So the '08 Kia Rondo 2.4 I've been driving has an annoying shift flare between 2nd and 3rd but only when it's cold. After the drivetrain is warmed up there is no more shift flare evident to me. To avoid this, when the vehicle is cold I'll let it idle 2 to 3 minutes to get some heat into it then drive off. This usually eliminates the issue for as long as I'm driving. The vehicle has 250000 kms on it and the transmission fluid was changed roughly 1.5 years ago and maybe had 6000-7000 km put on it since then. I was thinking about draining off some transmission fluid and putting some Lubegard Red or Platinum into it to see if it would help the issue. Would it have any effect or am I going to need to learn to live with it?
2008 Kia Rondo 2.4 shift flare 2-3 when cold
- Thread starter 55Test
- Start date
What ATF fluid you have right now? Kia/Hyindai SP III? (Mitsubishi Diamond )
You could try a drain and fill with Castrol Import Multi-vehicle. I think it takes about 2 quarts.
drive 2 weeks, than do another drain and fill.
Had my Elantra some time ago, so not sure on capacity. i remember the original fluid went dark really quick.
I think at that time, on the hyundai forums, anything not dealer/original was fru-fru , but I think Lubegard red helped some.
You could try a drain and fill with Castrol Import Multi-vehicle. I think it takes about 2 quarts.
drive 2 weeks, than do another drain and fill.
Had my Elantra some time ago, so not sure on capacity. i remember the original fluid went dark really quick.
I think at that time, on the hyundai forums, anything not dealer/original was fru-fru , but I think Lubegard red helped some.
Have you ever changed the Rondos ATF? I change mine regularly.
Well, the LubeGard alone didn't work for me. I had shift flaring in a 2004 Altima 2.5S. Similar to yours, mine would flare between 2-3 and sometimes, 3-4 as well(but not quite as often).
Once flaring occures(slippage & over reving between shift changes) it is difficult or impossible to fix.
The(IMO) best thing to try is draining the ATF(pan drop) change the screen and refill with proper ATF(Hyundai/KIA SP III, Valvoline MaxLife, Castrol Transmax IMV) as well as(possibly but not necessarily) LubeGard RED or Platinum.
Well, the LubeGard alone didn't work for me. I had shift flaring in a 2004 Altima 2.5S. Similar to yours, mine would flare between 2-3 and sometimes, 3-4 as well(but not quite as often).
Once flaring occures(slippage & over reving between shift changes) it is difficult or impossible to fix.
The(IMO) best thing to try is draining the ATF(pan drop) change the screen and refill with proper ATF(Hyundai/KIA SP III, Valvoline MaxLife, Castrol Transmax IMV) as well as(possibly but not necessarily) LubeGard RED or Platinum.
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Hyundai/kia sp3 darkens really quickly and I ran into this problem in an xx350 i used to own. I support the change fluid with castrol imv and using lubeguard red.
I'm also pretty sure idemitsu makes an sp3 alternative that you could try.
I'm also pretty sure idemitsu makes an sp3 alternative that you could try.
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Start off with checking the fluid level, cold. I don't know about Kias, but Subaru has a cold and hot range on the stick. Then check it hot. My Subaru showed in the middle of the hot range after running, but when cold was actually barely on the stick. I brought the level up to the high circle on the cold side and my cold shift flare disappeared.
If that doesn't help, do a D&F with the correct fluid. Add 1oz per qt of total transmission capacity of Lubegard Red. MolaKule said he'd never, ever, use or recommend Platinum as it is highly friction modified and you can't be sure what the resulting mix will end up as, possibly ruining your trans.
After the D&F, be sure to disconnect the battery for 10-15 minutes to let the TCM lose its memory, and therefore relearn the shift logic with clean fluid. It really does affect how your trans works. I spent $150 on Amsoil ATL for my Fusion (with the fussy 6F35) and changed out 4 full D&Fs and the trans still had shift flare after the fluid change. I did the battery thing and reset everything, and the trans shifted like new. Even if you only do a single D&F (roughly 1 gallon on most cars) I recommend resetting the logic.
If that doesn't help, do a D&F with the correct fluid. Add 1oz per qt of total transmission capacity of Lubegard Red. MolaKule said he'd never, ever, use or recommend Platinum as it is highly friction modified and you can't be sure what the resulting mix will end up as, possibly ruining your trans.
After the D&F, be sure to disconnect the battery for 10-15 minutes to let the TCM lose its memory, and therefore relearn the shift logic with clean fluid. It really does affect how your trans works. I spent $150 on Amsoil ATL for my Fusion (with the fussy 6F35) and changed out 4 full D&Fs and the trans still had shift flare after the fluid change. I did the battery thing and reset everything, and the trans shifted like new. Even if you only do a single D&F (roughly 1 gallon on most cars) I recommend resetting the logic.
The fluid is low.
Lubegard red eliminated the cold shift flare in our 2012 and 2019 santa fe transmissions.
Its good stuff.
