[05Spectra5GA]

I have been fortunate enough to recently have a 2005 Kia Spectra5 come into my possession. The only downside is that is was previously owned by an idiot and was not maintained very well so I'm currently in the process of fixing it up. I've had it inspected by our local Kia dealer and another reputable shop and mechanically it seems to be very sound, but the interior is a mess and missing several things. I'm hoping that I can find someone on here that might be parting out a Spectra5 and/or that can help me with specific interior pieces. I'm looking for:
Both rear headrests
Rear cargo area cover
Rear cargo area bottom piece that covers spare tire area
Any pointers or ideas on replacing the entire carpet

Thank you in advance for any help or advice anyone can give.

 

[DavesSpectra]

Hello and welcome to kia-forums!
My suggestion would be look on car-part.com.
This web site helps you to locate local salvage yards for your specific car.

The parts you need will probably not be listed as they are "afterthought" items not like fenders, doors, motors, transmissions...BUT...if you search for these items for a Spectra 5 door (hatchback) you WILL find a salvage yard that has a car you can get parts from... Just take the yards stock number for the car and call them... You might look for a local "pick-n-pull" yard that you can go put into and actually grab the items you want. Parts are usually cheaper than a yard that pulls the parts for you.
Another good thing is that the Spectra SX and Spectra5 have only one interior color design (dark gray) so matching has been simplified.

What you want also are items that usually get "crushed" after the good mechanical parts are gone so you usually can bicker a little on price as any "extra" money they can get out of a salvage car they really like.
If you are "new" to KIAs you should know that the 2.0L 4cyl is a very reliable engine
"if" you replace the timing/cam belt EVERY 5yrs or 60k miles... If you have an automatic you should drain and refill the tranny every 30k miles... If either is unknown do both and relieve your mind.
Hope you enjoy your Spec...We do!
Keep us posted on your "rebuild"
Dave

 

[DavesSpectra]

btw..
The carpet is not too hard to pull and replace... I have an 06 Spec SX (4door version of your car) and have had the carpet out. The front seats and center console need to be removed and the door sills (pop up and out).. Remove the battery terminal first to keep you from getting a "air bag" error that only the dealer can reset. The seats have wiring for the air bags and disconnecting the harnesses under the seats WILL set the code.. With no battery connected until you re-connect the seat harnesses will save you from this problem. The carpet from the front to the front of the rear seat is one rubber backed piece and is not really hard to get out.
I removed mine when I got the car as it was very dirty and had tar marks... I used cigarette lighter fluid and paper towels on the tar (over and over) then I used a product available at the "dollar stores" called "Awsome"...This is the old formula for "Fantastic" and it's only a buck (buy a bunch, it's cheap and does a great job)..... Drench the carpet (out of the car) with Awsome and use a hand brush and/or a toothbrush and go over it completely...Take your garden hose and rinse it down till no more soap comes out...place the carpet at an angle so the water flows down hill and out. Let it dry in the sun of a hot day... You'll be surprised how good the carpet will look when you re-install it!
Dave

 

[DavesSpectra]

Another thought...
BE CAREFUL with the front seats as they have air bags and the passenger seat has a
passenger sensor in it. Both can be damaged "if" you get them too wet. The gray cloth seams to hold a lot of dirt.. An upholstery attachment on a home carpet cleaner works good on them...just don't saturate the seat with water...Spray the cleaner and vacuum it up quickly.
Dave

 

[05Spectra5GA]

DavesSpectra,

Thank you for the info. I'm in the Atlanta area and have checked the local Pull-A-Part locations for Spectra5's. Only problem is that they I'm not sure they differentiate between Spectra and Spectra5. I will definitely check out the other website you mentioned though. The good part is that I can still get the parts from my Kia dealer and the price really isn't that bad for most of the parts, so worst case scenario I can still get them I'll just have to pay more for them than I want to.

That's definitely good news about them only having one color interior option. I hadn't realized that but it's good to know. That will make searching for them on Ebay easier as well if I ever get so lucky.

Have you ever just replaced the bottom carpet? This car is pretty dirty on the inside and with that light grey carpet I'm really not sure it can be salvaged. I'm thinking about just replacing it but I've never done that before. The rear seats aren't too bad and the front passenger is still decent. The driver's seat is extremely dirty though and the outside bolster is shot so I'm probably going to see about having that redone at a local upholstery shop if it isn't too expensive. I have yet to price that though, so we'll see.

The good news is that all of the "problems" with the car so seem to be the superficial things like that. The clear coat on the paint on the door handles, bumper, spoiler, etc. is peeling off pretty badly and the rest of it will need to be touched up. The aforementioned interior is dirty and missing items, etc. The car has 141000 miles on it and seems pretty solid though. Since we got it about 5 weeks ago we replaced the bald tires with a nice set of Michelin's and got an alignment at a very nice tire shop that I trust implicitly, who also gave it a solid once over. Then on to the Kia dealership for another once over and then had them replace the timing belt, water pump and drive belts. They also ended up having to replace the blower/vent fan and a wiring assembly but without it there was no A/C and that simply won't do in GA. I replaced the stereo head unit with a decent little Kenwood unit and also swapped out the front speakers. After several cleanings and detailings, several boxes of Arm & Hammer and almost an entire bottle of Febreeze I have mostly gotten rid of the horrid smell in the interior which is why I'm getting around to replacing or getting some of those items. I didn't want to get anything until I felt like the smell was better. Didn't want to spend money only to have the new things also smell bad.

So far I absolutely love this car. I previously was stuck in a reliable and decent, but soul-crushingly boring '97 Chevy Blazer. So to go from that heavy beast to this fun little 5 speed is a blast for me. I've heard good things about the engine and since it seems to run fine and has been looked at by both the dealer and a mechanic I trust I have high hopes that it's got a good bit of life still in it.

 

[DavesSpectra]

Try The tricks I suggested for the carpet... You might have $10 in it. My 06 Spec had only 24k miles on it when I bought it "salvaged". The front seats from the SX are the same and you could probably buy a clean set cheaper than re-upholstering what you have.
The gray cloth does hold a lot of dust and dirt. I can't see why you could not replace the carpet with some from another Spec. The carpet is molded into the rubber backing so "laying down" replacement would look tacky. Most of the smell is probably in the carpet and the cleaning I mentioned gets down to the pad. The Awsome product is very strong and really breaks the dirt up/pop stains/and grease. My car looks like new inside. The paint and clearcoat is in great shape also in the areas that were not originally damaged. The paint job is finally going to happen this September. Mine's "Spark Blue"...
I also put Michelin tires on my Spec...Had Rikens on it when I got it and they were junk at 30k miles. Car now has almost 40k and is still a baby and runs like new.

The blower motors are starting to go in Specs with 120k miles on them but the new replacements are only $40 with shipping on ebay.

Get hold of cobra259 in a pm for parts. He's a parts manager at a Michigan KIA dealer. With parts and shipping he did MUCH better than my local dealer... He's a "good guy" and I call him a friend also...

The engine (2.0L) is from an earlier Mazda design that is now in it's third update...(theta) and in most new Forte' and Soul models. Ours is the beta version and it's a proven engine.

You did the right thing getting the TB replaced...now if you got an automatic replace the fluid... KIA/Hyundai Type III is about $7 a quart (5 quarts needed) and you don't have to worry about compatibility problems.

There is a good sticky posted for Sephia/Spectras that goes into problems with the Mazda/Ford tranny has that is used in Spectras as when it gets up in miles with out fluids being changed. Another "good guy", Loyale 2.7 T explains how he revived his tranny.
http://www.kia-forums.com/kia-cerato-shuma-spectra-forum/77522-kia-spectra-shifting-problems.html

I have a link in this thread to the original Ford forum that explains what and why things go wrong with it... It is a good transmission and Mazda just revived it for their Mazda2 cars.
Enjoy!
Dave

 

[05Spectra5GA]

I got lucky, mine is a 5 speed so I don't have to worry about the transmission. Of course I'll have to get the clutch replaced at some point but I'm hoping when that happens I can see if there are better clutch options out there and put a good one in.

You are probably right about cleaning the carpet. With that little of a cost into it it's at least worth a shot. The smell is pretty much completely gone now but I'm betting a good, thorough carpet cleaning would eradicate all of it.

I'm not sure what tires were on my Spec5 but they really were almost completely bald so they had to go ASAP. I bought a set of Michelin's a few years ago and since then have had to replace all four tires on two vehicles and never even considered another option other than Michelin. They are phenomenal tires and haven't disappointed me yet. I'm hoping to get a nice set of black 16" Motegi wheels that will look great with a red car and fit those Michelin's perfectly. I'm jealous you're getting a new paint job. I'm hoping to get one but that's probably going to be awhile.

My wife's Honda recently had enough issues/mileage that we decided to replace it. We ended up liking the Spec5 so much that we got her a brand new Soul+. I was very encouraged to read that they have the same engine. When a manufacturer has that much faith in an engine it's a very good sign usually. So far I really couldn't be happier with either car or the Kia brand.

 

[05Spectra5GA]

You wouldn't by any chance have any advice on replacing the shift boot and/or e-brake handle would you? They are both shot and need to be replaced pretty badly. There's no salvaging either of them.

 

[cobra259]

PM sent with prices, hope you think it's a good deal.

 

[DavesSpectra]

pm cobra259 on the "boots" he should have part #s and prices...
I'm only getting the originally damaged areas painted so don't be jealous.
A quart of spark blue base, and clear coat Is gonna cost $200 and a friend is gonna "shoot" it...
Keep us posted on your Spec5
Dave

 

[05Spectra5GA]

cobra259,
I have not a single complaint about the service I've received from my local Kia dealer. They've been great and have helped secure my appreciation for the brand. That being said, you are giving me a great deal and I will definitely be getting my various parts from you.

Kind of random question for either/both of you guys, are there parts available to put an aftermarket steering wheel in a Spec5?

 

[cobra259]

You will need to do some checking on that one. Try Grant wheels.

 

[DavesSpectra]

Just remember that an after market steering wheel may not offer you the proper protection (air bags and untested resistance to breaking) in a serious accident...
We think that this won't happen to me but it can and does...
I personally would modify "other" areas ...but...It's not for me to tell you what to do though...

Looks like you are enjoying putting your Spec back together...
Also we (the forum) have a "good guys/bad guys" area that you can "rate" dealers..
Be a friend of the forum and it's readers and give their name and your rating.
Also let your dealer/parts guy know they are on "our" honor role...It makes it easier for their employees to show the owners what they are doing IS being noticed.
I may also "swing" a sale from a local buyer to this dealer...
Dave

 

[05Spectra5GA]

I don't disagree with you regarding the safety aspects. My "problem" with the steering wheel is that someone wrote in the middle of the steering wheel/airbag with a marker and the previous owner tried to fix that by spray painting over it. It looks about as trashy as it sounds. I might try cleaning it and getting both layers of stupid off of it at some point but thought there might be some decent aftermarket options. I did try emailing Grant wheels and no joy. They responded fairly quickly and succintly that they do not have anything for Kia.

I am a wannabe shade tree mechanic at best, on a good day. That being said I do enjoy playing around with cars, budget and time withstanding. So far, for the money, this is one of the more entertaining cars I've had and I'm loving it. I'm not planning on anything too radical but definitely plan on having more fun. I'll post some pics of when I first got her and progress so far.

Thanks for the heads up on the dealer feedback area. It's easy to criticize but not as common give positive feedback. I like passing that along when it's appropriate.

 

[DavesSpectra]

Here's something "strange" in reference to your air bag problem..
Ebay has listed gray air bag center covers (less the air bag) for $30 plus $10 S&H.
Air bag COVER 03 04 05 06 07 08 KIA SPECTRA CERATO airbag COVER gray | eBay
I know the original air bag assemblies are pop riveted onto this cover from KIA but if you wanted this cover some nuts and bolts would work ...
Strange that they would have something like this available...
Just a thought
Dave

 

[05Spectra5GA]

Wow, of all the things I have searched for, bought and/or sold on Ebay I never thought about looking for just the cover. You win again, internet.
Have you ever replaced one of those before?

 

[DavesSpectra]

I looked for just the air bag and found that...
If you keep looking on ebay you may find the complete assembly for around the same price. I have replaced the total assemblies and they are easy to remove. Two plastic covers on the side of the steering wheel pop off and there is a TORX bolt in each "hole".
The air bad then just lifts out of the center.

I would advise BEFORE playing in this area that you remove the positive battery terminal if for no reason other than to keep the air bag computer from setting an unremovable air bag LIGHT when connectors are disconnected.

More importantly...
Air bags are very sensitive to electrical changes at their connectors and "could" blow when the car is "powered up" and then the bags are disconnected. You are safe with no power and low static conditions (high humidity day)...
Nothing to be "afraid" of ..just be reasonably careful.
Dave