Hefdy the Hyundai i30

[RochdalePioneers]

Been a while since I posted on here! Did a collection thread for a Volvo S90 back in 2019. Which was sold and replaced with A Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Which was sold and replaced by a Tesla Model Y.

Anyway, the new beater! Wifey's leased Ioniq is soon to be handed back, and with changed usage needs we decided to buy something older and cheaper. We'll need a second car less than we have done, so had a think about what we have owned in the past that was good and might be suitable for buying again. And having run a Hyundai i30 from new for 6 years without any issues, we started having a look for one.

One in a lovely* part of Bolton stood out. £2,195, 110k miles, the correct engine (1.4 petrol) and trim (Comfort *with* the armrest), which looked tidy enough on the advert from a dealer who had positive reviews. Nothing scary showing on past MOTs, 11 months left on the current one, what the hell lets do this.

Saturday morning had me at Aberdeen airport boarding a Loganair Embraer 145 for the hop down to Manchester, then train to Bolton and a walk rather than the bus as it was a sunny morning! Turn up at the dealers and he's a bit confused as I'm an hour earlier than we'd originally said (though had changed the time on text messages he'd replied to. Profusely apologetic, heads off in a Kia Venga to their off-site storage and comes back 10 minutes later with the car. Which was plastered in bird crap despite their best efforts to keep their cars clean!

They also own a valeting place so the inside was pretty spotless (considering its 14 years old). A few minor dents, some pre-curbed alloys and one headlight has condensation. But apart from that the sills are rock solid, there's a few very minor bits of surface rust, and the engine looks and sounds tidy. A quick run around the block and I'm happy to get on and buy the thing. 

Off I go down the hill towards town to stick fuel in at Sainsbury's. Haven't driven a manual in 10 months so stalled it a couple of times (and nearly got wiped out by a lunatic in a battered Prius). Anyway, fuel in, then into the main store car park to investigate the rattle from the passenger door pocket - a huge bunch of car keys left by the guy from the garage! OK, lets go back and hand those over, but no it refused to restart! Pretty clear the battery wasn't having it, so ring them up. 5 minutes later a guy comes down with a battery booster pack, restart the car and follow him back where they fitted a new battery without a quibble.

I'm in Bolton, I live near Fraserburgh, and I still have friends on Teesside I'm going out with that night. Reset the trip and head down St Peters Way towards the M62. Car is doing high 40s MPG, running very nicely - until we cross the pennines  at which point it drops power and the EML comes on. Arse. Too far to go back, and I wonder if its just been sat a while as EML and the power drop comes and goes a few times. So off the motorway and lets do an Italian tune up. Nope, that doesn't solve it. Could it not like E10? Petrol has changed since I last bought some, so stick £20 of E5 in. That doesn't do much either...

I knew I had an OBD dongle at home, car drives just burning more fuel and down on power, so with the planned stopover in Teesside I bring the thing back. I am not mechanically minded, so if I describe the symptoms can you guess what the issue is?

[RoverFolkUs]

Could be anything realistically. Needs a code scan for a remote idea of what's up! 

These are pretty decent cars, if you find a good one, well bought.

I've found they're always either impeccably looked after and reliable or absolute heaps that have previously been neglected by penniless fuckers, there's no in between! 

I was offered a diesel one last year before it got scrapped but the gearbox it needed was pretty much unobtainium, at least a decent one and not an unknown one

If the clutch and gearbox are ok then it's probably a good'un. That's their main weakness really

[RochdalePioneers]

OBD reader says inoperative O2 sensor - if that's all then fine!

We used to have the exact same car (albeit it on a 59 plate, and in red). This one has clutch and gearbox both in good nick. No play in the steering, no knocking or noises from the suspension. All the electrics work. The interior looks tidy.

I have a load of paperwork which shows that it spent a good number of years on a private plate living in Bearsden - so it sounds like a long term owner had a bit of dollah. In short it feels like its been mostly looked after. Until recently anyway - all 4 tyres are different brands. Michelin and Continental on the front (and a Michelin spare!), and I have no clue "brands" on the back. 

Plans? Get the O2 sensor replaced, get the handbrake adjusted (as its too slack), perhaps replace the boot struts (not damped any more) and then pull the RH headlight unit off and see what I can do about the condensation.

[RoverFolkUs]

O2 sensor 1? I was going to say that but it's a very basic guess and one that gets floated around on the internet at any problem 😅

If it's sensor 2 then it won't cause a loss of power. Sensor 1 certainly could though. 

Budget for a new set of parking brake shoes, I could almost guarantee they are starting to debond, they always seem to on these and it results in a shit handbrake. They're only £30 or so. Then with new handbrake shoes adjusted properly you get a nice tight handbrake, and one that works! 

[RochdalePioneers]

10 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

O2 sensor 1? I was going to say that but it's a very basic guess and one that gets floated around on the internet at any problem 😅

If it's sensor 2 then it won't cause a loss of power. Sensor 1 certainly could though. 

Budget for a new set of parking brake shoes, I could almost guarantee they are starting to debond, they always seem to on these and it results in a shit handbrake. They're only £30 or so. Then with new handbrake shoes adjusted properly you get a nice tight handbrake, and one that works! 

Yep, sensor 1 on bank 1. We have a decent little independent garage in the village, will get him to fit one that hasn't gone pop. Thanks for the tip on the handbrake, will have a look at that.

[greengartside]

Nice purchase. Also nice to see it repatriated back to Scotland - ‘SP’ is a Dundee area code.

[RochdalePioneers]

An interesting day! First of all I had a look at the mismatching tyres. Michelin Energy Saver and Conti EcoContact3 up front. Firestone Roadhawk and Marangoni Verso at the back. All with plenty of tread!

None are deathly ditchfinders so will leave them on for now. And in the boot - remember that these still have the luxury* of a full sized spare - is...

Michelin Alpin A3 winter. In a different size to the other 4. I don't want to know why!

Also paid a brief trip to the village garage. O2 sensor on order, come back in a few days.

This afternoon I miss a call from wifey as in a meeting. Call back 20 minutes later and her car is dead at work - can I bring the spare key?

So off down the road to where she works (Fraserburgh, 11 miles) in the Tesla. Get there and find that it's not the key, it's the 12 volt battery on her Ioniq EV.

Final option is to try and jump her 12 volt battery. I had of course not thought of that when I came down, so 11 miles home to get the jump leads. And as I don't know where the 12 volt battery even is in a Tesla Model Y, the second 1Z99 mission is in the i30.

Dead O2 sensor or not it still drives, just drinking fuel for fun. Hook it up to the Ioniq but no joy. So Hyundai are sending McInternational Rescue out tomorrow whilst wifey is at work.

3 days in. With its own engine fault. Trying to breathe life into a car a wee bit younger...

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[Landy Mann]

I did many miles in a rental accent (Melbourne to Cairns) in Aus, think this was a 16 or 17 model year, looked the same but I'm sure every panel was different to the near identical older i30. These were sold along side the new shape i30 for $AU cheap (equivalent to Dacia money IIRC.).

 

[Landy Mann]

An absolutely capable an car

[RochdalePioneers]

An absolutely capable an car

Yes. Very much an car. For our 2nd car needs now it will be perfect*

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[Dyslexic Viking]

Recently read that the early? Ioniq has problems with the 12v battery going flat. But it's not exactly the biggest problem in the world, the cars should otherwise be very good.

On the i30, these are not the world's most exciting cars, but as solid reliable transport, you can't go wrong with these, especially in petrol and manual version. 

And I like the color, nice to see a car that is not gray or black.

[RochdalePioneers]

Had driven down the road to the local garage on Monday. "needs a new Sensor 1". Showed him the screen grab of the diagnostic app. He said "give me a couple of days to get one in".

Wednesday morning, hasn't arrived yet, "they didn't have any", come back tomorrow.

This morning. He's ordered Sensor 2. "You said the back one" - I said the one on the back of the engine, sensor 1...

Muttering as the ones he's got was a special order, left the car as he thinks they have sensor 1 in stock and can deliver today.

I don't know the way you want to define "front" and "back" sensor. Hence me saying "sensor 1", and "the one on the exhaust manifold not the one on the cat".

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