New car frustration

sootytorques

Bought a Hyundai i30 2011 MY on a 60 plate, car was supplied with wrong service book, that reflects the old service interval, the dealer says the new model is still coming through with the old style service book.
Spoke to Hyundai UK who told me to wait, but gave no date & to keep checking with the dealer.
More worringly, just recently when the engine is cold, I get into the car, turn the key to position 2, wait for glow plug indicator to go out then turn to position 3 to engage the staerter motor(accelerator not pressed). However, sometimes I get a cloud of blue smoke from the exhaust. Also, for the first 2 miles or so the engine runs rough, particularly at low revs.
Some times the smoke is so bad, its embarressing, and before you ask it is smoke and not steam, as the white smoke hangs around in the air for sometime.
Looking at the internet im not alone, but very frustrating for a car thats 3 weeks old with 1000 miles, more frustrating is alot of Kia owners, car has same engine, report dealer cannot fix this problem
Car goes to dealer this week.

bigjl

The white smoke is, from memory, unburnt diesel, there was a simliar problem with some Subaru Legacy's diesels.

If it runs rough then i would consider rejecting the car, as it isn't really acceptable for a car to run rough when it is cold. there has to be a reason for it, though it could be a software issue.

As far as the bluesmoke goes that can only be burnt engine oil, which is a fault, no car should burn engine oil.

One question, is this your first diesel car? As they don't run as smooth as petrol cars, and direct injection engines tend to be noisier than the older kinds of diesels such as the XUD engine. The first Di engine that I had dealings with was the one in the Montego Estate, basically a Perkins engine, it was solid and reliable, but noisy. It might just be that you are finding it a bit harsher than previous cars, rather than an actual fault, also your car is at the cheaper end of the market so may have less in the way of sound deadening. But as I said above it could be a software issue causinfg the engine to overfuel when it is cold, which would result in white/grey smoke. But the blue smoke would be a worry, might it have been black smoke?

I have only heard good things about Hyundai and Kia customer service, so hopefully they should sort your problem out, remember though that if it is smoking like this now then just think how bad it will be in a few years.

Flying-High_2

White Smokes tends to be Water... Black is unburnt Diesel... Blue is Oil.

bigjl

Difficult to differentiate between white smoke and light grey smoke, but the OP did say that it didn't disperse which would infer grey smoke, unburnt diesel isn't always black, sometimes it can be greyish, depends how much unburnt diesel there is. You will get a lot of black smoke from your Tdci Mondy when the EGR is clogged up or air filter is clogged up.

A few new diesels have had issues with excessive smoke, normally cured by a software update.

Flying-High_2

Grey Smoke is usually injection timing out or the fuel not atomising properly...

sootytorques

No not my first diesel, been driving them 14 years, with give the dealer one chance only, then reject.

cledor

I have a similar car and the dealer would not do anything about the startup puff of smoke claiming it was part of the "cleaning" process. Would be interested to hear the outcome of your story.

sootytorques

What cleaning process would that be, sounds like your dealer is trying to fob you off.
Is the car KIA/Hyundai or VAG with the P.D engine.

cledor

car is a 2009 i30 1.6crdi estate. It runs perfectly apart from the startup smoke puff.

sootytorques wrote: »

What cleaning process would that be, sounds like your dealer is trying to fob you off.
Is the car KIA/Hyundai or VAG with the P.D engine.

bigjl

Diesel engines used to have an excess fuel valve, so that when you restarted them they always gave out a little puff of smoke, my old Fiesta company van used to give off more than a plume!

I think newer engines don't seem do this, at least not when new or properly serviced, my wifes Clio Dci has started to smoke a little, but it is due a service soon, though it has never chucked out more than a tiny bit of smoke when started from cold, when we forst got it you could catch a little wiff of burnt diesel, though little in the way of smoke.

But a new diesel should only really smoke a tiny bit when you give it the beans. My Mondy smokes like a chimney when you boot it and when you start it you get a little puff, but not much, and that is well on it's way to 150k.

sootytorques

Finally got correct service book
Update, car back from dealer, they did experience the problem, by could not find any problems, they would like the car back again and keep for one week, during that week car would go to diesel specialist, if problem still present, they would ask Hyundai to investigate.
Many other owners have reported the same problem, and have travelled various miles, so its not the case that my engine is still running in, the engine is also used in the Kia Ceed, and apparently Kia have admitted there is a problem but no fix, now bearing fix in mind, is it unreasonable of me to reject the car after only 2 attempts to fix the problem, don’t forget my car is 60 reg & the fault became apparent after 2 weeks, so under the sale of goods act would this fault be classed as “at the time of sale”.
Thanks in advance for the advise.