'What On God’s Green Earth Does That Do?:' Mechanic Puts a New Hyundai Tucson on a Lift. Then He Notices a Curious Design Change

• Hyundai

A mechanic’s joke about a 2023 Hyundai Tucson part has sparked a conversation about its hybrid system. TikTok user and service tech Auto Fixit (@autofixit911) shows off the underside of a Tucson while it’s on a lift in a clip that’s accrued over 29,000 views.

“So on the new 2023 Hyundai Tucsons, Hyundai finally did it. You guys gotta see this,” the mechanic says before his video transitions to footage of the vehicle’s undercarriage. Once beneath the vehicle, he shows off the crossover SUV’s muffler. “You guys thought these muffler bearings were a joke? Now they can leak,” he says, revealing a hose connected to the muffler. He tugs on the component, which shows a bit of give when he does.

“They got coolant pipes to the muffler bearing now. What do you guys think of that? Hyundai did it,” he says.”

Hyundai Tucson Muffler Bearing Joke

In the automotive world, there are a few fictional mechanical components that are rattled off as jokes. These zingers are usually implemented as a means of commenting on the lack of knowledge people have when it comes to their vehicles. Muffler bearings, like blinker fluid, are made-up parts.

Another example of this long-running joke can be found on Reddit. A user on the site posted about a Nissan part, called a “bearing-seal,” which is also commonly known as a donut gasket. They titled their post, “And you guys said muffler bearings don’t exist,” adding onto the legend of the unicorn mechanical component.

Commenters Sound Off

Auto Fixit’s video inspired some amused commentary.

One person remarked, “Thought you were going to say they finally fixed their engines.” This criticism was met with defense for Hyundai vehicles. One Hyundai stan wrote: “Only 2.4 and 2.0t pre-2019 was bad. Every other engine combo is good. Now 2020+ all good.”

Others pointed out that the hose in Auto Fixit’s video is found in other cars. “You must be young. Old Toyota hybrids did that. Nothing new,” one user penned.

Another echoed, “Prius did it first.”

Some commenters offered different names for the hose connected to the muffler beneath the Tucson. One called it an “EGR Cooler,” while another said it was an “EHRS.” According to them, this stands for “Exhaust Heat Recovery System.” The same commenter went on to write that this part “help[s] to keep the engine warm and cabin heat warm.”

So What Is the Part?

Gallery: 2022 Hyundai Tucson

The EHRS hose assembly is sold on HyundaiPartsDeal for $64.31. The image on the site for 2022-2023 Hyundai Tucsons looks similar to the one Auto Fixit presents in his video.

The EGR system for a 2023 Tucson Hybrid listed on Hyundai’s OEM parts website looks similar to one of the parts. According to the Stoneacre Motor Group, the EGR valve is a “crucial part of [a] car’s emission control system.” Moreover, the blog post states that EGRs help to regulate “exhaust gas recirculation, which redirects some exhaust gases back into the combustion chamber.” Stoneacre says that “this lowers combustion temperatures. [Which, in turn,] reduces nitrogen oxides (NOx), keeping the air cleaner and protecting you from harmful pollutants.”

An OEM EGR water coolant hose is sold on eBay for $44.99. A picture of the 2022-2023 Tucson component looks identical to the one presented in Auto Fixit’s clip, too. 

As others who responded to Auto Fixits’ video noted, Toyota Priuses do in fact have EGRs installed in them, too.

So what system is Auto Fixit referring to in the 2023 Tucson: the EGR or EHRS? Documentation from Hyundai on the National Highway Traffic Administration’s website indicates that Auto Fixit is indeed referring to the EHRS. The documentation further states that coolant leakage can occur if it isn’t functioning properly.

In press materials from Hyundai, the Korean manufacturer shows further illustrations of its Exhaust Heat Recovery System, which it says is used for “fuel economy improvement.”

Motor1 has reached out to Hyundai via email and Auto Fixit via TikTok for additional comment. We’ll be sure to update this if either responds.