[gw]

My petrol/manual i30 has a knocking noise in the engine bay.The problem was never fixed nor was the issue resolved by hyundai and the car is over two years old.All work was done under warranty and cleared by hyundai.Im sending this post to show other people just how far some car companies will go to prevent people from finding out the truth.The engine mounts were replaced and a sub frame member but the noise could'nt be fixed. The noise is only on i30's with manual transmissions.Several brand new cars were tested at the car saleyard and all the petrol/manuals had the same noise. The noise only occurs when the car is warm.It also occurs when driving off on a steep hill or steep driveway.It can be easily demonstrated by blocking the front wheels and letting the clutch out with the engine running. Next a group from hyundai head office [technical/customer service] Sydney came out to inspect my car.They got back to me and told me that the noise was a characteristic of the car ,the case is still open,contact hyundai again if the noise changes [diferent pitch].In other words they don't know what it is.The dealership guys were really great and  they went above and beyond what I expected them to do and they actually lost money on this job.Next I took  my car to an independant well respected mechanic who is really switched on and he said that one of the engine mounts is a FLUID engine mount which is the cause of the noise. He also said the  reason for having the fluid engine mount is to reduce engine noise from coming into the cabin hence a more quieter ride. You'd think that the technicians at hyundai head office would know this.Either they're very dumb or very smart.They most likely don't want the customers to force them to fix the problem. I previously owned a top of the range 2001 manual elantra for four and a half years and I never had any noise problems like this. There was a rattle in the boot which only needed to be adjusted and that was it.Its well known that in cases like this car companies will fix the problems on the quiet and in hyundai's case they will probably fit a better designed engine mount in the later models. It's probably a case of cost cutting and when you think about it it;s a design fault that hyundai don;t want people to find out about.But apart from all this I'm happy with my car and I just get used to the knocking noise.If the noise was there all the time then would have gotten rid of the car by now. I'm just sorry that the dealership wasted their money and time for nothing.
The dealership had my car for two weeks. GW.

From what you say, it appears Hy and their dealer invested a lot of time and effort to find the problem for you yet you talk about "cost cutting" and conspiracy to deceive customers.

I can understand your frustration but I think your rant here is inconsistent with the response you've had so far from Hyundai.

Perhaps others here can confirm the symptom you describe which might lead to greater understanding and a path to a solution.

[bumpkin]

I agree with Pip.

You have also come straight onto this forum firstly with a rant at the owners and moderators about how difficult and sh1t this site is to use and then with a rant about your car, which in real terms does not match with the positive experiences of over 1000 members here (neither rant), some of which have had their i30's for over two years during which they have also been, dare I say, contented members of the forum.

All manufacturers will have the occasional Friday afternooner, if you also have one then you are only the second owner we have had with one (and no the other one did not have knocking engine issues).

Have you taken the revelation from your independent mechanic back to the dealer? If you have a faulty engine mount then it will be replaced under warranty and given that we have not heard of this issue before I would be keen to hear what the Hyundai techs think of your independent mechanics diagnosis.

If Hyundai are still unconcerned about your noise then I suggest you get that confirmed in writing and should anything further become a problem due to this noise then at least you have a form of paper trail to highlight that you had picked up the problem and "nothing was done about it".

[gw]

ALL the engine mounts were replaced. Yes I did tell hyundai what the other mechanic had said and they still refused to acknowledge that there was a problem and during the conversation the person I spoke to tried to change the subject and put me off. I spoke to another customer service agent and he just said write us a letter. When the mechanics worked tiresly on my car I told them to keep the car as long as they wanted it for because I'm close to public transport and I'm not inconvenienced. They started the engine with the suspect engine mount removed and the noise disappeared. They told hyundai about this but they still acknowledged that there was no problem.The dealership did every thing they could to demonstrate that the problem was with the engine mount. They even swapped the engine mount over with another i30 but to no avail. The service manager told me he was concerned because as I was picking up my car another one was booked with the same problem.I suggested to hyundai that they send an e-mail to hyundai in Korea. I asked later if they did this and they said yes but they did'nt know anything. I find that hard to believe. I don't really have any beef with hyundai cars as this my third one but I'm not happy with hyundai  management here in Sydney as they seemed determined not to want to fix any thing. If I was'nt happy with the car I would have gotten rid of it by now because I owe less money on the car than what it's worth. GW.

[agentr31]

see if anyone makes a solid polyurethane engine mount man!! wack that in there and see how she goes

[Lorian]

It's a design fault that hyundai don;t want people to find out about.But apart from all this I'm happy with my car and I just get used to the knocking noise.

Hyundai are doing a very good job too, they seem to have managed to purge nearly every post about this annoying and pervasive fault from this forum.

But seriously, I don't think there ever have been reports of this exact problem from anyone else (I didnt search to check). Sure a couple of reports of clutch judder on automatics, but thats not the same thing.

The closest match is this thread:

https://i30ownersclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,5131.0.html

But my (nosovice) built diesel car has no hint of such a noise.

[bumpkin]

Neither has my Korean built petrol model.

Any takers

[eye30]

They even swapped the engine mount over with another i30

I wonder who has this car?

[bumpkin]

ALL the engine mounts were replaced.

They even swapped the engine mount over with another i30 but to no avail.

Are you saying here that you have had all the engine mounts replaced and when that didn't make any difference they swapped them back with your originals??  Or are you now running around with replaced mounts and still the same problem??

If so that completely discounts your independent mechanic, as it is obviously not the mounts causing the problem.

[Myowni30]

Sounds to me like the exhaust system knocking on the chassis 

[gw]

 What the dealership did was swap an engine mount with another i30 as a process of ellimination because he thought that the new engine mounts possibly could've been a bad batch. He swapped it back again when he finished. I'm sorry for any confusion there. GW.

[gw]

You are right it does sound exactly like a loose exhaust pipe and that's what I thought it was but that was checked out. GW.

[Lorian]

It only happens whle accelerating? It doesn't happen when you go over big bumps?

[bumpkin]

What the dealership did was swap an engine mount with another i30 as a process of ellimination because he thought that the new engine mounts possibly could've been a bad batch. He swapped it back again when he finished. I'm sorry for any confusion there.

So he took a mount from an i30 that wasn't making a noise like yours, put it into your car and it still made the noise, then concluded it is not the engine mount?

[Myowni30]

You are right it does sound exactly like a loose exhaust pipe and that's what I thought it was but that was checked out.

The exhaust does not have to be loose. Just badly positioned. If your knock is just a few bumps/knocks, then the engine is moving with the torque and that would cause the exhaust to knock. Its quite close to the bulk head in the i30. Get hold of the tail pipe and give it a good shake and see if that creates the sound. May need someone inside the car to listen, or head under bonnet. Don't forget the tail pipe will be dirty 

[2i30s]

hi gw.  did you ever have your knocking noise fixed,and what was the knocking noise? 

[gw]

UPDATE. After making inquiries with other mechanics and doing some research on the internet this is what I found out about fluid engine mounts.The downside to fluid engine mounts is that they do create a knocking noise.Other carmakers also have fluid engine mounts fitted to their veihcles BUT they've ellimated the knocking noise issue.Hyundai's response to me was that it's a characteristic of i30's(It's being well known in the automobile industry for as long as I can remember for carmakers to give the excuse of "characteristic" to problems that they either won't fix or don't want to fix).But what upset me the most was  when they also said that the case is still open and for me to bring the car back if the pitch (If the sound changes) changes and they would have another look at it.Well the pitch has'nt changed at all nor has the sound of the knocking noise lessened.The technical information that I found on the internet from America could've been downloaded or printed and sent to me by Hyundai and that would've closed the case(I don't have a printer).  gw

[asathorny]

My Hyundai PETROL MANUAL has never had this mysterious knocking noise ???  Hyundai appear to have gone to extreme lengths to try to solve this problem, I am astonished to hear you say that they canibalised a NEW car to test a theory.  WOW, I am glad I won't be purchasing this vandalised car !!!!!

Mr Griptight

[2i30s]

 what part of oz are you in gw?  also are you willing to post up or email me the info that you couldn't print off? 

[StarSeeker]

It can be easily demonstrated by blocking the front wheels and letting the clutch out with the engine running.

Have you tried the above method by blocking just the rear wheels 

[gw]

UPDATE. After making inquiries with other mechanics and doing some research on the internet this is what I found out about fluid engine mounts.The downside to fluid engine mounts is that they do create a knocking noise.Other carmakers also have fluid engine mounts fitted to their veihcles BUT they've ellimated the knocking noise issue.Hyundai's response to me was that it's a characteristic of i30's(It's being well known in the automobile industry for as long as I can remember for carmakers to give the excuse of "characteristic" to problems that they either won't fix or don't want to fix).But what upset me the most was  when they also said that the case is still open and for me to bring the car back if the pitch (If the sound changes) changes and they would have another look at it.Well the pitch has'nt changed at all nor has the sound of the knocking noise lessened.The technical information that I found on the internet from America could've been downloaded or printed and sent to me by Hyundai and that would've closed the case(I don't have a printer).

To sum everything up Hyundai hav'nt given me a direct answer nor do I have any closure on this issue. gw

[2i30s]

well I'm not sure what to say,and I'm not usually short of ideas or suggestions   

[rustynutz]

You could say we should be grateful to have a car with character, unlike those "bland" Jap models....

[2i30s]

You could say we should be grateful to have a car with character, unlike those "bland" Jap models....

[2i30s]

gw its highly possible that its not your engine mounts causing the banging noise,especially if they were changed and the noise was still there.  very very few members have posted about banging engine mounts,if any. i will admit the mounts are very soft,I've had my mounts looked at for just that reason.

[rustynutz]

Personally I suspect it's the mother in law wanting to get out of the boot.....

[2i30s]

that would be in the back,not the front. 

[rustynutz]

You're very observant, Steve.... 

The sound must be travelling through the body work....

[2i30s]

You're very observant, Steve.... 

The sound must be travelling through the body work....

[2i30s]

You're very observant, Steve.... 

The sound must be travelling through the body work....

dentures knocking.