I took my 2009 Kia Borrego to the Kia dealer nearby as it was running terrible
and the check engine light was flashing indicating a misfire.
Just got a call from the Kia mechanic and he said that my timing chains have
stretched and need replacement for $2900.
Then he said the bad news is that when this happens they usually find metal filings
which can plug oil passageways inside the engine but they will not be able to determine
that until the timing chains are replaced and the engine is timed.
If any of the oil passageways are plugged, I might need a new engine for an additional
cost of $6k - $8k, but the average trade in for this car is between $4k - $5,800K
I asked him to check on the price of a used engine but you never know what you are getting there…
Does anyone out there have any advice of what I should do about this?
I need a reliable car and love my Borrego but I am not sure if it is worth putting all that
money into it or not…
Yes quite a dilemma! an independant shop would be far less costly than a dealer ...if you have friends that have used them and have good reports of them. but only you know the true condition of the overall vehicle as far as maint. history and body condition(I am sure similar to Buffalo NY RUST). You are correct of a used motor being a "gamble", but if you plan to be rid of it soon.. a running vehicle will sell better than a "dying or dead"one. Used vehicle values are based on a driveable, running vehicle.
If I wanted to get it running to sell or trade in, would it be wise to take it to an independent shop and have the timing chains replaced or is this something best left to the dealer?
I know the dealer costs more in hourly rate but is this a job that requires special equipment of knowledge that a typical mechanic might not have?
My suggestion is to ask friends who they may go to and are happy with and then call them and inquire of their expertise with a vehicle as yours. YES YOU need to do some "leg work". Depends on who you go to and what they "specialize" in doing(A muffler shop" won't want to do motor work for example). Just remember NOBODY likes labor costs, but you are looking for quality and knowledgeable work. To me for timing chains to have worn as you reported,is not out of the question but to me sounds a little strange if maintained properly and not abused. Motors of today are built more like the proverbial "swiss watch" than ever before, and so the concern of metal/debris is valid. But can not be known until things get "opened up". Hope you can come to a game plan to resolve your "dilemma" !
I have a mechanic that i like and he has done timing chains on other cars before but not sure if he has ever worked on a Kia or not.
The estimate from the dealer mechanic was $3000 for replacing the timing chains and CVTs (whatever those are)
Is it typical to only change the chains on this ore are there typically other parts that need to be changed on the Kia when the timing chains get stretched?
Glad to hear you are getting some progress on the "legwork"! While I am not familiar with your motors internals, most motors have other parts that go along with the chain called "chain guides" and should be replaced when doing such a job. They wear just as the chain(s) wear or on some motors even fail from the slack chain slapping against them.
Any time that I ever did a timing chain for any vehicle, I made sure that I had procedure guide to follow.That was in the day of PRINTED manuals...Today can be had over the"NET". If he has that capability then he should not have a problem doing your specific motor.