Hyundai iLoad Turbocharger Problems & Solutions
Turbocharger Replacement & Preventative Maintenance
Hyundai iLoad iMax Turbocharger Problems for the 2.5L diesel, have been well documented. At around 100,000 km or sooner, we have seen complete failures of the original iLoad turbocharger. This has also been observed in vehicles that do a lot of highway driving. And the rate of failure seems much higher for these vehicles than other diesels in the same age/engine size category.
Below is some advice to prevent and make an early diagnosis of the turbocharger problems.
We also provide a more economical solution for replacing the Hyundai iLoad iMax turbocharger.
Turbocharger Preventative Maintenance
Turbocharger problems in the iLoad appear generally related to oil dilution and sludge/carbon build up in the engine.
One of the culprits (and probably not the only reason), for such issues appears to be the diesel injectors.
The injectors seem to be prone to faults.
In particular the sealing of the injector in the engine cylinder head.
You can do a quick check for such an issue by looking for evidence of carbon build up around the injector.
Build up around the outside of the injector that may suggest leaking washers.
Such problems may allow combustion gases to enter the crankcase.
Thereby creating excessive blow-by (pressures) and carbonizing (thickening) of engine oil due to excess combustion particles.
Carbonized oil may then accumulate in areas such as the oil pick up pump in the engine oil sump.
This will block up turbocharger oil feed and drain lines. And likewise for their associated connections like banjo bolts, becoming potential blockage bottlenecks.
The turbocharger will then be starved of oil for one of 2 reasons:
1) Due to either lack of oil flow into unit.
2) Back pressure preventing free flow of oil out of the turbo.
In either case, oil flow is severely restricted or blocked.
The result is premature wearing of the turbocharger or outright failure of the bearings and other working surfaces.
Hyundai iLoad iMax Turbochargers are variable vane (VNT) technology, with a pneumatic actuator.
And another effect on the turbo could be due to incomplete fuel combustion.
This creates formation of deposits around the VNT mechanisms in the turbocharger.
The nozzle / exciter ring becomes stiff or even locks up completely.
Thereby preventing the variable vanes from opening and closing correctly.
So what if you find an issue with the injectors?
The injector holes within the head need to be cleaned of carbon build up.
The injector washers and clamp bolts holding the injector in place need to be replaced and torqued to correct specification.
It is then HIGHLY recommended that the Engine oil and oil filter be replaced as most likely oil will have been contaminated.
In general, for the Hyundai iLoad iMax Turbocharger that is over 50,000km old, it is probably worth doing these 2 things:
1) Check all injectors.
2) Check for excessive shaft axial & radial (horizontal) play or damage to compressor wheel / main shaft.
Both can be done fairly easily.
General Advice for the iload / iMax:
For the Hyundai iLoad iMax, regular servicing is ESSENTIAL (and more so for these 2 than most other vehicles).
We recommend DECREASING the time and distance traveled between regular oil and filter changes BELOW that recommended by Hyundai.
They recommend every 15,000km unless use in extreme conditions (then it is 7500km between services).
A safer level is every 5000km to prevent the oil dilution / sludge problem.
We also recommend a higher grade of oil and going to a fully synthetic oil if possible.
Every few services the oil sump pan should be removed and the oil pick up pump / filter cleaned.
Also an engine flush or 2 to de-carbonize the engine is a good idea.
You can also try using a different brand of oil every few services.
Different oils use different detergents and hence will clean deposits in different ways.
What if the turbo is worn or needs replacing?
It is absolutely required that oil and filter are changed when a new turbo is installed.
At the same time, the banjo bolts for the oil feed and drain lines should also be cleaned.
The oil feed and drain lines should be ultrasonically cleaned or IDEALLY, replaced.
The above outlines some Hyundai iLoad iMax turbocharger problems and solutions, and some ways to help prevent ongoing turbo issues.
You can find more detailed information on how to Prevent Hyundai iLoad Problems here.
Hyundai iLoad iMax Turbocharger Replacement
If you currently have a Hyundai iLoad iMax 2.5L turbo that needs replacing, we supply a very cost-effective aftermarket replacement. We cover the turbochargers with our Exclusive 36 Month Warranty, which is Triple the 1 year warranty period of the original OEM turbochargers.
You can find our cost-effective Direct Upgrade Replacement Hyundai iLoad iMax 2.5L Turbochargers HERE.
For any query on matching turbo parts to your vehicle, please contact support on: 0490 059 316.