Experiencing issues with your 2009 Kia Sorento Key Fob can be frustrating. Many owners find themselves resorting to reprogramming their remote fobs, often as a first step to resolve problems like intermittent or unresponsive locking and unlocking. However, while reprogramming might sometimes offer a temporary fix, there could be a more fundamental issue at play, particularly in older models like the 2003-2009 Kia Sorento. This article delves into a less commonly known, yet potentially significant cause of key fob problems: water ingress into connector 46 (con46).
The Hidden Culprit: Water Ingress in Connector 46
Water ingress into electrical connectors is a known issue in the automotive world, and Kia Sorento models from 2003 to 2009 are not immune. Connector 46, in particular, has been identified as a potential trouble spot. While Kia’s design nominally incorporates a sealing feature, real-world conditions and manufacturing tolerances can sometimes lead to vulnerabilities. It’s speculated that design flaws, variations in component manufacturing, or even assembly errors could compromise the connector’s water-tightness in certain vehicles.
The insidious nature of water ingress is that it can be a slow-burn problem. Moisture might accumulate within con46 over years, causing only sporadic and minor glitches initially. The real trouble begins when a significant electrical current passes through a connector that’s already damp, especially if road salt or other conductive contaminants are present in the water. This combination can accelerate corrosion and lead to electrical shorts within the connector.
As 2003-2009 Kia Sorentos age, the incidence of problems stemming from con46 is likely to increase. This is a crucial point for owners of these vehicles to consider, especially when facing key fob malfunctions.
Why You Might Not Hear About This at the Dealership
Interestingly, there seems to be a lack of widespread awareness about the con46 issue even within Kia dealerships. This isn’t entirely unusual in the automotive industry. Manufacturers sometimes remain quiet about known problems until forced to address them, and this could be the situation with the con46 connector in older Sorentos. Therefore, relying solely on dealership diagnostics might lead to overlooking this root cause in favor of simpler solutions like key fob reprogramming.
Inspecting Connector 46: A Smart First Step
Given the potential for water ingress in con46 to cause key fob issues, and considering it’s often a quicker check than reprogramming your key fobs, inspecting connector 46 should be a priority for 2009 Kia Sorento owners (and those with similar year models) experiencing remote problems.
Taking a proactive approach and inspecting the connector yourself as a preventative maintenance measure is highly advisable. It could save you time and money in the long run by identifying and addressing a potential problem before it escalates.
Help Us Understand the Scope of the Issue
The true extent of the con46 problem across the 2003-2009 Kia Sorento range is still not fully known. To better understand how widespread this issue is, we encourage owners to provide feedback. If you own one of these models, please consider inspecting your con46 connector and sharing your findings. To make feedback quick and easy, please use the following codes:
- A – No Symptoms, Con46 not inspected.
- B1 – No Symptoms, Con46 inspected and is OK
- B2 – No symptoms, Con46 inspected, problem found.
- C1 – Symptoms, Con46 inspected and not the cause.
- C2 – Symptoms, Con46 inspected and cause proved.
Your feedback will be invaluable in helping to understand the prevalence of this con46 issue and assist other Kia Sorento owners in resolving their key fob problems.
