Hey! Your problem sounds similar to an issue I faced with my 2002 Kia Optima. I have some experience working with cars, so I was able to troubleshoot it a bit myself. My symptoms were very identical to yours and it turned out to be a faulty intake air temperature sensor, indeed. I took it to my local workshop and they diagnosed and confirmed it was the Intake air temperature sensor that was defective. They replaced the sensor and it cost me about 155€ all up. After the replacement, all those engine performance symptoms cleared up and it was smooth driving from there. It'll be helpful to know the mileage of your Opirus and any other warning lights you got on the dashboard to be able to guide you better. Hope this helps!

Hey there! Appreciate your reply and suggestion. My Opirus has clocked a good 155183 KM till now. There aren't any other warning lights on the dashboard, it's just the annoying check engine light that's on. I’ll probably have to get it down to my local workshop and check if the faulty intake air temperature sensor is the real culprit behind this issue. The price you mentioned for the fix doesn't sound too bad. I just hope it resolves all these performance symptoms. Thanks again for your help!

Hey again! Glad to know that the information was helpful. The mileage on your Opirus is pretty decent and it's a usual time when some of these parts can start to fail. As the check engine light is on and the symptoms seem to align, it does sound like the intake air temperature sensor could be the issue here. Taking it down to the local workshop is definitely the right call here especially if car repairs aren't really your thing. Make sure to mention to them about your suspicion on the intake air temperature sensor so they can have a specific look at it. Lastly, you can also ask them to erase the trouble codes after they replace the sensor. It'll turn off the check engine light and your car's computer will have a fresh start so to speak. I'm glad that I could help. Hope your Opirus gets back to its best soon, good luck!

Cheers! Thanks a ton for the insightful advice and for pointing me in the right direction. I'll take your suggestions to heart, especially about getting those trouble codes erased post repair. I'm feeling much more confident about this now. I'll book a visit to my local workshop and let them know about our suspicion. Here's hoping my old Opirus gets back on track soon. Thanks again for your invaluable help! Wishing you smooth drives and trouble-free rides!