Seeking Advice on Diagnosing and Fixing Possible Lambda Sensor Heater Issue in 2014 Hyundai i20

Hey there! I had a similar issue with my 2016 Hyundai i30, so I really get your frustration. Just so you know, I'm no mechanic but I'm not a total rookie either, got some hands on experience with my own ride. Based on what you've described, I'd also guess a faulty lambda sensor heater. That was exactly what my situation turned out to be. I dropped off my car at my usual local garage, they're pretty trustworthy and well priced. After a quick diagnostic test, they confirmed it was the sensor. To get it fixed, costed me around €375. It might sound a bit steep but a defective lambda sensor heater can really mess with your engine performance and fuel consumption so, for me, it was worth sorting it out as soon as possible. It’s running smooth ever since then. By the way, is your car manual or automatic? And do you know if there were any recent changes / additions to your engine? Just trying to gather as much info as possible to share some more related stuff.

Hey! Thanks for the quick response and the sympathy. This seems like something really worth looking into. It's reassuring to hear how smoothly things went with your i30. To answer your query, my i20 is a manual one. As for the engine, I can't recall making any significant alterations or additions recently. Apart from the regular maintenance and an oil change at the last service when it clocked 104,916 KM, that's about it. Cheers for sharing the cost too, gives me a bit of a heads up. To be honest, I'm not savvy enough to tackle this myself. So, I guess I'll be heading to my local mechanic too for a proper diagnosis. They're pretty reliable and won't charge me an arm and a leg. Thanks again for the advice, really appreciate it!

No worries! Always happy to help when I can. Yeah, it does sound like we're dealing with a similar issue here, especially your symptoms align a lot with what I've experienced before. Given that your i20 is a manual one and you haven't made any significant changes to the engine recently, the lambda sensor failure theory is in line with your situation. Here's a little extra tip: when you head to your mechanic, maybe ask them to check the oxygen sensors too? They could also be causing this problem, and they typically work hand-in-hand with the lambda sensor. If one's gone bad, the other might also be on its way out. I paid around €375 as I mentioned, but remember, the cost may vary depending on the labour charges, any additional parts that might need replacing, and of course, the exact model and age of your car. But hey, glad to hear your local mechanic won't cost an arm and a leg! Good to have someone trustworthy in your corner with these pesky car issues. Hope your i20 gets back to its prime condition soon, fingers crossed! Cheers!

Hey, appreciate the additional tips and your well wishes! I'll definitely have them check the oxygen sensors as well. A faulty one could indeed explain the symptoms. You're right about the cost – it could differ based on a few factors. Just gotta brace myself for whatever comes, I suppose. In the grand scheme of things, the overall well-being of my i20 is what's most important. I've always found advice from this community really helpful and you've been no exception. I'm gonna get my car checked as soon as I can and share what unfolds. Thanks again, and fingers crossed my little i20 gets back to roaring health soon. Cheers for the help!