I just find it unbelievable that someone would go through all this trouble to hack someone’s car. There are so many more simple ways. Loosen the oil drain plug or the oil filter, mess with brakes, the list is long.
The original synopsis was impractical, for all we know someone cleaned out the air cleaner housing with a leaf blower just before this occurred.
This is one of those intriguing whodonits that takes 10 pages to gather the details.
Back On April 25th I Wrote,
"Think About It… If You Were Going To The Trouble Of Vandalizing A Car, Would You Choose Wood Chips To Do The Dirty Work? There Are So Many Other Desirable Things That Would Do More Harm And Would Be Easier To Instill…
On the other hand, [ when critters (primarily rodents) “vandalize” a car ] they often use what’s available (seeds, acorns, nest building material, etcetera). Could critters pack in chips anywhere where they could be ingested by the engine? I can’t imagine how that would work. It seems like they’d be on the business side of the air filter."
I still can’t figure out how the chips can get between and air filter and the engine. All the air coming in should be filtered air. Unless, something gnawed through the element.
Has anybody involved with this car looked for a source, rather than just the aftermath?
Also, don’t these cars’ engines have a TB screen like GM engines? Trust me, nothing can gnaw through that.
CSA
CSA, you haven’t met my local squirrels… 
Seriously, I think the question of the condition of the intake tract would require an answer to finalize a theory. A rodent would have to chew through the air filter, which they’ve been known to do, in order for the source to be a local rodent.
OP, have you any information on the air filter condition?
My car is 23 months old with 87000 miles on it. It was towed to the dealership on 3/4 to repair a flat and at which time they changed the oil and did there routine inspection stating everything ok. then on 3/7 it was towed back to the dealer to replace the battery and then towed back on 3/9 with engine problems. I drove 5.3 miles to work that am. Was at work for app 10 minutes and then drove another 8.3 miles before it shut down. After the dealer ran approved tests, Hyundai stated that they would replace the block. The block was there before they torn the engine down and when they did told me it had been vandalized and someone placed the chips thru one the spark plugs. The change part was that my car is always locked even when at work and it is 5 feet from my office and strange enough there was damage to the hood reflecting someone had broken into it. So once the dealer stated vandalism everything change. The insurance company has been working on it since 3/17 and still have not resolved the claim. Every mechanic I spoke with locally stated that the wood chips should have been burnt, crushed, and should not have been able to drive it for the length of time I did. I have complained to the manufactory and so today I called the corporate office and they guaranteed someone will call me in the am and discuss this. I told them all I want is the rental paid by them and my car fixed . If this doesn’t work will go meet with owner of dealership on Friday and also today I spoke with a local tv station that will take interest if not resolved. thanks for all the feedback as it is greatly appreciated and will advise what matures
Nothing about this makes sense. If the car was locked, jimmying open the hood would have set off the alarm. And there’s no way they could have accomplished jimmying open the hood, removing the engine cover, pulling a coil, and a spark plug, and then putting it all back together in less than 10 minutes. And why oh why would they have done this anyway? As someone else mentioned, there are much easier ways of sabotaging someone’s car. Bobbyg not only appears to have enemies, but really strange enemies with very bizarre ways of inflicting revenge.
If this occurred 13 miles after an engine repair I would believe that piece of wood was in your engines intake manifold. It can take 13 miles or 100 miles of bouncing around before it is lifted to an intake port then reduced to a size that can fit passed a valve and enter the cylinder.
What was repaired on 03-09-2016?
Again, what needs to be known is whether rodents were at work and using the air cleaner housing and intake tract as a storage facility. This should be, or should have already, been done.
At first I was on board with the dealer staging a scene but I’m not so sure now. If there’s debris in the air cleaner housing and/or with a damaged air filter I’m going to lean towards rats; the 4 legged kind.
Bobbyg states now “there was damage to the hood reflecting someone had broken into it”
The original post was: “no damage to the hood”
which is it?
So seven pages in and as BillRussell correctly states, we’ve now gone from “no damage to the hood” to “damage to the hood reflecting someone had broke into it”.
Getting a straight answer to automotive problems is sometimes like having a stubborn wisdom tooth removed.
I can only say that at this point I’ve been as wrong as wrong can be from the start.
BillRussell
"Bobbyg states now "there was damage to the hood reflecting someone had broken into it"
The original post was: 'no damage to the hood’
which is it? "
Bobbyg1958
“The change part was that my car is always locked even when at work and it is 5 feet from my office and strange enough there was damage to the hood reflecting someone had broken into it. So once the dealer stated vandalism everything change.”
I’m going to guess it was both no hood damage and hood damage, no damage when taken to dealer and damage sometime after that. That’s the “change” part.
CSA
Sorry it should have reflected there was no damage to the hood and no signs anyone tried to get in thru the hood From my inspection, from the insurance company inspection My error as I should have proof read before submitting. And I finally had Hyundai corporate office call me back and they are still reviewing the file but they are going on what the dealer is conveying to then. Also, I explained that I have run this past numerous mechanics and first thing they ask are they Hyundai certified and stated if not them how would they know. So they are supposed to give me an up date tomorrow and if not will contact local tv station, attorney general and then start looking for attorney
Here’s a rather “silly” question
If Hyundai insists on calling it vandalism, then why can’t you submit a claim through your insurance company?
Isn’t that what you pay them for?
In any case, either Hyundai or your insurance company should make things right for you
What needs to be done is to inspect the air filter housing for wood chips.
Regarding the pics posted later of the cylinder head there can be several reasons why those chips are not charred from the combustion process.
- Deluge of chips into the cylinder and killed the spark plug.
- More importantly, the intake valve is being held open by a large chip. That can cause the 25 PSI of compression pressure and with pressure that low there will be no combustion.
I wonder if the wood chips were to be carefully removed, would that restore normal compression?
I agree with @db4690 on submitting a claim through your insurance company. They have the power and resources to investigate this much better than you.
I would strongly suspect that you’re right db. I just don’t see any physical damage and certainly don’t see wood chips damaging valves or seats. Certainly not pistons or cylinder walls either.
If it were my car I’d slap it back together and run it if compression is good on the other cylinders.
Unfortunately, the incident in question here has snowballed.
One thing I do not believe happened is that someone removed a spark plug and stuffed chips into the cylinder through that hole. No way, no how. If they had the engine should have been running poorly when first started. One tiny glowing ember would create horrific detonation.
I’m curious about something else . . .
If it’s somehow not vandalism, and some varmint made its nest inside the engine bay, why was only one cylinder seemingly affected?
Or is it possible there’s more wood chips sitting on top of the other valves, but it hasn’t affected compression in those cylinders. I find that highly unlikely 
I can’t explain the one cylinder only unless the intake stroke on that cylinder sucked the entire lot in with one shot and any minor bits left over were pretty much irrelevant and vaporized or blown out of the other cylinders in the first stroke or two.
What I’m still curious about is the air cleaner housing, the air filter, and what if anything is lingering in there.
My assumption, right or wrong, is that the shop removed the housing during the engine R & R without opening it up.
Always the details missing. What a mess.
I don’t think the insurance company is going to care what Hyundai says is vandalism. Maybe if they can come up with a good story, insurance may listen to them but otherwise it’s not their dog fight. Again if its animal vandalism, I can’t see insurance paying for it either.
Tough spot. Somebody has to pay for taking the thing apart and then if you just put it together again, pay for that. So maybe at this point its almost more cost effective to replace it since its all apart. But then again why the block and not the heads??