2019 Kona EV Motor Noise Issue

Frankly, I'd order two because it will double the effectiveness and avoid them getting mixed up.

Let me know how the plug is constructed when you get it. Magnet glued or crimped in place.

The oil will be cheaper. The Walmart price was for being shipped to the other end of the world.

 

I thought I would add my experiences to this thread even though we own a 2020 Ioniq as it shares the drive train with the smaller battery Kona.

We have had our motor replaced twice, once in December last year and again in October this year. The dealer has not replaced the reduction gear even though I have asked them to check it is alright and they know there are issues with Konas. My dealer does not have that much experience with EV's and rely on 'Hyundai Technical' so everything takes an age. I have waited 2 and a half months since it was last in waiting on HT to confirm the noise is normal or not! Apparently the last response confused them as they were to follow a Kona TSB to fix our car but they seem to think they are 2 completely different cars.

It initially came before 5000km but was told it was a normal noise. At 8000km they said the fault was the and it was quiet for 500kms after the first replacement but after the second the dealers could not fix it having tried a few things

The noise is not terrible and my partner doesn't notice it much unless I point it out but I hear it every time I drive. We love the car and it has done 30000kms in 18 months for us.

Im giving them one last chance to fix it or will be requesting restitution under Australian Consumer Law which states that unless a defect can be fixed in a reasonable amount of time consumers are entitled to a replacement or a refund. I am a patient man so I think 12 months is reasonable .

 

My suggestion is to be proactive and pay for a gear reducer oil change and don't take "no, it's not scheduled until 120,000 km" for an answer.

No matter what, if the original oil is still in there it will look like black coffee.

If the reducer is OK then that's cheap insurance for its continuing health. If it's not OK then the colour and metal that comes out might give them a hint that it needs replacing.

Judging by the noise in your video, I know where my bets are placed.

 

The ongoing discussion in various places about gearbox lube is making me wonder if I could use up
the leftover ATF-WS transaxle fluid that never went into the Prius. Maybe as a short-distance flush?
Then ultimately get some Redline in there, or something. What's the general viscosity of most ATF?

_H*

 

Well, the saga continues.

I just picked up the new magnetic plug and here is a shot of it:



It looks like a monolithic assembly.

So much so, I figured I’d get a sheet metal screw to check the plugs magnetic characteristics.

This plug has NO magnetic characteristics.

Even small metal shavings are not attracted to this plug (versus being attracted to the various magnets on my shop bench).

Called the Hyundai parts guy, we had a long talk…I assured him my car actually has plugs for the reduction gear assembly because I’ve seen them with my own eyes (!)…he will order another “magnetic” plug, it should arrive Tuesday.

I’ll bring this plug back PLUS some small metal screws to see if the unit that arrives Tuesday is magnetic.

 

ATF normally has about the same viscosity and gear EP rating as the oil we need. The Leaf and some other EVs specify ATF incl Tesla. I would not be surprised if Hyundai's specification for a 70W GL-4 was a result of already having that oil on the shelf for the DCT transmissions. I recollect that ATF has better anti-foaming properties.

Redline's D6 ATF says it can be used where a 70W-75W GL-4 is called out:

D4 ATF - QUART

• Our most versatile ATF, use where Dexron III®, Dexron II®, Mercon® and Mercon V® fluids are recommended, for use in automatic, manual transmissions and power steering
• Popular applications: Toyota Type T-III and T-IV, Honda ATF-Z1, Nissan Matic D, J & K, Diamond SP-II, SP-III, Mazda ATF M-V, most BMW and Audi/VW automatic transmissions
• Also used with manual transmissions and transaxles like T-5, T-45, T-56 and late-model BMW, provides a GL-4 level of gear protection
• Excellent cold weather operation

D6 ATF - QUART

• Our lowest viscosity, most shear-stable ATF for consistent operation, designed to satisfy Dexron-VI®, Mercon®SP, Mercon®LV, Honda DW-1, Toyota WS, Mercedes Benz NAG-2, ZF-LG 6, 6+ and 8 fluids, for use in automatic and manual transmissions
• Also satisfies API 70W/75W and GL-4 gear oil requirements

That is bizarre! Was the dealer under the assumption that it was described as a magnet plug?

 

When discussing the order a few days ago, the discussion was based solely on a “magnetic” plug.

The wrapper that the plug came in was the correct part number with the words “Plug - Magnet” on it.

Wouldn’t be the first time in 45 years of tinkering with cars that an OEM part is labeled incorrectly.

 

Further to my last, after sleeping on it…

I’ll still see if the OEM plug that will arrive Tuesday will actually be magnetic, but if it isn’t…

I am going to apply these rare earth magnets to the OEM plug:

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/hardware/rare-earth-magnets/magnets/disc/32065-rare-earth-circular-magnets?item=99K3213

I am using these exact magnets with an outdoor application over the past three years with no drama.

My plan is to simply use two, stacked upon one another, magnetically attached to the OUTSIDE of the OEM metal drain plug.

Due to scheduling conflicts, I won’t be able to get the magnets and bench test my proposal (via the ability to grab and hold a few kg worth of metal) until Christmas Day.

I’ll post my results here.

 

Very smart idea. If the plug itself is of magnetic material, attaching a magnet to the outside should be good enough avoiding any potential problems with "loose" parts on the inside.

 

I'm reluctant to tamp down such enthusiasm but the end result won't be very effective. It would work better secured to the aluminium housing such that ferrous debris can tighten the flux surrounding the magnet. When attached to a ferrous drain plug that job is already done. As it is, small steel particles have very little affinity for a magnet as it is, so direct contact is most effective.

But, not to leave it at that, I've located a source for an alternative to the Votex that myself and OzKona are trialing. This is the old Toyota truck/SUV application I had mentioned before. Note the magnet is staked in place so the reliability is more tangible than the glued variety.

https://trail-gear.com/trail-gear-magnetic-drain-plug-for-axle-housings-transfer-cases-and-transmissions-m18-1-5.html

 

I'm curious if they put a magnetic plug into the Ioniq5 and EV6 or not.

 

It would be difficult to tell but passing an old-style magnetic compass near the drain plug might give it away. I believe this shows the front and rear drive units, left and right respectively in the first photo. The drain plugs are visible on the unit on the left. For the unit on the right see the second photo. I can see they have the same 24mm shallow hex head as the Kona.

But if you're buying a new car you'd have an opportunity to install one immediately and it's easy enough to swap it without losing more than a few drops of oil.

 

@KiwiME Definitely something I would like to look at ... When the time/car comes.

 

Fair enough.

I'll still try my ad hoc method with the external magnet applied to the plug.

Once I get them, I'll try and see what amount of (metal) weight that setup will hold up.

IIRC, the one inch disc has a 35 lb rating.

I do know that if you get two of them together, you need to put one in a vice and use a screwdriver to dislodge the other disc.

 

They are Neodymium.

Good call on the viability of socket interference with a 1” diameter disc…the measurement of my OEM plug shows 15/16” diameter as being the maximum to avoid interference…thus I’ll pick up the next size down, the 3/4” diameter option.

 

Got the Kona in for the wheel of fortune noise. Unsurprisingly they called back saying the noise comes from the reduction gear, and there are metal chips in the transmission oil... Found this thread, and gotta wonder how wise it was to save $1 for magnetic drain plug when the end result is having to replace thousands of gearboxes and motors for 4-figure sums each under warranty!

 

Well, big corporations usually only learn well when it costs them lots of money.
Which production year is your Kona experiencing "wheel of fortune noise"?

 

It would be useful to learn what you can during the repair. We hear of this sort of thing every once in a while but never get any useful feedback. Even just seeing if the output shafts have significant looseness would be good. The two failures I'm aware of both had this symptom, can be easily and quickly checked.

 

2019, with just 30k km on it (thanks, corona).