Project Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi

Fixing aircon, & stereo amp

PART SIX: In the final episode of our Sportage project series, Rob Hawkins reassembles the freshly painted driver’s door, then attempts to finish all of the remaining jobs.

“I ncluding VAT that comes to £651.15,” explained the person in the parts department of our local Kia dealership concerning the price of a new rear-view camera for our Sportage. That sort of price buys you a digital SLR with a lens, flash and more, not a camera the size of your thumb that doesn’t take photos and needs to be connected to more devices to display an image. Needless to say, we didn’t order what was apparently the last one in the UK, and sadly, we didn’t find much of a better answer in the world of aftermarket parts suppliers, with overseas eBay sellers promising to deliver in a couple of weeks for around £200. We tried secondhand but couldn’t find anything. We’ll have to keep looking, but at least Rob now knows how to remove the camera and dismantle it.

Other jobs that are on hold for now include the squeaking rear suspension bush. A genuine replacement bush has been on order for several months, but it still hasn’t arrived.

We’ve had more success in other areas this month in what is the final instalment of this project series. The exterior paintwork is now looking as good as new and the aircon has been fixed. The torn boot cover has been replaced and the stereo’s amplifier was found to have a small amount of water ingress, so it is being repaired.

Having clocked up some 3000 miles in the Sportage since taking it on, this has been one project vehicle that has proved to be reliable. The fuel economy hasn’t crept beyond 37mpg, so perhaps the official fuel consumption figures are optimistic for an all-wheel-drive vehicle, but otherwise, the Sportage has been a useful and capable machine that’s fun to drive, handles well and has been straightforward to work on.

REBUILDING THE REPLACEMENT DOOR