[JUDY]

 Hope these worked.  Thanks so much

[JUDY]

That's not my finger by the way.  LOL

[CraigB]

So if it's just the top of the plug thats broken why not just put a new plug in and "Bobs your uncle"

[JUDY]

Yes...but Hyundai said the combustion end. We may end up doing that but I'll be calling Hyundai Idon'tcare tomorrow.  Service manager didn't even speak with us and nobody made eye contact.  The whole things a bit stinky

[rustynutz]

Something is on the nose here... 

If that is the plug they've removed then there would be no reason to be wanting to rip the head off the engine.... 

[CraigB]

If any of the ceramic broke off around the electrode on the combustion end it would have been powderised in a matter of seconds and blown straight out the exhaust, I think a new plug ( set of plugs ) would be all that's needed.

[JUDY]

Everything that all you guys are and have been saying makes perfect sense.  That said though Hyundai have just tried to rip me off and my owner's manual is as clear as the nose one my face

[rustynutz]

Time to name and shame, me thinks... 

[Phil №❶]

Can you confirm that the centre metal electrode is still in the plug, or not.

FYI how they're made

How It's Made - Spark Plugs - YouTube

[Shambles]

I was going to say, that's one HELL of a spark plug gap

[JUDY]

I'll be naming and shaming tomorrow.  I want my car serviced and the spark plugs replaced.  But I'm not paying for any damage caused by a faulty part or mechanics incompetence when taking spark plug out.  After all if they don't know what it top and what is bottom of the spark plug then you wouldn't want them working on your car.  I paid to tow car in.....paid for them to look at it.....and paid to tow it to my home.  ENOUGH!!!!!!  I would want it fixed at a different dealership.
Is there meant to be an insulator at the electrode end of the spark plug?

[JUDY]

Can you confirm that the centre metal electrode is still in the plug, or not.

FYI how they're made

How It's Made - Spark Plugs - YouTube

Centre metal is there...just the ceramic is gone.    Oh and off course it's broken in 2......God knows how that happened???

[CraigB]

A normal healthy plug looks like this, if the ceramic at the firing end is gone then it would have been blown out, quite common for pieces of that to break off ( especially in race engines ) and it's never been anything detrimental I've encountered.

[Lorian]

As others have said The centre electrode and the insulator looks missing in that photo.

Does the plug look hollow now?

Can we see photos looking at the plug from both the top and the bottom please.

Oh and it does look pretty old anyway 

[JUDY]

As others have said The centre electrode and the insulator looks missing in that photo.

Does the plug look hollow now?

Can we see photos looking at the plug from both the top and the bottom please.

Oh and it does look pretty old anyway 

38,363 kms old......not old really.  Plug is not hollow. Will try to upload another photo
Imgur

[Wingerdave]

As others have said The centre electrode and the insulator looks missing in that photo.

Does the plug look hollow now?

Can we see photos looking at the plug from both the top and the bottom please.

Oh and it does look pretty old anyway 

38,363 kms old......not old really.  Plug is not hollow. Will try to upload another photo
Imgur][img]http://i

I always change my plugs at about 20,000 miles (+/- 30,000 km) just to be on the safe side and get a good burn.

If the plug isn't hollow then only a bit of the lower insulation has fallen off and that could have been happening gradually over a period of days or weeks. Also, because the car was driven with the broken plug if the electrode was still in there you would have noticed.

Put new plugs in and drive it like you stole it for a few miles. Oh, and check the oil. If your mechanic skimped on the plugs maybe he cut a corner there too.

[JUDY]

As others have said The centre electrode and the insulator looks missing in that photo.

Does the plug look hollow now?

Can we see photos looking at the plug from both the top and the bottom please.

Oh and it does look pretty old anyway 

38,363 kms old......not old really.  Plug is not hollow. Will try to upload another photo
Imgur][img]http://i

I always change my plugs at about 20,000 miles (+/- 30,000 km) just to be on the safe side and get a good burn.

If the plug isn't hollow then only a bit of the lower insulation has fallen off and that could have been happening gradually over a period of days or weeks.

Put new plugs in and drive it like you stole it for a few miles. Oh, and check the oil. If your mechanic skimped on the plugs maybe he cut a corner there too.

You're talking miles and I'm talking kms.  38,000 kms is about 23,000 miles

[Wingerdave]

Is Oz completely metric then? (Liters and Kilometers) or can you make your own mind up?

It can get quite confusing.

In England everybody talks about Miles/Gallon but you buy petrol by the liter at the service station (is what i've noticed the last few years)

So, sorry about the confusion (but i'll still change my plugs every 30,000km). 

[Johnno]

The centre electrode is there but we could do with a photo looking inside the plug to see how much of the insulator is missing

[Johnno]

I would chance my arm and fit a new plug and see what happens

[JUDY]

The centre electrode is there but we could do with a photo looking inside the plug to see how much of the insulator is missing

Most of the insulator is gone.  I looked inside with a flashlight and you can still see a bit.  Not hollow and pin is moving up and down

[JUDY]

I would chance my arm and fit a new plug and see what happens

Owner's manual Clearly says 40,000 kms.  Hyundai should be doing that.  I chance my arm and it's bad then they'll probably just try to fob me off again

[Johnno]

looks intact, jut need to look how much of the insulator is missing, fingers crossed it's just the tip

[Wingerdave]

looks intact, jut need to look how much of the insulator is missing, fingers crossed it's just the tip

Yeah, i'd noticed that too. New plugs and gun it.

[Johnno]

If someone brought a car into me like that, the first thing I would do is a compression test, and if the compression psi is in line with all the other cylinders I'll fit a new plug and fire it up to see if there's any abnormal sounds.

What we dont know if HY have done this already and found that the compression is down, leading to a holed piston or a bent valve and if this being so would require the head to be removed for further investigation.

Or maybe they just looked at the plug and said we will require the head to be removed, easy money for them as they already stated voided warranty

[Aye30]

Is that the original factory plug and if so, what is the code number on it. I see a stamped five in the first photo. If that is the last number of the model type that is a 1.3mm gap where the Hyundai i30 plug should end in a four, denoting a 1mm gap (according to champion website)

[Wingerdave]

If someone brought a car into me like that, the first thing I would do is a compression test, and if the compression psi is in line with all the other cylinders I'll fit a new plug and fire it up to see if there's any abnormal sounds.

What we dont know if HY have done this already and found that the compression is down, leading to a holed piston or a bent valve and if this being so would require the head to be removed for further investigation.

Or maybe they just looked at the plug and said we will require the head to be removed, easy money for them as they already stated voided warranty

The plug is out, the firing end looks okay, minus a bit of insulator. In fact thats all thats missing. The car was driven with the old plug in situ so any damage that could have occured, has (bent valve, holed piston although god knows how that would have happened). Nobody seems to want to try a borescope or magnetic tipped probe first. They just want to whip the head off. I mean, if you can afford it, why not. Whether it's absolutely nescessary at this point is debatable.

You can always take all the plugs out, raise the front end, put her in gear and turn the wheels (thus turning the engine over). Any scrapes, ticks or difficulty turning (1/4 engine speed) would point to something serious. Other than that......

 new plugs and start her up.

[Johnno]

I would chance my arm and fit a new plug and see what happens

Owner's manual Clearly says 40,000 kms.  Hyundai should be doing that.  I chance my arm and it's bad then they'll probably just try to fob me off again

I know what your saying, about 40000kms but what Hy are throwing at you is that you had the service at 4 1/2 yrs and the shedule states 3yrs or 40,000kms whichever is the soonest . Manufactures are not daft when it comes to getting out of a problem,

Try some motoring organisation to see what they can do for you and fight your case as they will have more weight that you as a consumer.

Its clearly a spark plug  failure and for it to happen at that mileage is virtually unheard of

[JUDY]

No mention of compression test in paperwork.  And as stated before owner's manual States I haven't voided warranty.  I knew something was stinky but until I got my owner's manual back i had no proof.

[JUDY]

Is that the original factory plug and if so, what is the code number on it. I see a stamped five in the first photo. If that is the last number of the model type that is a 1.3mm gap where the Hyundai i30 plug should end in a four, denoting a 1mm gap (according to champion website)

Just looked at the plug and it ends in 4