Hyundai Terracan Frequently Asked Questions

For the Benefit of other Hyundai Terracan Owners on this site and world wide, I have made a list of modifications and and answers for frequently asked questions.

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Can I fit Diff Locks to my Terracan?


For the 2.9 Hyundai Terracan The following Official Diff locks are available.

ARB:

ARB Air Locker Front: 28 splines, 28.8 mm (1.13") Shaft diameter. Part No: RD110

ARB Air Locker Rear: 34 splines, 34.8 mm (1.37") Shaft diameter. Part No: RD156

ARB Air Lockers can be bought from www.oecinternational.com

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LOKKA:

Lokka Front Automatic Diff Lock: 28 splines, 28.8mm axle diameter. Can be found here: http://www.4wdsystems.com.au/index.php?id=29

And FAQ about the LOKKA can be found here: http://www.4wdsystems.com.au/pdf/LOKKA%20discussion%20paper.pdf

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Note: Most Diff Lock Manufactures will not list a Terracan Diff Lock. But as the Hyundai Terracan 2.9 Diesel is a clone to the Mitsubishi Shogun/Pajero/Montero MK2 their axles, shafts, differentials are the same, and vice versa.

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What is the Largest size tyre I can fit to a Standard Hyundai Terracan?


Standard Factory tyre size for the Part Time 4wd 2.9 crdi Terracan is 255/65/16.
The Following tyre sizes will fit with no modifications needed:

255/70/16
245/70/16
245/75/16 *
225/75/16
31x12.50x15
235/75/15
235/65/17
235/70/17
255/55/18
255/65/18
295/40/20

These tyres are for Road, All Terrain and Mud Terrain. All the above will fit regardless of modifications.

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What is the Largest size tyre I can fit to a Lifted Hyundai Terracan?


The answer is the same as a standard Hyundai Terracan. The reason is the wheel arches. In order to fit Larger tyres than stated you will need to trim certain sections of the wheel arch including mud guards to accommodate a larger tyre.
If you have a suspension lift and a body lift then less of the wheel arch will need trimming.
The amount to trim vary's on tyre size. But for a 33" tyre you need roughly 25mm and to accommodate a 35" tyre you will need to trim 50mm off the total wheel arch, and remove the mud flaps internally and externally completely.

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Can I lift My Diesel Terracan?

Yes, You can. There are two ways of doing this. One is a 40mm Suspension lift comprising of 2x Front Torsion bars, 2x front Shocks, 2x rear 40mm longer springs and 2x rear shocks. A high quality lift kit can be found here: http://www.tjm.com.au/#gen_view_sc1.php?sx=SX12001002 . The UK official distributor for TJM lit kits used to be www.oecinternational.com - At this moment There is NO UK OFFICIAL TJM STOCKIST (Updated 19/2/12)

Another 40mm Suspension Lift Kit is made by Ironman. The UK stockist of Ironman suspension used to be West Coast 4x4. - At This moment there is NO UK OFFICIAL IRONMAN STOCKIST (Updated 19/02/12).

There is a 3rd High Quality Suspension Kit available in the UK. ARB's Old Man EMU Suspension. A Main Old Man EMU distributor in the UK is http://www.taubenreuther-shop.co.uk/shop/index.php and www.devon4x4.com - Both of these can supply and fit the kits. (Updated 19/02/12).

The other method is a body lift. This is more complicated but the parts are alot cheaper to come by. The process involves loosening the 8 bolts that hold the body on to the chassis and inserting the spacers. Once these spacers have been put in place the bolts are then tightened. I recommend that 2" is the largest you use. Any larger and you need to start relocating brake lines or extending them etc. The body lift kit can be found here: http://xpajun.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_31&products_id=73 (Updated 19/02/12).


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Can I fit a Raised Air Intake to my Terracan Diesel?


You can. The Raised air intake is made by TJM. It follows the body line of the front right pillar, so it is completely hidden when you are sat in the drivers seat. It bolts directly on to the right wing of the vehicle and the inside of the drivers pillar, it comes supplies with a section of tubing to couple on to the air filter box. The Raised air intake is made with high quality plastics as good as if not better than the popular safari snorkel. Sun light ad UV has no effect on the snorkels plastic construction. Silicone is recommended to get a complete, watertight seal. The TJM snorkel can be bought from www.oecinternational.com and for a small fee they can install the Snorkel. (Snorkel Currently Out of stock in the United Kingdom as there is NO TJM Distributors in the UK. It is possible to use Pajero Mk2 Safari Snorkels, tho you may need to make small adjustments).


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Can I get raised breathers for a Terracan?


You can relocate the front axle, rear axle, automatic transmition breather and fuel tank breather up in to the bonnet or even higher running up along side of the snorkel. The breather tubing is easy to get a hold of, and in varying lengths.
Connectors are also available to clip on to the existing breathers to extend them, or also to put them in to a junction box so that you have one breather pipe not 4 running up the side of the raised air intake.
Breathers and connectors can be bought from any reputable 4x4 company but like most of the products available on the Terracan www.oecinternational.com is the best place to get them from.

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Can I fit a winch and/or bumper to my Hyundai Terracan?


Yes you can. There are 3 types of winch bumpers that I am aware of.
You have the Aluminium front bumper. The Steel Winch bumper and the hidden winch mount.
The Aluminium front bumper is available from TJM here: http://www.tjm.com.au/#gen_view_sc1.php?sx=SX12001002
The Steel Winch Bunper is from the Shogun/Pajero/Montero Mk2.
The Hidden Winch mount is available from: http://www.tbruk.com/

In my opinion it would be cheaper, stronger and lighter to get a tubular winch bull bar custom made. www.oecinternationsl.com can build high quality, strong, custom winch mounts for your vehicle.


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Can I get Protection for the underside of my vehicle?

There is a selection of skid plates available for the Hyundai Terracan Diesel. These are made by ASFIR and can be bought and imported in to the UK via either www.oecinternational.com or www.tbruk.com .

They are not cheap but they are very well made and are very strong. Constructed out of 6mm aluminium, they replace the vehicles original plastic and steel skid plates using the same nut and screw holes.

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I want more Articulation out of the Terracan, how can I do this?

You can give the vehicle a suspension Lift, with this you get longer springs and shocks. With the TJM XGS kit that I use I have gained around 2" or 50mm more drop travel. If you want another Inch on the back and on the front then you can shave the bump stops.
Depending on what tyre size you have on the vehicle when articulating the front might grind away at the wheel arch.
Some people have removed the front and rear Anti-roll bars to gain maybe another Inch or 25mm. IMO I would leave this well alone, The Anti-roll bars are on there for a reason.

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How does my Terracan 4wd system work?

There are two types of transfer case options available on the Hyundai Terracan Models.

The first is the Full time 4wd system. You have 2 settings. Auto and Low. The switch should be in "auto" 99% of the time, dry or wet roads, snow covered roads etc.
If you are going off road or towing in a field and need low speed traction they you want to move the dial to "Low".

The difference between the two settings is that in "Auto" the vehicle operates sending power to both front and rear axles with the transfer case unlocked.
When you turn the dial to "Low" This engages the low ratio on the transfer case and automatically locks the centre differential to send the power 50/50 front to rear.


The second type of transfer case available on Terracans is Part Time 4wd. This time the dial has 3 settings. 2wd, 4wd hi and 4wd low. You want your vehicle to be in 2wd 99% of the times unless you are off road.
On the part time transfer case there is NO centre diff. The front and rear shafts are locked together permanently. When you select "4wd hi" via the dial the vehicle will engage the front wheel hubs. Thus giving you 4wd 50/50 front to rear. This should only be used when traction could be lost in 2wd. Like in fields, or on snow covered roads.
The last selection is "4wd Low". This is for when maximum control and traction are needed when off road or towing on adverse terrain.

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Why wont my Terracan go in to low ratio?

On the part time 4wd system the vehicle will only go in to "low ratio" and disengage from "low ratio" when the vehicle has been stopped and the gear is in Neutral.
You will have to select "4wd Hi" and allowing the actuator to engage the front hubs before switching to "Low ratio".

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Why Is there a loud knocking sound from the front of the vehicle?

One of the most major faults on the Terracan is the knocking sound from the front of the vehicle. This is caused by 3 things, either singly or all together.

Front prop shaft. - This can vibrate when travelling at speeds over 70mph or when going over rough terrain. The solution apply lots of grease to the prop and the grease nipples on it.

Steering wheel column. - This can also make a strange knocking sound when going over rough Terrain. The solution is to lubricate the steering column and the steering shaft in the engine bay.

Suspension Idler: - The most common reason to the front knocking sound. There are many ways to get over this, but the easiest way is just to replace the item. Genuine Hyundai parts. Suspension/steering idler retails around £49.99p

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Does my Terracan have a rear LSD?

Some do and some do not. If its a 2.9 Crdi then It will have one. If its a 3.5 petrol its 50/50. If you have the 2.5 crdi engine then no you do not.

If you are unsure find level ground, jack the rear axle up on both sides. Turn one wheel, if the other wheel turns in the same direction then you have the Limited slip diff, if the opposite wheel turns in the opposite direction then you have no LSD. Sorry.

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My rear Axle keeps making a funny noise when driving, what is it?


This is a early sign that your rear diff needs servicing. The oil for the LSD needs replacing with the correct type issued in your Vehicle owners guide. If the oil is old, low or of the wrong type then the LSD will not like it and will make a horrible noise. 99% of the time the oil is changed and the problem goes away. If the problem persists, then you have probably waited too long and the rear differential is knackered....

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Why Is My Terracan Central Door Locking Not working?

When the Terracan nears 10 years old there can be complications with the central door locking.

Symptoms: Recently during winter the central door locking was acting up. After unlocking the doors I had between 1-5 seconds to open the drivers door and insert the key or else the vehicle would lock.

Repairs: To fix this problem you need to check each doors locking mechanism, wiring and their solenoids. The reason for my faulty central door locking was the drivers door locking solenoid was shorting out on the door frame, I checked the wiring which seemed fine and ordered a replacement Terracan door solenoid from Hyundai, swapped the parts over and all is well with the controls working fine from the key fob, locking and unlocking with the key and locking and unlocking via the interior controls.

I also too the time to coat the solenoids in an electronic weather protector called GT85, similar to WD40.

You should look to pay around £4.50 - £11 for a Hyundai Genuine Central Door Locking Solenoid.


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Can I get more power out of the Terracan's Mercedes Benz 2.9 crdi Engine?

You can. The 4 easiest and most reliable ways to do this are:

High Flow Air Filter. - K&N, Greens filters, both these will allow the engine to breath more easy and add a small amount of bhp to the motor. This can be found here: http://www.knfilters.com/search/product.aspx?Prod=33-2833

Raised Air Intake: - TJM supply a raised air intake and this allows more are to enter the engine and intercooler over the standard side vent located on the drives side wheel arch. This coupled with the air filter and ECU remap allows a larger amount or torque and BHP and BETTER fuel economy.

SS Exhaust: - Magnaflow. a 2.5 inch or 3 inch ss pipe coupled to a sports catalyst converter and sports silencer will let the fumes escape form the engine quicker. This does have a benefit on the engine bhp and torque but can also hamper the fuel economy.

ECU Remap: - Evolution Tuning, Tunit. Both of these are top of the line ECU upgrades, designed to give your engine more horsepower and alot more torque. The Evolution tuning is not a power chip or a box like the Tunit, it is in fact a ECU remap which I recommend over the power chip. This can be found here: http://www.evolutionchips.co.uk/Car_and_Van_Remapping_Search.asp

I had my Evolution ECU Remap tweaked, to offer minimal BHP increase but maximum torque increase. My Terry is 445nm of torque @ 2000 rmp. over the standard 335nm.

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Terracan Jas

I met up with another Terracan owner not long ago and he mentioned to me that he was having serious problems pulling his horse box out of the field even tho he has a Set of retread All Terrain's. on.
So I met up as he lived locally and watched him as he towed his trailer out of the muddy field. And there was a massive amount of wheel spin, lots of drama and eventually he became stuck. Lots of questions popped in my mind, so I just decided to have ago my self in his vehicle and I got the same result.

I tried my Terracan and for some reason there were no problems, even with my less aggressive tyres.

Long story short, after trial and error, it seems that if you buy a 3.5v6 Petrol Terracan with the AWD transfer case your off road ability will be pants.
Too much engine revs, and compared to the 2.9 diesel there is next to no torque at low revs or low speed.
What we also found out is that the AWD petrol Terracans do NOT come with a rear LSD. I know its only a Limited slip differential but the difference it makes on wet and muddy grass is well, alot.

So as amazing as the Terracan is (IMO) do not buy a PETROL 3.5 V6 with AWD if you intend to get out of a muddy field.

Note: I sold him my Mud Terrain tyres @ Terracan Owner Discount, and now he can get his beloved horse and trailer out of the fields.

TJ

Terracan Central Door Locking fault.

Symptoms: Recently during winter the central door locking was acting up. After unlocking the doors I had between 1-5 seconds to open the drivers door and insert the key or else the vehicle would lock.

Repairs: To fix this problem you need to check each doors locking mechanism, wiring and their solenoids. The reason for my faulty central door locking was the drivers door locking solenoid was shorting out on the door frame, I checked the wiring which seemed fine and ordered a replacement Terracan door solenoid from Hyundai, swapped the parts over and all is well with the controls working fine from the key fob, locking and unlocking with the key and locking and unlocking via the interior controls.

I also too the time to coat the solenoids in an electronic weather protector called GT85, similar to WD40.

Hyundai Genuine Central Door Locking Solenoid £4.50 + P&P.

TJ

Wow! I never saw your first post back in October, never seen a more comprehensive report. Must have spent hours on that - fair play!

If it helps Terracan owners out......

Terracan Jas wrote:

If it helps Terracan owners out......

Yes it does great article
As regards central locking problem seems to be water ingress into rear door causing relay to constantly activate. Will be looked at next weekend when myself and a friend replace fuel tank, ever so slight leak, which unfortunately needs the tank replacing.

Regarding fuel I have found that it is best not to use Tesco fuel as the terracan does not like it and tends to miss a beat whilst running. This is either due to the amount of bio-diesel 7% that tesco put in their diesel or it is just cheap poor quality diesel. Have heard of somebody being refused warranty work on a hi-pressure fuel pump failure due to the quality of the fuel in the tank, and according to them all they used was Tescos fuel :shock:

Shame to hear about the fuel tank. Although I need to replace the fuel tank guard. One of the brackets was loose and on my last outing I snagged this loose bracket and ripped half the guard off. Fuel tank is ok (I think) just need to get a replacement. I will probably go with a Asfir 6mm Skid plate Tank guard as its cheaper to but it and ship if from Germany than it is to get the Genuine Hyundai one.....

TJ

As regards central locking -5C outside tonight central locking works perfectly maybe i need to export the car to Iceland

Interesting forum - I have tried to source a snorkel for my Terracan without success - OEC no longer supply TJM snorkels for the Terracan and I'm not going to pay silly money to purchase and ship from Australia ! There are no TJM agents in the UK at this time. I even contacted a couple of 4x4 suppliers in Spain but they only supply the (very cheap and nasty) snorkels from China.

TBR were also unable to source a snorkel - does anybody have any ideas?

Regarding the fuel for the diesel Terracan - I used to use diesel from ASDA - I have now stopped doing this since all four injectors needed replacement and since they became 'welded' to the cylinder head this reulted in a new cylinder head and four new injectors at a cost of £3500 (only just within the five year warranty !) - I suggest Shell or similar which has added detergents in it (could also use an injector cleaner every 6K miles - cost less than a tenner for each treatment).

Great pity about the lack of after market parts for the Terracan since it is a very capable and reliable 4x4.

Merlin wrote:

Interesting forum - I have tried to source a snorkel for my Terracan without success - OEC no longer supply TJM snorkels for the Terracan and I'm not going to pay silly money to purchase and ship from Australia ! There are no TJM agents in the UK at this time. I even contacted a couple of 4x4 suppliers in Spain but they only supply the (very cheap and nasty) snorkels from China.

TBR were also unable to source a snorkel - does anybody have any ideas?

Regarding the fuel for the diesel Terracan - I used to use diesel from ASDA - I have now stopped doing this since all four injectors needed replacement and since they became 'welded' to the cylinder head this reulted in a new cylinder head and four new injectors at a cost of £3500 (only just within the five year warranty !) - I suggest Shell or similar which has added detergents in it (could also use an injector cleaner every 6K miles - cost less than a tenner for each treatment).

Great pity about the lack of after market parts for the Terracan since it is a very capable and reliable 4x4.

I am gutted that there are no Snorkels available for Terracan from TJM or OEC international anymore. I will update info.

IF I can get 5-10 people needing a Terracan Snorkel then I do know of someone who can ship them over from Australia, if they still make them. That will cut the shipping cost down.
I will make some calls and possibly buy some snorkels and hold them in stock at HardtopsUK for any Forum Terracan Owners.

Alternatively The early Terracan Snorkels were Mitsubishi Shogun/Pajeo Mk2 Snorkels. Same goes for some of the winch bumpers, most early equipment was the Pajero gear, later sold as Terracan Units.



TJ

I have spoken to TJM in Queensland Australia and they do still make the full range of Products for the Terracan. I can not buy direct from them unless I buy huge quantity's but I am attempting to contact a local distributor who will send a few over, possibly at the same time to keep costs down.

TJ

Merlin wrote:

Regarding the fuel for the diesel Terracan - I used to use diesel from ASDA - I have now stopped doing this since all four injectors needed replacement and since they became 'welded' to the cylinder head this reulted in a new cylinder head and four new injectors at a cost of £3500 (only just within the five year warranty !) - I suggest Shell or similar which has added detergents in it (could also use an injector cleaner every 6K miles - cost less than a tenner for each treatment).

Great pity about the lack of after market parts for the Terracan since it is a very capable and reliable 4x4.

I didn't see your earlier comment about the cylinder head, can't say I have ever heard of that before. Did the warranty cover this? £3500 seems like alot?

& Welcome to the forum.

TJ

Terracan egines have the common rail injection so work at higher pressure - this leads to injector blockage / failure if poor quality or dirty fuel is used.

I had a new cylinder head and injectors fitted under warranty but £3500 was made up mainly as follows: £600 for head assembly - £1150 for 4 x injector - £520 VAT - and don't forget the labour and all the little gaskets and other stauff required !

There are very few injector manufacturers in the world - so it makes no difference if you drive a Hyundai or a Bentley (they may just have the injectors made by the same company !)

Work was completed by a main dealer so would have been cheaper with an independent I suppose.

The symptons I experienced were: vehicle judders just before coming to a complete stop (less than 5mph) - reason is the ECU is trying to adjust the fuel going through the injectors and it can't because the injectors are getting blocked / clogged so is unable to compensate to keep the engine at a smooth (low) rpm.

It is important to change the fuel filter before and after a trip to certain parts of the world (North Africa) since the fuel there is not as clean and has a lower octane rating (so more fuel is required to pass through the engine). Just remember this when you purchase a litre of diesel for 13 pence in Egypt ! You get what you pay for !

By the way - if you do manage to source any TJM snorkels - I WILL DEFINATELY buy one. I spoke to a guy in Australia (at TJM) - they will ship on an individual basis but we would be looking at well over Aus $ 700 per snorkel. Far better to bulk buy and/or get a supplier in this country to purchase if they buy other stuff from TJM (all gets put in same container then).

Merlin wrote:

By the way - if you do manage to source any TJM snorkels - I WILL DEFINATELY buy one. I spoke to a guy in Australia (at TJM) - they will ship on an individual basis but we would be looking at well over Aus $ 700 per snorkel. Far better to bulk buy and/or get a supplier in this country to purchase if they buy other stuff from TJM (all gets put in same container then).

If I can get 5x people who want a Terracan Diesel snorkel I can supply to UK mainland a snorkel @ £400 each.

If I can get 10x people Its £375 each.

TJ

Terracan Jas wrote:

Merlin wrote:

By the way - if you do manage to source any TJM snorkels - I WILL DEFINATELY buy one. I spoke to a guy in Australia (at TJM) - they will ship on an individual basis but we would be looking at well over Aus $ 700 per snorkel. Far better to bulk buy and/or get a supplier in this country to purchase if they buy other stuff from TJM (all gets put in same container then).

If I can get 5x people who want a Terracan Diesel snorkel I can supply to UK mainland a snorkel @ £400 each.

If I can get 10x people Its £375 each.

TJ

Would also be interested in having a SNORKEL you also mentioned Pajero Mk2's is this the kind of thing you mean. http://www.snorkels.com.au/p/1211796/snorkel-kit-mitsubishi-nh-pajero-import.html

Looks like it would not be a kick in the pants far of it but suspect it might be the cheap chinese ones you were talking about.

Yes that shape and model

They originally used 2.8 diesel shogun snorkels by safari snorkels around 2003 because there was no Terracan ones.

I can NOT guarantee that they will fit perfectly, but like most snorkels there is an element of adjusting able on the snorkel head bracket. Also not all the piping that came with the safari's were not needed due to the Terracan air box running up the drivers side wing.

It would be best if you could source the Mk2 shogun snorkel in the uk, and have a mock up fit to see if it was 100% compatible.
If you were not satisfied with the snorkel or this information is not accurate you can then return the item for a full refund.


TJM AUS informed me that they had found a new distributor in the UK and were finalising plans. Give it 3 months and we will see if they are again available in the UK.

Other than that I cant do any more. But If we get enough people at least 5, then we can bulk buy @ £400 per snorkel. Not the cheapest, but It is a good one. Ive had a few branch and hedge encounters and it didn't leave a mark on it.

Jason

Yes I can find quite a few snorkels for the Terracan but they are all of poor quality (TJM snorkel is the one to get).
This one is US$285 and comes from Taiwan.......

http://www.fts4x4.com/en/products/?method=listing&sid=193

I had a look a the Australian Web site (AUS $ 225) and I'm afraid I would not rely on them to save my engine but they are OK if you just want a certain image and not take your car into deeper water etc....

The ones in the link does look suspect.
Unless It has been made out of the correct plastics and to a high quality I can see it failing and if water does get in it then you will be

The Terracan air box vent is on the drivers side wing panel, taking air in through the top front bumper and the top of the drivers wheel arch.
So long as you have axle breathers and get a nice bow wave when crossing water It should be ok for 1050mm depth. Or so my tape measure says so. Or 1000mm if you don't have taller tyres.

TJ

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