IX35 Turbo actuator issue - Getting Hyundai to cover cost of repair

letiss7

I have a 15 plate ix35 which intermittently started showing a warning light a couple of days ago. I took the car to a local trusted garage and they said the fault code came up as a turbo actuator issue. They looked but could not find any obviously wrong. They cleared the codes and said to contact them if it light shows again. They also gave me some advice based on their experience that driving it in a low gear (hence high revs) for a short period of time (similar advice is also given in the owners manual).
If the warning light does appear again I intend to approach Hyundai to cover, at least part of, the cost of any repairs as the car is only just out of warranty and this would have been covered had it been under warranty still.
I'm ok writing the first email outlining why I believe Hyundai should show some good customer service and help out with the cost of repair for a car just out of warranty. I fully expect them to reject the request and I understand legally they are correct as the warranty is finished. However in the follow up email I would like to try and persuade them using good customer service and keeping potential future buyer happy etc.
Does anyone have any advice how to word the emails that may persuade them to help with the cost?  
I know Hyundai is not obliged to contribute anything but I'm hoping that factors like I have had the car serviced and MOT'd at an approved dealer, also any repairs in the past have also been carried out by the same dealership may help persuade them.
BTW - Estimated repair cost at a Hyundai dealership for part, labour +VAT is going to be approx £900. The local garage I took it hasn't given me an estimate yet as they are waiting on a price for the parts from their supplier.

AdrianC

It's very unlikely it would have been covered under warranty.

The most likely cause for a "turbo actuator issue" on a five year old diesel is that the variable vanes are clagged up with soot. Wear and tear, in other words. Not a material or workmanship issue that would be warranty-covered.

The driving advice would also be aimed at that - higher load, rather than simply higher revs, will help to prevent soot building up. Whether it'll clear it once there's a build-up sufficient to jam the vanes is another question. You can but try.

Let me guess - lowish mileage, usually pootled about town?

2see

lots of vids on u tube showing cleaning the turbo vanes with oven cleaner,
and people saying it works,

Mercdriver

2see said:

lots of vids on u tube showing cleaning the turbo vanes with oven cleaner,
and people saying it works,

I wouldn't recommend doing that on a car just out of warranty with regular main dealer servicing.

letiss7

AdrianC said:

It's very unlikely it would have been covered under warranty.

The most likely cause for a "turbo actuator issue" on a five year old diesel is that the variable vanes are clagged up with soot. Wear and tear, in other words. Not a material or workmanship issue that would be warranty-covered.

The driving advice would also be aimed at that - higher load, rather than simply higher revs, will help to prevent soot building up. Whether it'll clear it once there's a build-up sufficient to jam the vanes is another question. You can but try.

Let me guess - lowish mileage, usually pootled about town?

The car gets driven on the motorway and dual carriageways quite a lot. On average once a week. Mileage is around 55k.
The warning light appeared just after having driven the car about 500 miles of mainly motorway driving.

letiss7

2see said:

lots of vids on u tube showing cleaning the turbo vanes with oven cleaner,
and people saying it works,

I've not seen the videos, but will take a look now that you have mentioned them but I generally don't do a lot with cars as I don't have the tools or the skills to do more than the basics.

AdrianC

letiss7 said:

The driving advice would also be aimed at that - higher load, rather than simply higher revs, will help to prevent soot building up. Whether it'll clear it once there's a build-up sufficient to jam the vanes is another question. You can but try.

Let me guess - lowish mileage, usually pootled about town?

The car gets driven on the motorway and dual carriageways quite a lot. On average once a week. Mileage is around 55k.
The warning light appeared just after having driven the car about 500 miles of mainly motorway driving.

Counter-intuitively, motorway cruising is actually very low-load, given how powerful modern cars are and how high-geared. Sit at 60-65-70 in top, and it's probably barely above tickover, with very little throttle.

What generates heat and pressure in the exhaust, gets the turbo vanes moving, and gets the soot moving is putting load on the engine. Trying to maintain high speed up a long hill with a lot of weight... Driving it hard.

letiss7

Hi all, just reporting back in case anyone is interested.
I drove the car in 3rd gear for about 25mins well beyond the normal speed for 3rd gear and this cleared the warning light and the car felt better to drive. After a few days I tried it again. Since then the car has felt a lot better. No sign of the lag during acceleration that I'd noticed previously. The warning light has not come on either and its been almost a month now.

JustAnotherSaver

Ah, sounds like you have the same issue that I do, or at least a related one. 
@Adrian - regards driving hard, does this then put more strain on something like clutch and whatever else? I'm not saying or even suggesting it does, I'm just asking. If yes then seems like a choice of what would you like to shell out on - turbo repairs or clutch repairs lol. I only say clutch as I've read aplenty about people needing to do clutch and flywheel on cars that don't appear that old. 

TadleyBaggie

If the clutch isn't slipping, then once fully engaged, the manner of driving shouldn't have any effect on it.

JustAnotherSaver

What is it that accelerates the wear on them then? I see some cars are 'known' for having weak clutches for example. When i was looking at the 1.9 diesel in the Astra H jacket it seemed this was known for having a 'chocolate gearbox' for example.

I've a MK3 Mondeo myself now and from picking bits up through reading online 1st & 2nd gear are quite restricted to protect the clutch. I didn't realise what they meant until i tried it out and yeah sure enough it feels like you're being held back. Hit 3rd gear, give it some and away you go.