Welcome to the forum.

It's most likely a problem with the temperature sensor, or the wire has come off it.

You can get detail on this with images showing where it is on the KiaTech web site - see my sig for link.


PS. How about filling in your profile detail.

 

Here is the info from www.kiatechinfo.com , component replacement section of service information. It shows location and how to check the sender unit.

 

That's neat. There is a way to test the sensor itself (probably should have done that before I replaced mine). I did replace mine and my gauge still doesn't work. Next suggestion?

 

That's neat. There is a way to test the sensor itself (probably should have done that before I replaced mine). I did replace mine and my gauge still doesn't work. Next suggestion?

There's two sensors on some models - are you sure that you replaced the correct one?

If it's the single contact sensor, then ground the wire that connects to it and the gauge should go full scale.

 

Too bad you replaced the sensor before checking. Next thing to check is wiring[ does the sender have power to it?] and fuse and connection at the gauge itself. Some cars also have a instrument relay but usually if that is playing up both the fuel and temp gauges misbehave at the same time.

 

I have a 99 2dr 4wd convertible. The one I replaced was up front under the air intake tube. Had a little pin holding the connector in place. Is there a second one? Where would it be? I'm still confused about which fuse I should be checking. The gas gauge appears to be working fine though (fwiw). Not looking forward to trying to get at the gauge itself as it's behind the instrument cluster...

 

I have a 99 2dr 4wd convertible. The one I replaced was up front under the air intake tube.

Is this the one you replaced?

It is the one that should be connected to the dash gauge.

You should really put an aftermarket gauge in because the Sporty one is fairly unreliable.

Check your connector and see if anything is broken. I believe someone suggested grounding it out to see if it changed your gauge. This is a pretty simple and quick check.

Sounds to me like a broken wire somewhere. Usually close to the connector.

Keep us posted on your progress.

UPYOURKIA

 

Had a look on www.kiatechinfo.com ,it appears that there is only the one sensor, see attachment.

 

Check this fuse[ meter arrowed ] , although it is probably ok if fuel gauge works still. Check the fuse and then do as ron1004 suggested and earth out the wire to the sensor and see if gauge moves.

 

The single contact sensor that UPYOURKIA posted is the one I was referring to, and then there is a two contact sensor mounted on the opposite side of the thermostat housing, and that one is connected to the ECU.

Some models only have the two contact sensor and in this case the ECU drives the temp gauge.

This image of the Sephia, although not identical to the Sportage, shows the general location of the two temp sensors.
http://www.northcarolinakia.com/pics/img_0010.jpg

 

mine quit working, the wire connecting to the sensor where the thermostat was broke. I just stripped the wire and soldered a new wire to the old one and soldered a connector on the other end, plugged it back in and works like new.

 

@UPYOURKIA I don't think that's what I replaced. I'll take a photo in the morning when it's light, but what I replaced is facing the other direction, I think. In your photo, is the front of the vehicle to the left or right?

@pulsar86 I'll look for the "meter" fuse, but my interior fuse layout is similar to the one in the sticky for this sub-forum and not what you have pictured here.

 

It is to the right.
Photo was taken from passenger side of car toward drivers side (left hand drive).

Sender sets below top radiator hose that attaches to thermostat housing and top of radiator.

If you changed the one on the other side, it wouldn't affect your gauge.


UPYOURKIA

 

I changed the other one. Dammit. And when taking pictures this morning I found that one and it's connected to.... NOTHING!! There's a single yellow wire just kind of hanging out near it.... so, theoretically, if I strip the end of that wire and reconnect it right there, I should start seeing some activity on the dash again, right?

Now what was it that I replaced?

 

I changed the other one. Dammit. And when taking pictures this morning I found that one and it's connected to.... NOTHING!! There's a single yellow wire just kind of hanging out near it.... so, theoretically, if I strip the end of that wire and reconnect it right there, I should start seeing some activity on the dash again, right?

Now what was it that I replaced?

Like I said before, there are two temp sensors, and the one with two contacts, the one you replaced, is for the ECU.

Just reconnecting the wire to the single contact temp sensor should get your gauge working again.

 

Here are the pictures from this morning. You can see the shiny new part.... and the one with a disconnected wire....

Dagnabit.

 

Hazzah! It works! Reconnected the wire using a small homemade jumper and TaDa! I have a functioning gauge again.

Reliability aside (as in, yes, I know I really should be getting an aftermarket gauge soon), when it's working, where should the gauge read? On my drive in this morning, it never went above just below the halfway point. Is this where "normal" is on a working gauge?

 

seems pretty common , like mine did , was just the single wire connector by thermostat