Kia Diesel

You should cite what country where you are to best invite an applicable response.

I'm not of any sense of expert in automotive, but don't think that KIA has any diesel vehicles in the US, and so inspired me to just add these notes.

Only something that comes to mind about the only diesel that I've ever driven: an Oldsmobile some many years ago that had a H2O sensor that would pop up sometimes (water in the fuel). In other words, it may be less expensive as a discounted measure just to drain the fuel tank and refuel/reset and see what happens.

Different locations have different emission standards. The diesel is not offered in the US, so I am not sure what you have, or where you live. If you look under the car, follow the exhaust system. if there is a cat, it will be near the engine, more rounded than a muffler, and welded together, or expanded from one piece of steel. No rolled seams in it, and possibly a heat shield above and below it. Let us know.

Diesels don't usually have Cats per se, but they can have the Cat Monolith, without any metals on it, as a filter to catch and burn carbon particles.....that might be blocked.

If so, just replacing the filter with a straight bit of pipe and running around for a week will show if that is really the problem or not!

If you are burning a lot of oil, that will block up a monolith filter quicker than it should, also slow (cool) running will not help matters either......give the car a "HOT BLAST" along a highway for an hour......

The easy fix (if the car is running fine when the light is on) would be to reach up behind the dash, pull the lamp assembly out, remove the bulb, then re-insert. The 'check engine' light will bother you no more.

That is a very irresponsible thing to do. That light is to warn you that your vehicle is not operating as it was designed to. That light needs to stay operational. I prefer to put a band aid over that piece of _hit so it will not bother me.

I have a 1995 Ford Windstar. The check engine light has been on for about 8 years now. It doesn't tell me a thing. However, when the engine runs rough or the temperature gage goes through the roof, it tells me a lot. When the air conditioner quits working or the transmission goes bump at a stop light, that tells me something. When the battery light comes on and the van eventually stops running on the interstate, that tells me something. What's irresponsible about disconnecting a light that is only costing you money to pay attention to with no real benefit to you in the real world?

The check engine light is saying many things. Perhaps too many things.

Every bit of information that every sensor on the car can determine, either directly, or indirectly is compared to a set of norms that was fed into the onboard computer at time of build. When it sees a value that is out of range, it turns on the light, and memorizes the reason for the fault. The computer will remember this fault for 50 restarts after the fault goes away.

Early systems were limited in what they could read indirectly. Today the information is just overwelming. False codes are set. We just erase, and forget about them. Some times a code is set that is not supposed to be there. These times are very hard to work with. In truth, the manufacturer should replace the computer to stop the false triggers.

What is the most common reason for the light to be on is the computer sees a sensor reading that is out of range. This might be an exhaust recirculating valve that does not change the oxygen sensor's reading sufficiently. What the hell does that mean to the person behind the wheel. Not a thing. There may be a higher amount of nitrates coming out the tailpipe. These things mean little, if anything to the person on his way to work, or home. the manufacturers in concert with the EPA division of the US government, have made the system unreliable, and the public is tired of paying to have things repaired that have no noticeable effect on their vehicle. These systems need to have a longer warranty on them, to force the manufacturers to make them more reliable.

NOTE. this message has been posted without sarcasm. Sarcasm will return next post.

Originally, the check engine light would come on only after taking a long trip and would be on until after 5 starts without sensing emmission problems. Then it started coming on after short trips. Then it started never going off at all. Checked the codes and reset many times. Kept coming on more and more frequently. Van still runs great. About 200K miles now. I'm not replacing the emissions stuff. Would cost more than the van is worth. Just keep on truckin' man!!!

Do you have access to a code reader? If not your Ford is old enough to read with an analog volt meter. At least find out what is causing the light?

A piece of Black Insulating tape would look better than a band aid

Yes it would, but taking the light out all together looks even better... then you sell the car.

I had a Kia Sportage petrol that did the same thing, The local agent checked the engine management unit and it showed a fault code not listed in the book. I asked them to find out and waited, and waited, and waited, and eventually sold the vehicle with 140 000 km on the clock, about 50 000 with the light flashing still without an answer.

Just keep driving and do not stress about the light, if the engine makes strange noises or emits smoke then worry. The vehicles now days have too many bells and whistles which are installed so that we have to pay the service guys to do work they do not understand.