96 Kia Sportage trouble starting

It's funny, I thought the same thing. I would try to start it by pumping on the gas pedal and it would start it but not always. I would go with the cheapest path first. "Fuel Pump Relay" $12.80 more or less @ dealer. Here is an answer I posted last week for someone else hope it helps. "I have a 2000 sportage, I had a similar problem myself. I gave it a complete tune-up, plugs wires, fuel and air filter. No help. What you want to try is pop the hood, and just forward of the battery there's a fuse box where the ignition relay and fuel fump relay are located. The fuel pump relay is the one on the right side. So if you're facing the battery it is the one to the right. What you want to do is have someone or yourself tap on that relay while someone cranks. In my situation that was the problem. I had someone tap on it while I cranked it and it seemed to work. While it was running I disconnected the relay and it stalled. I plugged it back in and tried staring it again without tapping on it and it wouldn't start. It only started after tapping on it again. I then purchased 2 fuel pump relays from the dealer $12.80 each. Works like a charm now. Hope it works out for you too."

Actually ur original post is what inspired me to try that. When I got over to the dealer to buy the relay, I popped the hood and pulled out the one on the right u described as being the fuel pump relay. I tried to starting with it out and it cranked-started and stalled. I then repeated this process by putting it back in again. The symptoms were not the same that i've been experiencing. So just for heck of it pulled the other relay next to it. I tried starting the car with it out and all it did was crank and not start. This is an identical symptom to what i've been experiencing. I ordered two relays since they are identical for both slots. Due to the forum responses that say their car dies at stop lights I figured that if the relay is the culprit i'd be better off just replacing the ten year old thing. Mine cost around $20 each. With a localized discount I saved a few bucks. They'll be in by wednesday and then its only a matter of time till it may fail to start once again.

On a side note the replacement of the tps for $50 bucks immediately solved a tranny problem. At higher speeds it shifted up and down repeatedly from 3rd to 4th gear. This little bugger controls the passing gear or down shift to third etc. 8)

That other relay is the Ignition relay. So obviously without that it won't start either. What is TPS? How much? Where is it located?

If ur looking at the 96' possibly the 97' sportage then the TPS throttle position sensor is located on the intake manifold pipe or the throttle body itself. Its the cross section pipe that connects the throttle body to the mass air flow sensor and then connects to the air filter box. U'll notice that there are only maybe 6 electrical connectors on this engine. Obvious one's anyways. The tps is one of them. I paid the dealer $50 bucks for the new tps sensor. The screws are stubborn and a pain to remove. Take a philps screwdriver and center it carefully in the screw head while u knock on the handle of the screwdriver with a hammer. This will hopefull loosen them up. U may not need to replace the tps unless the tranny is acting sporadic shifting for no reason from say fourth to 3rd and backup repeatedly.

The vehicle stalled again or wouldn't start so I played around while I had the opportunity and finally decided to pull the relays I mentioned I was ordering for the dealer. I switched them around since they are identical and tried starting the car. Nothing. Like before it just cranks. So took my wrench I use to take of the battery cable and made scratches on both sides of each of the spades on each relay. I put them back in and sure enough it started.

Also to clarify removing the battery cable and turning the headlight switch on likely drains whatever is in the ECM so after 30 seconds I can put it back on and it resets the computer. Ive heard a lot of different opinions that this car should have a obd 2 system on it that won't clear with a reset, yet I find I can clear it with just unhooking the battery.

I put in the new relays tonight, so hopefully that is the end of my mystery problem. 8)