[Stafford]

So my Picanto GT-Line 1.0 (9 months old) lost power earlier. The turbo stopped kicking in and only returned to normal when the engine cooled. No dash lights showing.

I took it out again an hour later and the turbo operated as expected for a few minutes, then again stopped kicking in. Then an amber engine warning light appeared on the dash, which is where I'm at now. The engine seems fine other than the lack of turbo and the light.

The dealers are their usual helpful selves. No, they can't even look at the car until the end of next week. No, there's no possibility of squeezing it in. No, they can't say whether it's safe to drive. No, I can't leave the car with them and get a loan car. No, they have no loan cars until the end of next week. No, no, no, no.

I know it's very difficult to say what's up based on just that info, but I wondered if anyone can speculate. I'll need to drive my car over the next few days, at least for short journeys (< 4 miles), and I gather than the amber light signifies something non-urgent.

Obviously it's urgent enough for the car to disable the turbo, but any ideas what it can be? Is it likely to blow up? I could get it diagnosed locally but don't want to pay for something that is covered under warranty.

 

[iooi]

If the turbo keeps cutting out I would not want to be driving it. Who knows just what is causing it to stop.

You could try other Kia dealers round you to see if they can get you in any sooner. Other than that not much you can do.
As a aside any warranty work does not get you are temp car via Kia (In the T/C). It is down to the dealer. Many do not have them at the moment.

 

[Stafford]

I'm going to have to do some driving (not least the 20 miles to the dealership when the times comes). In an attempt to minimise the risks I attempted to speak to a mechanic when I rang the dealers, but I was told (you guessed it), "No, we aren't able to advise on that." So if it blows up that's just a bigger job for them to do under warranty.

Then again, the warning light is steady amber, which apparently means non-urgent but fix ASAP.

I went and got a diagnostic at a local garage (no less extortionate for that) because I like to know these things. Turns out the code is a P2261 Turbocharger Bypass Valve "A" - Mechanical.

I looked this up and it could be a number of things, so we won't know until it's examined. The turbo is intermittent.

I managed to book a loan car for the 24th. They actually have it in on the 23rd but it requires an extra day for 'decontamination'. I imagine the car is taken to some remote wasteland where it is dismantled by workers in full HAZMAT suits and the parts grasped by tongs and individually disinfected in a vat before being re-assembled. I did consider saying I wasn't bothered about decontamination, since it is medically impossible for COVID to be contracted through skin, and I didn't intend to lick the car's steering wheel or gear stick, but I sensed there would be little point. Rules are rules.

 

[BAWITHLOT]

Interesting, I have had my car a couple of times feel like no power when in 5th going up a hill and then a metallic sounding noise and then power with no repeat for many many months. I don't get any light but may be worth putting my reader on when it does it again after this post as it is obviously not a code that latches as was not picked up at KIA service!

 

[Stafford]

The first time it happened, earlier today, the light didn't come on. It was only on the second run that it appeared. Perhaps whatever components causes this can suffer from various degrees of knackeredness.

 

[BAWITHLOT]

Guessing yours is very low miles, ive done 13000km before i noticed my hiccup (whatever it is).

 

[Stafford]

Yep, only 1500 miles. My first new car since 1993 (as opposed to second-hand cars) and the first, in about 800,000 miles driving, to effectively break down. Not encouraging.

 

[BAWITHLOT]

How did we go?

 

[Stafford]

Yep, all fixed. Painless process once I got the car in. Apparently they confirmed the valve was at fault and replaced it.

 

[BAWITHLOT]

So it was the electronic waste gate?