. THE HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (HECU) ASSEMBLY CONTROLS THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS), ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM (ESC) AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (TCS) IN YOUR VEHICLE. THE HECU CONNECTOR COVER MAY BE IMPROPERLY SEALED WHICH CAN ALLOW THE CONNECTOR PINS TO BECOME CORRODED.
SAFETY RISK
KIA MOTORS AND SUPPLIER ENGINEERS WORKING TOGETHER HAVE DETERMINED THAT WHEN THE HECU CONNECTOR IS EXPOSED TO SALT WATER, THE RESULTING CORROSION CAN LEAD TO A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE HECU??S CIRCUIT BOARD AND RESULT IN A FIRE. THIS FIRE COULD THEN SPREAD INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. NOTE: THIS PROBLEM (THE PRESENCE OF SALT WATER IN THE HECU) DOES NOT AFFECT BRAKE PERFORMANCE.
REMEDY
KIA HAS ADVISED ITS AUTHORIZED KIA DEALERS TO INSPECT THE CONNECTOR PINS FOR CORROSION. IF NO CORROSION IS IDENTIFIED, DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE HECU ASSEMBLY BY REPLACING THE CONNECTOR COVER WITH A NEW ONE WITH IMPROVED SEALING. IF CORROSION IS PRESENT, DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HECU ASSEMBLY AND CONNECTOR COVER WITH A NEW ONE. THE WORK WILL BE PERFORMED AT KIA??S EXPENSE AT NO COST TO YOU. THE ESTIMATED TIME WHICH WILL BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR YOUR VEHICLE IS APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? * IN THE INTEREST OF THE SAFETY OF YOUR PASSENGERS, AS WELL AS YOUR OWN SAFETY, PLEASE IMMEDIATELY CONTACT YOUR KIA DEALER TO ARRANGE FOR THE RECALL REPAIR TO BE CONDUCTED. *PARK YOUR VEHICLE OUTDOORS AND AWAY FROM OTHER VEHICLES OR STRUCTURES UNTIL YOU HAVE THE RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED.
STATUS
RECALL INCOMPLETE
RECALL DATE
11/28/2016
The good thing is that you got the recall, otherwise you had to spend a big money for that car which was not worth it. Next time, if you want to buy a car, check the car in person and ask a mechanic to completely check it for you to avoid these situations. Your car for sure needs Oxygen sensor, regardless of other issues regarding the brake system. I would change it and reset the codes to see if they come back or not. If they came back, tow the car to the dealer (You got bad roads there and ABS, TCS, ESC,... do not work, it is kind of dangerous).
I did not spend much money on it, so no worries about me getting a bad deal. 🙂 If the local dealer was not shut down, I would just take it in for the recall and they could tell me what's wrong. I do not know that the recall is the cause of the issue at hand. Do you think it is? It says it's only caused by salt water corrosion-- but there is no salt water in these parts whatsoever. Nor is salt used on the road. The owner was very good at maintaining the vehicle. I have no reason to doubt she did not take it to a mechanic who told her it was just a sensor. I cannot afford a mechanic to check over a car for me before I buy one (would be awesome tho!) or I would not be on this forum. I was hoping you could tell me the big thing here -what exactly the all brake lights being on could possibly indicate (hopefully a short list)-- could it simply be an oxygen sensor? Is it odd that all 3 brake associated lights are on at once? I had a Chevy once with the ABS sensor light on even after all the wheel sensors were replaced and supposedly cleared. That is what the mechanic said needed done, and when the ABS light kept coming back on he just shrugged his shoulders and took my money for another sensor. Drove it for years without trouble with the light on-- but spent a fortune replacing the sensors for nothing. Towing the current vehicle 75 miles to a dealer would cost more than I paid. Just to make sure I understand- are you saying replacing the oxygen sensor could clear all the brake lights? Thank you!
Unfortunately, unless you scan the car with a higher level scan tool and analyze the data, there is nothing more I can say. Sorry about that.
Yeah I am thinking I should invest in that Creader 7 one to see what's really happening. I thought maybe there was a short list of things that would trip all 3 brake warning lights at once. It seems odd to me only the brake warning lights are on and not a check engine light also, as thought the 02 sensor fault would trip that alone. At least plenty of time during Covid-- will report back with any in-depth scans! Thanks again! Happy New Year 🙂
I own an 09 Sportage mechanically they are excellent can last a long time but electrical, safety, and cosmetic components are outright garbage cosmetic quality is very very very low.
It seems you can have a car even if you do not have driving licence.
@g-t
My parents have it but I like to say that I own it because it gives better context I don't want to start every sentence with "My parents own a 2009 ....". Context.