Need to change resonator too?: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Jan. 16, 2012 12:43 p.m. Klayfish HalfDork

The CEL is on in my '06 Kia Sedona minivan. Codes are saying it's running too lean on both banks at idle, and other related lean codes. After doing research, I've found that a common issue with these is that the air intake hose splits open, allowing too much air in. If this is the entire cause of the problem, I'll gladly take it. I just spent money having a coolant temp sensor replaced and tires replaced, so a cheap fix is best.

I called the Kia dealer to make sure they stock the part. They had it, but the lady on the phone said a technician was standing there next to her as I called, and he said that he "would never" change the hose without changing the resonator too, which is another $30 for the part. Make sense to you guys? Why would I have to change the resonator also, or is it a smart maintenance thing to do?
Jan. 16, 2012 1:00 p.m. tuna55 SuperDork

leave the resonator. It's only for sound - it's a stop-band filter if you're an electrical guy. It might leak, but it's certainly not too hard to try to change just the hose unless you can't get them apart. Maybe that's his deal.
Jan. 16, 2012 1:20 p.m. N Sperlo SuperDork

The technician or the service manager/dispatcher? If it was the manager or dispatcher, they may be up-selling. If it was the technician, he needs to get his lazy ass back to work.
Jan. 16, 2012 1:30 p.m. akamcfly Reader

Klayfish wrote:

and he said that he "would never" change the hose without changing the resonator too,

I smell BS...
Jan. 16, 2012 1:31 p.m. ThePhranc Reader

Can be fixed with a roll of gorilla tape.
Jan. 16, 2012 1:57 p.m. pilotbraden Dork

http://www.rescuetape.com/

This is darn near permanent
Jan. 16, 2012 2:22 p.m. failboat HalfDork

gorilla tape is amazing. its like duct tape but 10x better (thicker, way more sticky). and its black. I bet you could actually fix your intake hose with it if you were so inclined.

I fixed our split household vacuum hose with it yesterday. Of course my vacuum doesnt really throw check engine lights so I can only assume that the leak is sealed.
Jan. 16, 2012 2:51 p.m. Sonic Dork

Yea, no need to replace the resonator. You can even just block off the hole in the intake tube used to go
Jan. 16, 2012 3:13 p.m. Hal Dork

Replace the hose, ditch the resonator. I have patched intakes with duct tape before, but where the split is in yours is going to be hard to get a good seal. And then one of the the other corrugations will probably split anyhow.

If you do "ditch" the resonator make sure you get an airtight plug in the hole. Your resonator unlike mine in the Focus is on the "metered"side of the intake. So any leaks in that area will give you the same codes.
Jan. 16, 2012 3:21 p.m. tuna55 SuperDork

Bear in mind that the resonator is there for a reason, and you will probably get a nice clean whistle at a certain RPM - it doesn't matter at all for function, but it may annoy you.
Jan. 16, 2012 4:47 p.m. Klayfish HalfDork

Thanks guys. I figured the dealership was just trying to upsell. Didn't see any reason to replace the resonator. Like the idea of gorilla tape or rescue tape, but I get the feeling Hal is right. If it already split in one spot, it's inevitable that it's going to split somewhere else. It could be split on the underside now, I didn't really look any closer once I saw the first split. Once I swap it, I'll go to Autozone, clear the codes and keep my fingers crossed.