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Subject Topic: New Sportage Ride Height,more help please
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Personjsparkes201148
07/8/2014 at 5:40pm
 Location: Stockton on Tees
 Outfit: Lunar Clubman SB Kia Sorento View jsparkes201148's Profile View Profile   Reply to jsparkes201148 Reply   Quote jsparkes201148 Quote  
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Further to my previous posts regarding my sagging Sportage .
Kia tell me that the "ride height" on my car is fine.The ride height is the distance from the centre of the hubcap to the black plastic wheel arch trim.
Mine is 415mm and I have spring assistors fitted which raises it a bit.
I measured a new Sportage in the showroom and it was 432mm.The service manager said the 17mm difference was due to the weight of the towbar.
If you have a Sportage KX ..any model with or without towbar would you please measure the ride height and let me know.
Many thanks
John


PersonGrampian91
07/8/2014 at 7:01pm
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If it drops 17mm with just the weight of a towbar then the suspension must be very very soft.


Personjsparkes201148
07/8/2014 at 7:32pm
 Location: Stockton on Tees
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Exactly Grampian, it's going to be a long battle with Kia, which is why I am gathering evidence.


PersonRob and Tina
07/8/2014 at 7:40pm
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What is the ride height with the caravan on the hitch? I suppose you could get the mechanic to stand on the tow ball while the service manager checks the ride height again and see if it is still above the accepted figure.

Rob


Personjsparkes201148
07/8/2014 at 9:55pm
 Location: Stockton on Tees
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Going to hitch up van tomorrow and measure ride height. Will ask Kia what is acceptable ride height range when hitched.
I need measurements from other Sportage owners to compare with mine . The service people are not caravaners and don't really understand, the service manager asked me about the "nose cone" weight.


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PersonLlaniDavis
07/8/2014 at 10:07pm
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Have you tried asking here?

http://www.kiaownersclub.co.uk/forum/sportage_forum16.html


Personjsparkes201148
07/8/2014 at 10:08pm
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Thanks ,will do that.
Just posted on Kiaowners.

Post last edited on 07/08/2014 22:34:28


Personstuartggray
10/8/2014 at 1:17am
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How old is this Kia?


PersonScoobz
10/8/2014 at 1:31pm
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Quote: Originally posted by jsparkes201148 on 07/8/2014
Further to my previous posts regarding my sagging Sportage .
Kia tell me that the "ride height" on my car is fine.The ride height is the distance from the centre of the hubcap to the black plastic wheel arch trim.
Mine is 415mm and I have spring assistors fitted which raises it a bit.
I measured a new Sportage in the showroom and it was 432mm.The service manager said the 17mm difference was due to the weight of the towbar.
If you have a Sportage KX ..any model with or without towbar would you please measure the ride height and let me know.
Many thanks
John

Hi , I don't know if you have already read it,but there is a thread also about this problem on another well known caravan forum. I've just looked and it's in tow car section page three. Hope it helps ,cheers Scoobz.


Personjsparkes201148
10/8/2014 at 7:16pm
 Location: Stockton on Tees
 Outfit: Lunar Clubman SB Kia Sorento View jsparkes201148's Profile View Profile   Reply to jsparkes201148 Reply   Quote jsparkes201148 Quote  
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My Sportage is 63 reg.Caravan club involved now after I found more members with same problem and got them to contact CC.
Have been monitoring other forums, will check again.
What I really heed is other SPORTAGE owners to check their Ride Height and tell me, so that I can hopefully show Kia that mine is too low.


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Personjsparkes201148
10/8/2014 at 8:11pm
 Location: Stockton on Tees
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Thanks Scoobz, have been on other forum ,very interestimg.


PersonTrevorMuckyWhite
10/8/2014 at 11:32pm
 Location: Milton Keynes
 Outfit: Elddis Crusader Mistral 2014 View TrevorMuckyWhite's Profile View Profile   Reply to TrevorMuckyWhite Reply   Quote TrevorMuckyWhite Quote  
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Hi Guys,
I have the same problem with my Sportage KX3 2012. I'm posting here to log this fact.

The Ride Height from the centre of the rear wheel to the lower edge of the black plastic wheel arch is only 395mm (unloaded and no caravan) This seams very low to me after looking at figures on the KIA users site (432) but I can't find official data to check this.

We have just returned from holiday in our new caravan Elddis Crusader Mistral, had several bogy wheel bottom outs during the last 2 weeks when going over any sort of ramp at more than a snails pace. Have just measured the towball height on the car at 390 (unloaded and without caravan attached) 350mm (unloaded but with caravan attached and 80Kg Milenco measured nose weight)

Has anyone obtained a definitive statement from KIA stating an issue with rear suspension and/or springs. If there is a KIA reference fro this it is likely to help us all.

Thanks for the site and info guys

Regards


-------------
Regards
Trev McCarthy-White


Personjsparkes201148
11/8/2014 at 8:24am
 Location: Stockton on Tees
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Trevor, did you see my response to your post on kiaownersclub forum ?


Personjsparkes201148
13/8/2014 at 1:12pm
 Location: Stockton on Tees
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Kia Technical dept have suggested that I take my car to local dealers so they can remove the towbar(at my expense) to see whether the towbar is causing the problem. I told them the towbar weighs under 20kg .
Don't know what the others who have this problem have been told.
Trevor should be getting new springs fitted tomorrow, looking forward to an update from him.
What next?


PersonTrevorMuckyWhite
13/8/2014 at 1:25pm
 Location: Milton Keynes
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Yep will give you all I can obtain from KIA MK who have identified this as a known problem with some Sportage KX3's 2012 (maybe others)

REgards

-------------
Regards
Trev McCarthy-White


PersonTrevorMuckyWhite
14/8/2014 at 2:48pm
 Location: Milton Keynes
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Hi Guys,
Well it would appear there is nothing that can be published with regard to a definitive KIA reference to this issue. Rob at MK KIA (wolverton) has been very helpful but would have his hands cut off if he gave me any more than the following - I think he wished he could help more.

The standard ride height is stated as being 419mm +/- 10mm. If your vehicle is outside this specification (without towbar or other addition) then it is recommended that the springs be changed. The dealers instructions fro this situation also recommend that the suspension bushes and plates are also inspected and replaced if necessary.

I have not picked up my vehicle yet but the tech there said that the ride before and after is significantly different. They are not advised if the springs are stiffer or not they are just told to fit these new springs when this situation presents itself.

If you already have a tow bar fitted you are going to have other issues. They state that a 25Kg towbar will permanently lower the ride height but do not state by how much - so any dealer has scope to interpret the need to apply the recommendation or not.

One way forward might be to investigate what your ride height is without the towbar fitted??? If it falls outside of the above parameters then KIA should fit the new springs.

I have seen a document (upside down) that relates to this issue but it is only for Dealers and not for general consumption. It is good to know that there is such a document and perhaps other KIA dealers could approach MK KIA for more info :-)

I'll post back here with driving experience later

REgards

-------------
Regards
Trev McCarthy-White



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