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 homeowners to determine why these engines have been consuming oil and going dangerous. One such proprietor has a compelling principle.
Thousands and thousands of homeowners — together with myself — have been affected. Many homeowners haven’t been as fortunate as I’ve to have had their engines changed. Homeowners had been dealt a blow simply over a month in the past after a California federal court docket choose dismissed the category motion swimsuit in opposition to Hyundai over the consumption points. Whereas Hyundai has been quiet on a purpose and repair for this drawback, there’s a bit of sunshine on the finish of the tunnel. It appears to be like as if somebody might 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 concerning the Hyundai/Kia engine issues. Lab Coat Paul is a Hyundai proprietor himself; his 2017 Hyundai Tucson is provided 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. Eager to know if he ought to maintain together 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 data 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 basically failed the take a look at due to contaminants. Blackstone beneficial an oil change interval of each 1,200 miles due to this, nicely under Hyundai’s 5,000-mile advice. Doing his personal analysis, Paul came upon that the issue appears to stem from Hyundai’s GDI (Fuel Direct Injection) system.
GDI, as soon as praised as an development in engine expertise, works in contrast to a regular gasoline injection system. By spraying gasoline at excessive stress immediately into the combustion chamber, the engine achieves cooler temperatures contained in the cylinder and huge gasoline financial system positive factors. 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 might appear these engines endure from excessive circumstances of what’s often called blow-by. In fuel-injected engines, this may occur when gasoline 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 gasoline vapors from the oil. Cleansing the PCV valve on his Tucson, Paul thought this is able to 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 supplier. He found that blow-by is worse in GDI engines due to the excessive pressures concerned.
With GDI, gasoline is sprayed immediately into the combustion chamber in the course of the compression stroke — the purpose at which the air/gasoline combination is compressed earlier than being ignited by the spark plug. There are immense pressures concerned at this level, so vehicles with GDI engines have two gasoline pumps: a low-pressure and a high-pressure one. Gasoline goes in at a low 60 psi after which comes out of the gasoline pump at 2,000 psi. Due to these excessive pressures, Paul says gasoline can simply leak into the valve cowl and into the engine oil.
This finally creates the issue of the engine consuming and burning by way of 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 gasoline pump was changed confirmed the oil was high-quality, however beneficial 3,000-mile service intervals, 2,000 lower than Hyundai’s advice.
So there you’ve it. A broadly used engine expertise will be the perpetrator behind hundreds of thousands of proprietor complications. And with GDI use being so widespread throughout car fashions and automakers, it doesn’t appear to be one thing you’ll be able to keep away from, except you purchase an older automobile. For now, one of the best factor anybody can do — anybody that hasn’t skilled an engine difficulty or failure due to the consumption — is to remain on prime of your service intervals. Get your oil modified each 2,000-3,000 miles and maintain your fingers crossed till a miracle repair might be created.
