[Trevor Bowen]

Issues identified with over-revving of i30 Tourer 2015 model.
We purchased a brand new Hyundai i30 Tourer 2015 in 2016 (with DCT - Dual Clutch Transmission. We have had the Actuator (controls gear changes in DCT) replaced in 2017 under warranty, as car was over-revving when breaking while going downhill. Within weeks of the new Actuator being placed in the car we noticed the car was revving excessively, without changing gears.

It would generally drop from 5th gear to 3rd while under load, but would then over-rev. i.e. between 4500rpm & 6500rpm. This occurred when starting off, changing from 20-35 kph and between 45-60 kph. Vehicle does not always start off over-revving, instead taking a few seconds to engage and accelerate. Mostly, however, it occurrs when I, or my wife, pull out into traffic into another lane. Over recent months we have had the following incidents occur, with recordings occurring on a flight recorder, which was placed in the car by Hyundai to track instances.
Initially, Hyundai instructed me to log any issues relating to over-revving to Hyundai Customer Care number should they arise.
Following instances being raised to Hyundai Customer Care
the Flight recorder, which was installed for approx 6-7 week returned with over 70 instances recorded over the following weeks. Of the recorded events, approx 30 were of in excess of 4000-4500 rpm, approx 20-25 were of 4500- 6000 rpm and 2 - 3 instances of 6500 rpm. The most recent significant occurrences were on the day before car returned to have the flight recorder removed. Both occurred in Bacchus Marsh with recording of 6000 – 6500 rpm. Both were under load. One, going up Anthony's cutting, ther other up a less steep hill. The initial 6500 rpm occurred in Birdsville, Wyndham, on flat ground between 35-60 km/hr a week or two earlier.

Finally, I rang Hyundai to have the flight recorder removed. Upon meeting with the mechanic assigned to the job, I advised him of the most recent instance. He said he would get that recording to submit for review.
I decided to ring Mgr to see if all instances could be submitted to show how the car performed well one day/hour, and over-rev under similar circumstances the next.
Service Mgr agreed the all registered events should be submitted.
Approx 2-2 ½ weeks later i30 experienced a second instance whereby power was lost to acceleration going around a corner. I had slowed to go around the corner from 40 km, down to 20 km. Upon straightening up, I accelerated, only to experience no revving at all for approx 3-4 seconds. This was identical to the previous instance. The car started to slow, instead of accelerating. Eventually the revving started to engage and increase, slowly at first, then eventually picking up, together with a slow increase of speed. Gears changed normally from that point.
I rang Hyundai Customer Care on 1800186306 and again reported the event. Note, Hyundai have not identified/confirmed an issue exists, and have not replicated it. It is intermittent and could be related to injectors or something similar. I found a similar instance on Facebook. it was not recorded on flight recorder, as it was not during the time it was installed.

I had not heard from Hyundai for almost two weeks, so, on 20/3/18 I logged a call to Consumer Affairs to raise a dispute as the matter was becoming protracted. Advice was given by Consumer Affairs representative to allow a couple more weeks to proved Hyundai time to assess the instances on the flight recorder.
At the occurrence of the aforementioned event, lack of acceleration, I booked the i30 in to have the Bluetooth fixed by a software patch. I also advised Service Mgr of the loss of power instance, which he recorded in the record for review.

21/3/18: I called the Service Mgr who said all over-revving instances were apparently within range, as all were under load of 100%.

I understand how a DCT gear box works under load, but not to change gears for that long a period is dangerous, and this was not told to me by Hyundai that that was how it would work on purchase of the vehicle. In fact, when I spoke with the salesman 21/3/18 and he had never heard of such a problem occurring in any vehicles before. He was surprised that an over-revving of this magnitude existed with any Hyundai vehicles. I must point out that had we known this was how DCT worked we would never have purchased the car.

The Service Manager and staff have been very good, but head office, or whomever have reviewed the findings have not. I have never heard of a manual or automatic rev regularly over 6000 rpm. If this is how vehicles with DCT funcitions 'within parameters', then this sort of matter should be advised to purchasers. Very, very poor service by Hyundai in general. Nothing offered to rectify the matter, claiming only that it is within parameters.  I have heard from others with similar problems and there are cases in the States of similar issues.

[mickd]

G'Day Trev,

WOW , you've had your hands full.
Good to see that most of the events have been recorded.
I'm no expert,  there as others here who are, but there is a couple of points that grabbed me.
1) Serv manager says "normal as under 100% load".
Does he mean : at FULL throttle, or, car " carrying heavy load up steep incline "
2) you  sometimes open throttle but nothing happens for a few seconds.
To me , its as if throttle position / manifold vacuum is NOT being read correctly by the Engine Management  system.
Don't know if your cable or fly by wire throttle.
More knowledgeable brains should be along soon.

[Dazzler]

Welcome Trevor,

Thanks for the detailed report. Fortunately  it is not a common occurence reported on here, but that doesn't help your cause.

I have the latest model PD SR hatch with DCT. I have been more than happy with the operation of the DCT over the 1st 18500 kilometres in 10 months. The behaviour you are experiencing is certainly not normal operation and Hyundai Australia needs to admit that and get it sorted pronto. 

[Trevor Bowen]

Yeah, it is not normal. Thought not admitted to by the service manager, he inferred a problem exists. He was careful not to say that directly, though. I have approached Auto Expert by John Cadogan - save thousands on your next new car! who have posted a request directly to a senior exec in Hyundai. They are waiting on a response.

[Trevor Bowen]

It is certainly not a simple process to confirm that a problem exists. Unfortunately the latter concern is not yet validated by Hyundai. It is secondary to to initial problem, which is more of a concern.

Re: the over revving, stating it was under 1200 % load is a concern in itself as intially the acceleration is normal, increasing to 100 % revving over a sustained period. That is the concern, given it does not change gears as you would expect at around 3-4000 rpm. In most instances I start revving to move into another lane, the car changes under load at around 3500-4000 rpm or at about 45-60 kph.

However, on occasion it just keeps revving, and revving. That is dangerous as the speed does not match. Now if you have to slow to change gears, that is dangerous. Or you have to reach 3500-4000 rpm, and level out to change gears, it is once again a concern. I believe the power of the engine is not adequate to accommodate the acceleration. I like you are no expert, but all I have read show the problem is not common, nor anticipated/expected.

I have not identified any other instances of this nature with any online forums. This makes it harder to fight Hyundai as there is no evidence either way.

[Trevor Bowen]

sorry, make that under 100%... (line 2)

With regard to the secondary problem, Hyundai cannot replicate it, as it is random. I will likely need to refit the flight recorder, and hope it identifies the problem.

[Trevor Bowen]

Car is determined to be under 100% rpm revving when under load. i.e. you accelerate with the foot down, or as you state towing a load uphill. In my instance it has occurred b/w 20-45 kph,which they class as under full load as it stays in 3rd gear for approx 3-4 seconds under full throttle. In one instance it was uphill at a place called Anthony's Cutting near Bacchus Marsh in Victoria. It a steep hill. I started from the side of the road and it moved comfortably to 3rd gear, where it stayed until 6500 rpm, then changed. This is approx 1/2 a cm on the speed dial till it was in the red. Now I do not know much about automatic cars, but I have learnt about DCT and understand how they function. But I cannot see how this is within parameters. It is a cop out by Hyundai trying to explain away the problem, rather than fix it as it is not a common fault. I cannot find anywhere that the so-called parameters exist for any type of DCT. If they do why not provide a copy of them to me...?

[Hati]

Sounds like what you need is a member here with the same type of car you have. Get this person to drive on flat road with steady accelerator applied and make note of the revs when the gears are changed. Compare that to yours. Pretty sure different amount of accelerator application will have the shift points move, so it would be quite important to try to figure out how to apply the same amount of accelerator consistently. Maybe tennis ball under the pedal on an empty stretch of secondary road...

Pretty certain that the DCT box will only ever rev out to red line if you have your loud pedal flat on the floor/firewall, i.e. you "floor it".

[mickd]

Hi Trev,
If you're having real concerns regarding its ability to drive safely,  next time it plays up,  park it and get Hy to come and collect it. And the next time , same again. It will cost them  $$ to every time .
  It will inconvenience you but insurance wise " you know you have a problem and you continued to drive it."
Tell dealer it has a "major failure, not suitable for safe use " under Aust Consumer Law -replacement or refund.
Hopefully John can get somewhere for you - love to see that email 

Thanks for the update 👍Hang in there.