3.3TT Acceleration Lag after trip to the dealer

[Dale 810]

Hi Stinger Owners,

I'm having an issue with my car that I hope has an easy fix/explanation.

Last week I brought my Stinger to the dealer because I heard strange sounds coming from the tires. After a couple days, they determined that there were issues with two of the rims. I was told the parts had to be ordered and, after a few more days, my car was finally ready to be picked up. Before I dropped it off, I took pictures of the dashboard - I had over 1/2 tank of fuel and the odometer showed 3525 miles. Five days later, when I picked it up, it had 1/8 tank of fuel and 3607 miles (a difference of 82 miles) on the odometer. (I took pictures of the dashboard again). Most alarmingly, though, the car is acting differently. The most noticeable change is that now, when I floor the gas pedal, there is a significant lag time, where before there was absolutely none.

Tomorrow I am bringing the car back to the dealer, but I doubt they'll believe me that this issue started happening only after they had my car for five days. It seems to me that someone at the dealership took my car for a joy ride and abused it, but I hope someone can offer a reasonable explanation and prove me wrong. If anyone can shed some light on the issue or can provide a way to fix it, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[MerlintheMad]

As I was reading your OP, the scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off was replaying in my mind: those hideous valets joyriding in the Ferrari 250 GTO! So I am afraid that your fear is my fear as well. What else could it have been? 82 miles, seriously? While your car was in their shop? Beard them in their lair with the picture you took as you handed your toy over to their "care". I don't know what you can expect out of this. Find another service place. I'm sure that whatever is ailing your motor can be fixed. I'm no gearhead, but my first suspicion is that somehow the turbos are not functioning as they should. You used the word: "lag", as in "turbo lag".

(edit to add: social Medía is our greatest weapon. Threaten them with raising hell on the Stinger Forum and anywhere else you can, if they won't fix the problem pronto and offer some compensation for stealing 82 miles from your machine!)

 

[Never thought]

Hi Stinger Owners,

I'm having an issue with my car that I hope has an easy fix/explanation.

Last week I brought my Stinger to the dealer because I heard strange sounds coming from the tires. After a couple days, they determined that there were issues with two of the rims. I was told the parts had to be ordered and, after a few more days, my car was finally ready to be picked up. Before I dropped it off, I took pictures of the dashboard - I had over 1/2 tank of fuel and the odometer showed 3525 miles. Five days later, when I picked it up, it had 1/8 tank of fuel and 3607 miles (a difference of 82 miles) on the odometer. (I took pictures of the dashboard again). Most alarmingly, though, the car is acting differently. The most noticeable change is that now, when I floor the gas pedal, there is a significant lag time, where before there was absolutely none.

Tomorrow I am bringing the car back to the dealer, but I doubt they'll believe me that this issue started happening only after they had my car for five days. It seems to me that someone at the dealership took my car for a joy ride and abused it, but I hope someone can offer a reasonable explanation and prove me wrong. If anyone can shed some light on the issue or can provide a way to fix it, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!

Before you disclose you know about the 82 miles, ask them if they test drove your car, and if so, why, and how many miles did they drive. I’d ask every follow up question you can think of to lock them in. Then, once they say they didn’t test drive it, ask why your car has an extra 82 miles on it.

My dealer put on about 20 miles on my car, but it was when they were trying to fix the alignment (long story) but they asked if they could drive it and they then gave me a full tank of gas (they had me drive to the gas station of my choice and then filled it up). I’d also quickly contact Kia corporate. God speed!

 

[Kazz]

Also look at your paperwork. They should have recorded the mileage there. I'm wondering what number you'll see.

 

[Jonathan Lasich]

This is probably stretching things quite a bit, but you may want to check your air filters for any obstruction.
A friend of mine had the same problem on his 4.2L Audi S4, after it had been at the dealer for a few days for service. While at the dealer, it was left parked outside on their lot waiting for some parts to arrive. While there, a squirrel or chipmunk decided to move to a new home, and made a nest in his intake box. When he got the car back from the dealer, he had what he thought was significant throttle lag, which wasn't there before. Returned the car twice more to the dealer and they found nothing. They acknowledged that there was some throttle lag but it was " a normal characteristic for that engine". He thought that the service people figured he was a little too OCD!!

3 weeks later he was cleaning the engine bay and noticed a tree leaf sticking half out of the airbox nossle. Goes to pull it out and finds two more. Opens up the airbox and fills a bucket 3/4 full of leaves, dirt, and small branches walled up against the air filter (which was still intact, thank God!). Takes some pictures and sends them to the service manager, gets a new air filter, and presto, throttle lag gone!! Never got a response from the service manager after he sent the pictures.

 

[DiabloStinger]

ALIENS.. def aliens

 

[Kamauxx]

Do what @Never thought says. Otherwise I guarantee the dealer will just say they had to drive the car those many miles to test the wheels.

I've seen dashcam videos of techs doing everything from running errands, going on lunch runs, to driving the cars home and parking them in their garage. They always have the same excuse (test driving it) until confronted with some form of proof of wrongdoing.

 

[Jonathan Lasich]

Mercedes techs taking C63 AMG Coupe Black Series for joyride caught on video

 

[mandasol]

If my car had an issue with driveability I would want the service tech to drive it thoroughly before and after any repairs. If they wanted to stop by somewhere they were going to go to anyway on the test drive I'm perfectly fine if they do it in my car, seems reasonable, why add more carbon monoxide to the world to make two trips? However, 82 miles is way too excessive.

Take the car to another dealer and see if they pull up data log to see if it was abused.

That being said. Cars learn your driving habits and driving styles and if someone else drove your car for 80+ miles, then after you go back and drive another 100 miles or so it will readjust back to your driving style. I'm guessing the opposite might have happened. Someone else drove it and babied it so the car adjusted to slower response for less spirited driving. Hopefully this is what happened. But still 80 miles is ridiculous.

 

[Kamauxx]

If my car had an issue with driveability I would want the service tech to drive it thoroughly before and after any repairs. If they wanted to stop by somewhere they were going to go to anyway on the test drive I'm perfectly fine if they do it in my car, seems reasonable, why add more carbon monoxide to the world to make two trips? However, 82 miles is way too excessive.

Take the car to another dealer and see if they pull up data log to see if it was abused.

That being said. Cars learn your driving habits and driving styles and if someone else drove your car for 80+ miles, then after you go back and drive another 100 miles or so it will readjust back to your driving style. I'm guessing the opposite might have happened. Someone else drove it and babied it so the car adjusted to slower response for less spirited driving. Hopefully this is what happened. But still 80 miles is ridiculous.

There shouldn't be what the OP describes as "significant lag time" just because someone drove the car slow for 80 miles.