Newbie question -- 3.8 Engine Sound on Moderate Acceleration

[JimInNashville]

LOL, some other people have emailed me and commented that they like the "aggressive sound" while others have said that it drives them nuts. I had a Plymouth Sport Fury 1969 with a high-compression 383 and Holley 4-barrel carb that made some lovely sounds.

I've been to several dealers, and nobody can tell me precisely what the sound is, although the engine passes all electronic tests.

All Genesis 3.8 sedans I've driven make an approximation of this same sound...it is just a lot louder in my vehicle. It could be indicative of a production error, or it could be that I am just at the upper end of "natural
variation" of the sound. Also, I've got the base 3.8, i.e., the cheapest. Maybe that has some impact on the noise.

My issue is not so much with the noise itself as it is with the fact that nobody in the Hyundai organization can state what the noise is.

i really like that sound in the video. seriously.
maybe it doesn't sound as good in person, but based purely on the video, i hear a pleasant aggressive sound, like a V8 muscle car.
i sometimes wish my V8 sounded like that, as i can barely hear my engine.

 

[Majin SSJ Eric]

Just got a 2009 Genesis 3.8 sedan from Carmax a couple of days ago with 16k miles on it and I noticed this exact noise almost immediately. Definitely stood out as a weird sound when I first noticed it yet it is very subtle and could almost be attributed to an aggressive exhaust tuning if it wasn't so lopsided sounding. Really hard to describe but Jim's video nailed it. Mine isn't quite as pronounced but is exactly the same. Not exactly displeasing but not "right" either. I guess I'll just chalk it up to normal considering that it seems all 3.8's make this noise to some degree.

Did you ever get any extra info about this noise Jim?

 

[Mark_888]

I would try using mid-grade gas and see if the sound is the same.

 

[JimInNashville]

To respond to the some of the most recent posters:

1. As for the noise itself, I would say that, if anything, it is slightly louder than it was a year ago, but if so, only slightly. It is definitely *not* quieter. Have I been able to get any additional information? No, I haven't. Nobody from Hyundai has been able to pinpoint *any* technical information anywhere in the Hyundai network that discusses this sound and identifies the technical cause for it. This fact is stunning, and indicates a major failing of modern automotive manufacturing and service networks.

Compare my current experience to one I had in 1975. After a particularly "exciting" acceleration run, my 1969 Plymouth Sport Fury with high-compression 383 and a Holly 4-barrel limped to a stoplight with a loud ticking sound emanating from under the hood. I pulled into the nearest service station. The mechanic said "Can't tell for sure -- take it to Les Kimbrel". He was a local mechanic who actually worked on Indy cars and was a local legend. Drove to his shop on the outskirts of Lafayette, Indiana, prepared for the worst. He listened to the car for a minute, grabbed a stethescope, listened some more, then said, "Shucks, you'll be fine. Tell you what it is. You broke a tooth off the timing chain wheel. A piece of it is stuck in the chain and is slapping against the cover on every revolution. Gotta replace that broken wheel before you break the chain. You throw that chain -- then you WILL have a problem."

How much? I asked with a gulp. "Well, we'll have to tear off the fan, water pump, timing chain cover. Aw, you're a student. Heck...35 bucks."

I watched as he tore down the engine and removed the cover. And there it was. The tooth stuck in the chain, just as he said. Of course he was "my" mechanic from then on. A man with knowledge, and the brainpower to troubleshoot. Are there any Les Kimbrels anywhere in the Hyundai network?
People who can listen to a vehicle and tell you what you are hearing?

2. Some people like the sound. I don't mind it too much except when I give someone a ride and they ask "what the heck is that", but the reason I don't like it is that, under the right loading conditions, it moves out of the realm of "aggressive" quite firmly (in my opinion) into the realm of "tinny" and "cheap -- possibly broken." That is not what a new owner expects when acquiring a vehicle that several reviewers have described as "whisper quiet". It is not "whisper quiet," or anything close to it. This fact was brought home to me when I recently ended up with a Buick LaCrosse rental vehicle with a 3.6L direct injected V6. No question that the Hyundai is a better vehicle in almost any measurable respect including being quicker. (Consumer Reports scores them Genesis 92, LaCrosse 74.) But the difference in sound between the engines was incredibly salient to me. The Buick sounded smooth as silk compared to the 3.8.

3. Recommendations to try higher-octane fuels should be ignored. They make zero difference in sound, mileage, or performance. Zero difference. None. Nada. Believe me, I have tried zero-alcohol fuel, 91 octane fuel, etc. This is NOT a fuel issue. Moreover, if it were, Hyundai would be seriously at fault, since 87 octane fuel is the recommended fuel for the vehicle.

This issue is apparently standard on the car. Mine is a base 3.8, possibly assembled with less sound-deadening than more expensive variants. The car continues to perform very well. It is a month shy of being 3 years in service. 16,750 miles. The generally terrible Dunlop tires are even worse now that they are nearing the 2/3 point of their tread life. But the car looks like a new vehicle -- the paint job is awesome. No squeaks, no rattles, no evidence of deterioration anywhere.

 

[Jbo]

Geeze....and .I'd prefer a little more aggressive sound from my RSpec at less than WOT. Your issue sound like renosence from intake air box combined with some exhaust noise. As your vehicle is a 3.8 it is not GDI noise, did you have exhaust checked for leaks?

 

[Ernie3647]

Hello everyone,

I just took delivery of a new Genesis 3.8 Sedan after my 2003 Honda Accord 6 was totalled by a teenager who was "distracted". I was stopped on a straightaway behind a woman turning left, and he hit me at 35 MPH.

Overall, so far, I think the Genesis 3.8 is amazing. My Accord 6 was refined and powerful, but the Genesis accelerates effortlessly in situations where the 240hp Accord really had to wind out. The Genesis is more stable, and, amazingly, has actually gotten slightly BETTER mileage than the Accord! (23 mpg in a mix of city and highway driving, with about 2/3 highway).

One thing puzzles me slightly, and I wonder if you can help. On moderate acceleration, the Genesis 3.8 engine makes a "burbling" sound that is very noticeable, and sounds almost rough when starting out on a quiet, smooth road. It is almost reminiscent of some small block V8s I drove as a kid in the 60's.

Is this normal? The noice is considerably more noticeable than the turbine-like sound of the Accord 6. Sort of like a wah-wah-wah-wah rumble.
Do you folks hear the same thing?

Thanks,

Jim

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n7-BEnrVBQ"]Hyundai Genesis 3.8 Sound.flv - YouTube[/ame]

Like this ?
My 2011 does this...got used to it. Car still performs very good.
Other than the sound itself has no affect on performance of car.

 

[Mark_888]

3. Recommendations to try higher-octane fuels should be ignored. They make zero difference in sound, mileage, or performance. Zero difference. None. Nada. Believe me, I have tried zero-alcohol fuel, 91 octane fuel, etc. This is NOT a fuel issue. Moreover, if it were, Hyundai would be seriously at fault, since 87 octane fuel is the recommended fuel for the vehicle.

I have a 2009 3.8 and have experimented with higher octane fuel (usually mid-grade) and I definitely get better MPG when using higher octane. The difference is at least 1 MPG better when going from regular to mid-grade. One time my MPG shot up by about 2 MPG higher, and I can only assume that somehow I got premium even though I only paid for mid-grade (or maybe mid-grade without ethanol). I did all these tests on a long trip measuring highway MPG at a fairly constant speed. All tests were done using Shell gasoline, but obviously not all tanks were filled at the same exact station each time. However, I have repeated this test numerous times to make sure that it is not due to variations caused by any single Shell gas station.

I know that Hyundai says the 3.8 is designed to run on regular only, unlike the 4.6 which can run on regular and premium (and obviously also mid-grade) and the 4.6 is advertised to get more HP with premium than on regular (this also implies it gets better MPG with premium). However, based on my tests it appears that the 3.8 can also run on higher octane and get better MPG/HP, and that the decision to not mention that is basically a marketing decision to emphasize the economical nature of the 3.8 (it costs less to refuel). Just because Hyundai recommends only regular for the 3.8 doesn't really prove anything, and it doesn't make them negligent if it runs better with mid-grade or premium.

If you are saying there is no difference in noise when using higher octane fuel in your Genesis 3.8, then I believe you, but would probably disagree about MPG/HP.

 

[G-446392]

I drove over to Wilson County Hyundai in Lebanon, TN, arriving around 8am. The sales (Jeff Mazza) and service staff there greeted me like a returning dignitary. Honestly. The top mechanic and the service manager both went for extended drives in my car, then we took another Genesis 3.8 out for a spin. The one from the lot made the same sound as my car -- perhaps *slightly* less intense, but basically the same sound.

Both the service manager and the top mechanic agreed the sound was noteworthy, and the service manager planned a followup with Hyundai to get a precise technical explanation. The sound can be described as follows:

a. I is most noticeable on light to moderate acceleration from a standing stop. It peaks just before the shifts.

b. What starts as an "mum-mum-mum-mum-mum" exhaust sound reminiscent of small block V8s from the 60's gives way to a "rock-rock-rock-rock" sound that sounds like an engine just on the verge of knocking.

c. Anyone who knows anything about cars can't miss the sound, once you listen for it.
Everyone who's sat in my car can tell you exactly when it occurs. It was described as sounding sort of like a bike sounded like when you put the playing cards in the spokes as a kid (if any of you ever did that).

d. It is not a particularly "good" sound. It sounds harsh, slightly tinny, and decidedly unluxurious.

e. The service manager's theory is that because the engine is spinning up under light load, the computer driven spark advance and valve timing push the engine to the verge of predetonation, which, of course, helps deliver the remarkable mileage you obtain. (In my 14 mile trip to work, with about 2/3 highway 1/3 city, I am averaging 23.3 mpg, as compared with 22.5 from my Accord 6 (with tires inflated at 36) under identical conditions. For a car of this size to deliver the performance I'm getting along with the mileage is pretty sensational.

HOWEVER, in my experience, non-musical sounds from a passenger vechicle are always a cause for concern, and I intend to pursue this.

Any 3.8 owners out there, please help on this account. On a quiet street, push a mild throttle acceleration and listen carefully as the engine peaks just before shifting. Do you hear it?

Also, let me add a plug for the guys at Wilson County Hyundai. Their willingness to spend a significant amount of time on this (after which they drove my car into the bay and topped off all fluids, free of charge, and gave me a complimentary bottle of water to take on my trip), and their attitude, were very refreshing, and I recommend them.

My 2012 is doing the same thing, it almost sounds like a lifter knock!! What was your outcome??? Email me please if you can joeyb1904@gmail.com

 

[TinsleyC]

My 2012 is doing the same thing, it almost sounds like a lifter knock!! What was your outcome??? Email me please if you can joeyb1904@gmail.com

You realize you're replying to a post that's almost 10 years old?