Dear i30 friends,
i have i30 2009 model 1.4, 109hp.
It was really fine and i was very happy using it. The steering was very comfortable, soft, and easy to use.
In 17 November 2011 (Thursday) i went for the 2nd scheduled service, at Hyundai authorized service network LAMDA SA. The service was pretty easy (filters, oil, spark plugs, brake's liquid replacement), which should take about 1,5 hour.
I got the replacement vehicle and went to my job.
The workshop manager called me in the afternoon and told me that he want to keep it one more day to check it again...
Next day, (Friday), noone called me, and when i called them, they said that the electrician is missing in a seminar, and that he will be back on Tuesday for a re-check of my car!!!
After 5 days(!!), when i got the car back, the steering wheel was very heavy, stiff, cumbersome, like a mechanic steering, about 60-70% heavier than before. Also its return in the turns was very slower than before, and also it stucks.
When i went back in the service, they told me again that the electrician is missing and that they can not to anything because the steering is electic. So they sent me in another branch to check it, but they said that they can not find out what happened in the service that took so long, and that i have to ask them there again...
When i went again in the service workshop, and they checked my car, GDS was having for first time an error: C1260 "Steering Angle Circuit-Signal". After a calibration the error code stopped, but it appeared again soon. They replaced me the battery, because it was moderated charging, but this did not help at all the steering wheel problem.
After that i went to a vulcanizer to check my car's alignment, and to change the front wheels with the rear ones, as service manual was reporting to do. The alignment was ok (the caster angle was a very little more in both sides, but in the right side only, they informed me that the wheels where already changed (in the service) from front to the back and vice versa. Also, the rear right shock absorber had some silver colour painted, even if my car is blue colour, and even if i never replaced the shock absorbers.
After that i went in the central Hyundai Greece Workshop and Facilities, where they did not find anything at all. The alignment machine was not working so i had to go again and again there, and finally they replaced the front and the rear wishbones and the tie rod ends and balls, without any change at all in my car.
After 5-6 times in the central workshop, the warranty went out 1 year later and the problem did not solved.
Also, I went in many service workshops to check it, and all were saying that it is steering column problem. In one service workshop, they also found out that the screws of the column where changed and not the same. Also, i took some pictures from my steering column, and found out that it was scratched and hit in many in many places, and the stickers with the barcodes where altered and detached.
A few days after warranty expired, i went in another authorized hyundai Greece service workshop, where they found out again the same error in GDS "C1260 - Steering Angle Sensor Singal-Circuit". I asked them to inform the central facilities about that, but the answer was that the warranty is out, and that i have to pay 2.390 euro to get a new steering column...
So i parked my beloved i30 in a parking for 1 year, because i was very sad when driving it and with all that....
1 year later, on summer of 2013, i decided to fix my i30. So i orderer a new steering column, a new steering rack, and also top mount shock absorber bases and ball bearings. They cost about 3.000 euros totaly with installation. But the new steering column that i bought, had oxidation (rust) signs on it, and also a big scrach all over its body. I asked from hyundai dealer to replace it, but they told me that they can not do that, and that it is fine and 100% working.
After i installed the new parts, the problem did not solved. I was very sad with all that, so i parked my car again, because i had some more serious problems with my parents health to handle.
On 2016 i went again in another athorized Hyundai Greece workshop to install some accessories and some other works to do, and they found out again the same problem in the new steering column in GDS (C1260 - Steering Angle Sensor -Circuit). I informed the central Hyundai facilities about that, but they told me that the warranty had exipred and that they can not do anything to solve it...
After that and when rechecking with my own GDS, i see that there is also another error: "C1616 CAN Communication Bus Off". They told me that is because of the problematic steering column too. But i can not afford to buy a new one again, after all that.
After steering wheel calibration the errors get cleared, but they appear again later on.
I think that they replaced my 100% fine working steering column with another one that it is problematic and with low steering electrical assistance, in the service above.
Also, some technicians, car engineers and spare parts dealers, when i was told them all the story, they said that might the steering column that they sold to me, was problematic from a warranty replace return...
Does anyone know how i can solve this?
I have found a website thath says that they can fix the column with 300 euro, but i have to send it in the UK:
http://ecu.eu/hyundai/power-steering-control-unit/i30-(fd-fde)-electric-power-steering-control-unit/hyundai-563102l700-124044.html
Also, some other ECU and steering service workshops here, say that they can try to fix it if they unistall and check it, but they are not sure. Some other say that it can not be fixed in i30 because there is no Steering Angle Sensor part available for i30, as it is in other car models (like i20).
This is the Steering Angle Sensor:
AutoHex Online Help: Hyundai i30(FDe) 2012 Fault Code: c1260Does anyone know how to fix the problem? Anyone had the same issues?
P.S: I just found out that Hyundai i30 FD, Begin date of manufacuring: 01/11/08 to End date of manufacturing:30/04/10, are Steering Electric Power Assist System Recalled from Hyundai Company campaign in 2015:
2010 Hyundai ELANTRA TOURING Steering Electric Power Assist System Recall 117859 | VinDecoderz.com, but i asked today the Hyundai Greece about that and they told me that my i30's VIN is not included in this campaign...
