2020 Kia Forte GT 6MT Maintenance/Build Thread: Into The Unknown

In reply to Tony Sestito :

Tony - Thanks for the reply. I just wanted to pass along the good info, since I've enjoyed your threads/builds/rides for so long, and you're a fan of Mazda/Kia/Hyandai stuff. I'm a big believer in Redline's products. Had a Festiva with a motor swap from an MX-3 (the 16v SOHC 1.6 motor) and took compression readings right after I bought it. 12 years & 80,000 miles later, I did another set of readings (as a lark, really) and the compression had only slipped by about 5lbs per cylinder. That Redline 5w30 had basically given the motor a pass on engine wear! :) The hydraulic lifters seemed to like it better as well. Also ran their Water Wetter in the cooling system and was very pleased.

Tony Sestito said:

In reply to Peabody :

Ya know, I was wondering who made Kia/Hyundai filters. Mann makes a great one. Good to know. 

Also wix (Napa gold). But I just buy a 6/10 pack of OE and washers on amazon for about 4.50 each. Since I have two cars that require them it's the easy button

In reply to bobzilla :

Wix also makes a great filter. I was using Purolator Classics and PureOne filters for years, but they had a manufacturing change a while back that resulted in some of the filter media falling apart, so I usually just get OEM, Mann or Wix now. 

Remember earlier when I said that the Kia dealership experience is not up to the standards of most other marques?

This morning, I was out running some errands, and I found myself driving by the dealership. I popped in to grab an oil filter. I walk in, find the parts counter, and I see 3 people standing at the counter. Stood there for 5 minutes, and not one of them acknowledged my presence. They were gabbing away with each other, but couldn't find the time to even say "we'll be right with you". After a few minutes more, I just walked out.

When I would get filters (or anything else) at the neighboring Mazda dealer owned by the same people, I'd be in and out with my stuff in 2 minutes and with a smile.

Needless to say, they won't be getting my business as far as parts go. I'll either order online or go with a decent quality filter from the local parts stores from here on out.

The parts counter at my local hyundai/kia/mazda dealership is the same way.  It is very inconvenient for them when I forget to order the cartridge filter for my wifes santa fe off Amazon and I dare expect them to fetch it for me.  

Looking at the weather forecast this week, we're about to get "New England 2nd Winter" for a while, so I figured I should sneak in an oil change while I could. It's a little early at 4550mi, but I'd rather not be on my back sliding down the driveway while it's a sheet of ice. I decided to just do it in my driveway to see how bad it would be, especially since my buddy with the lift currently has a project vehicle that's currently all over the place in the lift bay and I didn't want to bother him. So, off to Walmart I went to forage for supplies. I came back with this:



After doing research on the Bob Is The Oil Guy forums, it was the general consensus that the best oil for the Turbo GDI engines was Castrol Edge European Formula 5w30 or Amsoil 5w30 Synthetic. And Walmart sells Euro Castrol, so that's what I used.  BITOG also suggested either a Mobil 1 filter or the factory Hyundai (made by Mann) filter. I grabbed a Mobil 1, and then noticed Hyundai OEM filters on the shelf nearby. Seriously? Yup. Snagged one of those too! The part number 26300-35504 on the box has been superseded by 26300-35505 now, but the old numbers are fine to use as well as 26300-35503. But, which one should I use?





Ok, this is weird in a couple of ways. First, everything I looked up told me that a M1-104A is the right filter, but they are clearly different in height and diameter. Not only that, but the gaskets are in different places. It might have screwed on, but I wasn't going to chance it. Second, take a look at the Hyundai filter part number. It was the newer 26300-35505! Seeing that I can just go to Walmart and grab the freaking OEM FILTER and not have to deal with the lazy, useless losers at the local Kia dealer parts counter made me feel even better. Never saw that coming.



Before I drained it, I checked it to see if any magically disappeared. Nope, we're good. Oil wasn't even that dirty.



Underneath, there's a cutout for the drain plug and the filter for easy access. I ended up using ramps as opposed to jack stands. With the slight decline of the driveway, it basically makes it level, so the draining issues some of you had were not a problem. Drain bolt was really on there, and takes a 17mm socket. Aside from a few normal drips, none got on the undertray at all. Filter came off with no issues, but I need to get a new oil filter socket, since none of my sized ones fit the OEM filter and I had to use the universal one. New crush washer and filter were installed, and I went back topside.



Again, I used Castrol Edge European Formula 5W30 synthetic. The people on BITOG ranked it as one of the best for these engines, and they are weird oil nerds that drink, breathe, and sleep in the stuff, so I'll give it a shot. It's only a couple bucks more than the Mobil 1 I was using in the Mazda over the years, but I want this to have the good stuff. Because turbo. 

So yeah, oil changes on this car are as simple as they were on the Mazda. Easily done at home in the driveway, and I can save $50+ each time I do it while using the very same filter and much better oil than the dealer uses. I will be keeping records of everything just in case.

The only thing that was annoying about the whole process had nothing to do with turning wrenches. I wanted to reset the maintenance reminder in the car, and while you can reset it, you can't change the interval. I plan on changing the oil every 5k miles, but Kia suggests every 6k. So while you can reset the reminder, you can't change it to anything else but 6k miles. It's easy enough to remember, and I'm logging everything in my aCar app anyway, but it's still dumb that you can't change that.

Just an FYI. 

Actual $11 Hyundai filter like the one you have and the $4 Mann from RA. I measured and weighed everything and they are identical except for the number of holes in the base (Mann has 6, Hyundai has 5) and the H stamped on the spring housing 

I use the M104A succesfully on my 2018 1.6T.  I've not seen the Hyundai filters at Meijer but Guess I will go check walmart.  If I can get the Cartridge filter for my wifes car I will be happy.

In reply to Peabody :

Wow, those really are basically the same! The Hyundai filter was around $4 there. That said, if I see the Mann filters online for cheap or at another store, I'll snag some. 

In reply to Peabody :

I was getting ready to ask where you were than an OE filter cost $11. Then I remeberedCanada so not real money (  ) and higher everything. I buy online for $4 each with washer on Amazon.

The problem is that the dealer is the only place to get them up here.

We don't have any of the discount OEM parts places like in the US, and while some of those will ship up here, they're either not good at it, or not interested so it's expensive. Amazon is not terribly competitive for most things in Canada at this point, though that's getting better all the time.

RA has them for $4 Canadian + shipping so if I buy a dozen it's about $5 each by the time I get them here, and I can live with that.

EDIT: Just checked Amazon. $15 each

All day long at around $4 with washer. reminds me, I need to order some more.

Yeah, next time I go to Walmart, I'll buy whatever they have in stock. I'll definitely be buying a bag of those washers online either through Amazon or Rock Auto. I had one in my toolbox from an assorted pack, but that was the last one. They take a M14 washer, BTW.

Also, I forgot to take a pic when I was under there, but the car appears to have a stainless 2.5" cat back exhaust. That's pretty cool for something like this off the showroom floor. I still love the sound.

bobzilla said:

All day long at around $4 with washer. reminds me, I need to order some more.

Price: $31.98 + $21.70 Shipping & Import Fees = $11ea (Canadian) assuming no tax or import.

Amazon is just not competitive here on most things

2 1/4" - 2 1/2"  SS exhaust is pretty common these days.

In reply to Peabody :

Yeah, I remember that when I was runnign the parts webiste at my old dealer. Canadians were clamoring for parts, even at our retail because it was sooooooo much cheaper. I am also lucky that I have an Amazon warehouse 6 miles away so I get a lot of things same or next day.

How did I miss my 6th month anniversary with the car? That went by quick! Figured I'd give some updated "long term" impressions of the car.

-The car is still a blast to drive. While it's still squarely in the "econobox" realm, the thing is a hoot. It's quick, handles fantastic, stops great, and makes the right noises while you're doing it. It has no business being as fun as it is for the price I paid. I basically keep it in "Sport Mode" all the time, but the Normal Mode is nice if you feel like loafing along.

-I still like the interior (mostly, more on this in a bit). Seats are great, steering wheel is damn near perfect, gauges are legible, and the infotainment does its job and is easy to use. Tons of storage space and it's bigger for me in the driver's seat area than my wife's CX-5 which makes zero sense.

-I still love how it looks. While I like the black paint when it's clean, it is a pain to keep clean (YMMV obviously, could have gotten another color but I chose black). All the trim that's black on the other colors just blends in here and gives it that sleeper look. I like sleepers.

-Gas mileage is less than expected, but that's ok. I'm averaging 27mpg overall. At least it's on regular fuel, and I haven't exactly been thrifty with the loud pedal. Best tank was 29.3 vs 24.5 for the worst. That worst tank was due to lots of idling and very cold weather/snow driving. I know I can get over 30 if I keep my foot out of it.

-Speaking of the loud pedal, the exhaust on this car is still hilarious to me with all the farts and pops. It's definitely loud enough to get people's attention in a "WTF was that???" way. Highway driving typically brings on someone wanting to race. Latest one was a guy in a modded Cruze who really wanted to go. I did not race him because street racing is dumb.

-Someone hit it already. Parking lot tap on the rear bumper. Didn't notice it until I washed the salt off. Was able to get most of the scratches out, but there's a small crease and a paint chip in the bumper. People really suck.

-The only knocks I can give it are on the interior. First is the shifter. I'm used to the near-perfect shifter in my old Mazda 3. The Kia one is probably the best shifter put in a Kia, but I've fumbled a few times shifting fast. Also, the knob isn't my favorite and due to the weird splined design, there's not much I can do about replacing it. The other issue was with the driver's seat belt. About a month ago, it started squeaking. I took the pillar plastic off today and lubed the rollers and swing points, and the squeak went away. Took 5 minutes. I would have taken it to the dealer to cover it under the warranty but...

-While the car was cheap, you are also buying the Kia dealership experience, which is closer to a buy here/pay here lot in 1997 than something from the bigger brands. Service is stupid expensive and the parts department is completely useless. Meanwhile the Mazda dealer directly next door owned by the very same people has been above-and-beyond excellent with both my old 3 and the wife's CX-5. And it's not just the local dealership that's terrible, it's every single one around here. There's one that has constant radio ads with some terrible voice actress that impersonates Mona Lisa Vito from My Cousin Vinny who employs all the stereotypical Italian tropes (which annoy me as an Italian) and those have taken the lead for worst radio commercial over the 1-800 Kars 4 Kids commercials. If you are from Southeast MA or RI, you know what I'm talking about, and that alone is reason to avoid the damn place.
 
Overall, I'm very happy with the car. It's a fun car, and I don't regret buying it over the competition. They certainly have come a long way. But since the cars have grown up, the dealer networks need to do the same. I'll keep updating the thread as my time with the car continues.

 My fuel economy really tanked in the cold weather, and we had lot's of it this year.

10 months in and I'm still really enjoying mine.

I'm kinda glad I didn't get a turbo car now. I'm beating on the little NA 1.6 and averaging 36mph right now. It's hilarious.

Also, when one of you guys are under there again, can you get me a better picture of the oil pan? I'm thinking about seeing if I can add some capacity to the NA car. 3.4qts seems... inadequate... for my intended use.

FWIW, my mileage is 90% in town.

The 2.0 Soul I just got appears to get around 30 in town.

Honestly, compared to my truck, the fuel economy is great! Truck is averaging 5mpg right now. 

Yes, FIVE miles per gallon. Not a typo. 

If I loaf around town in 6th, I can get near 40 out of this. Also, keep in mind that I'm not commuting in the car. I've been working from home for the past year so the car gets used on shopping trips and cruising around. If I started commuting regularly on the highway, I'd expect economy to go up a bit. 

 

In reply to Tony Sestito :

the Tib was getting 15mpg. her truck at 14 and my truck probably 9.... but that was the old 2 mile trip to work. 

FYI, if you have the UVO radio system in your car, figure out how to do a reset now before it freezes up and you have to  drive an hour without one like I did this morning. Apparently it’s a common occurrence. 

In reply to Mr. Peabody :

Ugh, not cool. 

That reminds me, mine's been disconnecting from my phone intermittently lately. I'm thinking it's either the phone or the cable and not the car, since it started after a major phone update. I'll keep an eye on this. 

There is a lot of good info here.  There is a possibility my situation may change and I add an economical car to my fleet.  I really liked the Forte GT I drove before buying my Stingah.  I consider it a top contender for sure.

In reply to Mr. Peabody :

Wife's '12 rio has UVO. It locked up some time back. Then it started doing other odd things... Then realized the battery was weak. Changed batteries and its been perfect since.