Engine Hyundai-Kia G4JS

The 2.4-liter Hyundai G4JS engine was assembled at a factory in South Korea from 1998 to 2007 under license from Mitsubishi, as it was only a modification of the 16-valve version of the 4G64 engine. This motor of the Sirius II series is known for the Sorento SUV, as well as the Santa Fe.

In 1998, Hyundai introduced a 2.4-liter unit to replace the 8-valve G4CS, which was also structurally based on the well-known Mitsubishi 4G64 engine. Here is the same cast-iron cylinder block, but already a 16-valve head with hydraulic lifters, distributed fuel injection, as well as a complex timing belt drive and balancer block.

Compared to the old G4CS engine, the updated power unit has other differences: it has its own crankshaft and camshafts, a slightly lighter connecting rod and piston group, a different thermostat, oil pump, water pump, sensors, intake and exhaust manifolds.

Sirius family:
1.6 L – G4CR;
1.8 L – G4CN, G4CM, G4JN;
2.0 L – G4CP, G4JP;
2.4 L – G4JS, G4CS.

Specifications

The engine was installed on:

• Hyundai Santa Fe 1 (SM) in 2000 – 2006;
• Hyundai Sonata 4 (EF) in 1998 – 2005;
• Hyundai Starex 1 (A1) in 2001 – 2007;
• Kia Magentis 1 (GD) in 2000 – 2006;
• Kia Sorento 1 (BL) in 2002 – 2006.

Disadvantages of the Hyundai G4JS engine

• This engine is demanding on the quality of the oil and, in particular, on its replacement intervals. Any savings here can lead to jamming of the balance shaft bearings and breakage of their belt, which will then fall under the timing belt and most likely break it. All this will end not only with the bending of the valves, but also with the search for a replacement cylinder head.
• On specialized forums, they often complain about the strong vibrations of the power unit. The reason may be not only the wear of the balancer liners, but also weak engine mounts.
• The hydraulic lifters in this engine are sensitive to the quality of lubricants and can fail and start knocking quite loudly already at a run of 50 thousand km.
• On the Kia Sorento, the motor is located longitudinally and the thermostat is in the wrong place.
• There are also regular lubricant leaks, floating speeds due to contamination of the idle speed controller, electrical failures, and the crankshaft position sensors, the camshaft position sensor and the misfire sensor often fail, and piston rings often lie on long runs and oil consumption appears.

Frequently asked questions about the Hyundai-Kia G4JS