Check engine light is one o the most feared things in the car community. And if you have a Kia vehicle, there is a possibility that you see the Kia check engine light is on or blinking. Here, we give information about the general causes and the general scenarios of this problem that you can face. And also we assess the different fixes that you can make on your own. The average and estimated prices of the fixes will give you a rough idea about the repair cost of your Kia car.
Kia Check Engine Light Causes, Solutions, and Prices
If you check the dashboard of your Kia vehicle, you understand that you have a problem with your car. And here are the general problems that you can face with the symptoms.
Aftermarket Items
In general, the use the aftermarket parts instead of OEM parts is much more common because of their low prices. But they can cause some problems. If the other parts are not compatible with the aftermarket part that you attached to your engine system, it can cause the check engine to light on. This can be a problematic issue.
We recommend you take your vehicle to a Kia service and check the problem professionally. And if they find the source of the problem is an aftermarket part, they will use an OEM part to solve this problem.
Mass Air Flow Sensor Problem
In your Kia vehicle, the mass air flow sensor must send information on how much air coming from the intake manifold to the ECU system. And the ECU system adjusts the best amount of fuel according to this information. The most optimized burn takes place in the cylinders with this şinbformatiom.
So, if there is no mass air flow sensor in your car, your car can not adjust the level of fuel to burn in the cylinders. The misfire is the most common symptom. And also you can hear unusual sounds coming from your engine.
General Fixes
The problem can be on the cable connections between the mass air flow sensor and the battery and ECU. Changing one cable connection in this sensor system can cost around $50-$100 including labor costs.
Also, you can have a problem with your mass air flow sensor directly. And if you bring your car to Kia service, they can change the mass air flow sensor with a new one. The aftermarket MAF sensors can cost around $60-$100. And also the OEM MAF sensors of general Kia cars can cost around $150. Also if we add the total labor cost and expertise to the replacement, you will pay around $200-$300 for the service to solve this problem.
In general, you can not change the MAF sensor. You need expert knowledge and equipment to make this thing.
Loose Gas Cap
This is also a very common problem that we are facing with the Kia cars. If the gas cap of your car is loosened, you will see the check engine light on the dashboard. What you need to do is, just tighten the gas cap. This will solve the problem.
If your lovers or friends have a Kia car, you can shock them by loosening the gas cap 🙂 When they come inside the vehicle, they will see that the check engine light is on, but do not hold the joke too long 🙂
Oxygen Sensor Problems
Also, you can have problems with the oxygen sensor of the Kia vehicle that you have. The oxygen sensor is a very important problem that you can deal with. The oxygen sensor must send information about the amount of oxygen in the exhaust fumes to the ECU system of the car. And the ECU system can adjust the amount of fuel in the cylinders according to that information. So the burning of the optimum amount of air-fuel mixture takes place in the cylinders.
If there is a problem with the oxygen sensor of your car, the symptoms that you will feel are the same as the MAF sensor problem.
Fixes of Oxygen Sensor Problems
Life the MAF sensor, you can face different scenarios. The general scenarios are the same with the MAF sensor. Also, the replacement and fixed costs are the same as the MAF sensor.
The difference is, you can replace the oxygen sensor on your own if you are familiar with car mechanics in general. First of all, you need to make sure that you buy the same oxygen sensor that your car has.
You need a hydraulic jack to lift your car. Because the place of the oxygen sensor is right after the catalytic converter at the bottom of the car.
Locate the place of the sensor and use a basic wrench or screwdriver set to rip off the sensor system from your car.
If you apply the cleaning instructions to clean the oxygen sensor, it will be very easy to clean the system without any problem. After that, you can easily attach the system back.
Problems with Electrical Systems
Also if there is a problem with the electrical system of your car, the check engine light will be on. And also if there is a problem with the electrical system the spark plugs will not work. And also the distributor system will not work. This means the engine will not work.
Furthermore, there can be a problem with the individual spark plugs. Each cylinder of your car has one spark plug. So if one of them is faulty, the fuel inside the engine cylinders will not ignite. And you will feel this thing as an engine performance loss.
And also if all the spark plugs do not work, the engine will not work or suddenly stop. Because the fuel does not ignite inside the engine. The reason for this is there is a problem with the distributor system of your car.
Fix
The only problem can be a dead battery. You just need to charge it by running the engine. And if there is a problem with the individual sğark plugs, the replacement cost of one spark plug will cost around $100-$150. And also if there is a problem with the distributor system of your car, you will pay around $250-$300 including the labor costs. Because the general costs of the distributors of Kia cars generally range between $150-$200.
Also, there can be problems with the cable connections of the spark plugs, distributor, and battery. Changing one cable connection will cost around $50.
These are the general problems that you can face with the Kia check engine light. We recommend that you need to bring your car to a Kia service for the diagnosis. Because professionals are attaching special devices to ECU that directly give what is the problematic part of the car. And they deal with this problem.
Blinking Kia Check Engine Light
Also if the Kia check engine light blinks, there is a major problem with your engine. And we do not recommend you drive with this attention. Also if the check engine light starts blinking while you are driving your car, you just need to pull over and call a car tow to bring your car to a Kia service. This will help you to deal with the problem in a very easy way.
If you continue to drive with the check engine light blinking, you can harm your vehicle very badly. And the cost can reach thousands of dollars because of that.
How Many Miles Can You Drive with the Check Engine Light?
Also, people are asking this question again and again. If the check engine light is on, there can be different kinds of problems you have. For example, if this light is on because of the loose gas cap, you can drive without any problem. But if the check engine light is on because of the faulty oxygen sensor, the misfire could harm ina very bad your engine. And this will increase the costs.
Also, you do not know the real source of the problem. So, you need to bring your car to service immediately if you are not in an emergency.
Diagnosis Prices of Kia Check Engine Light
If you will try to solve the problem of your car, you need to know where the problem is at. To do it, you need to use a special device and connect that device to the ECU system of the car. And the device shows the problematic part directly.
The general costs will be around $50-$60 for the diagnosis. We explained the different ways to deal with this problem. And you need to decide if you need to correct the problem.
Conclusion About Kia Check Engine Light
These are the general things that we can state about this topic. We explained the general causes and general fixed prices. Also, we explained the different scenarios in that you can deal with the problem on your own.
Your precious feedbacks are very important to use. Leave your comments and questions below!
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References
Kia Owners Manual – owners.kia.com
Problems With Kia Cars: 7 Known Issues (Explained) – Motor and Wheels
