[gailw19]

Hi. Just new to the forum  to see if anyone can offer any info or advice. My daughter has a 2007 Hyundai i30 auto. The car has been running like a dream (perfect nick when she bought it and serviced regularly). It has 114,000kms on the clock. She had to start making a few distance trips to the coast which was when the problem started. She described it as the gearbox would not go into gear, it held revs and eventually stopped. Result: Had to be towed. Mechanic couldn't establish the problem. She made another coast trip and same deal. I had suggested if it happened again to disconnect the battery and see if would start. It did. Since then, have not made any more coast trips  and only runs around town. She took it to the Hyundai dealer. Much to our shock and amazement, they described the problem as "......will require replacement valve body in transmission" with a whopping estimate for replacement of $2,154 !!! I have absolutely no idea what the problem is and I would like to see if anyone has experienced the same circumstances and if there is a simple explanation and cheaper fix. Hope someone can help. Thanks

[FatBoy]

Hi gailw19,

Welcome to the forum, albeit in a bad situation.

I don't have an auto i30 myself, but somebody on here will be along shortly to help you out if they can.  Could you also provide information on whether it is diesel or petrol, as this may help with solutions.

Cheers,

FatBoy

[Phil №❶]

Sadly, this is a known fault in the earlier autos. Your vehicle is out of warranty, so you are free to use any auto transmission repairer to do the repair. By obtaining quotes, you may be able to improve on the total cost.

The valve body costs $1375, just to supply, then there's the labour, etc.

[Dazzler]

Hi Gail?

Sorry to hear this. Yes Phil is correct, but as it is a known and fairly common fault with that model i30 auto, I think you might have a case for a discounted repair...

If the dealer is reasonable they may go in to bat for you, otherwise cry poor to Hyundai head office letting them know you have been made aware that many have had it fixed under warranty.. :good luck: 

[gailw19]

Yes, it's Gail. I've read a few other searches which seem to all point to the fact that it is a problem (assuming it is the same problem (I'm not real car savvy). We might try the Hyundai approach and see where that leads. Thanks for giving me some feedback. Appreciate it.

[Just Rick]

Gail,Personally I don't like your chances of getting anything helpful out of Hyundai,given the age of the car,I've been waiting fo nigh on two weeks for an answer to a warranty question and my car is still well within the warranty period(poor form Hyundai)

I have seen limited warranted secondhand gearboxes going for less the $1000,but then you have to find someone to do the changeover,on of the reasons I purposely did not buy Automayics when we got our two,I had heard of some of the horror repair prices Hyundai where charging for transmission fixes,mind other auto mechaics are not cheap either.

Good luck with which ever way you have to go,persoanlly I would be going to an independant Transmission shop and getting their advice,it could just be a service needed.

[beerman]

Speak with your local Department of Fair Trading.

Point out it is a known fault..... They should go into bat.

Then expect an offer of 50/50....

[gailw19]

Thanks Just Rick and Beer Man...... haven't had to deal with any major car problems before so I guess its a case of seeing whether I can make any inroads with Hyundai or by an auto transmission specialist check. I'll report back in if the diagnosis changes ... for the better hopefully 

[cruiserfied]

Hi Gail, you and your daughter have struck an unfortunate circumstance.
 What you have explained doesn't follow the normal fault description for the "usual" valve body fault. The first thing most owners notice is shift problems i.e. Slipping into gears, harsh shifts. Do you know if your daughter has experienced anything like this? Most noticeable when shifting from second to third.

How many km's on the vehicle when it was purchased and can you confirm if auto fluid was changed as required at 90000km service? It seems a little strange that it is only happening after travelling a distance, starts to slip then has no drive at all. As if something is gradually happening over a longer distance.

Definitely put some pressure on if you choose to but you'll have to be realistic about your expectations due to the age of the vehicle.

You are in Brisbane I see? Where is your daughter located? If in Brisbane also there will be a number of auto shops you could visit to get a second opinion, maybe get the line pressures tested to eliminate blockages or see if there is a low pressure anywhere.

First thing I would do above all else is replace the auto fluid, flush the transmission and cooler and make sure it's got the right oil in it.

Sorry for all the questions.

[gailw19]

Hi Cruiserfied, yes, my daughter is in Brisbane. The car has about 117,000kms - which is not particularly high kms for a vehicle of 7 years. Thanks for the suggestions. I will pursue those. It is a bit of a strange situation - can't quite figure why she can drive around locally without a hiccup but as soon as she hits the highway it's all over bar the shouting. I'm determined to get to the bottom of it - I have a feeling that it was easier to make a diagnosis that requires "replacement of the valve body in the transmission" rather than being 100% certain that is the problem. I would suspect that sort of replacement would cover off on a multitude of possibilities, many of which may have an alternate fix. Bear in mind these are personal opinions coming from a completely mechanically challenged person 

[gailw19]

Sorry, to answer your questions. My daughter purchased the car 2nd hand - absolutely immaculate with records to support every service with Hyundai and within the warranty period. The previous owner was a complete car fanatic (which was obvious from the condition and records of the vehicle). The car has been serviced on time every time since but I couldn't vouch for what has or has not been done. Mileage wise when she purchased it, I think it was under the 100k.

[beerman]

It might be the easy diagnosis, but I would suspect Hyundai would make the right one, it would cost them too much not to.

The bloke who serviced my tranny did say they have a habit of snapping the drive thingy (I share your knowledge of auto) but not til 150k and I suspect nil drive would be the symptom.

The other option is the transmission failed as has been documented here before, but I Hyundai know of this, and would be able to work it out.....

[Lakes]

Hi Gail, from experience, any or most problems with Auto's can be traced to heat build up & can normally help adding a stand alone trans cooler that does not use the radiator as a cooler. but if there is a falt in Trans adding a transcoder won't fix it, its more like a preventative insurance thing. if it was me and car was ok driving short trips but not ok driving long trips. it indicates heat is causing it. so what i would do it it was mine & i did not want to spend too much i'd go to an auto trans specialist & ask them to service the trans. they will tell you whats up if anything when they service it ( might need adjustment) ask what they think of a trans cooler on the car & how much. hyundai dealers don't know as much as a specialist .
best of luck