Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common?

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Fri 28 May 2021 21:21
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - daveyK_UK
Hi,
I was chatting with an old acquaintance who told me the tale of there 11 month old Hyundai car engine failing, something to do with the failure of the tension idler.
More interestingly it’s fairly widespread.
Anyone have any further details or experience?
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Sat 29 May 2021 08:53
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - John F

This is a classic example of how failure of a cheap component can result in catastrophic damage, often leading to scrapping of an otherwise sound old car. Far from being 'idle', the tension pulley is always at work ensuring the cambelt works properly. If the pulley fails, so does the cambelt, either by being fried or having its teeth ripped off by the crankshaft cogwheel as it tries to drive it round a seized pulley which will hardly move. If the cambelt fails, so does the engine. If the engine is 'interference', as they usually are, the valves hit the pistons and the engine is broken, needing an expensive rebuild or replacement.

I am surprised that there are no sensors to warn of undue temperature rise or vibration in such an important component. Such sensors are cheap enough these days. They are even fitted to display the relatively unimportant outside temperature! But of course that would mean less work for garages and car makers.

I remember being alerted to imminent tension pulley failure in our old Passat by a squealing noise at around 130,000 miles and replaced it before it seized completely and friction-fried the cambelt (which was still OK when we sold it at 242,000 miles). Never ignore squealing noises!

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Mon 30 May 2022 23:05
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - Andrew-T

This is a classic example of how failure of a cheap component can result in catastrophic damage, often leading to scrapping of an otherwise sound old car.

What do you mean, 'sound old car' ? OP says it's 11 months old ? That's brand new by your standards, John .... :-)

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Sat 29 May 2021 10:08
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - Engineer Andy

Odd how, at least as yet, this issue has not gained any traction (pardon the pun) in the media. I may ask Aussie commentator John Cadogan if he's heard of such issues Down Under, given Hyundai and Kia sell a LOT of cars there.

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Sat 29 May 2021 16:42
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - galileo

Odd how, at least as yet, this issue has not gained any traction (pardon the pun) in the media. I may ask Aussie commentator John Cadogan if he's heard of such issues Down Under, given Hyundai and Kia sell a LOT of cars there.

Other than the hybrids, aren't most Hyundai/Kia chain cam engines?

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Sun 30 May 2021 09:00
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - skidpan

Odd how, at least as yet, this issue has not gained any traction (pardon the pun) in the media. I may ask Aussie commentator John Cadogan if he's heard of such issues Down Under, given Hyundai and Kia sell a LOT of cars there.

Other than the hybrids, aren't most Hyundai/Kia chain cam engines?

The hybrids use the same 1.6 GDi engine as the petrol cars thus are also chain cams.

But chain cam engines also have tensioners.

Edited by skidpan on 30/05/2021 at 09:01

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Sun 30 May 2021 09:34
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - John F

But chain cam engines also have tensioners.

Similar problem. A length of (presumably) cheap plastic is pressed against the chain to keep it taut. It can break up, with disastrous consequences. Some BMW engines, even their big expensive ones,were famous for this. I don't know how any form of sensor would warn against this.

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Sun 30 May 2021 16:27
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - skidpan

Chians have had rubbish tensioners for years. The A series one was simply a rubber band around the sprocket, did sod all. The X-Flow one was a rubber pad pressed onto the chain by a "smail cam", soon stopped working.

But the saving grace with these engines was the length of the chain, it was tiny meaning sod all stretch. In racing cross flows we never bothered with the tensioner since the engines were fettled pretty frequently anyway and we used upgraded chains that would take the wild revs we used. The really serious used gear sets instead of chains, rattled like a bag of nails but good for 12,000 rpm.

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Sun 30 May 2021 17:24
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - Engineer Andy

Odd how, at least as yet, this issue has not gained any traction (pardon the pun) in the media. I may ask Aussie commentator John Cadogan if he's heard of such issues Down Under, given Hyundai and Kia sell a LOT of cars there.

Other than the hybrids, aren't most Hyundai/Kia chain cam engines?

The hybrids use the same 1.6 GDi engine as the petrol cars thus are also chain cams.

But chain cam engines also have tensioners.

If that's the case, then that's bad form from Hyundai/KIA, who seemed to have learned from both their own past mistakes and from other makes who scrimped on engineering quality.

I remember when the similar who-ha (HJ himself brought it to our attention via his column, if I recall) erupted about the early VAG TSI engines (some years ago now) that had plastic parts that failed, when using a metal one (that probably added £20 to the price of the vehicle) would've been fine.

I would've though that car manufacturers, especially those that are now striving to beat the most highly-regarded Japanese makes (on design/build quality) would've done a more competent job, especially if said part isn't that expensive if they switched to a metal one.

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Mon 31 May 2021 04:14
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - expat

Other than the hybrids, aren't most Hyundai/Kia chain cam engines?

We have a 2009 i30 with the 2lt petrol engine. It is definitely a belt cam and I am looking at a 600 pound bill to replace it next month.

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Tue 31 May 2022 15:19
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - galileo

Other than the hybrids, aren't most Hyundai/Kia chain cam engines?

We have a 2009 i30 with the 2lt petrol engine. It is definitely a belt cam and I am looking at a 600 pound bill to replace it next month.

I have a 2009 i30 with the 1.4 petrol engine.

Looking at the service schedule for it (from the Hyundai dealer where I bought it) among the items listed (applicable to models pre-2013) timing belt is only mentioned as a 'replace' at 122500 miles for 1 litre i10 and Santa Fe CM.

Presumably if your 2 litre has a belt then the 122500 mile recommendation applies to that too?

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Tue 31 May 2022 17:39
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - Andrew-T

<< Presumably if your 2 litre has a belt then the 122500 mile recommendation applies to that too? >>

My 2008 Peugeot's handbook advises a cambelt change at 120K or 10 years. I suspect that few owners keep their car that long, or deem it necessary to pay for a change at that age. I did, because the car had earned it by leading a fault-free life.

My point is that age and mileage are probably equally important criteria for that kind of 'consumable' item, so as your car is of a similar age, I would consider it - or more probably hand the decision to a new owner :-)

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Mon 30 May 2022 20:01
Hyundai Hybrid Engine Failure Common? - Dave the Leccy
This seems to cross purposes.
The fault is the clutch/motor/alternator unit which is the mild hybrid part of 5he drive system, it can fail and cause the locking of this system which can cause the crank sensor to be moved from its position and this can cause the engine to fail, (the engine has a cam chain). Apparently if it is automatic it can destroy the gearbox also. Mine was manual and had to have a new engine and. Was off the road for 5 weeks, it then had to go in for a modified system to be fitted. (New engine had original system which had previously failed....)
We are now 15 months further on and something seems to be happening again, feels like aquaplaning (judder from drivetrain) so will be going in again.....
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