2003 Kia Sportage starting problems

If you are making short trips, perhaps using power accessories, etc. Your battery will lose its reserves. You may want to put it on a charger once and a while. Also when a battery gets older it will start to die in cold weather. I expect about 7 or so years out of my batteries. As you say yours is less than a year old....so there may be a charging problem.....get it checked if short trips and draining it with acc. is not happening.

In the most general of terms a diesel engine would operate at 86-92 C.

However, much depends on the distance you are driving. On a very short trip(s) your needle is unlikely to get much above cold on the gauge. That's because an engine needs a minimum of 5 miles before the thermostat begins to open to allow coolant to circulate, and 10 miles before your engine is getting to 'normal operating temperature'.

The ideal position of the needle is N - normal ... midway between cold and hot.

If, on a long run, the needle doesn't get much past the cold mark it's probably due to either a faulty coolant sensor temperature sending a wrong reading to the gauge, or a thermostat which is stuck in the open position.

If the needle is indicating too hot - again it could be a faulty temperature sensor, a faulty thermostat - or other problems.

With a fully warmed engine and sitting in traffic/idling your needle would creep from Normal to Hot .. and then the electric fan would kick in.

Not likely. 02 sensors will not cause a car to not start, run bad yes. Take it to an auto parts store and have the codes checked. Even if the light isn't on. This sounds like an electrical problem. But starters and fuel pumps will cause a no start after they are warm/ hot. Let me know. Randy

the knock sensor should be on the passenger side of the motor a short distance from the oil filter on a stand off on the block. can be tricky to get to but you loose no coolant changing it

trailblazer start up cold and drive a short distance and it will not crank just turns over

I would see if you can go to a auto parts they can read the code that will help it might be a alternator which you local parts store can check for free while its on the car.

check in your owners manual under fuses,15 amp seems low for a fuel pump,i would think it should be at least 25amp,it will tell you what fuse feeds what and what fuse should be there

Is the four wheel drive activated by vacuum? Check vacuum.

check fuse and relay for fan switch. replace both if needed. real cheap fix.

try having fuel filter replace