Air filters

[mldavis2]

I had an interesting encounter at the local Kia dealer today. My GT2 has about 15,000 miles and I was going to pick up a pair of air intake filters (stock Stinger) to replace in a few more thousand miles per the Owner's manual which says 24,000. It's a simple replacement that anyone can do, so why pay some technician half an hour @ $125/hour to replace them.

So I go into the parts department and the parts person looked the filters up on their inventory. There were three part numbers for air filters on the GT2 in her book. So they asked for the last six of the VIN which they got. Still the book did not distinguish between right and left side or even if there is a difference due to the trapezoidal configuration and air flow direction which could render one filter a mirror image of the other and incapable of being reversed and/or sealed in that position. I never did get an answer so I told them to research it and I'd pick them up next week. I may have to pull the filters out and see if there are part numbers on them. Anyone know the answer here, and why three part numbers on one 3.3T engine for two filters??

So be careful because dealers don't have many higher mileage Stingers on the road so there are some simple things they don't know yet. This is a high volume dealer, but their volume is essentially all Souls, Fortes, Sedonas, Optimas, etc. I think I have the only GT2 in the entire area (didn't buy it there, either) and only one or two Stingers of any trim level. So they still don't have a clue what they are doing. Plan ahead if you need parts. $26 each.

 

[Stinger GT SS]

Left & Right Filters have different part numbers for the 3.3l just do an eBay search & you will find them. As for the 3rd Filter I would bet that this is for the 2.0l model.

 

[TwistedOrca]

Left & Right Filters have different part numbers for the 3.3l just do an eBay search & you will find them. As for the 3rd Filter I would bet that this is for the 2.0l model.

Dealership today was baffled that the air filters weren't mirrored but different on each side, heck at first they only quoted me for 1 replacement $35.00...then realized 2 were needed. Mechanic was blasting the svc techs incompetence

 

[Tonkabob]

You can also buy my k&ns on ebay for the same price as stock.

 

[POS VETT]

FYI, The WIX filters at Rock Auto are cheaper and they look exactly like the OEM units.

 

[mldavis2]

FYI, The WIX filters at Rock Auto are cheaper and they look exactly like the OEM units.

Dealer quoted me about $26 each which seems to the the same for non-OEM filters. I'll check Rock Auto, never messed with them before. Thanks.

 

[robz32]

There are three part numbers probably because they were looking at the in-cabin air filter and the two air filters for the engine. Lots of parts department workers don't know the difference

 

[Socalstinga]

I don't go to the dealer for this reason - even the techs don't know the car. There is supposedly a "master Tech" and are the only ones that are allowed to work on the car. I'm fortunate the shop that worked on the stingers for SEMA and the LA auto show is close by and that's who works on my car. They've shown to have much more knowledge of the vehicle than people at the dealer.

 

[westcoastGT]

was the 3rd the cabin air filter ? The oem cabin filters are terrible , get a charcoal replacement

 

[mldavis2]

I have no idea because they didn't let me look at the computer screen which was in the back (the one at the desk wasn't working at the time.) I have been both a service manager and as a college student worked with parts drawings, diagrams and such in a retail construction machinery retail dealer in the parts department. I suspect I could have taught them something about reading parts books, but didn't have the chance. No hurry. Manual says 24,000 for air filters I think -- or is it 20,000? I told them to call Kia and get it straightened out. Not my problem and I didn't want to make them think I was a jerk. The part numbers for the air filters are not in the owner's manual. I'll post them when I find them if anyone is interested.