'02 Kia Rio Diesel Losing Power, Jerking, and Idling Rough - Potential Quantity Drift Compensation Issue?

Hey there, had a somewhat similar scenario with my '00 Kia Spectra, it was acting up in almost the same way. Just to put things in perspective, I'd say my level of car expertise is some experience—know how to change a tire and do basic maintenance. Took it to my local workshop after spending days fighting with it. Turns out, the issue was a defective injector. Ended up costing me 515€, but she runs sweet as a dream now. Honestly, there's a lot that could be causing your problems, though. If you could share more details about your car's condition and any specific symptoms, it could help pin down what's going wrong. Hope this helps a bit, good luck with getting yours sorted!

Appreciate the reply and the perspective. So, a quick update: my Kia Rio has travelled around 164231km, and I last took it for a service a few months back, everything seemed in order then. The engine has trouble firing up, particularly when cold, and it has lost considerable power over the last few weeks. Seems to stutter at higher speeds too. Frankly, I'm not as savvy with cars, but your tip about the injector issue got me wondering. Did your car's engine light stay on too? Would love to know the answer as I'm looking through workshop options. Cheers.

Hey, glad to help out! Yeah, the engine light on my Spectra was stubbornly on too, just wouldn’t turn off. The injector issue was messing with the air-fuel mix, causing a bunch of those symptoms you're describing. Your Kia Rio's issues, especially with the hard starts and drop in power, could potentially point towards an injector problem too. Or possibly even a glow plug problem since it's a diesel and struggles when starting cold. But I ain't no professional mechanic, eh! At around that mileage though, a general teardown or service might be beneficial too. My advice is to get it professionally checked. Costs a bit but saved me from a lot of hassle later on. Best of luck with it! Hope your ride gets back to purring smoothly soon. Cheers!

Hey, thanks for the detailed response! All that you've said makes a lot of sense. I reckon it could indeed be an injector or perhaps even glow plug problem, given the starting issues and the drop in power. And you're right; I guess it's high time this old girl saw a professional, there's only so much I can do on my own anyway. Well, cheers for sharing your story and advice! Looks like I've got a visit to the workshop planned this weekend then. Wish me luck! Cheers!