Repair issues and fixes
- Thread starter Francois
- Start date
- Replies 866
- Views 243K
With nothing much else to do on New Years Day I finally got around to changing the reduction gear box oil in my Australian 2022 Kona EV Highlander Extended range. I'd previously changed out the Hyundai oil at 142km and replaced it with Penrite Pro Gear 70W-75.
The car has now done 6630km and the oil was black and totally opaque. The two Votex magnetic drain plugs I'd fitted at the first oil change had a covering of fine metal particles.
Another observation is that the original Hyundai oil was like water. The Penrite Pro Gear seems to have kept most of its viscosity. Not surprising given KiwiME's graph above.
I will send the oil off for testing once the New Year holiday is over.
Happy New Year everyone!
The car has now done 6630km and the oil was black and totally opaque. The two Votex magnetic drain plugs I'd fitted at the first oil change had a covering of fine metal particles.
Another observation is that the original Hyundai oil was like water. The Penrite Pro Gear seems to have kept most of its viscosity. Not surprising given KiwiME's graph above.
I will send the oil off for testing once the New Year holiday is over.
Happy New Year everyone!
KiwiME
Well-Known Member
Yes, you can see the Penrite gives you about a 15*C temp margin over the OEM, perfect for the Australian climate.
It’s cooler here but our road speeds are lower, often the limit is only 80 km/h so it’s perfectly fine because the maximum gear meshing speed dictates the appropriate viscosity.
The black oil seems to be caused by the loose internal magnet and whatever ferrous material it catches, in your case less because it’s only that not caught by the Votex first.
The best we can do is to adopt a suitable change interval in an attempt to keep it somewhat clean.
It’s cooler here but our road speeds are lower, often the limit is only 80 km/h so it’s perfectly fine because the maximum gear meshing speed dictates the appropriate viscosity.
The black oil seems to be caused by the loose internal magnet and whatever ferrous material it catches, in your case less because it’s only that not caught by the Votex first.
The best we can do is to adopt a suitable change interval in an attempt to keep it somewhat clean.
Chris53825
Member
Kiwi, have you found the magnets that stabilize the internal magnet to be worth it? Also, is there a reasonable change interval after the first few changes? I've been changing every 5,000 miles, but would prefer to stretch this out if possible.
KiwiME
Well-Known Member
That experiment is still ongoing as I would like to accumulate about 4,000 km so that I can compare it with the previous similar interval. I don't drive much so I think it will be at least April before that happens.
As for periodic change intervals after the more-important first change, just pick whatever you're comfortable with considering the cost of doing that and if you have warranty coverage, a magnetic plug, etc. Aside from peace of mind, the primary benefit of ongoing changes will be more about quieter operation rather than avoiding failure, simply because gearboxes are inherently tough. We know the vast majority of Konas on the road will never have clean oil and will survive anyway.
It's much like eating food with sand in it. You know it won't kill you but you wouldn’t do that if you don't have to.
As for periodic change intervals after the more-important first change, just pick whatever you're comfortable with considering the cost of doing that and if you have warranty coverage, a magnetic plug, etc. Aside from peace of mind, the primary benefit of ongoing changes will be more about quieter operation rather than avoiding failure, simply because gearboxes are inherently tough. We know the vast majority of Konas on the road will never have clean oil and will survive anyway.
It's much like eating food with sand in it. You know it won't kill you but you wouldn’t do that if you don't have to.
Last edited:
Did you lease your Kona?
Since I changed my oil a few days ago, I noticed my kw/100km drop by about 3 to 4 kw/100km.
The temperature has been stable (about 0C to 2C in Montreal) and I went from about 22kw/100km to about 18.5
Is this something I should be worried about? Like maybe there is not enough oil in the pan which would put less resistance on the motor maybe?
I topped it off as much as I could, but the car was on ramps on the front, with the rear driver's side jacked up.
The temperature has been stable (about 0C to 2C in Montreal) and I went from about 22kw/100km to about 18.5
Is this something I should be worried about? Like maybe there is not enough oil in the pan which would put less resistance on the motor maybe?
I topped it off as much as I could, but the car was on ramps on the front, with the rear driver's side jacked up.
KiwiME
Well-Known Member
The fill volume is 1.05 litre but I'd say it's fine +/- 0.1 either side. I fill it on the flat or with the left side slightly raised so the tire just clears the ground, in both cases by installing a measured amount so that I know it's correct.
I'd be surprised if oil had such a large effect on efficiency simply because oil losses play a very small part in the overall picture, especially in winter conditions.
I'd be surprised if oil had such a large effect on efficiency simply because oil losses play a very small part in the overall picture, especially in winter conditions.
Chris53825
Member
On January 2nd I changed my reduction gear fluid at approximately 10,000 miles (5,000 miles on oil) with the magnets external to the bolt. It didn't look as shimmery this time, but still looked fairly dark. This is my third change (1st at ~1K mile, 2nd at ~5K miles, 3rd at ~10K miles) and I'll likely wait until 25K-30K miles for my next one. For reference I own a 2022 SEL that I purchased in January of 2022.
Ginginova
Active Member
Nope. I own my Kona.
Then you're like me with my MINI Cooper SE (not available for lease in the US)--I'm doing nothing above and beyond the warranty requirements to extend the life of its components. I'm driving it hard and enjoying every mile.
It's interesting that, for the first time, the Owners Manual for the 2023 SE suggests it's best to charge to only 80% to extend the life of the battery. First, who would be happy charging a car with a paltry 114-mile EPA range to 80%? Second, if they want owners to charge to 80%, why didn't they provide an optional mechanism to limit the charge to that level? I follow the ABC rule with my SE: Always Be Charging. It applies to both driving and deciding when to plug in.
Chris53825
Member
Speaking of warranty requirements, does anyone know if we need do certain maintenance items (e.g. coolant replacement) in order to to maintain eligibility for the 100K mile battery/drivetrain warranty in the US? Once I'm out of the 3 year / 36K mile coverage, I don't plan on doing the coolant changes unless they're mandatory for the 100K mile warranty. I asked my local dealer and they didn't really know.
Probably follow the manual for warranty requirements.
However, with the latest negative data on this LC coolant change from various forums, I am leaning toward "letting my coolant turn to Jello" before changing what is presently working...at least until several issues are solved.
The stuff is overpriced, has way too short a lifespan, and recent replacements have caused issues with the circulation system, recent one from this forum.
Ferenc Jakab
Active Member
Isn't it interesting how often the dealers don't really know? Especially when they really should know.
Chris53825
Member
What model year?
R P
Well-Known Member
Not sure if that is the last of it. When I had the ticking, they first replaced the reduction drive. Then less than a 1000 kms later, it came back. Next they replaced the motor, and that seemed to fix it. Had the car for another 30K kms, and it never came back before I sold it.