[nzenigma]

Hi Guys,
In the workshop I have a one year old GD Trophy CRDi that was written off by the insurer when a Hyundai shop quoted the previous owner $16,000 to repair it.
The owner tells me he was doing hi mileage to and from work. He filled up with diesel at a SE Qld garage that was closing down .
 Had a 75,000 km service done at a Toowoomba dealership. Car was running perfectly when he got to work in Brisbane, but the car would not start at the end of the day.
 He had only used half a tank of fuel.
Hyundai said you stuffed the car  -- your fault  -- give us your wallet!

 While I post this as a warning to our fellow i30ists, I am curious about the alleged damage done in such a short period.
 Fiddled with it over Xmas. The fuel sample was full of algae garbage, however it has been stewing for two months since it was written off.
Cleaned tank , lines and pre-filter. Replaced Fuel filter again ( done in HY workshop), then refuelled  adding a blast dose of Liqui Moli.
Hoping for lethal pressure from the pump (NOTE I take precautions with this area.) I was sadly disappointed.
There is a dribble coming from the fuel pump so the motor fires and limps on 3 cylinders for 5 seconds then dies.
It seems that Hy have had the pressure control valve off the pump. Yet to get at myself.

I'm trying to avoid un-necessarily replacing the fuel pump so any advice would be welcome.

[Phil №❶]

You should use this or a similar product IMO.

Fuelmaster

Prevention is better than cure.

NOTE:

Neither I or this forum, have any economic or other affiliation with this product.

[nzenigma]

Hi Phil,
Thanks for the interest- good advice;  but a bit late for this vehicle .
Interesting tho, the fuel sample from my car had insignificant impurities compared to the samples shown on their promo.
That's why I am curious and reluctant to change the pump--bit of a pain job.
Cheers G,

[beerman]

Does insurance cover that kind of misfortune?

16k to repair.....someone is pulling themselves.......

More like 5 k to repair 11k because we don't want to.

[nzenigma]

Hi Beerman,
 Don't be too hard    The Owner told me he checked on the price of all parts quoted. Retail they came to $16,000. So Hyundai were going to work on it at no charge. What a deal  .
Incidentally, insurance wrote it off as a "collision'.
Cheers G.

[crayman]

Would depend on the insurance company but a relative accidentally filled their brand new diesel Ranger with petrol, only just got  onto the freeway and it stalled.
Ford started at the rear bumper and didn't stop replacing bits until the front. Finally someone with a few brains took a fuel sample and all was revealed.
The whole lot was covered under owner's insurance, usual excess of course.

[Phil №❶]

What's a 2nd hand one from a wreck cost.

Also, the stuff from the tank is probably inside the hp pump rail and injectors too, so all needs to be flushed.

Water is a killer for Diesel engines and especially injectors. As the high temps build up to detonate the Diesel oil, water in the injectors turns to steam with disastrous results. Injectors can explode internally into the engine. Water going through the hp pump does not provide lubrication to parts so wear will be significant, even if not severely contaminated.

[nzenigma]

New After market pumps from Korea are $1300 to $1500. To get one from a wrecker without taking the whole engine could be a battle because of the special jig required to remove the pump.
As it happens I have a sweet running complete 2011 motor. I would like to keep it that way, but as a last resort it will be in bits.
I am just not convinced that this pump is shot given that it was not missing a beat in the morning, then dead in the afternoon. I could be dead wrong..not the first time.  This was the owner's 2nd diesel so I believe him when he said it was running like a charm. Will keep you posted admitting guilt and failure.
Cheers

[Phil №❶]

So, for the price, wouldn't you just get an aftermarket one install it and then enjoy the car. To save the cost of aftermarket may take a lot of time and dis assembly etc.

[nzenigma]

So, for the price, wouldn't you just get an aftermarket one install it and then enjoy the car. To save the cost of aftermarket may take a lot of time and dis assembly etc.

Shucks, foiled by your practicality.
You are right, quick solution.
 But, I will never know the true extent of the damage, if any.

“A man of knowledge can make people obey him and he is praised after his death.”
Meaning: he gets his dinner on time and the praise … hmmmmmm…  let’s not push our luck.

Cheers G

[Phil №❶]

Well, if you do, PLEASE make sure to use a fuel additive that can eliminate water safely. I'd be putting an inspection camera in the tank empty, of course, to make sure it is pristine before fitting anything new. There is access under the rear seat.

Good luck   

[nzenigma]

   SOLVED .. This post is a bit long but hopefully it may help others.

Hyundai Quote         = $16,000
nzenigma Repair       = $500

As you will see from the earlier discussion I was a bit perplexed, but I also smelt a rat.
 The rat is the Hyundai dealer who is either incompetent or refusing to use reasoned diagnostic procedure. Instead (in at least this case, if not others) the dealer hits some poor bugger with a massive bill to rebuild the entire system and hopefully cover any eventuality.

They also rely upon the mythology surrounding contaminated diesel. Whenever this problem is mentioned, the worst case scenario of total engine destruction is evoked. Especially when it is a common rail motor. This is reasonable practice when selling a product or service, so I’m not knocking those advertisers. No doubt calamity does strike the unlucky driver, but not in every case. However, DISASTER has become the lingua franca for dodgy diesel.

In this instance, I was chasing my tail so I stopped work and wrote down the evidence at hand.
 In my various professional roles, it has been my practice to actually listen to a client’s comments, be they good, bad or mad. Invariably, they will give me some insight into the task ahead of me, especially where the problem is intermittent.

1. The owner said he has only used half of this tank of bad fuel. Car ran perfectly for 100km in the morning. Motor would not start (would not fire on any cylinder) in the afternoon. He has owned two  i30 crdi and he is rational; therefore, his comments must be taken into account.

2. The fuel pressure control valve (pcv) and the fuel sensor are commonly affected by dirty fuel .

3. Hyundai has changed the fuel filter.   OK

4. Hyundai appears to have removed and checked the pcv on the fuel pump. (this was my assumption -  due to scratches on the three mounting screws).

5. Hyundai has taken a sample of bad fuel (accompanied car) but not drained system. WHY?

6. With bad fuel still in system, how could they properly check the pcv  and other components?

7. On the GD motor, the pcv cannot be removed without first removing the inlet manifold.

8. The fuel sensor on the rail was unmarked - assume it was never checked.

9. Conclusion - Hyundai apprentice did 3 & 5, attempted 4 and gave up. Management concocted the $16K quote based on the disaster scenario.

My repair:
 Open fuel tank by removing sender unit (under back seat). Syphon out fuel and clean tank, lines and primary (in tank) filter . Replace main fuel filter again. Refuel and add blast dose of ‘bug cleaner’. Replace fuel sensor. Test drive car. Perfect.
 Parts cost approximately $100. Time approx.. 4 hours.

[The Gonz]

Very sensible process. mate. Well done!

[Dazzler]

  So you got a very cheap CRDi then! 

You can sell one of your 2.0 petrols now! 

[rustynutz]

That's good news, NZed! 

Incidentally, insurance wrote it off as a "collision'.
Cheers G.

Is this gonna cause problems? I'm assuming it's now on the written-off vehicle register... 

[nzenigma]

That's good news, NZed! 

Incidentally, insurance wrote it off as a "collision'.
Cheers G.

Is this gonna cause problems? I'm assuming it's now on the written-off vehicle register... 

Yes it is on the register. I took photos of it when it arrived  with Repairable Writeoff labels on it, to show there was no damage. That may convince a new owner--I hope.
Given that its the season for smelling rats, I wonder if this was a deliberate mistake on the part of the Insurer.

[rustynutz]

Looking on the Transport and Main Roads website, it says the vehicle will only be registered if it is repaired, passes a Queensland safety inspection and passes a written-off vehicle inspection. So, as it's been repaired one would assume it would pass the inspections okay... 

NZed, have you considered keeping it yourself and disposing of one of your other i30's? 
In my opinion the diesel i30 is so much better than a petrol i30...   

[nzenigma]

... So, as it's been repaired one would assume it would pass the inspections okay... 

Yes been there done that, but it takes for ever to get an appointment. After the storms in November 2014 the damage in Brisbane was massive . I have heard up to 15,000 cars were hail damaged, most were repairable write-offs so the inspection system was clogged and has still not fully recovered.

NZed, have you considered keeping it yourself and disposing of one of your other i30's? 
In my opinion the diesel i30 is so much better than a petrol i30...   

I agree.  Seems I should update my on-line stable as I now have a Red 2008 diesel manual with 70,000k on the clock. It is probably faster than an MX5 I also owned, once, recently, but don't now.

My thanks to you and the team for your comments on this thread. G

[beerman]

Which leads us back to......

Does insurance cover that kind of misfortune?

16k to repair.....someone is pulling themselves.......

More like 5 k to repair 11k because we don't want to.

but $500 to repair and 15.5k because we don't want to. I hope you tell the owner, if he has made decisions based on the professional advice of the Hyundai dealer he may have redress......

[Phil №❶]

Worth a communication to Hy HO too IMO. That was just simply very poor advice, yet Hy HO would have us  trust their dealerships. 

BTW, What did you find in the syphoned fuel 

[eye30]

Happy on the wallet conclusion

[beerman]

Looking on the Transport and Main Roads website, it says the vehicle will only be registered if it is repaired, passes a Queensland safety inspection and passes a written-off vehicle inspection. So, as it's been repaired one would assume it would pass the inspections okay... 

NZed, have you considered keeping it yourself and disposing of one of your other i30's? 
In my opinion the diesel i30 is so much better than a petrol i30...   

Shouldn't be an issue, given the number of hail damaged cars I saw that had just been presented looking like a golf ball and got a pass.

[nzenigma]

Worth a communication to Hy HO too IMO. That was just simply very poor advice, yet Hy HO would have us  trust their dealerships. 

BTW, What did you find in the syphoned fuel 

WoW its 2016!! 

I am having a chat to the previous owner today, at this stage,  he has been the victim so I will let him make his own representations to Hyundai.

The syphoned fuel and inside of the tank looked clean. The diesel fuel was the normal colour. When I put a sample into a clear bottle and held it to the light I could see a lot of small opaque blobs (think of mini jelly fish) in it. Also opened the old fuel filter. No evidence of discolouring or tar-like deposits . However, the strainer/pre-filter in the tank was clogged with the gel.
 Cheers G

[beerman]

On the plus side you got a cheap diesel i30

[PhireSideZA]

Glad this story has a happy ending

[Doggie 1]

I like happy endings.

[Gof]

It sounds like diesel wax, I had problems with it one time I was using summer mix diesel in the middle of winter at night in the rain. It was in a MQ Patrol and I had fitted a CAV pre-filter before the lift pump (no in tank pump), half way in the trip from Adelaide to Mildura it started to loose power, by the time I got to Mildura it would not run over 60 km/hr and would cut out if I put the foot down.
The pre-filter was chock full of what looked like egg white, I replaced the element and topped up with (winter mix) diesel and the run back home on a sunny day was like it never happened.

[Phil №❶]

Summer / Winter mix Diesel, I didn't know we had that in Oz  How do you tell 

[Gof]

They all look the same and stink the same, that was the only time it happened and probably because of the very cold conditions at the time.
I know you can get "alpine" diesel when going to the snowfields in Australia.
I presume there is a variation to the refining process to remove the waxes for it but most times they leave it in to minimise the costs.