Something fell off my car...

chylld · **November 24, 2008, 09:20:23**

Last week I noticed something dangling from the bottom front of my car (where the radiator is), turned out to be a strip of foam. It appears that the foam's purpose is to cover the bottom gap between the two radiator cores.

The foam came off totally today:

It's about 45cm x 4cm x 1cm.

The car seems to run quite fine without it. Can I just wait until the next service (Feb 2009) to report it or is it something urgent I need to have looked at now?

LuciferDarklord · **Reply #1: November 24, 2008, 10:57:25**

Exact same thing happened to mine last week. I wasnt sure if it came from the car, my son found it dangling down after the missus was driving the car, I was offshore. She just said he found it hanging off the car, thought she might have run over it

EymaTeapot · **Reply #2: November 24, 2008, 11:02:18**

How strange.

Still, better a piece of foam than a panel or a wheel i suppose

Rubix · **Reply #3: November 24, 2008, 13:33:50**

sure it's not packing foam of some sort? Maybe it's supposed to be taken off and wasn't - anyone else able to have a look to see if it's on their car?

eye30 · **Reply #4: November 24, 2008, 18:33:49**

Just checked my car.

I have the foam.

It's been there for 14 months.

Bet it falls off tomorrow!!!!

ozsnowman · **Reply #5: November 24, 2008, 20:40:46**

Yeah i had the same thing - mentioned it at my service. They said it was meant to be taken out when car was first unpacked from the ship

Shambles · **Reply #6: November 24, 2008, 20:44:16**

Doh!

Anyone want to buy some foam

8 months old

eye30 · **Reply #7: November 24, 2008, 21:02:52**

Quote from: Shambles on November 24, 2008, 20:44:16

Anyone want to buy some foam 8 months old

Put on eBay. Someone will buy it.

eye30 · **Reply #8: November 24, 2008, 21:05:13**

Just a techincal thought

Does having the foam help keep the heat/temperature in the Rad.

Given its location it prevents Cold air entering.

Shambles · **Reply #9: November 24, 2008, 21:35:12**

Quote from: eye30 on November 24, 2008, 21:05:13

Does having the foam help keep the heat/temperature in the Rad.

Given its location it prevents Cold air entering.

No Mate. It just falls off when it wants to

Hemmi · **Reply #10: November 25, 2008, 01:52:45**

Now I now what was dangling under the i30 I saw a few months ago

Tylenol · **Reply #11: November 25, 2008, 03:56:45**

Funny you guys mention it, I had the same thing happen on Saturday. I tucked mine back into where it seemed to come from. Mine is in for a service today, I asked them to look into it.

Dazzler · **Reply #12: November 25, 2008, 09:33:49**

Quote from: Tylenol on November 25, 2008, 03:56:45

Funny you guys mention it, I had the same thing happen on Saturday. I tucked mine back into where it seemed to come from. Mine is in for a service today, I asked them to look into it.

It'll be easier to "look in to" if it has fallen back out again...

Noel · **Reply #13: November 25, 2008, 14:42:38**

I had the same thing happen 3 months ago, and I did same as dazzling did. but it was easy to fall off again.so, i cut that and nothing wrong untill now.

Tylenol · **Reply #14: November 25, 2008, 21:10:18**

The service center has removed the foam from my vehicle also as they say it is packing foam that should have been removed when the car arrived.

Thumper · **Reply #15: November 26, 2008, 00:19:43**

Just had a look, mine is still in there. It's not going anywhere in a hurry (Stuck tight)

I thought it was there to stop rocks and debris from the road flicking up into the radiator.

Tylenol · **Reply #16: November 26, 2008, 00:29:29**

Oh man...

That makes sense also Thumper... but one would think that Hyundai in this day and age wouldn't be using cheap packing foam in the engine bay so close to the road?

How can we get a definitive answer on this? I am now concerned it was supposed to be there. Can't trust the service center... they never seem to know anything.

**Reply #17: November 26, 2008, 02:50:06**

Just had a look at mine.

It's still in place but it's so flimsy and loose that I can't believe it is supposed to be permanent. There is one at the top also that is not so accessible by hand but it appears to be just a piece of very ordinary low density foam.

Tylenol · **Reply #18: November 26, 2008, 03:30:23**

Apparently, according to my service center, the one at the top is under a cover and is supposed to be there, the one under the radiator is packing foam.

I don't know whether to believe it.

ras · **Reply #19: November 26, 2008, 05:42:19**

Hey this is funny, arrived at Forster on Monday for work for 3 days and when i parked at my accomadation on monday night i noticed this end if foam hanging down.. I said to my self "must have picked that up from somewhere"... stuck my head under the front and had a poke around it it seemed fairly wedged in so i pushed the half that was dangling free back up. i had thought of callng the dealer to find out but it looks like this has answered it..

Anyone want to make a call on pulling it off or leaving it on?

Rubix · **Reply #20: November 26, 2008, 06:53:39**

I think this is a question for our Korean friends... Or they would be able to ask the REAL makers of the car at least...

eye30 · **Reply #21: November 26, 2008, 17:14:51**

Quote from: Tylenol on November 26, 2008, 00:29:29

packing foam in the engine bay

Is it to keep body weight down.

Seoul-mate · **Reply #22: November 28, 2008, 10:59:58**

It's obviously a world wide thing as these pictures appear
in an article dated 27th Oct on the Korean i30 website.

The article had quite a few replies and most said they just threw it away.
Others jokingly suggested the car was just tired and it's tongue was poking out.

Russ

Dazzler · **Reply #23: November 28, 2008, 11:03:08**

Quote from: Seoul-mate on November 28, 2008, 10:59:58

The article had quite a few replies and most said they just threw it away.
Others jokingly suggested the car was just tired and it's tongue was poking out.
Russ

Think that was probably just a "tongue in cheek" comment...Sorry... another "dad' joke..

**Reply #24: November 28, 2008, 11:37:35**

So if it's really "packing" and dealers WW don't know they're supposed to remove it then it's very poor communication. More likely it's there for a purpose and just poorly implemented...

If it's really there to stop stuff (air?) getting in from underneath then a better cowling would be in order. In any case it would likely be the inter-cooler that would benefit by forcing air to pass through it instead of perhaps bypassing it, and as has been noted it is already probably too efficient in our climate anyway.

Still wondering!

Rubix · **Reply #25: November 28, 2008, 12:08:14**

Quote from: dazzling_darryl on November 28, 2008, 11:03:08

Quote from: Seoul-mate on November 28, 2008, 10:59:58
The article had quite a few replies and most said they just threw it away.
Others jokingly suggested the car was just tired and it's tongue was poking out.
Russ

Think that was probably just a "tongue in cheek" comment...Sorry... another "dad' joke..

You both got a laugh out of me.
I'm still wondering also! What does Hyundai say? The actual Hyundai HQ, rather than a dealership or service garage.

rustbucket · **Reply #26: December 01, 2008, 05:39:53**

Hi all,

Checked our car and foam had started to move but still in place so realigned it again. Emailed Hyundai Australia re its status ie packaging or permanent and received this reply after a couple of emails back and forth.

01/12/2008

Dear Doug,

Further to your recent enquiry, I would like to advise that this foam is
designed to be there to distribute air flow, hence is not left over
packaging.

Hope this assists, however if you have any further enquiries, please do not
hesitate to contact us again.

Kind regards,

Melinda,
Customer Service Consultant
Hyundai Motor Company Australia
Reference #G253405

Hope this helps with the discussion. I have decided to keep ours in place until further notice. If they are prone to fall out and are designed in, Hyundai would need to keep a supply on hand.

Regards

Rbucket

Rubix · **Reply #27: December 01, 2008, 06:20:59**

oh, that's awesome. Everyone whose dealer told them it was rubbish: refer to above email & ask them to replace. Lol.

rustbucket · **Reply #28: December 03, 2008, 08:47:21**

Had a good look at mine today and it appears to be designed to be permanent as it is fixed by a double sided rubber tape on the leading edge of the foam attached to the bottom of the aircon condenser

Rbucket

rustbucket · **Reply #29: December 04, 2008, 08:19:08**

Hi all,

Received this additional email from Melinda at Hyundai Australia re foam between radiators and should allay some concerns re it falling off.

04/12/2008

Dear Doug,

I have been advised by our Technical area that the piece of foam you are
referring to is not a critical part of the vehicle. If it did come away, it
would have no noticeable effect on the vehicle's operation. Your local dealer's parts
department would be able to obtain a replacement if required.

Kind regards,

Melinda
Customer Service Consultant
Hyundai Motor Company Australia
Reference #G253405

Hope this info is useful.

Regards

Rbucket