The Kia Sedona/Carnival Thread [ARCHIVE]

[mikey177]

Thanks for the links, diesoline

[diesoline]

I use mobile one delvac synthetic motor oil. Been using it after my two year warranty expired (Nov 2003). Suwabe ang dating. I make sure that the oil you use passes the DS1 test. Maraming oil hanging CF lang.

DS1 I beleieve is the latest test for turbo charged diesel engines.

tnx

Rodski

rodski: how do you know that the particular oil passed the ds1 test? is it indicated in the packaging? afaik the j3 engine's oil is cf-4. what do you think about valvoline's full syn 5w40 cf?

mikey177: aliw ako dun sa tire rack site.

[rodski]

Diesoline,

Yes, the DS1 label is indicated in the packaging. Some new oils also indicate CG or CH if im not mistaken. Mas mataas ang rating pag CH versus CF.

rodski

[leolop]

sedona owners, hoping for some advice here.

my bank offered me a repossessed kia sedona 2003 model m/t for P500k. mileage is 44k. i'm not sure if it was bought locally. it's been at their warehouse for 5 months already, all dusty but still looking pretty good except for a partially damaged front bumper. i was only able to take a look from the exterior, and not test it yet.

can you guys give me tips on how to test it and what to check for to make sure i'm getting a good car? the price sounds great but i'm not sure if i'm getting a lemon. actually i wouldn't mind spending a bit on initial maintenance and some interior detailing (not to mention getting it blessed to exorcise whatever misfortune landed on the previous owner causing the foreclosure!), so what i'm really afraid of is some defect in the fundmental areas.

the bank also had a 2003 nissan serena qrvr ltd for P650k and 11t mileage, also been in the warehouse for 5 months. which might be the better deal?

also, need advice how to convince my family that the sedona is the better family van over the starex. in particular, is it space sufficient for 7 people and vacation luggage? how does it fare when forced to ride through a flooded street? thanks in advance for your input.

[DacoTyan]

sedona owners, hoping for some advice here.

my bank offered me a repossessed kia sedona 2003 model m/t for P500k. mileage is 44k. i'm not sure if it was bought locally. it's been at their warehouse for 5 months already, all dusty but still looking pretty good except for a partially damaged front bumper. i was only able to take a look from the exterior, and not test it yet.

can you guys give me tips on how to test it and what to check for to make sure i'm getting a good car? the price sounds great but i'm not sure if i'm getting a lemon. actually i wouldn't mind spending a bit on initial maintenance and some interior detailing (not to mention getting it blessed to exorcise whatever misfortune landed on the previous owner causing the foreclosure!), so what i'm really afraid of is some defect in the fundmental areas.

the bank also had a 2003 nissan serena qrvr ltd for P650k and 11t mileage, also been in the warehouse for 5 months. which might be the better deal?

also, need advice how to convince my family that the sedona is the better family van over the starex. in particular, is it space sufficient for 7 people and vacation luggage? how does it fare when forced to ride through a flooded street? thanks in advance for your input.

You right to be cautious. I once saw a repo Pajero that looked ok despite being dusty but on closer inspection it looked liked it through a roll over crash.

[altec]

leolop,

local version was originally the carnival. When the U.S. came out with the sedona, yun din ang pinalabas dito sa pinas, though the sedona was still called Carnival in Korea. The imported/surplus carnivals here come in several versions, called park series and land series. I think park 1 is equivalent to the local carnival series, while park 2 is equivalent to the local sedona. I asked an importer of korean cars what's the diff between park and land. Sabi niya mas mataas pa na model ang mga park series, mas basic model daw ang land.

The local sedona in 2003 came in several versions: diesel 2.9 TDIC, direct injection engines: LS and RS models. LS is top of the line, with standard ABS, 2 sides airbags, rear spoiler, mags, sunroof on some LS versions, 2 tone body color, fake wood grain dashboard, better upholstery material, fog lamps, different sound system with controls also found in the steering wheel. RS is without all of what I mentioned. Sometimes the owner would go for a seat conversion, which changes the 2nd row seats to captain seats, and the 2 side rear seats to 3rd row front facing bench type. There was a time also that the RS came with VCD player and ceiling mounted monitor, while the LS came with DVD and ceiling mounted monitor. Take note that if that is a local vehicle bought 2003, it comes with 3 year 110,000km warranty, this becomes very important as you will still have 1 year or so left to claim any warranty, assuming that the previous owner sent the vehicle to the casa for the every 5K checkup, or else some parts of the warranty could be voided.

In 2003, Kia also introduced the gas version of the sedona, using a V6 engine that is just like the U.S. version of the Sedona. There was never a local version that came with a common rail diesel version. Any crdi model is imported/surplus.

As in any vehicle purchase brand new or 2nd hand, you have to inspect the whole car, from the engine, to the body, to the underchassis. Especially one that hasn't run for 5 months! Regarding the pros and cons of owning a carnival/sedona, you will have to read through the whole thread and it already gives you a good picture of the beneifts and potential problems of the sedona.

Personally, I am quite sad to know that a 2003 sedona is being sold at 500K, which means I've lost half of its value (I bought my LS 2003 Sedona for 1M) as it is a very good car and the market value does not reflect its true worth. But for a 2nd hand buyer, swerte kayo!!

[diesoline]

thanks for the overview, altec. the second-hand kias are really a good buy for second hand buyers. like i said before, if the general public's perception of kia's will still be the same in a few years' time, i will be in the looking for bargains in the second hand market for sorentos and picantos. hay naku...

leolop, try to arrange for a test drive that is more than a rudimentary drive around the block. and if ever you do get that sedona and have it blessed, it would be a nice gesture say a little prayer of blessing too for the car's former owner so that he will be more fortunate next time.

[totoybato]

it would be a nice gesture say a little prayer of blessing too for the car's former owner so that he will be more fortunate next time.

very well said Mr. Diesoline. By the way, the Kia Carnival is one of the best selling automobile here in Korea. Bulok din ang perception ko sa mga korean cars, until i have owned and driven one myself. I am proud to say that I am one happy and contended Korean car owner, although mine is a Hyundai. Yung dati ko dito is a Kia sedan

[leolop]

guys, many thanks for the info you gave. actually, i also don't believe that the price the bank is offering reflects the actual value of the car, which is why i'm very interested in it. i think their philosophy is to just get rid of it as quickly as possible and recoup their funds. i looked at their past price lists and it shows a P80k reduction in just 2 months. the nissan qrvr limited a/t was previously P800k and is now P640k.

this is not true of all banks. PS Bank also offered a sedona for 630K, but it had been in their warehouse for so long, there was a lot of mold on the seat covers. their repossessed car lot has over 100 vehicles, many just 2-4 years old. but their prices are way off market. 2003 model starex was offered at P770k; one look in buy and sell will show that's at least P100k overpriced. i guess that's their price to pay for allowing 10 and 20% downpayments with their aggressive car loan offers.

i'm doing the test drive this week, and i'll bring our trusted mechanic along. for the price, i can actually condition my thinking that there will probably be at least P30k initial maintenance, and my first act of proud ownership is to have it towed to the casa. (worst case scenario). i'll try to post some pics here after the test.

i have my doubts that kia will honor their warranty considering the circumstances, but it sure would be great if they did. my biggest stumbling block is still getting my family to agree that it's better than a starex. i guess the sedona we're looking at will have to do it for me. again many thanks!

[DacoTyan]

leolop, good luck! But be careful still, P500k is still a lot of moolah.

[mikey177]

leolop,

Isn't 44,000-km a high odometer reading for a 2-year-old vehicle? My Sedona just turned 3 last June and I'm just past the 93,000-km mark. Anyway, since you'll have your mechanic along with you during your inspection, I hope that any possible problem areas or postentially costly repairs will be detected by him before you make a decision to buy.

Good luck on finding a good vehicle for your family.

[leolop]

yes, 44k mileage seemed pretty high. however, this is no longer material because, i, proud padre de pamilia, was voted down 4 to 1 by the wife and kids, the vote going to the starex. fortunately, our bank approved our auto loan so it's possible to get a brand new one.

i wish to thank all those who gave their ideas, comments and suggestions. they were very well appreciated, and i still think your sedonas and carnivals are great vehicles.

the carnival/sedona i was looking at is in the equitable pcib wareshouse at no. 5 brixton street in pasig. the listed indicative price is P490,000. it still looks very fresh except for some damage on the passenger side of the front bumper, and that's the extent of what i know about it. if you need more details, you can call ton or sally of epcib, 8407000 loc 7638/39. you can view it anytime, but the key is there only on tuesdays 2-5 pm. i'm stating this for all those who may be interested and as way of thanks to epcib for helping me out.

again thanks to all!

[altec]

leolop, sayang. When I was pressuring the family towards the sedona, ayaw ni esmi. Pero ngayon, mas gusto pa nga niya dalhin ang sedona kaysa sa fuego dahil mas magaan ang steering niya, except for places na masikip, dahil malaki ang turning radius niya. We test drove a non crdi starex with only 5K pa lang in the odometer, and it was...nothing worth mentioning. Was able to drive my friend's turbo starex at 40K mileage, and wow, laspag na, maski yung kambyo niya ang laki ng play. Just make sure that your family really knows the ins and outs of a family van, not just being a plain passenger.

Unless you are planning to buy the crdi starex, mas malakas ang makina nito. Pero auto loan? The bigger the loan, the bigger the interest that you will have to shoulder, but I think you would have considered that already.

[diesoline]

congrats leolop! just feel free to drop by every now and then in this thread.

re the damage on the passenger side of the bumper that leolop noted. i have seen many carnivals and sedonas that have scratches in that area. i too have gashed my bumper after i banged it on our driveway ramp's shoulder the very first time i drove it out of its parking slot.

[leolop]

but for the sake of argument (with the mrs.! hanep, pinagtampuhan ako nung inayawan ko yung isang 2nd hand starex na tiningnan namin, lonely night, hehe), how much does a brand new sedona cost these days? if kia only sells gasoline, where would i look if wanted a brand new diesel?

[altec]

sometimes kasi we forget that the sedona's ground clearance is more car than van. Kaya mas madalas sumasayad ang ilalim, lalo na sa harapan. But the same lower ground clearance gives it that "american" like soft ride. But after reading Leolop's PM to me, I think Starex would be a better choice. Suggest ko lang Leolop, bring the family to actually ride in a starex and a sedona. Preferably if you get an opportunity to drive around both, the better. May pro and con talaga ang sedona and starex, di kasi sila actually in the same category.

[altec]

mahirap pala ang sitwasyon mo leolop! outside d kulambo ka pala. Mas mabigat yang consideration na yan.

[diesoline]

my situation is the other way around. i was considering a toyota previa then but my heart is really into diesels. my wife is the one who suggested a sedona because she once hitched a ride with an acquaintance who has one. when the previa finally came out, i got a clincher. you can't argue with 500,000 pesoses price difference.

btw, i first became aware of the j3 engine's power when i was driving a 2001 tdic starex one night in pangasinan. i thought i was doing good speed at 120kph in one of the long straightawayss. a set of headlights loomed in the rearview mirror, effortlessly passed the starex, and i watched its tail lights disappear in the distance. it was a first generation carnival! after that bilib na ako!

[altec]

J3 is the crdi or the 2.9 TDIC ulit? Guys, kausap ko yung uncle ko who imports kia units except the sorrento. We talked kasi about the rash of smuggled sorrentos into the Philippines. Anyway, since Carnival/Sedona, fast forward na lang ako. Sabi niya, yung 2.9TDIC non CRDI engine is really a smoke belcher, even in Korea. Powerful, but a smoke belcher. Yung sa akin kasi, guaranteed grabe ang usok once I hit around 3000 rpm, no matter how slowly I allow the rpm to increase. Sabi niya, inaadjust ang governor, pero it will slightly affect the power, especially climbing power. Ang sabi ko, since under warranty pa ako, I send it to the casa and they adjust it. But in less than 2000 kms after that adjustment, ayun na naman. Maski naka BD2 na ako. Hahaaay!!

Stock tires pa ako, 21,500 on the odo. Pero yung harap ko, obvious na pudpod na pareho, as compared to the rear. Alam ko na expected mas mabilis mapudpod ang front ng front wheel drive, pero I find the front wear too much compared sa rear. Ganun din ba yung sa inyo? Di pa ako nag tire rotation.

[diesoline]

my original hankooks did not last that long and i have replaced two of them with dunlop rv501s last week. though conscious ako sa rotation, the tires have deteriorated especially so when they have come from the front. i have attributed this problem as inherent with the tires and the roads that i regularly traverse though.

btw, have any of you changed tires on the road using the stock jack? ang bigat talaga ng front ng kotse natin!