[ToyoCabbie]

Two years ago I made a thread when my kia Sonet HTK+ 5MT started dripping transmission fluid in our parking lot.The car was towed and a new seal was applied and we were offered extended warranty after escalating multiple times.

Thread: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...kia-sonet.html (Transmission leak on a 10-day old Kia Sonet)

Yesterday (30-4-2023),I was driving in the city when I started hearing a whining noise in all gears above 1st.This has happened once before and it randomly stopped before I could get it checked,but this time the noise kept getting louder.I was asked to pull over by other road users as they kept pointing at my wheels.

Noise:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vEAdn-zygj8?feature=share

I got down and was shocked to see transmission fluid gushing out and a long 2km trail of oil behind my car.







Kia roadside assistance towed the vehicle to the nearest service center and she sits there till Tuesday as Sunday and Monday are holidays.

Any opinion on what the problem may be would be appreciated.

[Omkar]

For starters, that's an eerie noise from the gearbox. The noise would be from the bearings in the gearbox and that's because there's no oil around them.

Did you notice any issues with shifting? If that's the case, then there might be some damage to the gears.

I believe your car is still under warranty (3 years?), so would strongly suggest you push for a gearbox replacement. Leaking transmission is not a common occurrence in new cars, so this might be some sort of defect as it has happened twice to your car.

The workshop could suggest opening up the gearbox and checking for any damages on the inside. Then replace the damaged parts and this works as well, as it is the affordable way. But for the additional peace of mind, replacement is the way to go.

[ToyoCabbie]

Originally Posted by Omkar

For starters, that's an eerie noise from the gearbox. The noise would be from the bearings in the gearbox and that's because there's no oil around them.

Did you notice any issues with shifting? If that's the case, then there might be some damage to the gears.

Thanks for the reply,
One week prior to this incident the car was stuck in first gear and would not move or make any sound even with the clutch released.But the issue quickly resolved itself after shutting off the car and somehow pulling it out of 1st.It drove normally after that.

The workshop called today to confirm that there is absolutely no external damage to the transmission and it is something internal.They've asked for my approval to tear it apart to send proof to kia for further assistance.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by ToyoCabbie

The workshop called today to confirm that there is absolutely no external damage to the transmission and it is something internal.They've asked for my approval to tear it apart to send proof to kia for further assistance.

That's good for you as sometimes dealerships try to pass on external damage. Was there any signs of leakage under the engine, even minute greasy area around the seal that you got changed? Do you park your car at same place and on a cemented floor?

It has to be some seal leak only, can be the one they replaced before or another but this time since a lot of oil got drained, it would have damaged some other parts like bearings and in worst case, teeth of the gears. Given the history of the leak in the initial ownership, you should press for the complete gearbox change. But if they don't agree, all parts should be carefully inspected. Try to take dealership into confidence, they can pressurise manufacturer.

[ToyoCabbie]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

That's good for you as sometimes dealerships try to pass on external damage. Was there any signs of leakage under the engine, even minute greasy area around the seal that you got changed?

I just received pictures of the gearbox and it is absolutely horrifying to look at.This time it didn't leak from the seal unfortunately.The entire gearbox shell is cracked.And there were no prior signs of oil leakage since the initial fix.

[Turbanator]

Oh, it's good that they have not blamed external damage, else you would have to go via the insurance route. Can this be due to over-tightening or leaving any nut loose when they did repairs on the gearbox first time?

I see some small particles in the joint (where the bolt is open)



Most likely, Kia will approve a complete change as it will be very hard to put back everything back in a new gearbox casting. And then, if something goes bad again they will have to take off everything apart.

[ToThePoint]

Originally Posted by ToyoCabbie

I just received pictures of the gearbox and it is absolutely horrifying to look at.This time it didn't leak from the seal unfortunately.The entire gearbox shell is cracked.And there were no prior signs of oil leakage since the initial fix.

Didn't the dealership just 1 day back said no external damage whatsoever?

Anyways, looks like a manufacturing defect while casting and should be eligible for factory replacement. Good luck and keep this thread updated.

PS: or is it the case of over tightening/torquing the bolts the last time gearbox was opened

[MinivanDriver]

Looks like it destroyed itself from the inside. Shaft and / or bearings came loose or broke off while rotating at speed. Then hit the casing and cracked it. I would recommend seeing for yourself the internals of the transmission and taking pictures so as to have proof incase the dealership / Kia tries to do a U turn and blame external impact later. It would also help the OP to push for an entire gearbox replacement incase they say that only replacement of damaged components is necessary.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Can this be due to over-tightening or leaving any nut loose when they did repairs on the gearbox first time?

I see some small particles in the joint (where the bolt is open)

Originally Posted by ToyoCabbie

The entire gearbox shell is cracked.And there were no prior signs of oil leakage since the initial fix.

Looks mostly like a bearing or synchroniser failure at high speed and that caused it to explode and crack the gearbox housing open. I had suffered this problem in a Scorpio I rented from Zoomcar many years ago. I hope a new gearbox is provided under warranty and not a rebuild of the transmission with a new casing.

[sasmit]

No offence but this one of the reasons of suspect long term reliability of Kia/ Hyundai cars.
This is purely because of something got dislodged or broken due to lack of lubricatuon and hit the casing. Same thing happens when con rod seizes and cracks taking the block with itself.
The other thing could be over application of gasket former / sealant . This stuff turns rock like and if a little bit got into the gearbox it could have damaged the sync rings or bearings.Since this is non magnetic would never be trapped by the magnet at bottom.