How Do I Tune Up a 1995 KIA Sephia?

The Kia Sephia was the first vehicle sold in America bearing a “Kia” emblem and hit the market in 1994. But it was not the first Kia-manufactured vehicle in the U.S., as the Korean automaker provided Ford with its compact Festiva, which debuted in 1987. The 1995 Sephia came standard with a 16-valve, SOHC, 1.6-liter engine that cranked out 88 horsepower. Performing a basic tuneup on this engine entails replacing the spark plugs, wires, distributor cap and ignition rotor.

Things You'll Need

• 4 new NGK BPR5ES-11, or equivalent spark plug
• Spark plug gap tool
• Ratchet
• Spark plug socket
• Torque wrench
• New spark plug wire set
• Dielectric grease
• Small flat-head screwdriver
• Phillips screwdriver
• New distributor cap
• New ignition rotor
• Phillips-bit socket

Instructions

Replacing Spark Plugs and Wires

1. Check the gap on all four new NGK BPR5ES-11, or equivalent spark plugs, using a spark plug gap tool. The 1.6-liter SOHC engine on the 1995 Sephia requires a gap between 0.039 and 0.043 inches. Adjust any incorrectly gapped plugs by widening or narrowing the gap with the spark plug gap tool.

2. Trace one spark plug wire from the distributor cap toward the engine until you reach the thick rubber boot connecting the wire to the spark plug.

3. Grab the spark plug wire boot and pull it away from the spark plug with a slight twisting motion. Remove the spark plug from the engine using a ratchet and spark plug socket.

4. Thread a new spark plug into the engine. If you feel resistance as you thread it, immediately remove the spark plug and thread it into the engine again. Tighten the spark plug to between 11 and 17 foot-pounds using a torque wrench and spark plug socket.

5. Follow the disconnected spark plug wire back toward the distributor, pulling it from each routing clip as you encounter them. Once you reach the rubber boot connecting the wire to the distributor, pull the boot away from the distributor with a slight twisting motion to remove it.

6. Lay the remove spark plug wire on a flat surface and select a wire from the new spark plug wire set that matches the removed wire’s length.

7. Apply a dab of dielectric grease into both of the new spark plug wire’s boots and spread the grease around with a small flat-head screwdriver.

8. Align the boot on the end of the spark plug wire with the vacant terminal on the distributor and press the boot onto the terminal until it clicks into place. Route the new spark plug wire toward the spark plug, installing the wire into each routing clip as you encounter them. Align the other boot with the top of the spark plug, then press the boot downward onto the plug until it clicks into place.

9. Repeat Steps 2 through 8 to replace the remaining four spark plugs and wires.

10. Pull the ignition coil wire from the center of the distributor with a slight twisting motion. Trace the wire back toward the ignition coil until you reach the other rubber boot. Pull the ignition coil wire from the ignition coil with a slight twisting motion.

11. Coat the inside of the boots on the new ignition coil wire, the shortest wire included in the wire set, with dielectric grease and spread the grease around with a flat-head screwdriver.

12. Press the ignition coil wire onto the ignition coil and the center terminal of the distributor until it clicks into place on each component.

Distributor Cap and Rotor Replacement

1. Loosen the two screws securing the distributor cap using a Phillips screwdriver, and pull the cap from the distributor.

2. Hold the new cap next to the old cap, so they are positioned the exact same way. Pull each ignition wire from the old cap with a slight twisting motion and press it onto the same terminal on the new distributor cap until it clicks into place.

3. Pull the old ignition rotor, the small electrical component attached to the distributor right under the cap, off the distributor’s output shaft.

4. Align the asymmetrical hole on the bottom of a new ignition rotor with the distributor’s output shaft and press the rotor downward until it seats fully on the distributor’s output shaft. You can only install the rotor one way because of the asymmetrical hole.

5. Guide the new cap onto the distributor and tighten its retaining screws to between 14 and 26 foot-pounds using a torque wrench and a Phillips-bit socket.

References

• Cars.com: 1995 Kia Sephia Features and Options
• MSN Autos: Kia Sephia Overview
• Alldata: 1995 Kia Sephia Sedan L4-1.6L SOHC 16V, Spark Plug, Service and Repair, Procedures: Spark Plug Replacement
• Alldata: 1995 Kia Sephia Sedan L4-1.6L SOHC 16V, Ignition Rotor, Service and Repair, Procedures: Replacement