We lent our van (the 2007 Dodge Caravan) to our son and his family so I could catch up on the maintenance and repair on their van (a 2009 Kia Sedona). The Sedona has 190K km (c. 118K miles) on it.
Lots of overdue maintenance (oil and filter change, tranny drain and fill, coolant drain and fill, brake fluid and PS fluid syringed out, engine AF and cabin AF changed, front stabilizer-bar end links changed, brakes serviced (slider pins cleaned and lubed, brake pad hardware lubed)) and likely more that escapes me.
An Easy Repair
I found the intake-air pipe to have a major crack on the bottom. I wonder how long it's been there, and how the silica counts were on the old oil.
There had been a CEL (two codes - lean condition on each bank) but it didn't come back after I cleared the codes, even though I didn't find the cracked pipe until a week later.
Anyway, it's replaced now.
More Repairs:
Parking Brake
Changed out the R parking-brake cable (seized) and replaced the parking brake shoes and hardware on that side. I had not worked on a drum brake in a long time. This did nothing to make me miss them.
I still need to change out the L cable and change out the shoes and hardware on that side.
AC Delete
The compressor started making a horrible noise about a year ago. Besides them having no AC, I was worried about the compressor seizing and taking out the serpentine belt.
I took the van to a shop to have the refrigerant removed legally. They said it had already leaked out of the failed compressor.
For the interim, I installed an AC delete unit - an SKP product that replaces the compressor. Basically it provides a free-wheeling pulley instead.
The first one from RA was broken. The return process was easy, and the new one was delivered this morning.
The engine sure sounds a lot nicer without the screech and whine of the dying compressor.
To be done:
I plan to change the rear stabilizer- bar bushings, which I suspect are the source of the thumping noises from the back.
If I'm really ambitious:
The engine (Hyundai/Kia Lambda 3.8) has a loud valvetrain tick.
The pundits say that the cam lobes push directly on little cups with a certain shim thickness. The cup then pushes on the valve stem.
The ticking is typically caused by excessive clearance, and the solution is to remove the camshaft and replace the cup with one with the appropriate shim in it.
Sounds scary. I'm running out of time, so perhaps it will go to the pros for this work.
Lots of overdue maintenance (oil and filter change, tranny drain and fill, coolant drain and fill, brake fluid and PS fluid syringed out, engine AF and cabin AF changed, front stabilizer-bar end links changed, brakes serviced (slider pins cleaned and lubed, brake pad hardware lubed)) and likely more that escapes me.
An Easy Repair
I found the intake-air pipe to have a major crack on the bottom. I wonder how long it's been there, and how the silica counts were on the old oil.
There had been a CEL (two codes - lean condition on each bank) but it didn't come back after I cleared the codes, even though I didn't find the cracked pipe until a week later.
Anyway, it's replaced now.
More Repairs:
Parking Brake
Changed out the R parking-brake cable (seized) and replaced the parking brake shoes and hardware on that side. I had not worked on a drum brake in a long time. This did nothing to make me miss them.
I still need to change out the L cable and change out the shoes and hardware on that side.
AC Delete
The compressor started making a horrible noise about a year ago. Besides them having no AC, I was worried about the compressor seizing and taking out the serpentine belt.
I took the van to a shop to have the refrigerant removed legally. They said it had already leaked out of the failed compressor.
For the interim, I installed an AC delete unit - an SKP product that replaces the compressor. Basically it provides a free-wheeling pulley instead.
The first one from RA was broken. The return process was easy, and the new one was delivered this morning.
The engine sure sounds a lot nicer without the screech and whine of the dying compressor.
To be done:
I plan to change the rear stabilizer- bar bushings, which I suspect are the source of the thumping noises from the back.
If I'm really ambitious:
The engine (Hyundai/Kia Lambda 3.8) has a loud valvetrain tick.
The pundits say that the cam lobes push directly on little cups with a certain shim thickness. The cup then pushes on the valve stem.
The ticking is typically caused by excessive clearance, and the solution is to remove the camshaft and replace the cup with one with the appropriate shim in it.
Sounds scary. I'm running out of time, so perhaps it will go to the pros for this work.