Kia optima sx 2.0 GDI turbo 5w-40

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The 2018 has electric CVVT on the intake side and conventional oil controlled CVVT on the exhaust side. So no, I may have not been clear earlier about the engines with the combined bolt and Oil Control Valve, sorry for the confusion. Been a long week. The 3.3 Lambda engine in the Stinger and Cadenza use this, as well as the Niro Hybrid. 2.0's and 2.4's are electric on the intake side, starting in 2016.
 
IHMO: The GDI engines in Kia/Hyn are very sensitive to poor maintenance. From what I've heard, these can be real sludge monsters. Keeping the OCI shorter (in my case I'm following the OEM severe service schedule of 3.75K miles - oils cheap) seems to be the main thing here to keep a great engine healthy over the long term. I normally drive mine over many years to 250K miles and plan to on my Optima SX as well (paid for, modified to my liking, drives/runs great/fast and fun).

FWIW: I change the automatic transmission fluid (drain & fill) every ~30K miles as well with OEM fluid and I have installed an inline filter (Magnefine 3/8") for the same reason - I want a long and trouble free service life.
 
You are correct, WhizkidTN. They do have a propensity for sludging up if not maintained. I have however seen a couple go 300,000-400,000 at my dealership with regular scheduled maintenance. There are a couple courier drivers that have their maintenance done at my dealership.

I also agree with the trans service, our 2008 Santa Fe is easier to change the trans fluid than the oil since it has the 5 speed with a dipstick. Spill and fill 4.5 quarts every 30k with Kia SPIII. We tow a small 2 horse trailer with this car and it's approaching 180k on the original drivetrain with not so much as a whimper from any major drivetrain component. The 6 speed is a little more complicated to set fluid level on so with that in mind I think 60k is an acceptable interval, especially with the newer SPIV fluid, though Kia and Hyundai think it can go longer. I've never heard of a transmission failing from having its fluid changed too often.
 
69Torino, in case it's not been said well enough - thanks for taking the time to share your dealership experiences with the forums!
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Originally Posted By: WhizkidTN
69Torino, in case it's not been said well enough - thanks for taking the time to share your dealership experiences with the forums!
smile.gif



Glad to help!
 
I am grateful for 69Torino and the comments he made regarding the NU engines being reliable. I tend to learn the hard way out of ignorance. Having someone willing to share their knowledge and experience at your level is priceless. Thanks!
 
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Originally Posted By: timur38
Thanks 69Torino, does it mean 5w-40 would be fine in 2018 optima turbo engine?


It will be fine to use 5w-40, this is out of the 2018 Optima owner's manual... note they do not list 40 weight oils for use in the non turbo 2.4. Your only penalty would be fuel mileage with 40 weight in a 2.0T.

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69 Torino, appreciate all the direct knowledge your experience, and info with the Kia 2.4 and 2.0T GDI motors. Glad you took the time to post. Thank you.

There are a number of various Kia Forum member with Optima 2.0T's who have installed external Oil Catch Cans, in the engine bay. They say they fill with fuel and dirt, and dump them weekly to keep it out of the oil. I have been considering asking them about them, and looked at one that K5 sells and another, The Mishimoto Oil Catch Can. Any thoughts on these and using them to keep junk and fuel out of the oil?

Also can I do a Trans Fluid partial drain from disconnecting from the Trans Cooler line, and refill with the exact amount that was drained out? I went thru the temperature fluid measure, drain, check, with drain and refill measure on my Lexus sealed no dipstick Trans. What a PITA.
 
Originally Posted By: jgscott
69 Torino, appreciate all the direct knowledge your experience, and info with the Kia 2.4 and 2.0T GDI motors. Glad you took the time to post. Thank you.

There are a number of various Kia Forum member with Optima 2.0T's who have installed external Oil Catch Cans, in the engine bay. They say they fill with fuel and dirt, and dump them weekly to keep it out of the oil. I have been considering asking them about them, and looked at one that K5 sells and another, The Mishimoto Oil Catch Can. Any thoughts on these and using them to keep junk and fuel out of the oil?

Also can I do a Trans Fluid partial drain from disconnecting from the Trans Cooler line, and refill with the exact amount that was drained out? I went thru the temperature fluid measure, drain, check, with drain and refill measure on my Lexus sealed no dipstick Trans. What a PITA.


I have a 2011 Optima with the 2.4 engine and installed a catch can in the spring of 2012. I change my oil every 10000 km and find that in warm weather I can empty the can every oil change. In cold weather I have to empty it every 5000 km. That is a lot of junk that did not go into my combustion chamber. I currently have 130000 km on the car and have not had any mechanical issues. The only problem I have had is the front seat covers wearing out. I had them replaced twice under warranty. They continue to wear but my 5 year warranty is up. The Kia folks tell me that the problem is with what I am wearing when I drive the car. They got real quiet though when I showed them my 2005 Civic that showed absolutely no wear. I do plan on keeping the car for at least another four years.
 
Originally Posted By: cb450sc
Originally Posted By: jgscott
69 Torino, appreciate all the direct knowledge your experience, and info with the Kia 2.4 and 2.0T GDI motors. Glad you took the time to post. Thank you.

There are a number of various Kia Forum member with Optima 2.0T's who have installed external Oil Catch Cans, in the engine bay. They say they fill with fuel and dirt, and dump them weekly to keep it out of the oil. I have been considering asking them about them, and looked at one that K5 sells and another, The Mishimoto Oil Catch Can. Any thoughts on these and using them to keep junk and fuel out of the oil?

Also can I do a Trans Fluid partial drain from disconnecting from the Trans Cooler line, and refill with the exact amount that was drained out? I went thru the temperature fluid measure, drain, check, with drain and refill measure on my Lexus sealed no dipstick Trans. What a PITA.


I have a 2011 Optima with the 2.4 engine and installed a catch can in the spring of 2012. I change my oil every 10000 km and find that in warm weather I can empty the can every oil change. In cold weather I have to empty it every 5000 km. That is a lot of junk that did not go into my combustion chamber. I currently have 130000 km on the car and have not had any mechanical issues. The only problem I have had is the front seat covers wearing out. I had them replaced twice under warranty. They continue to wear but my 5 year warranty is up. The Kia folks tell me that the problem is with what I am wearing when I drive the car. They got real quiet though when I showed them my 2005 Civic that showed absolutely no wear. I do plan on keeping the car for at least another four years.


Thanks for your response. Im thinking I'm going to install a catch can on my 2.0T. Does your CC have a filter with it? Which one do you use? And would you recommend that one, or another brand type>
 
Originally Posted By: jgscott
69 Torino, appreciate all the direct knowledge your experience, and info with the Kia 2.4 and 2.0T GDI motors. Glad you took the time to post. Thank you.

There are a number of various Kia Forum member with Optima 2.0T's who have installed external Oil Catch Cans, in the engine bay. They say they fill with fuel and dirt, and dump them weekly to keep it out of the oil. I have been considering asking them about them, and looked at one that K5 sells and another, The Mishimoto Oil Catch Can. Any thoughts on these and using them to keep junk and fuel out of the oil?

Also can I do a Trans Fluid partial drain from disconnecting from the Trans Cooler line, and refill with the exact amount that was drained out? I went thru the temperature fluid measure, drain, check, with drain and refill measure on my Lexus sealed no dipstick Trans. What a PITA.


What I can tell you about the catch can, the major benefit is that oil will not puddle in the intake manifold so bad. 2.4's are really bad about oil pooling in the intake manifold, due to the design of the intake manifold wrapping "down" and oil vapor from the PCV system falls out of suspension, collecting in the bottom of the plenum. 2.0T's don't do this as bad, because the intake runners are shorter and the manifold is more of a "log" design. I can dump 10-50 ml of oil out of any 2.4 intake manifold I pull off with over 20k miles on it. I have no personal experience with a catch can, but the logic is solid. It's also possible, I suppose, that a catch can on a 2.0T would keep the intercooler cleaner. I've dumped some oil out of those too. The way they are mounted is conducive to oil pooling in the bottom tank, since they are mounted top to bottom, not side to side.

As far as a trans fluid replacement goes, it is tedious to do it the right way, but totally worth it to know the trans fluid level is correct. Fluid level too high will cause it to foam, creating excess heat and wear, fluid level too low will cause the pump to suck the sump dry, especially around high speed turns.

To do it right;
Remove splash shield/aero tray from bottom of car. Pull the 24mm plug. Let it drain. Remove air snorkel at top, two 10mm bolts. Remove battery. Wedge your hands and a set of pliers down the right side of the battery tray and pull one of the trans cooler lines off. Doesn't matter which one. This is important to allow the trans to vent air as you're filling it. The six speed is sealed up tight, and the vent is located at the exact location you must fill it. Pull the fill plug with a long 3/8 drive extension, no socket. There is a square drive in the top of the fill plug. The fill plug is plastic, located left of battery tray. Don't over tighten it when you put it back in. Put drain plug back in with new sealing washer. Leave splash shield off bottom, you will need to set level by dumping fluid out of the "level plug". Dump 6 quarts of SPIV in the fill hole, put everything up top back together NOT FORGETTING TO RECONNECT THE TRANS COOLER LINE, start and run the car through the gears for about five minutes. Pull the level plug out of the front trans pan and let it drain until it's a steady small stream, while car is idling in gear. The level plug also requires a 3/8 square drive and turns 1/4 turn left then you must pull it out. It does not thread in and out. 1/4 turn and pull. Put level plug back in. Now you can put the bottom back together and drive it.

Don't sweat it being a certain temperature to set level. The level doesn't change that much over 50-100 degrees Fahrenheit difference.

I hope this explanation doesn't confuse, I'm not much of a teacher.
 
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Originally Posted By: timur38
Thanks 69Torino, will a catch can void a warranty in case of engine failures? I recently read a thread here on BITOG about Premium fuel reducing oil fuel dilution effect https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4577441/Premium_fuel_reducing_oil_fuel . What do you think about it? Thanks!


Warranty decisions really should fall on the District Parts and Service Manager, or "DPSM". This is not a dealership employee, but a Kia corporate employee. Lately it seems they really haven't cared about the things I've found on 2.0T Optimas. I've seen aftermarket intake systems, aftermarket exhaust systems both store bought and "fabricated", and blow off valve spacers. (To make the pshhhhh noise....) Any and all 2.0T's that have seen internal failuresand also have aftermarket parts have been covered under warranty as long as the warranty is in tact. As a matter of fact there have been some really sludgy engines that have been replaced under warranty in my district, probably because the Theta II problems are a bit too well known now. Easier and cheaper to just fix them then get tied up in litigation, my guess. I would imagine nobody would bat an eye at a catch can. I wouldn't. Probably wouldn't even note it.
 
Oh and you should always use 91 octane or better in a 2.0T, but I could see the science behind using higher octane fuel in any GDI engine, due to its resistance to pre-ignition. The only reason I could fathom higher octane fuel reducing fuel dilution is from more efficient combustion due to ignition timing maps being in "optimal" settings. Knock sensors report to the ECU when they sense a pre-ignition event, through a piezo-electric sensor mounted to the engine block between cylinders 2 and 3, center of block under the intake manifold. When there is an event, ignition advance is pulled out. So combustion happens later in the cycle. More unburned hydrocarbons are now floating around everywhere, including the oil film on the cylinder walls. So yes, high test fuel could help the situation.
 
69 Torino again, thanks so much for taking you time to come here read and post. Just that you know. Back in 1996 I myself worked at a Kia Dealer in Atlanta, Rick Case. then Kia Hyundai, Mazda Mitsubishi. I then only owned and swore by Acura and Lexus. Kia to most that worked there, was at the Bottom of the Food chain car. It had come to a point that most banks would not even Finance Kia's for the Average person. The KIa Sportage was a nightmare. IIRC Kia motors asked the Dealership to invest in Millions for shop tools. Rick Case word is RC declined and dropped Kia. Years later they picked them up again, and I have read that R Case strongly pushed Kia to enact the 10 years 100k warranty.

20 plus years later, my g/f starts talking about Kia/Hyundai as Her next car. As much as some of those Classic looking 2013 Kia Optima SXL's always catch my eye. I say Nooooooo. Get a V6 Camry Toyota Product. Honda or the V6 Accord or nice, but boring. She says but the Kia, this the Kia that, and I want Her happy. So I call 2 Kia Dealer Service Managers before purchased, and they say 2015 Optima 2.0T very few problems ( No mention of the 1.2 million Hyundai plus (xxxxxxxx??) Kia's recalled.:(

Fast forward - I find a Showroom 2015 Optima SX 2.0T off Lease with all the Service Maintenance History for sale, make a Great deal, check it out and off we go to buy it. Take it to RC Kia in Duluth Ga, get check out by Cert Master Kia Tech. 0 problems found. Have Dealer Change oil w/ PP Sys 5w-30 and Kia filter.; Drive home g/f Happy. And I like the car, except wind noise. I drive a Lexus and Lincoln, so what.

Doing some Googling after purchase and for 1st, discover 2.0 and 2.4, recalls and problems. [censored]???/ Really. Kia? Now I'm thinking Kia. Sweating. I knew it. But your post have really made my mind up. Oil change 5k or less with PP 5w-30 ful Sys Dexros. Kia Filter. Top Tier Premium fuel only ( always ran in every car owned regardless.) Oil catch can. Clean Intake Throttle body, and add Good fuel cleaner additive regulary. Other regular Maint Air Filter, fluids, Trans drain.

I really like that car, drove it 6.5 hours back. Nice car, nice engine power and Torque, (I worked the Paddle Shifters out!). Great Gas mileage. Nice built Interior and Exterior Finish. Nice Brakes. Excellent Infinity Stereo Sound system. Lots of Bells and useable Whistles. Led instruments, and HID headlights, Pano Roof And it looks Good as [censored]( All Black on Black). Thanks to your post we now can enjoy the car again, and know how to custom maintain it. Thank you. And I would recommend the Kia Optima to anyone. Really appreciate all of your post.
 
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