[ro0sau]

hi
I'd really like to contact a couple of members who have posted in the past regarding pitiful Gd series i30 steering.
FrankW, from Brisbane and possibly Moderator Dave posted messages back in 2015.

I will try if I may, to describe the issue...
Driving in a straight line, more noticeable at speed on a freeway, the car will track slightly off line, can be either right or left. The steering "loads up" so that it requires quite a deliberate move of the steering wheel off center to correct it. I would describe the feeling as forcing the wheel as it seems relatively 'stuck' in a straight position even though the vehicle is veering slightly.

This results in it being difficult to maintain a straight line because then after a few seconds it tracks the opposite way via the exact same problem.
It makes no difference whether the steering is on "comfort," "normal" or "sport." I find it frustrating and possibly 'dangerous' to myself and fellow road users. Silly as that sounds.

This has occurred since the car was new and I tried to report it at the first 1500klm inspection with no joy, then contacted Hyundai customer care via email and was fobbed off to the nearest dealership but that's another story.

I have contacted 3 separate authorized Hyundai dealerships over time only to be advised a wheel alignment and diagnostic will do the trick!
After alignments' and sensor resets the steering felt much better, but the problem persists to this day. I'm advised it's all in my head as all the 'factory specs' are correct  apparently...

Infuriatingly the car will not always do this, seemingly the road surface may attribute. This of course helps lots when a service manager is test driving it with me alongside, on a completely flat newly surfaced stretch on freeway. 'this is our test track' he proudly tells me.

Anyhow I apologise for the lengthy post and would really appreciate some help

[The Gonz]

I think @Doggie 1 is the Moderator Dave. He should be along soon.

[Doggie 1]

Sounds identical to what I had.
Classic symptoms of EPS failure.
It took me a long time to get Hyundai to listen but eventually they listened to Mandurah Hyundai here in WA.
Hyundai Australia know the symptoms full well so I don't know why they fight so hard against it.
Probably worth one more try with them then if no resolution, off to your state's consumer protection body, I would suggest.

[ro0sau]

Thanks for the swift response guys

Maybe I should go down to mandurah as I am down there a bit. don't suppose you know where they test drove it at the time, my problem is actually getting someone else to experience the problem so they believe me lol.
As you say hyundai must be aware so I really don't get it.

How was yours fixed? did they agree to change the steering column same as frank in brissie.

[Doggie 1]

Sorry @ro0sau, I didn't realise you were in WA.
What they told me to do was to take it to Mandurah Beaurepaires which is who they use for tyres and wheel alignments.
When I took it there, Beaurepaires said they couldn't do a wheel alignment because the front tyres had started to wear (minimal) on the insides.
So I had to put two new front tyres on at my cost.
Then when they went to do the alignment they were unable to because the sensor, in their words, "was all over the place."
So bottom line: Mandurah Hyundai really listened to Beaurepaires, not me.
Everything was the replaced under NCW including new steering column, sensor, etc, after which is was as good as new.
I had gone through a similar exercise at John Hughes Hyundai but they were bloody hopeless. Just said they found nothing (after a week of having my car!) but then charged me, from memory, around $80 to "diagnose" no problem.
I complained to Hyundai Australia and they refunded me the $80.
Good luck with it.
Happy to help if I can. More than willing to drive your car if you're down this way.
Please keep us posted.

[Dazzler]

Thanks for your input Dave @Doggie 1

These sort of issues drive you around the bend even when there isn't one. 

[Doggie 1]

Thanks for your input Dave @Doggie 1

These sort of issues drive you around the bend even when there isn't one. 

Ed Zachary @Dazzler.

[ro0sau]

Thankfully the car drives fine around bends[pun]

Update...I'm writing this in a state of frustration after once again contacting customer i'care'.

Because the last report they have is 2 years old they require me to once again go to my local dealer and suffer the whole indignity again. My bad for putting up for it for so long thinking this was normal.
I've not heard of other wheeeeel alignment problems that involve a vehicle pulling left And right.

Unless a fault can be replicated satisfactorily by Hyundai then they cannot take me at my word that I have anything but a poor wheel alignment, I guess that's understandable. I mean they can't go replace, say the steering column, just because I say there's something wrong

I need to find a stretch of road where I can repeat the process [near impossible] and hope the dealer will spend the effort [ie money] to investigate.
Or sell it on to some unsuspecting fool, I mean buyer...although that's not my wish.

OK I'm calm, after pulling out the last strands of hair I had left, now I think I'll go drive it off a cliff.

[Doggie 1]

In mine, it was more speed related, in that it felt fine at lower speeds.
Around town and up to 80 it was ok.
Get it on a 100 or 110 highway or freeway though and it was a different story.

[ro0sau]

Exactly the same as me.
Did yours do it all the time though, or randomly?

 The last time I had a guy test drive with me we did a loop of the freeway just east of Osborne Park Hyundai that was nice, flat and smooooooth. At least he took it out the back and reportedly reset a sensor or something all free.

[Doggie 1]

Randomly, which is why it took so long to get diagnosed.

[ro0sau]

Sounds like Mandurah Beaurepaires did you a favour.

I actually went to john hughes also. They had the car 2 hours and charged me $100 for 'a swish full 4 wheel lazer alignment' even though I don't think there is adjustment on the rear.. All good they said, everything is factory spec!

Perhaps my problem is simply alignment because I've had a few easily done...no faulty sensors.

[Doggie 1]

My suggestion would be go to Beaurepaires Mandurah and ask them to drive it.
See what they say.

[mickd]

"icare" or similar are only a contact person who 99.99% of the time,   has no mech experience.  Think "call centre", they type problems into computer and it says ................. , contact local dealer.
Not the person fault, ask for name of higher authority to complain to.
Fingers crossed, you're on the right track at present.

[Dazzler]

OK I'm calm, after pulling out the last strands of hair I had left, now I think I'll go drive it off a cliff.

I wish I didn't but I can really feel your pain. As I've got older and sicker my fuse has got a lot shorter (not that one  guys - so don't start  )

Having been a Bank Manager and Retail manager for many years and being a friendly easy going guy I was always a tactful negotiator when things went wrong.

Woe betide anything should malfunction now... If I had this issue or other similar unresolved issues outlined on here, I would struggle to bite my tongue for long. 

[ro0sau]

Just an update for anyone interested.

I have had no joy what so ever. Hyundai tell me they need a positive diagnostic before the can act further.

I drove to Mandurah last week and to my frustration the car performed admirably with no steering woes.

Firstly I visited Manduarh Hyundai to see if they out-source wheel alignments only to be advised that all their servicing is now done by Ford, who charge $88.

So I proceeded in towards town and found Beaurepaires closed due to covid-19 concerns.

I guess I'm stuck until the issue gets worse.

[eye30]

Have you tried changing the tyres  over and see if it then pulls other way?

[ro0sau]

I have changed rears for fronts about 5k ago and this made the problem worse as the alignment changed. I don't know why this happens as I have no mechanical engineering experience. I wish it were that simple really...
Once another alignment was done the initial issue was less frequent but remained. If that makes sense in current internet grammar.

BTW  the car does not simply pull either left  or right as most alignment problems occur, mine pulls left AND then right usually repeatedly. It's a lucky dip as to which way the car pulls firstly, probably road surface related. Once it starts this makes the car impossible to steer straight likely because of over compensating due to the stiffening of the steering wheel on centre.

It is not really bad enough to be life threatening however as you might imagine it can get tedious after a few kilometres.

[Dazzler]

It really is a mongrel of a problem. I know before Dave finally got his sorted, how frustrated and disconcerting it was for him. 

[ro0sau]

Ok

had a wheel alignment done once more and the guys put minor toe - in. they said they do loads of i30s.
now I can't get the car to replicate the problem, however tyres wear more on the outsides.

this is the second time i've been to this shop as the first time worked great but i think the alignment must have changed and the issue returned, fixed again last week.

i don't think i'm going to have a satisfactory outcome from hyundai unless i can figure a way to make the car show the faulty steering when it's test driven.
think i'll be selling the car
thanks guys

[Dazzler]

Ok

had a wheel alignment done once more and the guys put minor toe - in. they said they do loads of i30s.
now I can't get the car to replicate the problem, however tyres wear more on the outsides.

this is the second time i've been to this shop as the first time worked great but i think the alignment must have changed and the issue returned, fixed again last week.

i don't think i'm going to have a satisfactory outcome from hyundai unless i can figure a way to make the car show the faulty steering when it's test driven.
think i'll be selling the car
thanks guys

Thanks for the latest update. An intermittent fault on any car is always a pain to get fixed. Considering I've had 34 I've been very lucky touch wood! Never really had a significant problem that wasn't easy to identify and fix. Mind you in recent years I've changed my cars every two or three years and more than half of the 34 have been bought brand new. 

[The Gonz]

Mind you in recent years I've changed my cars every two or three years and more than half of the 34 have been bought brand new. 

Capitalist!

[Dazzler]

Mind you in recent years I've changed my cars every two or three years and more than half of the 34 have been bought brand new. 

Capitalist!

You only live once mate and you can't take it with you.. It's one of my hobbies. 

[Tomoz]

Not exactly what you’re describing but I’ve had a recent issue arise where I’m noticing a bit of a ‘click’ when the wheel goes back to centre. It’s subtle noise and feeling, feels like something to do with the rack is loose. 

[ro0sau]

hey

does this fit your issue?

Hyundai i30 steering clunk - steering coupling - YouTube

[Tomoz]

hey

does this fit your issue?

Hyundai i30 steering clunk - steering coupling - YouTube

Yep! Thanks, that’d be it I reckon. I’ll add it to the list of things for the dealer to look at this week (have also encountered the 3000 rev limit issue with my diesel wagon).

[ro0sau]

No power after 3000rpm

[Lorian]

had a wheel alignment done once more and the guys put minor toe - in. they said they do loads of i30s.
now I can't get the car to replicate the problem, however tyres wear more on the outsides.

Post up the alignment test results? What was the toe angle before and after?

[ro0sau]

factory spec   -0.6    1.9mm
        total      -1.2    3.7

my car...
initial left  -0.9      final   0.8

         right 0.8               0.7

        total -0.1               1.5mm

[ro0sau]

So...I had another interesting conversation with an authorized Hyundai service guy the other.
In all my posts I'm unsure if I mentioned something that this service rep said over the phone.

He says...so it feels like the electric steering actually disconnects, as the vehicle follows the road surface, veers slightly offline and does not want to respond via slight correction back to a straight direction.
This is exactly what describes the feeling I get, or got as the current alignment tracks the car where it should be going without veering off in either direction.

Anyhow long story short, these service guys [at least to me] seem to know full well about the issue yet can't, or won't do anything unless they can feel it themselves.
 thanks for all the input guys but I doubt I'm going to get satisfaction unless I can recreate the issue.