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Kia Cadenza, where have you been my whole life???

10138 Views 9 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  sh30469, 
davelev213
I posted a couple days ago about considering a 14 Cadenza. Well I ended up getting the 14 Smokey Blue SXL with 36000 miles on it. Car is in great shape besides a small scratch and a couple rock chips, interior is perfect. I can't tell you how pleased I am with car so far. I've never owned a "luxury" car always been a Ford truck/Edge SUV and a couple of Mustangs guy. I can't get over the ride comfort, all the features and really nice power this car has, this car can spoil you. We normally drive the wife's Ford Edge on all of our trips and I have a feeling that's about to change. This car is so dang comfortable,the nappa leather seats are amazing, love the infinity stereo, the panoramic sunroof. I've had a convertible in the past and prefer this sunroof any day.

The only negative and maybe it's not a negative as im not to familiar with these engines is the excessive amount of black carbon build up in the tailpipe. I did some research and it looks as though this is common with these cars/engines, maybe you guys can help me out with this one and maybe reccommend a good fuel cleaner/addative. I was a worried when I saw this but again hopefully this is normal for these.

Thank you posters again, for all your feedback. Discovering this forum really helped me make my decision a lot easier from reading your post and all of your reviews about this car.
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davelev213 said:
I posted a couple days ago about considering a 14 Cadenza. Well I ended up getting the 14 Smokey Blue SXL with 36000 miles on it. Car is in great shape besides a small scratch and a couple rock chips, interior is perfect. I can't tell you how pleased I am with car so far. I've never owned a "luxury" car always been a Ford truck/Edge SUV and a couple of Mustangs guy. I can't get over the ride comfort, all the features and really nice power this car has, this car can spoil you. We normally drive the wife's Ford Edge on all of our trips and I have a feeling that's about to change. This car is so dang comfortable,the nappa leather seats are amazing, love the infinity stereo, the panoramic sunroof. I've had a convertible in the past and prefer this sunroof any day.

The only negative and maybe it's not a negative as im not to familiar with these engines is the excessive amount of black carbon build up in the tailpipe. I did some research and it looks as though this is common with these cars/engines, maybe you guys can help me out with this one and maybe reccommend a good fuel cleaner/addative. I was a worried when I saw this but again hopefully this is normal for these.

Thank you posters again, for all your feedback. Discovering this forum really helped me make my decision a lot easier from reading your post and all of your reviews about this car.
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Congrats man! I have 2 14's a black luxury PKG and tan leather and a smoky blue with lux and tech and we love them, enjoy it!
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D
congrats. the soot is totally normal; they say it's from the direct gas injection. I've owned an Optima, a Cadenza, and now a K900 and they all do it. I use Chevron Techron fuel system cleaner ( black bottle ) a couple of time per year but the soot doesn't really lessen that I've noticed. The Techron cleaner does help keep the engine burn fuel better though. enjoy your car!
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sh30469
Inside the owners manual it suggests you use Techron (specifically) during oil changes or every other oil change (7k miles). You can lessen the effects by not gassing it too hard when it's wet/dew-y. I clean mine every time I go to get a car wash, I suggest you do the same. Also, get up in there too, the pipes are recessed and that entire port down there gets nasty. Cleaning the entirety of the port, even the top, may help you keep it a little cleaner a little longer. Also, try using a premium brand fuel (Shell or BP seem to be the best) and avoid discount stations (walmart/Murphy, local grocery store, etc...) as the premium brands usually have a cleaner fuel/few more additives. Also, make sure you're getting the right fuel, our cars use 87 octane, putting in a higher grade won't do you any favors and you won't burn it all, leaving more buildup on your exhaust ports. With saying all of that I will usually put in about 1 tank a year or Shell's Super 93 just because it has extra detergents. I don't know if it helps the engine or not but maybe. Hope any of that helps.
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HappyCanuck
The Car Manual states:
Fuel Additives
Kia recommends that you use good quality gasolines treated with detergent
additives such as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline, which helps
prevent deposit formation in the engine. These gasolines will help the
engine run cleaner and enhance performance of the Emission Control
System. For more information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline,
please go to the website (Home | Top Tier Gas).

The website lists all the vendors who meet the TOP TIER standard, I buy mine at Costco!!
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davelev213
Good stuff!! Thanks and what about motor oil? What do you guys use?
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sh30469
Kia uses a blend of dino and synth and is in theory good for 7k-7.5kmi (this was the interval at which my deal through Kia corporate was done). I'd stick with the norms of:

Din - 3k mi
Blend (dealer) - 7k mi
Full synth - 10k mi

Or just do what the dealer suggests :) Is your car under any type of warranty? If not I would go full synth personally as it seems to help longevity (or so they say). Others may chime in :)

And I meant top-tier, not premium fuels, I mix up the terms but I think you guys got if from what I posted.
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N
You made a good choice with the cadenza. We all have. The best part about this car is value. Got the lux package too for 20k flat 23k miles. Basically half price 2014 cadenza. I changed the factory tires to some Pirelli Cinturato P7 plus tires and it grips a bit better. Even though it is not a sports car its still pretty quick I feel like. Maybe because I was used do driving ford focus :).
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M
There are two known ways to eliminate the soot, first...don't drive the car, they will stay clean. The other is to wipe them down once or twice a week. I went after mine with some chrome polish, got all the stains off, all the way inside too, so from the side you can still see the metal finish when it's clean. Now it's super easy to get the stuff off. Buildup is what it is. I'll note my wife's 2016 Maxima has a much more aggressive motor, and zero soot buildup. It's these Kia's and Hyundai's that do it. Also if you have a light colored car, keep the bumper clean and wax it regularly, the soot will build up and stain the surface clear coat if it's not regularly waxed.
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sh30469
It's Hyundai/Kia's GDI engine. Hopefully they will look at that next time around when they build their new ones. That and that **** startup rattle!
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