Hyundai i30 Diesel Problems

This needs to be fixed fast, Toni, as a car’s exhaust fumes are a deadly cocktail of gasses. Enough exposure to them can make you pass out (an obvious problem when you’re driving) or worse. Diesel engines are generally a bit smellier than a petrol engine, but no exhaust fumes should ever enter the car.

You’re either getting fumes drawn into the car via a faulty seal that is allowing exhaust fumes in, or the smell you’re experiencing is fumes in the engine-bay coming through the firewall. You need to inspect all the rubber seals around the doors and hatchback and search underneath the car and in the engine bay for a split or missing rubber bung or grommet that is letting the outside in.

The other question I have is whether the smell is the result of exhaust fumes or, in fact, the smell of unburnt diesel fuel. Diesel cars often acquire a diesel-fuel smell over time and the cause is hard to avoid. Because diesel doesn’t evaporate, the ground around the diesel pump at a service station is usually one big oily, diesel slick. When you fill your car, you unavoidably stand in this slick which is then transferred to the car’s carpet when you get back in. It’s not as crazy as it sounds, and it may be the clue you’re missing to explain the smell.

No, it’s not, but it does depend somewhat on the way it’s been driven. Diesel engines in trucks and taxis do a lot of kilometres, partly because they are running all the time and rarely cooling down, but a family car driven around town does a lot of sitting around not going anywhere, which means it regularly cools down and warms up again. That leads to engine wear, and lower engine life. I wouldn't expect 240,000 km to be an issue.

Diesel-powered cars are more expensive to service than their petrol-engined counterparts. It’s mostly because they need higher quality diesel-specific oils, and better quality filters, such as fuel filters.

Diesels deliver their efficiency benefits best when on the open road, but it would still be more convenient for Uber use because they'd need to be refuelled less often than the petrol. The only thing I'd be concerned about re inner-city use would be the diesel particulate filter. If you only drive around the city, this probably wouldn't give the DPF the chance to cycle itself every now and again, which can lead to very costly repairs. If you do head out onto the motorway occasionally, this wouldn't be an issue. The new i30 is an excellent small hatch though, and I wouldn't hesitate recommending it.

Both would be suitable for your use, but the final decision should be based on how much country driving and towing you do. If it's mostly country then I would err towards the diesel, but if it’s more town or line ball I would go for the petrol engine.

Turbos can fail for a variety of reasons, but one that is common is the oil supply. That's not to say that that's what's wrong with your car. You could have your car checked by a turbo specialist.

I don't doubt that you feel frustrated; I would too. The diagnoses you have been given are all plausible, but they clearly need more investigation to establish the real cause. Go back to your dealer and ask them to tell you what they plan to do to fix your car. We will contact Hyundai in the meantime and ask for head office help for you.

It would seem that the problem with your car hasn't been fixed, and that instead of recommending you sell it, the dealer should be fixing it. Take it back and demand that the problem be sorted out, get Hyundai involved directly if you feel that will help resolve it faster.

The symptoms you report suggest that it could be worn injectors, which is an issue with many of the new common-rail diesel engines.

Without driving and observing the noise firsthand it is very difficult to give an opinion, but I suspect it is a product of the body style and that there is little you can do to reduce the noise. Wagons tend to be noisier than other body types. Before doing anything else drive another diesel wagon and compare it to yours. Once you’ve done that you will know if yours is a problem or if it’s the same as all other i30 wagons. If it is a problem, you need to isolate the road noise somehow, and maybe applying some noise deadening material to the body might provide a solution.