2005 Kia Sedona - Brand of Oil/Filter?

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Hey gang, awesome forum! I just joined because we just purchased a new van and I want to make sure I use the best possible oil/filter combination for the long run. I want this (and need) this thing to last for a long time.

Here are some things you should know to base your opinions:

This is a V6, 3.5L 24 Valve DOHC engine with a 5-speed automatic transmission so it does have overdrive which keeps the rpm's low on highway.

We live in the Cincinnati, OH area where we get all kinds of weather. Summers are hot, winters are cold but not like New York where it's bitter cold sometimes!

The manufacturer recommends anything from 10w-40 to 5w-20 to 5w-30. So, it's pretty much wide open as to what I can use. I think at this point after reading some of these posts I will use 5w-30 but again, I am not certain this is best.

Oh yea, I do want a synthetic for sure. Right now the van only has 150 miles on it so an oil change is needed soon (about 500 miles?) so I can started using the "good stuff" right away and get ride of any metal shavings from the new engine break-in.

Also, do you think 500 miles is a good place to start for a new engine or should I go a little longer? The manufacturer only states to change it at 7,500 miles. LOL Yea, right. They mention nothing about a break-in period or when to change the original oil.

Well, hope this is enough information! If you need to know anything else let me know. I would ask the service manager at Kia but of course they will recommend all Kia products so it's kinda pointless. Also, you guys probably have more knowledge regarding oil than he would!

Chow!

Scott from Cincinnati, OH
 
This vehicle is pretty heavy. But, you get 2 tons of mini van for an incredible price.

For the oil use a synthetic. A 0w30 or 5w30 will work great in the winter. A 0w40, 5w40, or 10w40 would be good for the summer.
For the filter, you can't go wrong with the OEM part. If you don't want to use the OEM one, you can use any of the name brand filters like purolater, bosch, mobil1, KN, wix.........

You can use a synthetic right from the start.

Hyundai/Kia transmissions are sometimes troublesome. Peak underneath to see if there is a drainplug. If there is an easy way to do a partial drain refill, consider doing it at least twice a year to keep the transmission happy. Use the dealer ATF or SPIII(?) equivalent fluid.
Install an aftermarket ATF cooler and/or filter to supplement the ATF cooling/filtering.

2 of my co-workers have this mini-van. They are happy with it(except for the poor MPG). And, the dealers have been very helpful and straightforward with any issues that are fixed under warranty. Also, they keep all maintenance receipts and a log book regardless if they, the dealer, or an independent shop does the required work.

If you do your own maintenance and don't have a service manual, you could subscribe to kiatechinfo.com for more info.
 
I'll probably go then with 5w-30 in the winter and 10w-30 in the summer. Is that cool or do I have it backwards?

I haven't decided on the oil brand yet but have narrowed it down to Mobil 1 or Valvoline synthetic. Unless someone can think of anything better. I can't see paying the high price for the MLM brand of AMSOIL which I was considering at first. Sure, it's decent oil but I think it's more hype than factual information from what I read. Again, I am no expert so this is just my opinion which you can take with a grain of salt.

Anyway, as far as tranny fluid, I'll stick with the manufacturer's brand and change out probably at 15,000 like you mentioned. Better safe than sorry. It's a small price to pay for the fluid vs the aggravation of replacing a transmission.

Oh yea, when I do change out the tranny fluid is it just a matter of draining and refilling or do I need to "flush" and drive, and do the process like three times like I've read? Now that does add some cost because you are going through so much fluid.

Thanks again
 
Ray,

Thanks buddy. I appreciate that. Logically this makes total sense and I'm not sure why the manufacturers do not inform anyone of this.

I plan to change mine at 500 miles. Then again at 2,000 miles, following regular changes every 4,000 miles.
 
Hyundai/Kia transmissions are sometimes troublesome.


This has been my experience with two different Sonata (Mitsubishi built) trannys. Both were well maintained and both went out at a little over 100k. The dealer qoutes outrageous $$$ for repairs and independant shops don't want to touch them. One shop told me "junk the car". Needless to say I am no longer a Hyundai fan.
PS. You can see my recent post regarding 'Hyundai A/T problem' in the Mechanical/Repair section.
 
quote:

Originally posted by KiaSedona05:
Sure, it's decent oil but I think it's more hype than factual information from what I read. Again, I am no expert so this is just my opinion which you can take with a grain of salt.


Thanks again


Shoot I think half of the stuff on this board is more hype than factual.
 
quote:

Originally posted by pbm:
Hyundai/Kia transmissions are sometimes troublesome.


This has been my experience with two different Sonata (Mitsubishi built) trannys. Both were well maintained and both went out at a little over 100k. The dealer qoutes outrageous $$$ for repairs and independant shops don't want to touch them. One shop told me "junk the car". Needless to say I am no longer a Hyundai fan.
PS. You can see my recent post regarding 'Hyundai A/T problem' in the Mechanical/Repair section.


You can blame Mitsubishi for your problem. Hyundai A/T's now are alright .
 
Pennzoil's website (Sept. 2004) states that their Multi-Vehicle ATF is good for ALL Kia and Hyundai vehicles.

Amsoil's website indicates an ATF good for Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
 
quote:

Originally posted by jbas:
Pennzoil's website (Sept. 2004) states that their Multi-Vehicle ATF is good for ALL Kia and Hyundai vehicles.

Amsoil's website indicates an ATF good for Kia and Hyundai vehicles.


Yep - and Vladimir Ilyich Lenin "stated" that communism was the wave of the future. Guess what the Flat Earth Society "states". Hyundai and KIA owners have a very comprehensive powertrain warranty through Hyundai/KIA. Pennzoil and Amsoil may or may not choose to honor $2,000.00+ trannie rebuilds for 10 yrs./100,000 miles. I don't plan to find out the hard way on my Sonata. jbas, you're of course free to test the limits any way you choose with your own vehicle. (and on your nickel
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) Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
 
Thanks for the info.

What do you mean by aftermarket ATF cooler? Not sure what this is or where it's installed. Would this also void my warranty? I'll have to check with the dealer.

Do you know when I should change my original oil? I heard some people do it early because of the new engine and the metal flakes. Is this just hype or what?

Yes, the drain plug for the tranny is something I can get to but it's right over a crossbar (Doh) so it makes a mess I read. Well, that wasn't too smart by Kia to put the drain plug over stuff. Oh well. When you mean a "partial" drain and refill, could you talk more about this? How much do I drain out? Also, do you have to drive the vehicle and keep doing this or is that considered a flush?

Well, that's all for now. Thanks again and I'm sure I'll have more questions.
 
Yes, there's an ATF drainplug on Hyundai ATs. It's a hex head that takes a 15/16" or 24mm socket - 6 point, 1/2" drive highly recommended with a breaker bar. There is NO SP-III equivalent aftermarket ATF that will maintain your 10 yr./100,000 mile powertrain warranty rights. If your AT tanks, your dealership will want to see receipts for genuine SP-III ATF if your van is beyond its first ATF changeout mileage. Your choices for SP-III are dealerships - Mitsubishi, Hyundai, and KIA. Period. Given the weight of that van, and Hyundai's less-than-sterling reputation at designing reliable ATs, better figure on changing out the ATF every 30,000 miles, max. (It wouldn't be hard to make a case for 15,000 mile changeouts.) In the past Hyundai (KIA's a wholly-owned division and has been for the last three+ years) only recommended 5W-30 in temp ranges from -20F.(or lower) - +95F. If their owner's manual advice has changed, then go with it - just make sure you're sure before you go with a viscosity range that light or lighter. I run 10W-30 in my 2003 Sonata year 'round, but then, I never see temps lower than +32F. As for oil filters, go with what floats yer boat. The Hyundai filter is well made. I've used plain-jane SuperTech 2808 (no longer available) and 3593A (the current equivalent) oil filters with no problems since the first oil change on mine. (Ignore the listed 6707 "thimble" filter for tricycles - whoever put that in the catalog for Hyundai engines had overdosed on Prozac.) On my last UOA, Blackstone stated that my insolubles were "low at 0.1%" after 3,000 miles - and pointedly noted "excellent filtration". Champion Labs makes the $2.07 SuperTechs. Champion Labs also makes the $12.00 K&Ns for distribution in the U.S. K&N is an English company. Guess whose American users are helping to pay for England's cradle-to-grave welfare state?
 
"Yep - and Vladimir Ilyich Lenin "stated" that communism was the wave of the future."

LOL! But for many decades he was right, Ray. Even now, the most heavily populated nation on earth is communist. And Russia, sadly, looks to reconsider its future. Not to mention Cuba, some African states, etc. Truly, I don't see a whole lot of difference with strongly socialist countries, as well. Maybe Lenin is still right.

Anyway, my "nickel" and a bunch of dollars, is in my 2004 Kia Sedona. Yes, if I change the oil using a SOPUS product, who says its the proper tranny oil, I feel pretty good about winning a warranty contest in small claims court, should it come to that.

regards, jbas.
 
Very few folks really know what Marx/Engels wrote and there has never been a country that followed the two chaps plan despite the knee-jerk rhetoric tossed out by various governments and those with vested interests in maintaining the status quo and one reason I woul shun Kia and other minor makes is uncertainty as to how long their dealer networks will remain in existence and wonderment as to the ease of parts procurement in the future.

Here in the cultural backwater of Nebraska it can take several days to obtain parts for a 90s Toyota Previa van while parts of the same vintage "American" make vehicles are in ready supply.

The west coast can boast of having the most..... ferin' cars thus parts are handy. In some parts of the colonies that isn't true.

Tis sumpthin' to consider, tovarich (comrade).
 
Originally posted by KiaSedona05:
What do you mean by aftermarket ATF cooler? Not sure what this is or where it's installed. Would this also void my warranty? I'll have to check with the dealer.

It's an additional heat exchanger you'd purchase and install yourself or have a mechanic install for you, space permitting. Use of such additional cooling equipment wouldn't be cause for warranty denial.

Do you know when I should change my original oil? I heard some people do it early because of the new engine and the metal flakes. Is this just hype or what?

It's not hype - I changed my factory-fill oil out at 600 miles, then again at 2,400 miles. I've been on a 3,000 mile OCI ever since. Your engine block is cast iron. The heads are cast aluminum. These Hyundai pieces were cast with the so-caled "sand-cast" method. (Some manufactures, such as Honda, use die-casting instead.) Inevitably there are fine particles of silica left over despite the manufacturer's best efforts to flush them out. Sand is silica. Silica is HARD - meaning abrasive. There are inevitable tiny metal shavings left over from the machining processes, too. Regardless what anyone tells you, new engines "make metal" for the first several hundred miles - it's called "breaking-in" or "running-in". It's naive to believe the oil filter will trap ALL this leftover and self-generated abrassive crud. If you don't change out the oil early, your engine will not surely die an early death. But by changing out the factory-fill oil and oil filter after the first 500-600 miles, you WILL elliminate any additional accelerated wear as the engine continues running-in. I've always considered the first oil change in any engine's life its most important oil change. Others may disagree - but then, they're not paying my bills.
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quote:

Originally posted by jbas:
Even now, the most heavily populated nation on earth is communist.

China is more capitalist in many respects than the most stalwart Western democracies. The People's Republic of China Army and Navy even have to show a profit. (Don't equate capitalism with democracy - they're not the same.) Historically China has always been pragmatic. After Mao's ideologic excesses (especially the "Great Leap Forward" and later, the "Cultural Revolution" disasters), the pragmatists are finally back and making up for lost time. Mao's communist takeover enabled China to finally mobilize its diverse citizenry. Now the world is witnessing the emergence of the true Chinese industrial revolution. The world may have to make some uncomfortable adjustments to new economic and political realities. (Hint: guess who's buyin' up U.S. short and long term notes to support the federal programs we take for granted? Sooner or later those notes will come due.
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As for your choice of oil, how often are you going to change it and what are the driving conditions (highway, city, mix, ect). If your planning on doing a 3000 mile OCI stick with a dino oil. If your going to go to 5000 to 7500, then use a syn.
 
quote:

Originally posted by unDummy:
What does the Kia's owner's manual say for required maintenance?

Unless there've been changes since my Sonata's manual was printed, drain and refill of the AT at 105,000 miles under normal service and 30,000 miles under severe service. There haven't been user replaceable AT filters on U.S. spec Hyundai automatics since model year 2000. Given that KIAs use the same Hyundai-made transmissions* as their Hyundai stablemates, I'd be surprised if KIA owner's manuals stray from those recommendations.

*Hyundai hasn't used Mitsubishi automatic transmissions since model year 1994.
 
quote:

Originally posted by jbas:
...Yes, if I change the oil using a SOPUS product, who says its the proper tranny oil, I feel pretty good about winning a warranty contest in small claims court, should it come to that.

Good for you! (But for your sake, let's both hope it doesn't.
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)
 
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