2012 Accent, 0W20, and Warranty

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Oct 6, 2011
Messages
11
Location
Canada
After CATERHAM brought up the subject of possible cheap 0W20 OEM oil in Canada, I emailed Hyundai Canada about using 0W20 oil in my Accent. This is their response:

"In response to your inquiry, as per your Owner's Manual we recommend that you use 5W20 oil for the 1.6 GDI engine. The 0W2 [sic] oil will unfortunately void the warranty."

Wow that I did not expect. Just a heads up to anyone in Canada about using that in the new Accent, as I've seen 0W20 recommendations in other Accent threads. Is Hyundai USA as stupid about this?
 
it just goes to show that you have to rigidly follow manufacturer's recommendation during your warranty period (keep all service records and receipts in case of dispute).

You can play scientist anyway you want post-warranty period. It's your choice and your mullah, afterall.

Q.
 
Maybe. What do they stand to gain by allowing you to use an oil they did not test, regardless of how unlikely it would be to cause a problem? All that can happen is nothing, or they loose money on a warranty claim. Also, understand you probably weren't talking to their director of powertrain development.... it was probably someone reading from a list of FAQ's.
 
I remember hearing a lot about Hyundai being incredible strict with their warranty process - ie, no long drains, oil must meet spec, etc. Obviously a lot of this fades once you bring up MM Act and threat of a lawyer, but for 99% of the population they'll fold. Would love to see you write back if it voids the entire warranty or just the engine part.
 
since 0w20 exceeds 5w20 its probably just an idiot reading off a FAQ. no 0w20 will wear out if you follow their intervals correctly.. ie use severe service schedule for severe service etc.

even if it was tested it will come back as the right viscosity.

now their transmission fluid... it has a marker chemical in it.. and your transmission fluid needs to have it or they get real ..um shiesty with their warranty at that point usually.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
since 0w20 exceeds 5w20 its probably just an idiot reading off a FAQ. no 0w20 will wear out if you follow their intervals correctly.. ie use severe service schedule for severe service etc.

even if it was tested it will come back as the right viscosity.

now their transmission fluid... it has a marker chemical in it.. and your transmission fluid needs to have it or they get real ..um shiesty with their warranty at that point usually.


If you're still using the same trans fluid that Hyundai recommends that you use, why should they give a [censored]? The trans flush at the dealership is $140 or some crazy stupid high number. I can do it myself for $60 (valvoline ATF) and the valvoline has a higher temperature resistance and meets Hyundai's requirements. Hyundai has very dumb rules on what you can and can not do.
 
Originally Posted By: bepperb
Maybe. What do they stand to gain by allowing you to use an oil they did not test, regardless of how unlikely it would be to cause a problem? All that can happen is nothing, or they loose money on a warranty claim. Also, understand you probably weren't talking to their director of powertrain development.... it was probably someone reading from a list of FAQ's.

Yes, and what idiot at Hyundai wrote that quote?
It's a FACT that a synthetic 0W-20 is a superior lubricant to a cheap 5W-20 dino. How far up the Hyundai hierarchy do you want to go before you get to speak to someone that has the technical knowledge to interpret correctly what their own warranty requirements are?
In any warranty claim that would be possibly lubrication related, Hyundai would have to prove that the oil was the cause.
IMO they wouldn't have the nerve to suggest the engine failure was due to running synthetic oil when only a dino is specified.

BTW, if you want to blindly follow the letter of what was said by that Hyundai representative, then I suggest you do not use a "0W2" oil.
 
Originally Posted By: Promo
Originally Posted By: Rand
since 0w20 exceeds 5w20 its probably just an idiot reading off a FAQ. no 0w20 will wear out if you follow their intervals correctly.. ie use severe service schedule for severe service etc.

even if it was tested it will come back as the right viscosity.

now their transmission fluid... it has a marker chemical in it.. and your transmission fluid needs to have it or they get real ..um shiesty with their warranty at that point usually.


If you're still using the same trans fluid that Hyundai recommends that you use, why should they give a [censored]? The trans flush at the dealership is $140 or some crazy stupid high number. I can do it myself for $60 (valvoline ATF) and the valvoline has a higher temperature resistance and meets Hyundai's requirements. Hyundai has very dumb rules on what you can and can not do.


Valvoline isnt a manufacturer approved transmission fluid its a "meets or exceeds SPIII" fluid
It wasnt certified by hyundai or anything.
The manufacturer Claims it meets or exceeds the SPIII spec.

also by your logic you could do the flush with the hyundai fluid for 10$ more than the valvoline fluid.

You can also use mitsubishi or kia spIII they are all identical (sometimes one or the other is cheaper)

IMO both(valvoline and geniune spIII)are fine but if I had a warranty I'd use the 6$/qt fluid from the dealer. They get REAL shiesty esp once you are in the 10/100 warranty and out of the 5/60 bumper to bumper.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Rand
Originally Posted By: Promo
Originally Posted By: Rand
since 0w20 exceeds 5w20 its probably just an idiot reading off a FAQ. no 0w20 will wear out if you follow their intervals correctly.. ie use severe service schedule for severe service etc.

even if it was tested it will come back as the right viscosity.

now their transmission fluid... it has a marker chemical in it.. and your transmission fluid needs to have it or they get real ..um shiesty with their warranty at that point usually.


If you're still using the same trans fluid that Hyundai recommends that you use, why should they give a [censored]? The trans flush at the dealership is $140 or some crazy stupid high number. I can do it myself for $60 (valvoline ATF) and the valvoline has a higher temperature resistance and meets Hyundai's requirements. Hyundai has very dumb rules on what you can and can not do.


Valvoline isnt a manufacturer approved transmission fluid its a "meets or exceeds SPIII" fluid
It wasnt certified by hyundai or anything.
The manufacturer Claims it meets or exceeds the SPIII spec.

also by your logic you could do the flush with the hyundai fluid for 10$ more than the valvoline fluid.

You can also use mitsubishi or kia spIII they are all identical (sometimes one or the other is cheaper)

IMO both(valvoline and geniune spIII)are fine but if I had a warranty I'd use the 6$/qt fluid from the dealer. They get REAL shiesty esp once you are in the 10/100 warranty and out of the 5/60 bumper to bumper.


52k on the clock and 3 year old car.
10/100k warranty is in place.
I track the car, the Hyundai fluid that I used went from red to black in 2 track events, i've had valvoline in for the past 7 events and it's still bright red.
Did a little research before going with Valvoline, it's better than Hyundai's SPIII in almost every way, it's easier to get, comes in jugs instead of $100 14 quart tubs, and multiple people have had good luck with it. Plus.. there is an 11 second tib putting 420 to the wheels that was running Valvoline ATF, and it's a stock trans.

Mobis makes amazing parts for Hyundai. I trust OEM (Mobis) over any other brand out there for regular maintenance/replacement (timing belt, gaskets, etc.), but as far as fluids go.. i'd rather get something tried and true than something that is "certified" or "recommended" by Hyundai.
It won't void your warranty, because they can't simply blame the fluid that you used. They have to PROVE that the fluid that you used caused the failure that it did, and there isn't a single case where using the non-Hyundai recommended fluid caused a failure that was fluid related.
21.gif
I'll stick to what works best, not what is approved.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Promo

52k on the clock and 3 year old car.
10/100k warranty is in place.
I track the car, the Hyundai fluid that I used went from red to black in 2 track events, i've had valvoline in for the past 7 events and it's still bright red.
Did a little research before going with Valvoline, it's better than Hyundai's SPIII in almost every way, it's easier to get, comes in jugs instead of $100 14 quart tubs, and multiple people have had good luck with it. Plus.. there is an 11 second tib putting 420 to the wheels that was running Valvoline ATF, and it's a stock trans.

Mobis makes amazing parts for Hyundai. I trust OEM (Mobis) over any other brand out there for regular maintenance/replacement (timing belt, gaskets, etc.), but as far as fluids go.. i'd rather get something tried and true than something that is "certified" or "recommended" by Hyundai.
It won't void your warranty, because they can't simply blame the fluid that you used. They have to PROVE that the fluid that you used caused the failure that it did, and there isn't a single case where using the non-Hyundai recommended fluid caused a failure that was fluid related.
21.gif
I'll stick to what works best, not what is approved.


I would think track racing your car would void most warranties anyways.
 
11second tiberon? with 420hp would be voiding all the warrantys anyway. and i wouldnt be using a 20weight on the track probably either.
unless tib means something else
 
Hyundai is well known to be getting very sticky about warranty coverage. If they deny you are you willing (or able) to hire an attorney and duke it out? Could take a while, got some extra cars?

Not only does track time void almost any warranty but it also strikes a bad note with insurance companies.

Moral is don't play if you can't pay. We all get to choose what we do but we also have to accept what we create with those choices.
 
I've never had to go in for any warranty related issues, nor do I ever plan on it.
I don't plan on breaking something at the track and taking it to the dealer and expecting them to fix it.. not that kind of person.
I have a spare 6-spd trans that's getting built, a set of built heads and a stock shortblock. I won't be going in for a warranty unless something out of the blue happens and the only explanation is factory defect (with 50k miles, i'm past the defect point)

I didn't mean to derail the thread. Just saying, Hyundai can take a lot of abuse, and sticking with what Hyundai tells you to do isn't always the best option, although it is the smartest option.
 
Most track events are considered "driver education" days so they do not void anything.
Obviously it's still prudent not "to rub their nose in what you're doing" or you could get into unnecesary discussions with idiots like the OP has done with Hyundai.
 
Originally Posted By: Promo
I've never had to go in for any warranty related issues, nor do I ever plan on it.
I don't plan on breaking something at the track and taking it to the dealer and expecting them to fix it.. not that kind of person.


Bravo.

I'm really tired of the whiners who break their car at the track and then pull all the mods off and reprogram the pcm and try and get the dealer to fix it.

A day at the track is better than most...
 
Good for Promo.

I know a lot of Porsche and Bimmer drivers that have pushed through broken engines (usually over rev'd when downshifting) as warranty claims. It's not normally covered but there are ways to get it processed and it requires a lot of lying on the part of the owner.
 
Responses like that make me feel that customer service reps work like robots. They see 5w-20 in the manual...that's the only oil allowed in the car.
 
Originally Posted By: poiuy223
Responses like that make me feel that customer service reps work like robots. They see 5w-20 in the manual...that's the only oil allowed in the car.


Yeah. At this point I haven't had an oil change yet on the new car. I may just go with 5W20 to avoid any issues with warranty down the road if I need it (and I may since it's the first year of manufacture for that GDI engine).
 
Don't tell me your chickening out?

Instead why don't you email Mobil and ask if you can use their recently introduced AFE 0W-20 to Canada in your Accent.
Say something like, "it would seem to be a great choice for a Canadian winter".
I'm hoping they will confirm it would be an excellent choice.
Then you can contact the President of Hyundai Canada and ask how running M1 AFE 0W-20 could possible void your warranty.
Don't wimp out; just teasing!
 
Hehe depends. I'll try escalating things and maybe give your way a shot. But if they keep saying no I can't risk the warranty. I'll just have to fill it with 0W20 after it expires
smile.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top