Whereas Hyundai and Kia have been rolling out spectacular new EVs just like the Ioniq 5 N and Kia EV9 and redesigning current fashions just like the Sonata, the automaker nonetheless has the lingering drawback of dangerous engines. With out a lot help from the automakers, it’s as much as house owners to determine why these engines have been consuming oil and going dangerous. One such proprietor has a compelling concept.
Hundreds of thousands of householders — together with myself — have been affected. Many house owners haven’t been as fortunate as I’ve to have had their engines changed. House owners had been dealt a blow simply over a month in the past after a California federal courtroom decide dismissed the category motion go well with towards Hyundai over the consumption points. Whereas Hyundai has been quiet on a cause and repair for this drawback, there’s a bit of sunshine on the finish of the tunnel. It seems to be as if somebody could have discovered the reply to what’s actually happening with these engines.
Youtuber Lab Coat Paul uploaded an explainer in March 2023 that goes into element in regards to the Hyundai/Kia engine issues. Lab Coat Paul is a Hyundai proprietor himself; his 2017 Hyundai Tucson is supplied with the 1.6-liter turbocharged I4 engine, a mannequin and yr listed as having oil consumption points.
He bought the Tucson with simply 24,000 miles on it. Desirous to know if he ought to preserve along with his oil change interval, Paul determined to ship a pattern of his engine oil to Blackstone Laboratories for an oil evaluation. The take a look at tells you what number of components and irregularities are within the oil in addition to information like viscosity, contamination and what number of miles are on the oil. That is how he found his Tucson’s engine was contaminating the engine oil.
The Tucson primarily failed the take a look at due to contaminants. Blackstone beneficial an oil change interval of each 1,200 miles due to this, nicely beneath Hyundai’s 5,000-mile advice. Doing his personal analysis, Paul discovered that the issue appears to stem from Hyundai’s GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) system.
GDI, as soon as praised as an development in engine expertise, works not like a normal gas injection system. By spraying gas at excessive stress immediately into the combustion chamber, the engine achieves cooler temperatures contained in the cylinder and huge gas financial system features. Each single Hyundai engine from the final decade, from the small turbocharged 1.6-liter I4 to twin-turbo V6 engines and V8s utilized in among the automaker’s premium merchandise makes use of GDI.
Sadly, it could appear these engines endure from excessive instances of what’s generally known as blow-by. In fuel-injected engines, this could occur when gas leaks previous the piston rings and into the crankcase, leading to fuel contaminating the engine oil. A constructive crankcase air flow system is meant to alleviate this by relieving crankcase stress to take away gas vapors from the oil. Cleansing the PCV valve on his Tucson, Paul thought this might assist repair the issue. One other Blackstone oil take a look at confirmed this didn’t make things better, nor did a GDI cleansing service completed on the vendor. He found that blow-by is worse in GDI engines due to the excessive pressures concerned.
With GDI, gas is sprayed immediately into the combustion chamber through the compression stroke — the purpose at which the air/gas combination is compressed earlier than being ignited by the spark plug. There are immense pressures concerned at this level, so automobiles with GDI engines have two gas pumps: a low-pressure and a high-pressure one. Gas goes in at a low 60 psi after which comes out of the gas pump at 2,000 psi. Due to these excessive pressures, Paul says gas can simply leak into the valve cowl and into the engine oil.
This finally creates the issue of the engine consuming and burning by oil. Paul says Hyundai’s beneficial service intervals don’t assist issues both because the automaker is basically “recommending you drive on dangerous oil.” A 3rd take a look at by Blackstone after the gas pump was changed confirmed the oil was advantageous, however beneficial 3,000-mile service intervals, 2,000 lower than Hyundai’s advice.
So there you have got it. A extensively used engine expertise often is the offender behind thousands and thousands of proprietor complications. And with GDI use being so widespread throughout automobile fashions and automakers, it doesn’t look like one thing you may keep away from, until you purchase an older automobile. For now, the perfect factor anybody can do — anybody that hasn’t skilled an engine concern or failure due to the consumption — is to remain on high of your service intervals. Get your oil modified each 2,000-3,000 miles and preserve your fingers crossed till a miracle repair may be created.
