[staax]

Hi all,

First off, I put inquiry in the title not to make anyone freak out thinking I have a 1.6T with a blown engine

Alright so basicslly I'm just trying to find out if anyone has heard of issues with the 1.6T blowing up... I ask because I've been following the Veloster Turbo (see them mentioned a lot here) forums for a while and apparently the 2013 motors have extremely weak rods paired with LSPI = no es bueno.

I know the 1.6T only came out in the 2014 Forte SX and I'm looking to replace my 2012 Mazda 3 ( hi sube!). Not gonna lie, I think the 2014 redesign, especially the Forte5 SX looks phenomenonal... And the features for the price are great.

So, since the veloster and forte share the same 1.6T, had anyone heard of any issues with the motor so far? Apparently the 2014s are stronger (no proof) but I'd just like to get a feeler first.

Yet to drive/see one in person yet, but for anyone curious I'm looking at a 2014 Forte5 SX manual with 32,000, but leaving a new 2015/2016 SX on the table if the deal is right.

Thanks in advance.

P.S - do 15 inch rims clear the SX (just bought new X-ices for the Mazda)

 

[Forte5]

The engines that blew have way weaker rods and pistons than the 14-15's do. It has been proven by Tork and a few other companies that Kia/Hyundai did do a revision on the pistons and rods on the 14 motors. The 15s have the strongest rods and pistons so far but doesn't mean that we won't see LSPI events at all. All GDI motors can have a LSPI event happen. Just the nature of the GDI. As long as you take the right approach to help fight the LSPI (i.e oil, plugs, catch cans) you won't have any issues.

I have a 15 F5 and have had a tune on it since a week after I brought her home and now I have over 18K miles on her and she is pushing 24psi daily with no issues at all. There was 1 member here that had problems with his motor but that's it. Not saying we are all safe but we do have the revised parts that are stronger than the 13 velosters

 

[staax]

Thanks, I didn't know someone has proved that the rods are stronger but that's good to know. I know LSPI is always a risk with a GDI (especially TGDI) but of course would take the steps necessary to mitigate that risk.

Just found out that you can't get leather, nav, sunroof or HIDS in a MT SX... That's unfortunate. Nav and HIDS aren't something too big, but I like leather and want a sunroof this time around.

Off work tomorrow so I'm gonna stop by and try to find one to drive... Quick check only finds the one SX with a MT near me. Hope it hasn't sold!

In the meantime if anyone else has heard anything I'd appreciate your input.

 

[Forte5]

Actually you can get it fully loaded with a M/T. My dealer has one and they say you just have to order it with the M/T

 

[Scoobdude]

My F5 sx MT has nav, hids, and a sun roof.

The 16, looking at the site does not have the option for hids in any of the packages any more though. That could change one they hit dealers though.

 

[staax]

Odd, the Canadian kia website only lists this features for the AT luxury, but HiDs are for sure offered on that model.

Will ask the dealer Tomo... Although if its at a premium price I won't be happy.

I see you're located in Cali, Forte5.

Where are you from Scoob?

 

[Scoobdude]

Heart of texas

 

[schizorazgriz]

Alright time for someone to fill me in on LSPI please.

Edit: Done! LSPI- Low Speed Pre-Ignition. Typical in turbocharged engines due to our compression. Engines at low speed under high load have the highest potential for LSPI. There are certain oils that are/have come out recently that are specifically designed to limit LSPI. Still need to do research on how GDI motors affect the potential for LSPI.

The thing I want to bring up is that from what I am seeing; your pistons and rods won't prevent LSPI. They will only help your motor not blow up if an LSPI event happens.

 

[Johno]

Hi all,

First off, I put inquiry in the title not to make anyone freak out thinking I have a 1.6T with a blown engine

Alright so basicslly I'm just trying to find out if anyone has heard of issues with the 1.6T blowing up... I ask because I've been following the Veloster Turbo (see them mentioned a lot here) forums for a while and apparently the 2013 motors have extremely weak rods paired with LSPI = no es bueno.

I know the 1.6T only came out in the 2014 Forte SX and I'm looking to replace my 2012 Mazda 3 ( hi sube!). Not gonna lie, I think the 2014 redesign, especially the Forte5 SX looks phenomenonal... And the features for the price are great.

So, since the veloster and forte share the same 1.6T, had anyone heard of any issues with the motor so far? Apparently the 2014s are stronger (no proof) but I'd just like to get a feeler first.

Yet to drive/see one in person yet, but for anyone curious I'm looking at a 2014 Forte5 SX manual with 32,000, but leaving a new 2015/2016 SX on the table if the deal is right.

Thanks in advance.

P.S - do 15 inch rims clear the SX (just bought new X-ices for the Mazda)

To quote Forte5, I'm the member that had an issue with my engine. It blew up with approximately 10,000kms on the clock. It blew while the head Kia tech was test driving it - he was trying to find the source of my 'loss of power' problem. I had had a loss of power for a couple of months (just no kick whatsoever and a different sound to the engine too). The diagnostics said nothing was wrong, but I knew there was. It was back and forth to the dealer about 5 times before it finally blew up, as I say, while the head tech was behind the wheel. There's been no explanation for why it blew, and Forte5's comment about the '14s and '15s having stronger rods and pistons is news to me. The build date for my car is November '13. The engine was replaced under warranty, and so far all is good. That said, it is early days (I only have about 1,500kms on the new engine), so we will see.......

Johno.

 

[staax]

Thanks for chiming in John.

And you got it correct, schiz. LSPI will always be a risk and its best to let that motor rev when you wanna punch it, don't leave it in a low gear.

A lot of the Velosters that blew were applying a decent amount of throttle in a high gear.

 

[6thElementEngineering]

Yep! heavy throttle from low RPM in a higher gear is a BIG no no!

Driving style itself is a big prevention tool in LSPI.

To back that up, use the right oil (Penzoil Platinum is one of the best from general consensus on the VT boards), install catch cans to keep the intake tract clean, and have the right spark plug for your mods/tune and you should be just fine.

 

[staax]

Thank you all. Sounds like you've done your research 6thElement

I was able to test drive an automatic SX today since the dealer's website was wrong... go figure. It's a nice car, but I could not get used to how their is a slight lag when you push the gas and the car responds.

I also drove a manual EX with the 2.0 in it and it had the same laggy throttle. The clutch felt OK, but I could not get a smooth start without reving up to 2500 rpm, the throttle feels so different. Maybe its the drive-by-wire technology, but the drive-by-wire in my Mazda has next to no lag.

Salesman was kinda clueless too... "You can't get an SX in a manual". Oh and the brakes were very sensitive to start

 

[Forte5]

In my a/t F5 the throttle is real responsive and takes off when I need it. The torque starts at 1750rpm on the turbo. The sales guys was a idiot. You can get the manual and one dealer tried to do that to me saying manual is on it's way out and is harder to sell LOL

 

[staax]

Yeah yeah I found one at another dealer, apparently just arrived this morning. The other guy when asking about my current car was just like "Yeah I like hatchbacks too, I just bought one actually" ... 5 mins later ... Sales guy goes "yeah I have a Civic SI"... I didn't say anything.

The car is peppy, but there was a lag between pressing the gas and the car actually moving. Both in the auto and MT which like I already stated, made it impossible to start moving without reving to 2500 rpm or else it would buck like no other. Didn't feel like this in a Veloster, I thought the 2 cars would feel similar

 

[Scoobdude]

Throttle sensor mod?

 

[Forte5]

A tune smooths it totally out and makes the throttle super responsive to any input. Plus a intake will also make drivability better than stock. The lag you feel will be in a lot of turbo cars. I had a 98 padsat 1.8t and it sucked when stock. Once I upgraded and did mods to it the response was amazing.

 

[staax]

Thanks again,

Good news is that I was able to head to a different dealer about half hour from me and test drove the SX MT, and I didn't notice that lag as much which I liked. Apparently these are hard to find, first dealer said the same thing.

Bad news is that I brought the girlfriend with me and she doesn't like the forte5 she finds the rear end too rounded, too minivan like haha. I personally think the spoiler is what makes it look a little rounded, definitely not as big as my Mazda, but if there are aftermarket options available I could always check that out. She likes the Koup, but I need more than 2 doors.

Was also very happy with this dealer and sales guy, time to put some serious thought into it!

 

[Scoobdude]

Look at the turbo optima then. A tad more for no options compared to the fully loaded forte5, only 4% more interior room, 75 more hp but no manual option

But are you buying the car for her or for you?

 

[Forte5]

That's the biggest thing. Who is the car for? I was lucky when I started looking my wife said it's my decision on what I wanted. My biggest concern was price and she wasn't to worried and didn't want me over 40k. I looked at a lot of cars and picked the F5 because it was the best bang for the buck and the price they gave it to me for (22k OTD) I just couldn't pass it up and the payment was cheap. I went with a/t because of my wifes medical condition but she told me to get a m/t and I didn't.

I know us guys do like our girls opinion on cars or whatnot but in the end it's what you like. If you like the F5 then get it. I like the rear of my F5. It gets so many compliments when I get gas or whatever. I like it because my car is different and I don't see it around besides the base model.

 

[staax]

The car is for me, something to enjoy as I've been really wanting to get out of my auto Mazda into a fun 6 speed. Has the power I'm looking for, fuel economy is respectable, and seems to improve on every gripe I have about my Mazda. I'll probably look into getting an SUV for the girlfriend in the next few years, I'm fine with that.

Don't get me wrong, she's supportive with what I get, and the MT isn't an issue - she can drive one with ease. Women that drive stick are sexy imo Anyway... back on topic.

The Optima is a beautiful car, but I'm looking for a semi-compact hatch so the Forte5 is good for me.

Without any negotiation, and keep in mind I'm speaking Canadian pricing here: The MSRP is $24,195 for the model I'm looking at, and I was offered $22,695 NOT including rebates, trade in, taxes etc.

The price of the Kia is certainly attractive compared to the Veloster, and new Mazda 3.