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I received a car from my family that has been sitting in the garage for 2-3 years with very ocasional use only to keep it running but in all that time hardly any maintenance has been made to it (an oil change in 2018 I think).

What are the things that I should consider changing?

Also another doubt is that when I want to put the car in reverse (manual) the shifter sometimes gets half way in and reverse doesn't engaged, usually solved with shifting to 1st or 3rd and back to reverse, any idea as to why that might happen?

The car is a 2013 Kia Rio 1.2L

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  • 2013 car, 7 years old, only 4 years of use on it... 35-ish MPG... sweet. Definitely a keeper. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Jan 31 '20 at 19:31
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Change the oil and coolant, and wait and see what breaks

There's a remote chance it might need a clutch, depending on how dumb the past drivers were. You'll find out. I have 200k on my clutch, so it's possible to be gentle to clutches. On the other hand, they are wearable parts, and a Kia transmission is not heavy at all, and changing a clutch is full day's job but doable by a shade tree mechanic.

This is quite a new car, and it has a manual tranny. Stupid MPG from that little engine, a real nice econobox. I'd take good care of it.

I want to put the car in reverse (manual) the shifter sometimes gets half way in and reverse doesn't engaged

Normal. Just come back to neutral and back to reverse again, it'll engage.

A lot of manual trannies have seemingly gimped up reverse; and I'm pretty sure that is intentional "gating" to prevent you from shifting into R quickly. To keep you from making a big mistake on a 5-4 downshift. Also, there used to be a technique of "rocking a car out" when it got stuck, of 1st until it couldn't go any further, then (very rapidly) R until it couldn't go any further, 1st, R, 1st, R, your freedom of motion increases with each move, and eventually you get free. This required very rapid switches between R and 1, and not over-gassing and spinning the wheels. Automakers hate it because if done wrong, it would break transmissions and cause warranty claims. So they've made it rather difficult in modern cars. Though electrics may reverse that; not only can they do it without damage, they can automate it :)

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  • When changing the coolant, does it have to be the same color or something? Or just use ethylenglycos which is the compound suggested by manufacturer? Also how do I know I need to change the clutch? – kartzs96 Jan 31 '20 at 19:43
  • Use whatever the service manual tells you to use. I use common propylene glycol if I can get it (doesn't kill cats), otherwise EG, but my car is older. When the clutch is going, shifts will seem just a tiny bit off, like the engine revs a little more and pushes a little less. Then, it goes downhill fast. That's when to change it. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Jan 31 '20 at 19:47
  • Is it possible that the clutch is going if the car only has 7000km? – kartzs96 Jan 31 '20 at 19:52
  • Certainly not, unless it was driven by Evel Knievel. 7000km, that car is amazing. I know a Kia may not be your idea of heaven, but it'll be solid transportation! – Harper - Reinstate Monica Jan 31 '20 at 19:55
  • It's being enjoyable, I would like to see what a bit more power feels like, but it's my first car and as it is lended I obiously have cero complaints and really love it. – kartzs96 Jan 31 '20 at 20:07

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