Hyundai Forums banner

Heard engine noise, missing 4L of oil

4K views 22 replies 11 participants last post by  greysave 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey everyone,

Back in December I bought a 2013 Santa Fe Sport Limited 2.0T. It's been a great car so far. Not quite as fun to drive as the BMW that it replaced, but has been more practical and worth the trade in.

Two months ago I got an oil change, and shortly after I started noticing small stains on the ground after driving. I figured with the warmer temps and more frequent use of AC that it was likely attributed to that, and not a possible oil leak.

Fast forward two months and now you have me, towing a 2600lb trailer 2000km to the east coast of Canada. After we parked the trailer at our campsite, we went for a drive to check out the views. On our way up a very step 12% grade hill, I heard a weird clacking sound coming from the engine area. The sound went away at the top of the hill. There were no lights coming on on the dash, and no performance issues. I figured I might've been a bit low on oil, so we immediately went to the nearest town and picked up a few quarts of oil. It took 4 one litre bottles to bring it back up to full.

I haven't noticed any leaking since I filled it, but need to wait until morning to confirm.

Unfortunately, not being all too great at inspecting things, I forgot to check the oil level (or didn't think I needed to based on recently having had it changed).

So I guess my question is, is it likely that this has been a slow leak based on the small stains I've noticed over the last few months, or did towing a trailer 2000km mess up the engine / blow an oil gasket?

I'm 2000km from home, so any kind of advice would be greatly appreciated.

I did buy a few extra 1L bottles just in case I need to fill along the way to Halifax, which is our next stop. I might try to fin a garage while I'm out there if the issue shows up again.

Thanks for any help I get!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Humm, .... hard for me to imagine not pulling out the dip stick in 2 months (and before a long trip).

I don't think I would be driving very far before (at least) taking it to an "oil change place" to have it checked. Even if you had to pay for another oil change. If it's a loose drain bolt or filter, have it documented and take some pics with your phone or camera.

or ....

Look for the leak yourself.
You will have to get under the vehicle and remove the access cover to check the oil pan drain bolt (if it's like my 2017) to see if it's leaking there or at the filter (the other access cover underneath).

Boy, 4 litres low. That is darn near OUT of oil.

JMO
 
#4 ·
Yeah, was an oversight for sure. I checked tire pressure and whatnot. **** near everything except the oil. I think it was a false sense of security having recently had it changed. I don't know.

Unfortunately Cape Breton has like... nothing except good views of mountains. I'll have to drive at least a few hundred kilometres to get to any kind of town that'll have an Oil Changers, Midas, or Jiffy Lube.

I'll be checking the hour at every stop on the way and topping off if needed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#8 ·
Yeah, was an oversight
it wasnt an "oversight". you seen the stains. you know the a/c doesnt leave greasy/oily stains; rather just water. you just didnt want to deal with it. and subconsciously you didnt want to check the oil before the trip. i think you know the deal here - you ran low on oil while towing during the summer months. odds are your engine is either half-way toast; or about to be toast.
 
#5 ·
Well I can't speak to the oil change places in Canada
I would at least take it someplace. In the US there are plenty of credible oil change places that I would feel comfortable taking my car to, to have it looked at

Make sure that they don't tighten the drain bolt too tight.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ using Tapatalk
 
#6 ·
It took 4L to fill? And not one warning light related to oil? That's hard to believe with the full capacity being 4.8L. As soon as possible get this looked into!
 
#11 ·
Hyundai does not use an oil level light, only an oil pressure light. Oil has to be nearly empty before it causes low pressure.
 
#7 ·
That's what I thought. I would've thought FOR SURE that there should be a light for that much oil missing.

Gonna get it looked at as soon as I'm back home. For now, it's checking the oil and filling as needed at every stop for gas. What a damper on a vacation like this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#13 ·
I have a 2013 SFS 2.0 turbo and recently had an oil leak develop. Never had any leak issues until then. My problem turned out to be a leaking oil supply line to the turbo. There was no warning or problems, just a sudden leak that sprayed oil all over the back of the motor and firewall. Thankfully my dealer is just a 15 minute drive from home. I got the car there and they had me back on the road in less than two hours by replacing the oil line. In my case, had I run my car much farther than I did, the dealer said I would have lost more than enough oil in a short time to toast the engine!
 
#14 ·
That's spot on the issue I had as well. I made it Halifax and took it into a dealer. After 60 minutes he told me it's the supply hose to the turbo. Getting it replaced tonight/tomorrow morning, and then we're back on the road. Asked them to check the brakes while they're at it.

Joy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#18 ·
Well, it may not have been catastrophic....Yet....But if it was that low and the engine was noisy you more than likely do have some wear to the engine bearings at best and damage at worst. And yes as the oil level goes down it does get hotter and it also starts to break down much faster, so you start to run into both oil starvation and a lack of its normal lubricating qualities. Hence the hunch that you do have wear or damage in there. How much is another question entirely. My suggestion would be change that oil and filter again in about 500 miles in case there is any metal still floating around in there. Please tell me that they changed the filter when they made that repair. If not then I might get it changed again in less than 500 miles...Like soon....

On the gauges versus warning light issue.....It is a horse apiece. If it has a gauge owners will say that they were not watching it and it should have had a light that would get their attention. If it has a light then you run into this type of situation. Over 35+ years I have heard it both ways multiple times. Ideally there would be an oil level sensor and warning light, but those are not always reliable.

Hey, we are all human. We all make mistakes or forget things. It happens. As long as we learn from them we're going the best we can.
 
#19 ·
I know with the Sonata many owners have reported their oil was so low it didn't even show on the dipstick, but no light.
 
#20 ·
I cannot see how that engine is not damaged. My son had a Chrysler that had a leak and he never checked the oil. Oil light flickered on turns and valve train was making noise, so he wanted to drive to the store to get oil with that car ? ? ? ? We put in some 3 1/2 quarts of oil. Lasted a few more months.. engine finally gave out (burning oil). You MAY get help from Hyundai as the leak was their problem. If you told the dealer you never checked the oil... you may be out an awful lot of money.

True... with all the advances in engine technology.. no oil level light.
 
#21 ·
Definitely keep an eye on the oil level after the tube is replaced, if it keeps getting low you need to demand an oil consumption test before your warranty is out.
 
#22 ·
Should the engine not be damaged maybe Hyundai will use you in an ad, I seem to recall at one time a motor oil company promoting their product by running an engine with oil drained for some (short) period of time to show how well their oil protected.

I'd suspect the timing chain balance chain and turbo bearing would have suffered some wear, but hopefully your engine suffered no immediately discernable damage. Was it syn or dino in the crankcase ?

All in all maybe a good indicator of the robustness of the 2.0T .
 
#23 ·
From a Dealer and GM perspective......And I mean this to be educational and not critical of the OP.....

Fluid levels should be checked regularly, especially if you see some type of fluid leak. If you see a leak and the fluids you can check remain full and you have sealed components (Such as some transmissions) with no dipstick, then get the vehicle checked out.

How often should you check the levels? That answer varies. My driveway is clean so if I have a leak I know it within a couple of days. Thus I may only check my levels once a month as I am also a low mileage driver. If your have a dirt or stone driveway that can hide leaks then you may wish to check them once a week. Ditto for a high mileage driver.

Do keep in mind that regardless of whether you have a gauge or warning light it it still your responsibility to check the fluids. It is also your responsibility to prevent unnecessary damage to the vehicle due to a failure when possible. I actually had a customer years ago with an oil light on.....So the owner drove the vehicle to us about ten miles on the Interstate as fast as she could (Her own words). Fortunately it was only as sending unit issue and the engine was fine.

If the engine had been damaged.....Each manufacturer looks at things like that differently. Some may still honor the warranty and repair or replace an engine. Others may point out that the owner's manual explicitly says NOT to do that and since the engine seized as you rolled through our front door, you bear the cost of the repair.

Bottom line....Do check your fluids and if you have a mechanical issue consider whether it is safe / reasonable to drive the vehicle to us or whether it really needs to be towed or use a flat bed to get it here. If there is any doubt contact your Dealer or repair facility.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top