Experiencing check engine light and vibration during heavy acceleration in Sport mode, need help diagnosing issue with 2020 Kia Stinger GT2.

[taamaas]

Hello everyone,

I bought a 2020 Stinger GT2 with 23k miles, which came with K&N cold air intakes installed. A few weeks ago, I had a concerning experience after accelerating aggressively in Sport mode, where the check engine light turned on and I felt a slight vibration. However, after turning off the car and restarting it, the vibration and check engine light disappeared, so I didn't think much of it at the time. Unfortunately, the same issue occurred again a week ago, but this time the check engine light stayed on after restarting the car, even though the vibration was gone.

I took my car to AutoZone, and they diagnosed a cylinder 6 misfire, recommending an ignition coil repair. I tried fixing it myself by purchasing an OEM Kia ignition coil and installing it on cylinder 6, but the problem remained. Since the car is still under warranty, I am considering taking it to Kia for repair, although I am concerned it may take a while to fix.

Can anyone help me figure out what's going on? Why can't my Stinger handle heavy load in Sport mode? Is cylinder 6 the closest to the passenger seat?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

[Thomby]

Cylinder 6 should be the front right cylinder if you are standing in front of the car facing the engine bay.

Edit: this might be wrong, other sources have conflicting numbering.

3.3TT - Messed up spark plus?

Hello, I installed my JB4 and HKS spark plugs gapped to .22 a couple days ago, I'm in Arizona so only 91 octane is available. I ran map 1 a few times and it was working great really pinningme to my seat, I hit it last night and there didn't seem to be much boost being built. This morning I add...

stingerforum.org

Did AutoZone give you any codes? Grabbing an ODB reader and pulling them the next time it happens should help narrow it down.

 

[Snicklefritz]

you didn't say anything about sparkplugs. if the coil pack was bad there is virtually no chance of the plug also not being bad / cracked. interestingly, when this happened to my 3.3l the no. six cylinder was the one too. no trouble at all since then, it's been a whole year since the coil pack was replaced. I had 'vibration' as well, I called it 'chugging' and it was more like a rapid hesitation, a misfire for sure.

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[taamaas]

Do you mean the closest to the front of the car? That would be the third version I've heard. I thought it's the closest to the driver's seat.

AutoZone's trouble code is: P0306 (Cylinder 6 misfire detected)

 

[taamaas]

you didn't say anything about sparkplugs. if the coil pack was bad there is virtually no chance of the plug also not being bad / cracked. interestingly, when this happened to my 3.3l the no. six cylinder was the one too. no trouble at all since then, it's been a whole year since the coil pack was replaced. I had 'vibration' as well, I called it 'chugging' and it was more like a rapid hesitation, a misfire for sure.

Which cylinder was #6 for you? I mean where?

 

[taamaas]

Cylinder 6 should be the front right cylinder if you are standing in front of the car facing the engine bay:

Did AutoZone give you any codes? Grabbing an ODB reader and pulling them the next time it happens should help narrow it down.

Do you mean the closest to the front of the car? That would be the third version I've heard. I thought it's the closest to the driver's seat.

AutoZone's trouble code is: P0306 (Cylinder 6 misfire detected)

 

[Snicklefritz]

Do you mean the closest to the front of the car? That would be the third version I've heard. I thought it's the closest to the driver's seat.

AutoZone's trouble code is: P0306 (Cylinder 6 misfire detected)

Which cylinder was #6 for you? I mean where?

@Thomby is correct. and I use the driver's position to say that no. 6 cylinder is the furthest away on the driver's (left) side, so the numbering starts with no. 1 cylinder being closest to the front passenger (right) side. aussies ignore or reverse.

like this, as I understand it:
6,5
4,3
2,1
driver passenger

 

[taamaas]

@Thomby is correct. and I use the driver's position to say that no. 6 cylinder is the furthest away on the driver's (left) side, so the numbering starts with no. 1 cylinder being closest to the front passenger (right) side. aussies ignore or reverse.

like this, as I understand it:
6,5
4,3
2,1
driver passenger

Thanks! In your system I was planning on changing cylinder 2 because that's what most people referred to as cylinder 6 but if that doesn't solve it, I'll try your method as well. It's crazy we don't have a general document stating which cylinder is which...

 

[Snicklefritz]

I was informed during my coil pack work that the odd numbered cylinders are on the right, even numbered on the left. I bet that is standard the world over. will I lose that bet?

 

[Thomby]

@Thomby is correct. and I use the driver's position to say that no. 6 cylinder is the furthest away on the driver's (left) side, so the numbering starts with no. 1 cylinder being closest to the front passenger (right) side. aussies ignore or reverse.

like this, as I understand it:
6,5
4,3
2,1
driver passenger

I read in another thread that they were numbered in a clockwise direction starting from front left as you face the engine bay, but that runs counter to most other numbering systems I've encountered. And another search yielded the odd/even bank you reference...need a Kia source I guess.

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[Snicklefritz]

well, dang, the mystery and frustration deepens.

 

[Thomby]

well, dang, the mystery and frustration deepens.

This thread has them like this:

firewall
5 6
3 4
1 2
front bumper

3.3TT - Cylinder #6 Misfire

Does anyone have the firing order handy so I can locate which cylinder is misfiring? See above posted 3.3TT - Cylinder #6 Misfire by Hydrajin in this very thread. ...edit: tossed together a pic. Not more informative than Hydrajin's post, just with more color :geek:

stingerforum.org

 

[taamaas]

wow I'm more confused now than I was before...I'll switch the coil for cylinder closest to the driver seat and diagnose if the issue remains. Then, I'll switch the front right (if standing in front of the car looking at the engine bay) and see what happens. If the issue remains, I'll just go in the corner and cry that I spent $40k on a car I can't floor anymore...

This thread has them like this:

firewall
5 6
3 4
1 2
front bumper

Yes, I've seen this thread!

 

[Snicklefritz]

wow I'm more confused now than I was before...I'll switch the coil for cylinder closest to the driver seat and diagnose if the issue remains. Then, I'll switch the front right (if standing in front of the car looking at the engine bay) and see what happens. If the issue remains, I'll just go in the corner and cry that I spent $40k on a car I can't floor anymore...

Yes, I've seen this thread!

that makes two of us. do it this way, tell them to replace any bad plugs or coil packs that they find and don't try and tell them which cylinder number you are talking about.

 

[Rodtheviking]

I would just replace all the plugs while you are at it.

I thought it was this, but couldn't find anything definitive. One being the front drivers side.. but I'm old school.

6 3
5 2
4 1

 

[taamaas]

Update:

Switched the plug on the cylinder that's closest to the driver's seat and no issues ever since. It looks like that's cylinder 6. I'm not sure about the rest of the cylinder arrangement.

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[Snicklefritz]

dyslexia at work here, folks. somebody's case of dyxlesia. is it my dealer's or yours? that is the question. 'my' cylinder 6 is the driver's side out in front.

 

[Thomby]

dyslexia at work here, folks. somebody's case of dyxlesia. is it my dealer's or yours? that is the question. 'my' cylinder 6 is the driver's side out in front.

Can you tell us how you confirmed this? Because numbering front to rear, either staggered or down each bank, is much more common in my experience:

 

[Snicklefritz]

Can you tell us how you confirmed this? Because numbering front to rear, either staggered or down each bank, is much more common in my experience:

that looks pretty conclusive to me. so, either the service tech who told me that 'cylinder six' was the one with the bad plug / coil got it wrong when I asked which cylinder is no. 6, or Ima the dyxlesic one and remember it wrong. I'll have to ask them again when I go in soon (to ask a financial question; in person, it always works best).