Kia Forte: General Information / General Service Information

Insert the supportive rod into the hole at the edge of the hood whenever inspecting the engine compartment to prevent the hood from falling and causing possible injury.

Make sure that the supportive rod has been released prior to closing the hood. Always check that hood is firmly latched before driving the vehicle.

Inspection of parts

After removal, inspect each part carefully for malfunction, deformation, damage and other problems.

Arrangement of parts

All disassembled parts should be carefully arranged for effective reassembly.

Be sure to separate and correctly identify the parts to be replaced from those that will be used again.

Cleaning parts for reuse

All reusable parts should be carefully and thoroughly cleaned in the appropriate method.

Oil seals

Gaskets

O-rings

Lock washers

Cotter pins (split pins)

Plastic nuts

Apply sealant to gaskets.

Apply oil to moving components of parts.

Apply specified oil or grease to the prescribed locations (oil seals, etc.) before assembly.

Disconnect the negative (-) battery terminal before working on electrical system to prevent damage from short circuit.

Never pull on the wires when disconnecting connectors.

Locking connectors will click when the connector is secured.

Handle sensors and relays carefully. Be careful not to drop them against other parts.

Basically, all measurements in this manual are taken with a tracking gauge.

When using a tape measure, be sure that there is no elongation, twisting or bending of the tape.

For measuring dimensions, both the projected dimensions and the dimensions by actual measurement are used in this manual.

These are the dimensions measured when the measurement points are projected from the vehicle's surface, and are the reference dimensions used for body alterations.

If the length of the tracking gauge probes can be adjusted, measure it by lengthening one of the two probes as long as the difference in height of the two surfaces.

These dimensions indicate the actual linear distance between measurement points, and are used as the reference dimensions when a tracking gauge is used for measurement.

First adjust both probes to the same length (A=A') before measurement.

Check the probes and gauge to make sure that there is no free play.

Check the terminal for tightness.

Check terminals and wires for corrosion from battery electrolyte, etc.

Check terminals and wires for open circuits.

Check wire insulation and coating for damage, cracks and degrading.

Check the conductive parts of terminals for contact with other metallic parts (vehicle body and other parts).

Check grounded parts to verify that there is complete continuity between their attaching bolt(s) and the vehicle's body.

Check for incorrect wiring.

Check that the wiring is clamped so as to prevent contact with sharp corners of the vehicle body or hot parts (exhaust manifold, etc.).

Check that the wiring is clamped firmly to provide enough clearance from the fan pulley, fan belt and other rotating or moving parts.

Check that the wiring has a little space so that it can vibrate between fixed and moving parts such as the vehicle body and the engine.

Prior to servicing the electrical system, be sure to turn off the ignition switch and disconnect the battery ground cable.

If the battery cable is removed during MFI or ELC diagnosis, any diagnostic trouble code saved by the computer will be cleared. Therefore, if necessary, record the diagnostic data before disconnecting the battery cable.

Attach the wiring harnesses with clamps so that there is no slack. However, for any harness which passes the engine or other vibrating parts of the vehicle, allow some slack within a range that does not allow the engine vibrations to cause the harness to come into contact with any of the surrounding parts and then secure the harness by using a clamp.

If any section of a wiring harness interferes with the edge of parts, or a corner, wrap the section of the harness with tape or equivalent to protect it from damage.

When installing any parts, be careful not to pinch or damage any of the wiring harness.

Never throw relays, sensors or electrical parts, or expose them to strong shock.

The electronic parts used in the computer, relays, etc. are readily damaged by heat. If there is a need for service operations that may raise the temperature above 80°C (176°F), remove the electronic parts beforehand.

Loose connectors cause problems. Make sure that the connectors are always securely fastened.

When disconnecting a connector, hold the connector halves instead of pulling on the wires.

Disconnect connector with a latch by pressing in the direction of the arrows shown in the illustration.

Connect connector with a latch by inserting it until a click sound is heard.

When using a circuit tester to check continuity or voltage on connector terminals, insert the test probe into the harness side. If the connector is a sealed connector, insert the test probe through the hole in the rubber cap until it reaches the terminal. During this, be careful not to damage the insulation of the wires.

To avoid overloading the wiring, select the appropriate wire size based on the electrical current load of the optional equipment.

If a large amount of unburned gasoline flows into the converter, it may overheat and create a fire hazard. To prevent this observe the following precations and explain them to your customer.

Use unleaded gasoline only.

Do not run the engine if the vehicle has not been used for a long time. Avoid running the engine at fast idle for more than 10 minutes and idle speed for more than 20 minutes.

Do not measure engine compression for an extended time. Engine compression tests must be made as rapidly as possible. Remove the fuel pump relay before performing a compression test.

Do not dispose of used catalytic converter together with parts contaminated with gasoline or oil.