Repair manual for a 2004 KIA Optima?

http://www.google.com/search?q=Repair+manual+for+a+2004+KIA+Optima&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-ContextMenu&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7RNWN_en

Stop at auto-zone an ask them to use the reader and see what codes they come up with

feedback

bwire - thanks for your input. The shop I took it to said it was not showing any codes. This is why they didn't know what to fix, they said.

You should be able to get a shop manual from a Kia dealer.

ronseta--good idea, I shouldn't have assumed a Dealer would refuse to sell a shop manual. I will check with them

Three good answers so far. The only thing that I would add is my standard question: "What changed since the car ran correctly"? Did you do any amount of driving in dusty conditions or standing water? That could have clogged your air filter prematurely. Did you reach the limits of your fuel filter? Good luck, and let us know.

bob c--my wife drives it to work and yes a portion of the road (1/4 mile) is dusty. I had already checked the air filter and the shop tech said the fuel filter was not the problem. I don't know how he knew unless he measured the pressure on the line. He also said the injectors were performing ok.

I have noticed there are two different situations: A. First thing in the morning when cooled down it only stumbles but has more acceleration. B. When warmed up that is when the power seems to drop slowly and starts downshifting when on cruise and going up an incline. These are not high mountains just normal inclines on the I20 interstate.

I just remembered that the place we buy our gas has recently posted a sign that they have 15% alcohol in their fuel. I will check on that again, thanks

Check for restrictions in the exhaust. Catalytic converter, kink in the pipes, or even baffles in the muffler that broke loose. Good Luck.

An ignition coil that breaks down under load could give similar conditions. You might be able to see a problem from the coil by looking at the coil while the engine is at idle in gear with the air conditioner on at night with all lights off. Any cracks in the coil insulation will usually show as arcing to surrounding metal surfaces.

A fuel pump pressure test is meaningless under idle conditions, when you are having a problem under driving conditions. For your problem, he should perform the pressure test under full load conditions.

There is a test that is used on heavy duty trucks with automatic transmissions to determine power loss, and transmission problems. With a good accurate digital tachometer installed, hold your foot very firmly on the brakes, and at the same time hold the gas pedal to the floor in drive. Observe the maximum steady engine RPM reached, and then release the gas pedal. DO NOT DO THIS LONGER THAN A FEW SECONDS. The transmission is heating up to the tune of 1 degree per second. By comparing the engine speed reached under this test in the two different conditions, you will be able to determine if there is a loss of power. It will not tell you where the loss is, but will confirm your suspicions.

One thing that is not easy to spot always is a restrictive exhaust system. Usually a catalytic converter. If you can not find any else to try, create an exhaust leak, by removing the oxygen sensor, or any place you can create a leak, and retest. Good luck.

This is probably not the main issue but could contribute considerably. Check the transmission cooler, wash with hose and be careful not to bend the fins with the water. Check transmission lines leading to and from the cooler for indication of restricting the flow, bends, dents etc..

I had a similar symtoms on one of my cars last year, after many conclusions turns out it was a restriction in the exhaust system triggering everything like a snowball rolling down hill

As per bobc check the codes...

Try Haynes for a manual , they have them .

machine head--Thanks , I will

Took it in for a "Tune up"

Shops no longer do tune-ups as there is nothing on the modern computerized engine to tune up. All a shop can do is plug your car into a computer to read the fault codes. The codes will tell you what is out-of-operating range. Could be an o² or throttle position sensor. The codes will tell you. If a spark plug is bad, the computer will tell you that.

ronseto--Thanks again. I have been able to find a service bulletin that says they redesigned the TPS to stop problems (loss of power) such as I appear to be having. Plan to check this out.

The problem you are having sounds like a vacuum problem. As the car warms up, the intake manifold expands and if there is a crack in the manifold it can lose "draw" so that the fuel/air mixture is incorrect. Check the vacuum that assists the cruise control and see if it varies causing the increase-decrease in cruise speed. If so, it will also account for the loss of power when first starting the car.

Guest--Thanks again, I will check this out ASAP but hampered by my wife needing the car during the daytime.

Wonder why it doesn't put out a code if the ratio gets off or out of spec.?

Often a poor ground may cause problems that can not be easily isolated. A sure fire way to rule out grounding troubles is to one at a time use a jumper to a good ground at each sensor location and if a change occurs there you are.

Old woman says to old man, "What cha doing today", "Nuthin", "That's what you did yesterday!?". Old man says, "I'm not finished"

bwire-- thanks, good input, will follow up on it.

Try this.

http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=5336643