- I currently am into driving a high mileage 2.4L Kia Rondo EX car with that motor. First car was a great runner. But was destroyed in a heavy frontal collision that ended it at 280000km use. Second replacement clone used car purchase was good - UNTIL 2 days after purchase, motor seized. Classic signs of connecting arm through block due to sudden seize-up. Now I have another 190000 km use replacement. The same motor, as this used car deal was no cost warrantied. BUT am desperately trying to avoid any issues with the 3rd motor, also 2.4L MPFI dohc. Its a smooth quiet runner. Can any steps like an engine flush reduce chances of fine metal debris inside there? Will using A1 synthetic oil done often and a Purolator Boss filter help. Just curious Scotty if anything can be done to avoid these high mileage/km issues on the otherwise real nice honest car. Is there any belief aluminum block/head designs are just not high mileage runners. Cab drivers disagree and say they can be driven there with routine servicing.
The only way to avoid the engine problems of these poorly engineered and badly built cars is not to buy one.
Aluminum is great and better than the ol iron blocks of the day, all aluminum engines use sleeves for the pistons so it's not just aluminum to piston contact. That would be torn to shreds instantly. When it comes to just design, Kia gets just a passing grade from A-F so like a D+ in my book lol. The problem is they tend to cheap out on the pistons and crank themselves from what I hear, so the block is ight for the most part if you gonna talk about the grit of it. And I'm sure most of these 'cab drivers' don't also drive kia's.
Well, there was the Chevy Vega aluminum block that didn't have sleeves but we all know how that turned out. I've read of others as well that use high silicone content blocks or other types of coatings but the majority of production engines do use liners.
As you say though the main concern here really is the low quality of recent Hyundai/Kia engines. Every once in a while someone gets lucky but overall they are very prone to self-destructing.
The only company I know of that did it right was Porsche when they changed from cast iron steel cylinder liners to plating the cylinders with Nikasil.