Brand New & Reaching Out

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Hey everyone!

I just picked up my Stinger (2020 3.3tt v6 w/ RWD) a few days ago. I'm over on clubwrx but wanted to make an account here also. I have a ton of questions and am extremely excited to have this new toy in my garage. I never thought I would be owning a Kia since we come from a family of Toyota's and the one Subaru we used to have. I want to thank everyone ahead of time for any feedback and information that they are willing to share with me. I will definitely be posting here on the forums and doing my best to learn and explore plus meet some really cool new people. I am located in Hollywood Florida if anyone suggests any car meets or places to link up. I am always down on making new friends and helping people out and meeting other enthusiasts.

Thanks all!

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1 - Is the ride height adjustable? Specifically, does going into "Sport" mode lower the car?

2 - Does anyone recommend any items or tools to help peel and remove the excessive stickers such as the "Serious XM" radio sticker?

3 - What is a good tire pressure for performance for the stock summer tires that come with the car?

4 - I wish to install a dash cam in the future to make sure my car is safe if and when being serviced. Anyone suggest a specific brand and where it can be placed? I would prefer one that picks up on audio and begins recording on its own. I have never owned a dash cam for a vehicle but want to make sure my car is safe and sound since it is a huge financial investment for me.

5 - The car has some sticky tape on one side of the door and behind the antenna. The dealership is well over an hour away though. Is there a tool I can use to carefully peel this material off?

6 - The car seems to pull sometimes really hard to the left or right under hard straight line acceleration. Is it possible one of the tires doesn't have the ideal tire pressure or the alignment may be off from the factory? How could I check? I know the penny trick is for how much tire life is left. The vehicle was purchased brand new with less than 15 miles on the odometer.

7 - How do I set specific "trips" such as "Trip A" or "Trip B" or "Trip C" so that I can monitor and track how many miles are being put and what my MPG is and so on and so forth?

8 - Any basic weight reduction suggestions for the car? I want to remove the spare tire and all that extra foam and kit stuff in the trunk but am worried that taking weight off the rear on a RWD car will actually hinder performance. What do you guys think? My "performance" goals are going fast mostly in a straight line whether that is off the line or at higher speed pulls.

 

[Ravage]

Congratulations and welcome, Changing the modes do not change ride height. The buttons on the right side of the steering wheel will let you toggle through MPG, Trips, tire pressure etc. Different button combinations depending on if you have a GT, GT1, or GT2. I spent a few minutes with the manual sitting in driveway flipping buttons. My AWD GT consistently steps to the right under hard acceleration. But I have the 18 inch Bridgestones and they do not have the grip of the pilot sport Michelin. Hope this answers some of your questions and enjoy your new ride, they are a blast.

 

[CKeeler]

Hey everyone!

I just picked up my Stinger (2020 3.3tt v6 w/ RWD) a few days ago. I'm over on clubwrx but wanted to make an account here also. I have a ton of questions and am extremely excited to have this new toy in my garage. I never thought I would be owning a Kia since we come from a family of Toyota's and the one Subaru we used to have. I want to thank everyone ahead of time for any feedback and information that they are willing to share with me. I will definitely be posting here on the forums and doing my best to learn and explore plus meet some really cool new people. I am located in Hollywood Florida if anyone suggests any car meets or places to link up. I am always down on making new friends and helping people out and meeting other enthusiasts.

Thanks all!

/// /// ///

1 - Is the ride height adjustable? Specifically, does going into "Sport" mode lower the car?

2 - Does anyone recommend any items or tools to help peel and remove the excessive stickers such as the "Serious XM" radio sticker?

3 - What is a good tire pressure for performance for the stock summer tires that come with the car?

4 - I wish to install a dash cam in the future to make sure my car is safe if and when being serviced. Anyone suggest a specific brand and where it can be placed? I would prefer one that picks up on audio and begins recording on its own. I have never owned a dash cam for a vehicle but want to make sure my car is safe and sound since it is a huge financial investment for me.

5 - The car has some sticky tape on one side of the door and behind the antenna. The dealership is well over an hour away though. Is there a tool I can use to carefully peel this material off?

6 - The car seems to pull sometimes really hard to the left or right under hard straight line acceleration. Is it possible one of the tires doesn't have the ideal tire pressure or the alignment may be off from the factory? How could I check? I know the penny trick is for how much tire life is left. The vehicle was purchased brand new with less than 15 miles on the odometer.

7 - How do I set specific "trips" such as "Trip A" or "Trip B" or "Trip C" so that I can monitor and track how many miles are being put and what my MPG is and so on and so forth?

8 - Any basic weight reduction suggestions for the car? I want to remove the spare tire and all that extra foam and kit stuff in the trunk but am worried that taking weight off the rear on a RWD car will actually hinder performance. What do you guys think? My "performance" goals are going fast mostly in a straight line whether that is off the line or at higher speed pulls.

Congratulations and welcome! Post some pics of your Stinger when you get a chance.

In regards to your questions
1-ride height is not adjustable. Changing drive modes will tighten or loosen the shock rebound if you have the electronic suspension.

2 - not exactly sure what stickers you are talking about. Any stickies I had on mine easily came off with my fingernails

3 - If you go to the track, I think a good tire pressure would be 30-32. Street performance might be close to what Kia recommends at 36

4 - don’t know anything about dash cams myself. There are others on here that can help on that.

5 - again, not sure what you are speaking about. Maybe try a plastic knife?

6 - Definitely bring that up to the dealer and say you want the alignment checked. I have no problem with my RWD.

7 - The buttons on the right side of the steering wheel control the functions in the gauge cluster. The up/down toggle switch gives you access to what you are looking for. Long pressing the ok button will reset the data

8 - Eat more salad. lol. Give yourself some time with your Stinger, you may not want to take away anything that is an acoustic barrier.

Take your time, read the manual to get familiar with the features of your car, and just enjoy it for a while.

 

[spider55]

Take your time, read the manual to get familiar with the features of your car, and just enjoy it for a while.

Clip on the link to read the owners manual...Read some of the threads on mods that are good for the car & watch youtube videos, very helpful...

http://www.kstinger.com/kia_stinger_ck_2018_2020_service_manual-328.html

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Wow! What an amazing welcome! Thank you all very much!

I really appreciate everyone answering my questions, I understand there were a ton haha.

My tires came with PSI at 46 all around except the rear right is at 47. Should I adjust it to what the recommendation is on the door panel then as suggested here? I don't want to risk reducing performance or changing how the car feels and handles. I just want to make sure all settings and options are in a way that makes the vehicle optimal for driving properly but also with spirited fun.

Also, for the dash cam question... Is there somewhere here on the forums I should post and ask? I want to purchase at least two dash cams that can record the inside and front of the car, with sound as well, so that I am not worried when I have the car serviced at the dealerships. I have read some horror stories about Stinger owner's experiences on that.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[CKeeler]

Oh my gosh! Yes! Bring the tires down! That is way too high! I run mine 37 cold and in warm days they run up to 40-41

 

[spider55]

Yes, drop your pressures, I run mine in the winter at 36psi and in the summer at 34psi. The reason why is because I live in Arizona, it's hot here..

 

[BeachMetal]

The dealerships tend to forget to lower the tire pressures that are set for shipping purposes. Mine where pushing 50 when I got it! Dropped them and the ride smoothed out noticeably.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Thank you everyone so much! I love all the fast responses. I really appreciate it.

What is the safest and easiest way to reduce tire pressure? Do I do this when the car is cold and sitting in the garage or after I have driven it for half an hour after work?

Thanks all!

 

[CKeeler]

Thank you everyone so much! I love all the fast responses. I really appreciate it.

What is the safest and easiest way to reduce tire pressure? Do I do this when the car is cold and sitting in the garage or after I have driven it for half an hour after work?

Thanks all!

When the tires are cold.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Thank you so much! I adjusted the tire air pressure from 47 that came from the dealership to 42 all around. These are measurements taken after half an hour of driving and the car is fully warmed up. On a "cold" test the pressure is between/around 38 or 39 or so. Depending on the tire. Let me know if you think I should adjust it even lower or not.

I have a few more questions since I am learning SO much about this amazing car and loving it!

How can I make the car louder, via exhaust, without voiding the warranty or reducing performance? The car, even in "sport" mode, is just way too quiet. I have turned the car on during a cold start, stood behind it, and can't hear it at all. I know my previous car, the 2014 WRX with the SPT catback exhaust, some people found too loud but I enjoyed it. I don't want anything that is too loud or drones but I do want something that can make the car just a little bit louder. Resonator? Axleback? What are everyone's thoughts and opinions? Emphasizing though, I don't want to take a route that could void my warranty or reduce the performance and fuel efficiency of the car.

Secondly, weight reduction. Anyone suggest the lightest wheels that would go on the GT (RWD) that don't sacrifice anywhere else? I like the grip and traction of the current wheel size and tire set up, but, I am reading that the OEM wheels are extremely heavy. Are there lighter options that people trust? Also, while on that topic, does anyone suggest any other "practical" weight reduction options? Remove the spare tire kit or replace the stock hood with a carbon fiber one? All suggestions are welcome!

 

[CKeeler]

Thank you so much! I adjusted the tire air pressure from 47 that came from the dealership to 42 all around. These are measurements taken after half an hour of driving and the car is fully warmed up. On a "cold" test the pressure is between/around 38 or 39 or so. Depending on the tire. Let me know if you think I should adjust it even lower or not.

I have a few more questions since I am learning SO much about this amazing car and loving it!

How can I make the car louder, via exhaust, without voiding the warranty or reducing performance? The car, even in "sport" mode, is just way too quiet. I have turned the car on during a cold start, stood behind it, and can't hear it at all. I know my previous car, the 2014 WRX with the SPT catback exhaust, some people found too loud but I enjoyed it. I don't want anything that is too loud or drones but I do want something that can make the car just a little bit louder. Resonator? Axleback? What are everyone's thoughts and opinions? Emphasizing though, I don't want to take a route that could void my warranty or reduce the performance and fuel efficiency of the car.

Secondly, weight reduction. Anyone suggest the lightest wheels that would go on the GT (RWD) that don't sacrifice anywhere else? I like the grip and traction of the current wheel size and tire set up, but, I am reading that the OEM wheels are extremely heavy. Are there lighter options that people trust? Also, while on that topic, does anyone suggest any other "practical" weight reduction options? Remove the spare tire kit or replace the stock hood with a carbon fiber one? All suggestions are welcome!

I love my MBRP exhaust. Any cat back exhaust will not void your warranty. You can either go with tips to extend the pipes past the bumper or I’ve seen some use exhaust wrap stuffed into the bumper valance that takes care of the reverberation in throttle tip in from the MBRP.