Picanto engine lights

[Jet-Fighter7700]

how could I prove that? how would I discover that was the case here?
I mean I brought via card and I remeber the time as I input that into my fuelly app;

its an option granted; but how to find that out?

A bit of reading and if i accidentally put deisel in a petrol car, they would have picked it up by now as deisel smell diffrent and is more oily,

So this means i truly have a unique problem that nobody can resolve....

 

[Fazda]

Wow, thanks fazda, seriously appreciate the help,

As he wont know me via my own linkedin, should i try send him inmail and see what i get

Besides him who else should i call? Ombusdan? Newspaper anything like that?

Send him an Inmail, and also phone Kia Head Office and ask if you can talk to him.

It will shortcut a hell of a lot of problems.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

So the big day arrived, kia says my ecu is shot,
Need to recode my keys and replace ecu

Quoted me 12k for repair,
Seems a bit excessive as how much will a used ecu cost me?

Also don't understand this as auto ecu did check my ecu and beforehand said its fine,

Could it be they trying something that might not work?

 

[Sinbad]

So the big day arrived, kia says my ecu is shot,
Need to recode my keys and replace ecu

Quoted me 12k for repair,
Seems a bit excessive as how much will a used ecu cost me?

Also don't understand this as auto ecu did check my ecu and beforehand said its fine,

Could it be they trying something that might not work?

If it doesn't work, they can put the old ECU back.

 

[Colin62]

Quoted me 12k for repair,
Seems a bit excessive as how much will a used ecu cost me?

Sorry The problem is that you can't say with certainty that a second hand ECU will solve the problem,, so it may be more money down the drain.

Also don't understand this as auto ecu did check my ecu and beforehand said its fine,

It's not the easiest thing to check all the functionality on something like that, especially for a third party who doesn't have access to the full documentation on the ECU. They can check a few basic outputs but there is quite a lot of proprietary knowledge in there.

Could it be they trying something that might not work?

Quite possibly, but it should be for their account if it doesn't work. It might be worth confirming that with them, in an email though, just in case.

If it doesn't work, they can put the old ECU back.

That's the advantage of them being the agents. If it was an independent workshop, they'd have top buy the ECU to try and if that didn't solve the problem, they'd never get a refund on it.

 

[Colin62]

Quoted me 12k for repair,
Seems a bit excessive as how much will a used ecu cost me?

Sorry The problem is that you can't say with certainty that a second hand ECU will solve the problem,, so it may be more money down the drain.

Also don't understand this as auto ecu did check my ecu and beforehand said its fine,

It's not the easiest thing to check all the functionality on something like that, especially for a third party who doesn't have access to the full documentation on the ECU. They can check a few basic outputs but there is quite a lot of proprietary knowledge in there.

Could it be they trying something that might not work?

Quite possibly, but it should be for their account if it doesn't work. It might be worth confirming that with them, in an email though, just in case.

If it doesn't work, they can put the old ECU back.

That's the advantage of them being the agents. If it was an independent workshop, they'd have top buy the ECU to try and if that didn't solve the problem, they'd never get a refund on it.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

you guys say if its the agents;

the guy at the agents said they took my car to an outsourced electrical place that charge me 12K;

autolexic or something, still trying to find me the number; of the guy to speak to;

Im a bit concerned now, as it seems very high this charge;
should I try ask them to unhook my ECU and try visit auto ECU that I was recommended?

auto ecu says no problem we can examine your ecu if you bring it to us; would this be allowed?
I mean its a 1/4 the value of what I paid for the car so its quite high the charge for the repair;

what other options available to me? used ECU? locksmith who can reprogram the ECU?

not gonna remorgage the house or take enourmous loans to repay this massive amount;

unless I really left with no options;

 

[SauRoNZA]

I believe only KIA can reprogram the keys for another ECU, so you are stuffed there.

They aren't going to take it out for you for free either so you can take it somewhere else. The fact that they used a third party is actually a good thing in my book because it tells me it's no just a case of "let's try another ECU and see what happens" but someone who has actually diagnosed it properly.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

I believe only KIA can reprogram the keys for another ECU, so you are stuffed there.

They aren't going to take it out for you for free either so you can take it somewhere else. The fact that they used a third party is actually a good thing in my book because it tells me it's no just a case of "let's try another ECU and see what happens" but someone who has actually diagnosed it properly.

thats the thing thats quite strange here;

they tested my ECU prior to me sending it to kia; and all checked out fine; the auto electrician had 3 guys who all specialize in ECU's all check my car;
so Im confused here, or they trying desperately to rip me off;

I malied kiacarsave.co.za, lets see what they say, and I will wait until I get the number of the exact place that has my car,
maybe I can try ask them to unhook my ECU from its harness and I can have it repaired someplace else for a lot less?

 

[jansdejager]

Call a scrap yard and ask what they would give you for the body without ECU. This will give you some perspective but I don't think they will rip you off on a new ecu.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

Call a scrap yard and ask what they would give you for the body without ECU. This will give you some perspective but I don't think they will rip you off on a new ecu.

quoted around 6k for a used ECU; seems these parts are quite pricy; also no keys with this so Id imagine they need to still reprogram it and add coding and milage info.

 

[BouncyNinja]

quoted around 6k for a used ECU; seems these parts are quite pricy; also no keys with this so Id imagine they need to still reprogram it and add coding and milage info.

not sure how much it would cost,

but try ripping out the kia one, and get a dicktato or spitronics

i dont see it being rocket science, and the upshot is you can "tweak" your own car, also no need to recode keys

 

[Wasabee!]

Get a decent car.

/end of thread.

 

[Gnome]

Honestly, I would get the new one and be done with it.

If it doesn't work after that, then I would recommend small claims court. Get the money back.

People seem to put up with the whole replacing things, until something sticks approach.

If they fix it and it doesn't work, they need to keep going at their own expense and remove the crap the put in after they are done or leave it that way. Either way, you only need to pay for what is actually non functional.

My 2c.

not sure how much it would cost,

but try ripping out the kia one, and get a dicktato or spitronics

i dont see it being rocket science, and the upshot is you can "tweak" your own car, also no need to recode keys

And forever drive a car that drives like a piece of ****.

As someone who has "tried" this approach recommended but some genius when I had a stuffed ECU. When you go aftermarket with your ECU, your car becomes a complete piece of sh#t. Drives like sh#t, no security features, so many things I won't even bother to mention. Generally your car is just cheap with an after market ECU.

If you drive a Citi Golf or car made before 1990, then sure. Anything more advanced than that and after market is a down grade due to the general low quality of after market units. Not to mention all the "tuning" needed to get it to "work".

 

[BouncyNinja]

Honestly, I would get the new one and be done with it.

If it doesn't work after that, then I would recommend small claims court. Get the money back.

People seem to put up with the whole replacing things, until something sticks approach.

If they fix it and it doesn't work, they need to keep going at their own expense and remove the crap the put in after they are done or leave it that way. Either way, you only need to pay for what is actually non functional.

My 2c.



And forever drive a car that drives like a piece of ****.

As someone who has "tried" this approach recommended but some genius when I had a stuffed ECU. When you go aftermarket with your ECU, your car becomes a complete piece of sh#t. Drives like sh#t, no security features, so many things I won't even bother to mention. Generally your car is just cheap with an after market ECU.

If you drive a Citi Golf or car made before 1990, then sure. Anything more advanced than that and after market is a down grade due to the general low quality of after market units. Not to mention all the "tuning" needed to get it to "work".

Ahh, okay, always wondered , the grease monkeys at our work swear by them, but they do all drive old f'd up hondas

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

Ahh, okay, always wondered , the grease monkeys at our work swear by them, but they do all drive old f'd up hondas

Id be very afraid to try something that could mess up my engine for life;

especially if I go no backups;

gonna try find out where my car is; repair the ecu at auto ecu that next to me; and take it from there.....
not much else I can do;

seems strange that this is what they eventually found out; as they tested this beforehand a few times;

still have doubts that they just did this to get me off their back; as I did complain and i got the quote the next day;
after waiting for close to 2 weeks;

as for getting a decent car; what you guys recommend?
I love the brio as its my dream car, and after driving it, bit afriad of that glass tailgate but otherwise very happy with it;
I10 is nice as well; but its pretty much the same car as the picanto; just more electrics

dont want a POLO if I can avoid it; not sure what to think of the figo; no electric windows on a recent car worries me;
datsun go maybe?

 

[Sinbad]

You must be mad.

 

[MickZA]

gonna try find out where my car is; repair the ecu at auto ecu that next to me; and take it from there.....
not much else I can do;

Not sure you can repair all ecu faults but didn't you take it to them before and they said it was OK?

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

Not sure you can repair all ecu faults but didn't you take it to them before and they said it was OK?

That exactly the thing that's confusing me here,

The auto electrician said he tested the ecu beforehand at somebody from auto ecu,
We actually went to auto ecu, they told us its impossible that the ecu was tested by them,

So I'm not sure who to belive anymore,

Anyway long story short,
Gonna try remove ecu from the car and have the specialists examine /repair it,
Otherwise gonna try do exchange for a working unit, and plug it in.
(Wonder what will happen to my milage?)

But not happy as to how this even happened

Maybe Korean cars self destruct after the 5 years is up, and that is definetly the case here

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

so anyway Im sharing an update here;

kia sent my car to some dodgy workshop in primrose; wanted 12K for the ecu to be replaced;
did give us the address of where it is; visited there; guy said ECU gone so you need to swap it around;

dropped 3K on a used ECU from another Picanto; no warranty that it will even still work;
visited DTB spares in PTY;

what I want to find out now:
does repairs like this actually help? can the old ECU not be repaired? should I try even?
and will my mileage be different now? where is such a thing stored?