Hyundai Problems

A car that is difficult to start could be suffering from, literally, hundreds of different problems. You need to have the car electronically scanned to see if the on-board computer has logged any faults of glitches in the fuel or ignition system. That's the best way forward or you could find yourself replacing perfectly good components without any change in the car's behaviour.

And don't rule out basic stuff like a battery that seems fine but is struggling to turn the engine over as well as supply enough power for the ignition to work properly. Modern cars with electronically controlled major functions really don't like a battery that is slack and cold weather will often show that problem up.

Also, when you say you've checked the fuel filter, what do you mean? Did you replace it or simply do a visual inspection. You can't really tell by looking at a filter how gunked up it is inside, so while it all looks okay, it could still be a contributing factor in your starting problems. An accurate diagnosis will also be easier if the mechanic has more information to work with. So start taking notice of exactly what is happening. For instance, is the car more difficult to start hot or cold? Does leaving it overnight make a difference to trying to start it for the second time that day? Does the ambient temperature have an effect on starting difficulty? Are there any specific noises the engine makes when it becomes recalcitrant? Keep a diary of this stuff... it might save you money.

There doesn't seem to be a huge number of similar complaints to yours, Len, but that's pretty cold comfort. You could have a problem with the transmission itself or the electronics that control it. Either way, it could be that the transmission is stuck in high gear as a form of limp-home mode to avoid doing any further damage to itself.

The first step is to have the vehicle scanned for fault codes. Sometimes, a fault will be logged that seems to have nothing to do with the symptom, but can still cause the havoc you're experiencing. Try a transmission specialist first, as it's a fair bet they will have seen this exact problem once or twice before.

The i30 should be fine for this sort of towing. You won't be placing too much stress on the car's mechanicals, and Hyundai rates the i30 to tow up to 1300kg. But there's a catch.

And that is that you're more likely to be limited by the trailer rather than the car itself. That's because that 1300kg limit is on the proviso that the trailer is fitted with its own brakes. Without a braked trailer, Hyundai reduces the towing limit to 600kg. The average box trailer doesn't have brakes, so that lower figure is most likely going to be your limit. Admittedly, that is still probably more than enough for what you have in mind.

If you're selling or trading-in the car, then a quality, tested second-hand engine from a wrecked iX35 is probably your best bet. This will be the cheaper option and even though you could spend a lot of money having the current engine reconditioned or a brand-new engine fitted, you'll find that won't affect the resale value as much as the extra outlay.

That said, it all depends on what's wrong with the current engine. If it's completely trashed, then a replacement is the go. But if your engine has simply stopped working for a potentially simple reason, then it might be worthwhile fixing it and maybe saving even more money. Either way, making your car a proper running vehicle again will definitely justify the cost as it's virtually worthless in a non-running state.

As for other brands of engines, the only viable choice is the same engine that make and model came with from the factory. Trying to fit anything else is a whole new car of very expensive worms.

Broadly speaking, diesel engines have longer life expectancies than their petrol equivalents. That's because the typical diesel has to be more strongly engineered to cope with its inherently higher compression ratio and heavier moving parts, which also means it runs slower with less stress.

However, the advent of turbocharging and higher diesel engine speeds have also seen some lighter duty diesel engines lose some of that under-stressed longevity, meaning that they're not living as long as some old-school, slow-revving, under-stressed diesels. Modern changes including DPF technology, exhaust gas recirculation (for emissions) and single-rail, high-pressure injection have also contributed to shorter working lifespans in some diesels.

In any case, the life you will get out of any engine is directly related to how well it's been serviced and maintained throughout that life. A petrol engine treated to proper servicing will easily outlast a diesel that has been neglected and abused. As for the Hyundai petrol engine in your van, the rule of thumb says you should be aiming for at least 200,000km before spending any meaningful money on repairs. Again, though, this is entirely dependent on regular maintenance.

If a timing belt breaks, one of two things are likely. Either the broken belt will allow the valves and pistons of the engine to collide, instantly turning the engine to scrap. (This is what happens in what's known as an interference engine design.)

The other alternative is that the belt snaps, but no intrinsic metallic parts collide (this is the case in a non-interference engine). If that's the case, the car won't run, but if a new belt is fitted and the engine retimed, it should work perfectly afterwards.

But even in an interference engine, if the tensioner gets slack but doesn't actually allow the timing belt to jump ship or break, then there's a chance that you've avoided a catastrophic failure. The bottom line is that if your engine suffered a problem with the timing belt, but works properly after being fixed, then all should be good in the long run.

Depending on what sort of noise the transmission is making, this sounds like a broken or worn out clutch. Without a properly functioning clutch, gears can be extremely difficult to select and can also cause horrible graunching, grinding noises when trying to select any gear, but particularly reverse.

If this is, indeed, the problem, you could be looking at thousands of dollars to remove the transmission, replace the clutch and reassemble the driveline. You might even find that the engine's flywheel is also beyond saving and needs replacing, too.

On the other hand, the lazy clutch could be a simple case of a leaking or worn clutch slave or master cylinder or even a poorly adjusted clutch system which is allowing the clutch to disobey what the clutch pedal is telling it to do. If that's the case, the fix could be quite simple and relatively cheap.

The point is that you need to know what the problem is before handing over the money, because the value of the same car with either problem will be vastly different. Perhaps finding a car with a properly working clutch and driveline is a better option.

The engine in a modern car has inbuilt protection where it won't rev beyond what is safe for it. So you needn't worry about that. But a vehicle that wants to hold gears too long can become tiring to drive, as well as using more fuel than it might if its shifted gears at lower engine speeds.

Your car has what are called drive modes which tailor the aggressiveness of the throttle and alter gearshift points to tailor the car's behaviour in different conditions. My suspicion is that your car is set on Sport which is what's making it feel a bit hyperactive. There's a switch on the centre console which will allow you to change the Drive mode to Comfort or Normal. Try that to see if it tames the gearbox's behaviour.

From the sounds of things, you need a vehicle that can accommodate the wheelchair as an actual seat in the car rather than having the chair folded and stored for the journey. With that in mind, a van or people-mover is by far the best best bet and the news is good, because there are plenty of choices. For a while there, people were converting Ford Falcon station-wagons for this task, but since the Falcon is no longer made, vans have become the new default vehicle to convert. Which makes plenty of sense.

There are specialist firms around that will carry out whatever conversion you require and tailor-make the ramps, lock-down points and grab-rails you need to make it work for you. Switched on companies will sit down with you and discuss your precise requirements and engineer something bespoke if necessary.

At the moment, the list of car choices is pretty long and includes the new Hyundai Staria, VW Caddy, LDV G10, VW Caravelle, Renault Kangoo, Renault Trafic, Hyundai iLoad, Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Toyota HiAce and, in case you need something really big, even the Toyota Coaster. Some of these companies are also registered as NDIS suppliers.

But don’t rule out a second-hand vehicle, either. There are websites around listing used wheelchair-accessible cars for sale. Some will be ex-taxis, but others can be relatively low-kilometre cars that might just have the exact layout you were looking for.

Failures of these engines is a known thing with this generation of Hyundais (and Kias that used the same engine). Hyundai is well aware of the problem, so the first thing to do is contact Hyundai’s customer service division.

You may find that an independent inspection of the engine is a good idea, to determine whether the failure was caused by the known fault or by something more random. In our experience, Hyundai has been very diligent at sorting out such issues.

If you want to take it even further, a class action against Hyundai and Kia on this basis was launched earlier this month.