Hi All.

There is a known issue with this occurring in the TJ and some TL models and I suspect that this may also affect other (earlier models) of the 3rd Gen Magna's

One main cause is a low battery voltage, but the other common cause is a loose fitting connector that links the Body control module to the ECU. Effectively this makes the car "think" that it has received an incorrect security code from the Key Fob and shuts off the ignition and fuel systems.

The common symptom is the intermittent stalling of your car a second or so after starting. If you turn to reengage the starter it will turn over but not fire, but if you turn the key all they way back or remove it and try again, it will again start to fire (and then either stay running or stall again).

There is a pretty simple fix if this is your fault. I have included a link with instruction below - it’s not mine, but I can assure you it worked for both my parents TJ (2002) and my TL (2004).

martybugs.net/articles/magna-stall.cgi

Some people have resorted to soldering the connector in place, but in my experience just pulling the connectors out, brushing them off and re-inserting them gets it going again.

No guarantees it will fix your specific problem, but it seems to be a common fault with this model.

Hope it assists.

Yep! It’s another KIA Carnival with oil in the cooling system. Bought secondhand 13 months ago with 71000 on the clock. We’ve added 13,000 in the time we have had it and KIA have told me something about projected/expected kms per year. I think they were seriously questioning the legitimacy of the kms on the clock. My dealer is trying to help but doesn’t like my chances. Says that because the car is over five years old KIA are likely to turn me away.

We paid 15k for this car and the dealer says it could cost up to 7k to fix. If I had 7k sitting around doing nothing I would have put it with the original 15k and bought a secondhand Voyager. Waiting for Kia to turn down my 'goodwill' request to be able to start the ball rolling and fight the fight of my life. Other States have been successful in getting reimbursed, Victoria needs to take a stand and make KIA listen to us too.

www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=9140&IsPgd=0

Copy and paste this link and read what a KIA spokesman has said about the fault and the subsequent repairs.

What is the status on a factory recall?

My brakes are pretty important. I am up for any legal action that is required to get the matter resolved.

Please contact me re 2002 Rav4 4 transmission problems. I am part of 23 people who have gotten replies from that are gathering information for a class action suit on this problem.

Looking for others that have experienced problem with hard shifting from 2 to 3rd with 2002 Rav4.

If you can afford the injected system best to go for that. You do not need it but it definitely stops backfiring. I got an 05 Ford wagon done for $4200 over here so far so good, it’s been 7 months? Up to you though good luck.

I wanted you to know there is a group of 23 people who are in the process of class action suit for this Toyota problem. Please contact me for further information.

Hi I'm a vehicle inspector from Sydney. You have already notified Mazda that’s good. I can tell you go and visit a motor trimmer ASAP get them to check it and write you a report.

Further to a recent posting I read concerning Honda CRV air con failure. I bought a 2003 Honda CRV about 18 months ago. Within two months the compressor failed. I was telling a mate who also has the same make and model CRV and he said his failed about a week prior to mine. Both units were only a few months out of warranty. I paid just under $2000 to get a new part fitted and the system flushed and cleaned. It lasted two days. The second unit was replaced under warranty and has lasted 1 and a half months and no longer blows cold air so it also is going back. I have never had such failure in an air conditioning unit.

I am lucky I have a good mechanic who goes in to bat for me when this stuff happens, but sometimes it is like bashing your head against a brick wall with Honda. I also have problems with the clutch operation, but Honda told me it is just the way I drive - funny how everyone else who drives it also has the same problem as me - even when I haven't told them about the trouble with the clutch take up!

AAA Executive Director, Mike Harris, said a saving of one cent per litre could mean motorists as a whole would save $200 million a year. And savings of more than this can be achieved by buying at the bottom of the regular weekly price cycle.

“We have been looking at the price cycles in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide and can see that the average retail price is typically lower on Tuesday in each of these mainland capital cities, compared to any other day of the week,” Mr Harris said.

“The price cycle in these capital cities is a weekly one and the analysis shows that the average difference between the peak and the trough was 8.9cpl in 2007.”

Mr Harris said the ‘predictive nature’ of the weekly cycle means motorists can pay less for petrol simply by buying on “Cheap Tuesday”. He also noted that the length of the cycle and the difference between the peak and the trough was an indicator of the high degree of competition in the petrol market.

“There is no doubt that the predictable weekly cycle gives the price conscious motorist the opportunity to take advantage of low prices on Tuesdays,” he said.

Additional ANOP market research shows that 88% of motorists are aware that petrol is cheaper on certain days, with 71% of these nominating Tuesday as the cheapest day.

“Motorists are not mugs” said Mr Harris, adding that “the majority of motorists are voting with their feet and actually buying on Tuesdays.”

Information contained in the ACCC Report on ‘Petrol Prices and Australian Consumers’ (December 2007) confirms that motorists do in fact buy on “Cheap Tuesday”, with sales volumes in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide all being significantly higher on Tuesday compared to any other day of the week.

“Lower prices on Tuesdays, coupled with high volumes is a simple equation that translates to working families being able to save money each year by taking advantage of the existing, predictable price cycles,” said Mr Harris.

“Further analysis reveals that 76% of motorists buy fuel at least once a week. A weekly cycle gives these motorists the opportunity to always buy at the low point of the cycle.

The savings presented by this opportunity can translate into millions of dollars for motorists as a whole. In 2007, motorists purchased almost 20,000 million litres of petrol. A saving of just one cent per litre – and greater amounts than this can be saved by buying at the bottom of the cycle - therefore translates into savings of $200 million over a year.

Thanks Mark. I've only come up with an address for a Toyota Landcruiser 4WD Club in WA & will write to them this week. We wanted to know why then did the newer 2004 replacement engine we installed last year do the same thing? We also spent nearly $4000 late 2006 on a whole new brake system, which was caused by an electronic failure (a solenoid). It was explained to us that when one thing fails it sets up a chain of events which leads to the brake system failing, this required a new one.

Regards, Danielle

Mark,
Due to an observed number of failures I did some research on the D40 clutch some time back and came to the conclusion the clutch is too small, this is contributing to the failures Nissan is having.

The diameter is 240mm and compared to the Rodeo at 275mm is much smaller considering the Rodeo also produces less torque. The dual mass flywheel doesn't seem to be standing up too well either although Nissan is not the only company having trouble with DMF.

What is your fuel consumption like?

Regards, Alwyn

Don’t pay that much to get airbag light fixed!

My airbag light used to always stay on because I kept putting my shoes under the seat. Go to your local auto electrician and ask him what he can do. Every time mine comes on from keep forgetting not to put my shoes under my seat, he just takes out the panel in the centre console and just reconfigures the settings, takes like 5 minutes.

Try that first!

I have Ford Falcon AU Series III 4 ltr. I want to covert to Gas.

Some installer says that Fuel injector system is also required which will cost $1500 more. If you do not install Fuel injector system you may face back fire and also not safe. Some installer says Fuel injector system is not required and you will not face any problems. This is required only for model 2004 onward. I am not sure which statement is correct and which system I should install. Can anyone guide me? Thanks

Hi tom, I have a D40 it now has around 50,000kms on the clock, but I had my clutch replaced before it reached 30,000kms and are sure that this second clutch is on its way out. I reckon it can’t handle the 1.5 tone I tow on a daily basis. First clutch replaced under warranty I think it will be a different story second time round.

Mark

National Car Connections is a rip off.

If you are contacted by National Car Connections to sell your car BEWARE. They will charge you $400 and say they will sell your car. I was quoted an unrealistic sale price and when it didn’t sell they charge me additional to keep my car on their lot to sell. I honestly feel that they make their money by getting a lot of people to pay them to sell their cars and this is their main source of revenue. If they actually sell a car then it’s a bonus.

Do your self a favour, save $400 and place an ad in the newspaper or on the internet.

I purchased a brand new Mitsubishi Colt Cabriolet 1st February 2008. I returned the car 2 weeks later as the air conditioning ceased working - ran out of gas and needed re gassing.

I took car back a week later for 1st service. Next day when opening the roof it became stuck and would not open or close. I took back to dealer on 25th February and they have sent for parts, replaced bent arms and finally replaced the computer board ($3,500 cost).

The car is still not operating and Mitsubishi have not become involved and are passing the buck to the dealer. I am paying monthly repayments of $900 a month on a car I am not driving. I am driving a loan car from the dealer. I want a new replacement car but Mitsubishi are not becoming involved at all.

Has anyone else who has purchased a colt cabriolet had the same problem?

The clutch burnt-out, they replaced clutch pressure plate flywheel. Asked why flywheel they said they do it in every case. Cost $2495.

Complain immediately to ACCC.

It's amazing your vehicle did 160,000km! Ours was 6 yrs old and had engine failure at only 60,000km - we're still fighting KIA for a refund. KIA won't listen to you (like the thousands of us who have complained over the years), you have to contact your local member of parliament, your fair trading dept, the minister for fair trading NSW, the media, NRMA, ACCC, the Prime Minister, anyone you can think of. KIA must be prosecuted for their **** of Aust law, but that won’t happen unless we all stand up for ourselves and do something about it.

Kevin Rudd - Do Something About This Fiasco!

Toyota will not cover via warranty... Why do we bother with warranty if the dealership / manufacturers will not respond to customer complaints? This is a very minor complaint which in real terms would cost Toyota less that $100 to replace, but yet they insist on making owners go thru this pointless exercise.

Come On Toyota, whatever happened to "customer service”?

We have owned the Smart Car for almost two years now and it has been back to Mercedes Benz of Brisbane approximately every two months for major faults. The vehicle is unreliable, and has numerous faults which it seems cannot be resolved. The dealer has been very good to us in terms of loan vehicles etc, but the issues are resolved for several days only.

We have had engines replaced, clutches, computers, clutch packs, throttle body assemblies, throttle position sensors, and others. We are so disappointed with the vehicle, and have now found out the car has no resale value.

I purchased my Kluger in Dec 2007 as I wanted a reliable vehicle that could do soft off road driving like going down dirt roads and foresty tracks. I am not a heavy off-road user and I was lead to believe the Kluger was capable of these simple tasks.

We went to the Wombeyan caves South of Sydney along a dirt tourist drive. I ran over some rocks, then suddenly there was a grating noise from under the centre of the car and then a thud. I pulled over to find that the fuel tank had a rupture. We were left in the middle of nowhere for 3 hours until help could arrive. It was not until I arrive at the repair shop that I noticed that the fuel tank was protected by an aluminum heat cover.

This now brings us to my other point about the boasted road clearance you read in all of the reviews. In the middle of the floor pan is a plate which stands at 185mm not 206mm. I believe that the rock I hit got caught by this plate and pushed the rock into the heat plate then into the fuel tank. If this rock had caused a spark my family and I may have not been here to complain.

I contacted my dealer when I got back home and asked if they could report this incident but was told it was my place to contact Toyota directly as there were no forms to fill out as it was not a warranty issue. I did enlist the help of the sales manager and we wrote up our complaint on the customer service form they send you about the dealership when you buy a new car. Nothing happened.

I contacted the customer service department directly about 6 weeks ago and told them my story. When I said I was concerned about the road clearance I was told the word unladen meant no fuel in the tank. Must be the best fuel economy car in the world that drives without fuel. I was very surprised as the specifications I downloaded in September the word unladen was not to be seen but now appears in the new specifications. I have contacted the operations manager who said they would get onto it but that was 2 weeks ago and still silence.

All I am trying to get from Toyota is a plate made to stop this from happening to me or anyone else. I am not wanting to claim any out of pocket costs.

Every time you ask someone from another franchise they don't want to know about it. I asked the other day and was told that the Kluger was probably not the right car I should have purchased. A little bit late now.

I recently purchased a second hand Sept 2006 Grand Carnival 3.8litre V6. The car does everything it is supposed to do except its fuel economy. In the City we get 21 litre/100km and when we went on a hwy drive we got 16 litre/100km. Have taken it to Kia Dealer to look at and they can't find a problem. Emailed Kia Australia with no response.

The book says 12.8 litre/100km but I was thinking realistically that should be about 14-15 litre/100km. What have other Kia Grand Carnival driver been getting in the way of fuel economy?

Has anyone had this problem and if so how can it be resolved. Has there been any recalls on the car? The car is still under new car warranty, but the dealer has told me they have to charge if they don't find a fault cause as they have nothing to claim on warranty. The dealer said monitor the fuel consumption for 10 tanks of fuel which given its current consumption rate vs. what it should do, that little exercise alone will cost me a few hundred dollars.

Looking forward to a resolution to this problem.

No what you would expect Philip and thank you Gary Bryant of Sydney for your useless comments. Ateco has not got a very good reputation for the cars they distribute or have distributed in the past in this country and it seems that continues. For a $100,000 car, the response by Alfa and your dealer is not good enough. Between them they should have organised to give you a replacement car exactly like yours for the time the car is off the road. How hard would that have been?

Problems can be hard to diagnose and repair sometimes, parts aren't available etc. and we as consumers understand that. But give the customer another car to drive so that he doesn’t have to come in every day and he might buy your product again.

Please post a reply on this site when your problems have been sorted.

Good Luck, Mark.

I own a 2000 Kia Spectra and have had nothing but problems.

I have no driver side air bag, ground effects falling off, emissions control problem, hatch back will not open good, heater vents on dash are separating from dash, and the most important thing is an oil leak in the valve cover gasket which has been replaced 3 times and still continues to coat spark plugs with oil and cause sever misfiring.

I advise anyone not to buy a Kia of any kind.