2003 Kia Sedonna. I'm going on the 4th alternator since 2005. What may the problem be. Thanks,
Asked by rao May 05, 2009 at 12:49 PM about the 2003 Kia Sedona LX
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
What can the problem be with this van after replacing the 3rd and now going on the 4th alternator since 2005. I replaced the last one in February of this year and now getting ready to replace it again, please help me I am desperate for an answer. I also replaced the battery twice thinking that would help.
2 Answers
You obviously are replacing these yourself as a technician would have told you that the PCM ( Computer) in the car runs the field circuit in the vehicle. You either have High resistance in the cabling to the battery (big one) or the field feed(small ones) from the PCM has a bad wire or the PCM is no good. See a certified tech at this point or a dealer ( sorry to say THAT) ( You could be buying crap parts too :( )
Maybe, maybe not, Mike. I have a 2003 Kia Sedona. In the last 6 years the alternator was replaced twice while under warranty (once by a reputable mechanic shop while on a long-distance road trip, once by my local Kia dealer), and I'm about to have it replaced again. If fact, I just got back from having the battery and alternator tested for confirmation. So mine took a little longer to die, but there seems to be something about these vans that eats up alternators. This is my first Kia and I do not plan to buy another. I've also gone through 3 batteries in the same amount of time--always within the warranty period for the battery. Whenever I search online about Kia problems, I see a lot of people with similar situations and lots of disparaging comments regarding Kia reliability and design savvy. Hopefully they've learned a lot in the last 10 years, but I'll be going back to Honda / Toyota / Nissan after I find a way to get rid of this festering turd of a minivan.
