Proof that all engineers need to wrench on their designs

Lol, Stella the weatherdog could also pass for an asphalt sundial!! But hey, so long as she's happy.

Similar story on a 2007 Mazda CX9. Gotta pull the intake manifold to get to those rear plugs and coils. There's a couple hoses and clamps that suck, and less room that what you have on that Kia. I feel your pain lol. Still not the worst thing I've worked on, and the motor runs great at 391,000 miles.

I've done hundreds of them. Intake just needs to come off. 2 line clamps for the coolant hoses to the throttle body. 4' extension with a swivel socket for those 2 brackets from under the car. Change the valve cover gaskets.... you're welcome

It's the same with my 1st gen Toyota Kluger (highlander in the US). I really should have replaced the plugs when I replaced the rocker cover gaskets. I just didn't have the money at the time, because I bought a very rough vehicle. All up it cost me a couple of thousand in parts and I did all the work myself. If I had to pay a mechanic, I would have sold the car as scrap. Lucky I like working on cars.

This is the exact reason I will never buy a FWD V-6 car. Most all of them are brutal to get at the rear bank. In-line 4 only for me, as I do my own repairs.

I had to remove the intake plenum and purchase new seals/gaskets in order to change the back three spark plugs on my daughter’s 07 Lexus.

Thank God that V6 carries plug wires instead of individual on-the-plug coil-packs. Having to detect a bad coil-pack (and they go bad) would be a nightmare on the rear cylinders ! In my country, that model of Kia Sportage came with a 4-cyl. 2000cc gasoline or a 4-cyl. 2000cc turbodiesel engines. Most of the later Nissan engines (MR & HR) carry an upswept plastic inlet plenum that covers the plugs. So, changing plugs is quite a chore, and detecting a bad coil pack is a mixture of know-how and dexterity using two screwdrivers to dislodge the harness-plug on the coil pack ! The modern engine has done nothing to reduce owner-expense nor simplify maintenance ! Trinidad & Tobago. West Indies.

There are many vehicles that need the intake plenum removed to get to the other 3 spark plugs, Mitsubishi is a bad offender. Honda won't do it that way. Contrary to popular belief on Toyota V6's the rear plugs can be changed without pulling the plenum, but you need some education and the right tools.

Piece of cake. All in a days work at our shop. Usually the valve cover gaskets are leaking by 150k so the customer can save labor if you bid that job with a few tenths extra for plug replacement

You have to wonder what the engineers are thinking sometimes. Like, is their goal to literally make it such a pain the, um, neck to work on that you just HAVE to take it to the dealer or mechanic or is there a truly legitimate reason? The Toyota Tundra pickup truck, for example, has the starter INSIDE the engine under the intake manifold. Not only is that a pain to replace, but I can imagine how unbelievably hot it must get which would lead to premature failure in all likelihood.

Reminds me of one of the glow plugs and the vacuum engine stop on my former W201 2.5D. Both were very hard to reach with standard tools.

Had the plugs on our '08 Sorento w/3.3L V6 replaced at a Kia dealership recently when it went in for front wheel bearing replacement and associated suspension repair. Had them replace the plugs and leaking valve cover gaskets also. Prior to this work, our average annual repair cost was ~ $62/year (i do fluid changes, etc. myself). It took them 19 days to finish the job and they used some suspension parts from Autozone (Kia parts not available?). Needless to say our average annual repair cost for the vehicle went up by a factor of about 4X. They wanted $600 for front rotors and pads but i did that myself when we finally got the vehicle back. Wish i had access to some of the independent shops posting comments here!

Just found this. 71 retired drive a 2006 Subaru sti. Currently troubleshooting a po302 cylinder 2 misfire. Pita trying to narrow down. Engine is good, did a compression and leakdown test all good

Thats probably the biggest reason most manufactures went to platinum spark plugs ! Some even outlast the engine !

A nightmare of a job😢

It’s the same with my old car I had,2005 Toyota Camry 3.0 litre v6-the rear bank plugs are very difficult to change without removing the plenelum. I found a way of getting them out without Removing the plenelum,you take the EGR valve system off it and you have access to the 3 plugs with the right tools.

Reminds me of my 1998 Dodge Stratus ES with the Mitsubishi 6g73 2.5L V6. Back three plugs under the upper intake plenum. That was more difficult due to the fact there where two bolts on the side of the plenum that could only be undone by an air ratchet because there is no play for a regular ratchet or end wrench. First time I had mine done, I never put those two bolts back in, then plugs were easy from then on, and no vacuum leaks~

the old, injected fords (1986) had a horn that layed over the valve cover like that. I was surprised to see a kia motor run for 108 thousand miles, it might be a first. they have a bad problem with main bearings.

Might not be worth the effort, but you could get a bit more wiggle room if you remove the cowl?

Three years ago, the coil pack failed on my '96 3L DOHC sable with a misfire on the #5 middle rear cylinder. The intake manifold is the same layout as on the featured Kia except on the sable, the coil pack is underneath the manifold. I bought a new "Ultra spark" house brand coil pack from Rock Auto because it was about 1/3 the price of a Motorcraft. After replacing the coil pack, the spark plugs and reassembling everything, the engine wouldn't even run and spit back through the intake manifold. I removed the manifold and rechecked the plug wires and confirmed that they were correct. After reassembly, it still acted like wires were crossed. I then re installed the old defective pack and it ran, albeit with the dead number 5. I suspected the new coil pack was defective and internally mis wired. I finally bought a Motorcraft pack locally and after removing and replacing the manifold for the fourth time, it ran correctly on all cylinders. It took me over 30 days to get to the bottom of the fault and by that time it was too late to get a refund from Rock Auto. I did email them to let them know that I was not happy about the garbage coil pack. Soon after I noticed that the "Ultra spark" coil packs were removed from their on line catalog.

Thanks for the tips.

What a nightmare, but you had a lovely day for it!

Kind of reminds me of the placement of the rover discovery coil packs and bolts. Can't eve see them with a mirror. All by feel.

My Taurus had removable wiper tray to make rear access better.

I have a 2.5 v6 magentis. Uk version of the optima.same issue with rear bank plugs but they are worse as they have the coil packs over thr plugs. But still only takes an hour to do.

Yep, Sportage is all over the world. Or close to it.

I buy the correct gasket material and cut my own when needed...

That’s terrible access. I’m lucky as I just changed the plugs on my 10 year old Accord hybrid and it took me all of ten minutes.

I changed spark plugs on a Chevy V6 in an Equinox, front three takes 5 minutes, the back three spark plugs takes 30 minutes or more, I did them from underneath the car that I jacked up.

Thanks

almost like nissan 3.5v6 in Renault Espace 3 cyl are block

I had gonnen a 99 Hyundai sonata given to me years back. The engine had over heated do to the rusted rad. I had got gotten a used V6 engine from the wreckers. The rear spark plugs never changed also.

I hate the Kia Sportage with a passion. I just feel they are particularly lame cars. I don't like disliking cars, and I hate very few, but this is one of them.

Worst part is that center bolt on the back of the plenum luckily mine was left off on my tiburon makes taking it off and on a lot easier

Never saw a transverse mount V6 that was easy to access the rear bank of plugs on.

What a coincidence. Just did a Ford Taurus V6 and did have to remove the intake plenum.

Mine was the coil pack #5

since when are the 1, 3, and 6 cylinders on the same side?

Looks real easy. Try working on a diesel truck sometime. A lot of repairs its easier to pull the cab off!

Ford Vulcan and Duratec V-6 is like that

I have "gone to" pickups and ONLY pickups, and I want NO V engines of any kind which are OHC. Yes!! That really limits choices!!

Most transverse mounted v6 engines have this issue

Not having to weld to a broken off stud is likely because that car is in Oregon without road salt.

Toyota does the same thing with the Sienna. $hitty design that costs $500 due to shop labor costs, which is just nuts.

Wait til you do an alternator on a 2011 4 cyl Sorento. I don't care what anyone says, the top mounting bolt has to be cut and you will have hell finding and modifying a replacement bolt.

Jeep Wranglers is another one that likes to play hide and seek with spark plugs.

I really don't like transverse mounted V6 engines. I'd much rather have a simple 4 cylinder in a vehicle like that.

"Not very serviceable?" Name one that is. They are designed to be assembled quickly and economically for max profits. Serviceability is way down the list of priorities when designing a vehicle for production. I was told this by a rep while wrenching for a dealership 40 years ago. I don't believe anything has changed.

what does double nut mean?

3.5 Liter Ford Edge....same thing.....$12 intake gasket set....and 45 minutes. But feel free to get your "mechanic"🤣to do it.....for $150/hr. Idiocracy was a Documentary, I'm guessing.🤔

It makes you wonder with all transverse V6s you have to remove the intake plenum to change the three spark plugs on the rear bank and that is why l would never buy a transverse V6 a four cylinder is so much easier owned a couple of transverse four cylinder cars so much easier

It’s the same in the Jaguar.

with that replace the plugs, wires, and coil pack its missing for a reason.

Are you a Sneaky doodle dandy?

If that job is hard for you, you need another line of work. Most v6 transverse Engines require the intake to be removed to do the spark plugs. Some require even more.

Take it all the way apart run a compression test, and perform it correctly. What a goof.

Well, if it only had to be done at 155,000- you won't ever have to do it again. A one time in the vehicles life repair job. Not bad.

Sportage? Should have named it Roughage.

That is roughly a 1.5Hr job in our shop. No biggie.

😮😮😮...This 8s 'bout as disgusting as working on 2008 Kia Sedona minivan alternator...You gota pull the passenger side wheel off, the wheel well .. pull most of the grill assembly off and forward, dink a dodgy Tensioner bolt for the belt, and if you lucky or not like most of these engines, have heads that have leaked oil and turnt into disgusting gooey tar all over the alternator...What should've been a 30 minute long job, turnt into 6 hrs of fighting in 90+ degrees heat with no shade to cool down in...I did this for this lady...I have since then NOT taken any more phone calls to work on her vehicle...😮😮😮😮

L-X (luxury -not)😁

1,3,6. 2,3,5. Lol, wtf 😂

It is a pirated version of a Ford Escape. Just like all of their vehicles

From my personal experience; KIAs aren't bad cars, they're terrible cars. Never again.

That is just stupid engineering.

The top. Of that also looks Like a copied Ford intake.

Best show??😂

A pain in the arse.

They are throw away cars

1,3,5 and 2,4,6....😂