I hate cars.

We’ve a Hyundai iX20, 8-years-old, 1.6 diesel engine, 83k on the clock and it’s been 10k since its last service (due every 12k).

Perfectly good little car which hasn’t missed a beat in the 3.5 years of ownership, but on Sat it struggled to idle in traffic. Though it hasn’t done it since.

For the last year+ it’s *mainly* only done 4 miles a day (Mrs Merman drives it to work and back). But that said, it does get an “Italian Service” on the Mway every other weekend or so, if we go somewhere far-flung.

So… does it just need a bottle of Redex bunged in the tank, or is it likely to be a sign of something more serious and I should book it in with the local garage?

Could do without expensive garage bills right now.

Posted 6 months ago

Dirty fuel filter? Easy to check, cheap to replace if that’s what it is

Posted 6 months ago

please dont use redex, if anything put in some shellnitro/vpower for a tank and let that run through to clean the system.

The problems could be multiple from;
loss of compression,
blocked filters,
knackered pump (unlikely) or
blocked injector
knackered injector
poor fuel (explainable if cold)

was the car very cold when it was struggling to idle, could indicate glow plug issue, but you’d normally get a fault thrown up.

did you notice any white smoke?

sui

Posted 6 months ago

hard to say without diagnostics or real time data… you could try lots of things, which would jsut be wasting money

Posted 6 months ago

It dicked around once in 8 years and your worrying. And its fixed itself and not done it since.
Too manu variables to unleash the parts cannon but it might be
Blocked fuel filter
Bad earth to an injector
Fuel pump beginning to fail
Alternator just dropping voltage at idle if heater on, heated seats, heated screen on and repeated short journey twice daily
This is no reason to hate the car, sounds like its put up with alot for a dpf motor, this kind of use kills them

Posted 6 months ago

woody would be closer to the answer if we ruled out major mechanical issues, you’ve already stated car has sat around for quite a while, fuel doesn’t like sitting around for too long and if you used Tesco or Morrisons finest diesel it could easily have gone a little funny and blocked a filter. As i said quickest easiest win is decent fuel, it will help to clear fuel filter blockages to an extent, whilst cleaning the rest of the system. Path of least resistance – fuel, filters (if you’re comfortable DIY’ing) then garage..

Posted 6 months ago

actually just thinking about stmind’s comment on the DPF – if that’s not had a regen for a while, the back-pressures at idle could be an issue..

Posted 6 months ago

I had a fabia 1.4 tdi which behaved just like a failed injector. It wasn’t as it turned out the loom providing power to the injector was at fault. Much cheaper fix than injectors.

Posted 6 months ago

I’m in the when did it have a fuel filter camp?

Posted 6 months ago

Fuel filter – job done (probably)

Posted 6 months ago

It dicked around once in 8 years and your worrying. And its fixed itself and not done it since.

Easy, tiger.

*you’re

**it’s

Got a long drive coming up at the weekend and no time to take it to a garage. Don’t want it exploding in a shower of cogs and springs, is all. If a tank-full of vpower is a good idea, I’ll do that.

Thanks, hive mind.

Posted 6 months ago

Sounds like air getting into the fuel line. Could be a badly seated fuel filter seal, or cracking fuel line. Worth a check along the line and replacing any hose that looks dodgy.

Remember, fuel could be under +ve or – ve pressure, I’ve had it where the – ve leak was causing air to get in, but no diesel was getting pushed out.

This would be my first line of invest before getting into $$$$

Posted 6 months ago

@ Sui – what’s wrong with redex?

@ ThermanMurman – our Passat did this last winter at 10 yrs old, it seemed to be the cold, cleared up as the weather warmed. Perhaps it was that combined with some other age problems.

Posted 6 months ago

Could be a badly seated. O ring
But Shirley it would be worse under load and show least at idle
This presumes single pump at front of car and fuel system under suction from tank to pump

Posted 6 months ago

@bsims redex is just a bog old standard detergent, it’s design hasn’t changed for years, you’re better off with a shell premium which already has a get clean dose of adds In the fuel. People always overdose with DIY kits and do more harm.

Posted 6 months ago

Thanks Sui. I did suspect that the stuff was designed for the 1950s. I was thought there was going to be some inside info about how it would stain your pistons red and make them fall out though the crank case breather.🤪

I used millers diesel additive which helped mpg a bit. I figured it gave a faster flame front at low revs so you have less need to change gear in traffic. That was on a VW PD with that doldrums like sub 1700rpm power delivery. No idea if it kept the engine cleaner only it was cheaper than V power/ Ultimate.

Edit: I used to half dose to avoid using too much

Posted 6 months ago