Hyundai Sonata 2005 and earlier

de1029

this is de1029...well, confused de1029.
i thought i posted a msesage about the 'check engine light' problem that i have been experiencing since may. but, i can't seem to locate it or any replies to it.
basically, driving along and experience s slippage/braking/shuddering of the can (hyundai sonata gls v6 year 2000 - 14700 miles).
have had the maf sensor recall work done in dec 2000.
dutifully ratchet the gas tank cover after gas ups.
perplexed...about the check light problem...i do pull over and stop the car/shut off engine and then restart...no check engine light.
but, i could have an accident if this progresses to a stall condition.
perplexed, also,,,about not being able to see any comments from other owners experiencing this problem.
my email address was made public...so, i'll give it here, too...gervasi-joe@cooperhealth.edu.

bluewinds

Aisin trany has been used for SONATA LPG Engine Taxi model. I don't think U.S gas engine version has Japanese made Aisin tranny.

Hyundai Sonata's tranny is orginally based on Mitsubishi's only mechanically. (Actually, it was developed step by step. Hyundai imported its design from Mitsubishi in 1980's. Then changed its design more than 10 times by itself. So you can hardly find the difference between Hyundai one and Mitsubishi one thesedays. However, I'm not sure that if U.S version Sonata has similar one with Mitsu's.)

Hyundai Electronics which has been world's second largest semi-conductor company has done a lot of electronic jobs on Hyundai Motor's transmission.
So, you can say, it is almost Hyundai one because thsesdays there are few original transmission in the world.

Just one month ago, Hyundai established new transmission company and built plant with Nissan's affliliation JATCO in Korea. It is a joint venture.

As for the shiftronic( we call it steptronic in Korea), I don't have complete information. I know that its logic(the way it works)is based on Porsche's tiptronic and Hyundai pays loyaty. Transmission's mechanical parts are Hyundai's own one.

Thanks

tonykrapil

These have hydraulic valves, right? What valve adjustment?

Tony

astrol

That applies to applicable engines, not ours. I was simply listing the kind of things that dealers will do to get people to pay $200 for something that should go for nothing more than $100w/parts. Sorry about the confusion.

Also, I talked to my salesman while killing time and he confirmed as best he could that the '02's will be here by mid-August. We looked at the Elantra GT, which they are selling for $15.5K loaded, no-dicker. I think the car looks damn good but then I've always liked Hatchbacks. Later.

tonykrapil

Man you had me worried of two things. One that YOU of all folks were taken to the cleaners by having you valves adjusted and THEN the possibility that the DO need adjustment.

Can you imagine the cost of an adjustment these days with twice as many valves?

IF possible, some dealers would charge you to replace the winter air or Korean air in your tires with summer air or American air if they could.

Thanks fo rthe clarification.

Tony

sonatafan

How's that Elantra working out??

tonykrapil

Hey Sonatafa! The Elantra is my preferred means of getting around these days. Well, almost. I prefer the Sonata on longer trips BUT don't care for it in town. The Elantra has the kind of ride and responsiveness I like, quick and stiff and plenty of zip. I am getting a consistent 29mpg here in town too which isn't bad at all.

The car does has a slight shimmy in it though at 65-70 mph. This bugs me. It is not an isolated case as others on the Elantra forum have it too.
I had the tires balanced and rotated several times and really cant shake the shimmy as yet. It was not present in the beginning and started around 6 k miles, I have almost 9 k on it now since 12/01/01.

A little about the Sonata. Its doing well too with 13k on it. About 2 weekends ago I drove it and noticed a pronounced lull or hesitation when the engine is cold. You would think the wife would tell me this BUT NOooooooo!

I took it to work a few times and it always happened when cold and for about 3 blocks. It never starved for fuel at continuous highway speeds. I tried a can of mechanic-in-a-can and he didn't know what he was supposed to fix. A week later I pulled the Bosch Platinum +4s from it and had some new standard cheap plugs to put in their place. The +4s came out clean and all were evenly colored etc. They did not look as clean or bright as the ones looked when I removed them, BUT they were not in as long either. Anyways, with the plugs changed, I should have just waited till the morning to try the car out again, but as long as I was dirty and sweaty and in hot pursuit of this problem I opted to clean the throttle body with some of that STP throttle body cleaner. I had a car once that was giving me fits at low rpm and idle and cleaning it solved the problem. The Sonata TB was clean as can be. No gunk or discoloration or anything.

The car runs great again, even without the +4 screamers in it. SO, I dont know if it was th eplugs or some dirt in the throttle body!! Its my own fault BUT will not put the plugs back just to find out.

One thing I noticed and was rather PO'd about was not only do I use anti-seize compound on the plug threads BUT I do use the silicone lube on the plug boots, but never again. The stuff dried out and looked and felt like solder splash. It has totally dried out and not held up like it is supposed to. Never will I use that crud again.

What I am thinking BUT haven't told wifey yet is .... I may swap the wheels with the Sonata and Elantra in the name of science to see if I can sure the shimmy. I know pretty much in advance I will be too tired to swap em back though. This worries me as it is better to have a bumpy ride and smooth married life.

How's with you and your Sonata? Still screamin?

Tony

sonatava

Hey folks, I was mistaken in being able to hard-wire the headlight buzzer from behind the fusebox. I was soldering my alarm system today, adding in the buzzer to my parking light connection and it buzzes alright, any time the P. Lights are on, even when driving. Sorry about the mis-information. My alarm/remote system installation is 95% complete, and my webpage w/photos about 70% complete, hope to have them online in a week.

baril2

My 2000 GLS V6, which was an Avis rental car for its first 12K, seems not to have a buzzer or noise indicating I've left my lights on. I find this odd. What say you all?

Also, I'm guessing the '00 came standard with remote entry; mine seems not to have it. (It wasn't sold w/ the remotes and my salesman couldn't figure out whether they were missing or never had them.) Is there a way to tell?

Lord only knows what rental car enthusiasts might have taught my transmission to do, but will it "change" according to how I now drive it? Sorry if that's a goofy question. It pretty much clunks from 2nd into 3rd.

I do wish it had more torque on the low end of the RPM spectrum; it seems sluggish from the get go.

Those Bosch platinum spark plugs y'all keep mentioning: 1) do they really work; 2) can I get them installed as part of my 15K (which is the next maintenance due) or will they nullify (the rest of my) warranty.

Thanks for the help. I think the car is really beautiful and unusual--there still are a lot stares. However, I MUST get a serious interior detail--Avis and my dealer left it a mess. AND there are no mats, only these cheap-[non-permissible content removed] black mats (I thought, dummy me, they were the regular mats turned upside down when I bought it).

sorry to ramble

astrol

The headlight chime did not start until '01 model year. Many of us with '99 and '00 models desiring a buzzer have installed the 3M warning buzzer available at K-Mart, Wal-Mart, etc. in the auto section. It installs by connecting to the underdash fuse box. If you need assistance, just sing out.

The '99 GLS model had the keyless standard, I believe. In '00 it was optional. You may well not have it, especially being a former rental.

There is virtually no current Hyundai engine with decent low-end torque. It seems to be a corporate decision to design engines for smooth top-end and highway cruising.

I would advise getting the transmission fluid replaced at the 15K if it is not included at your service site. This may help smooth the shifting.

The GLS V-6 comes with Platinum tipped plugs standard which I find deliver fine performance. Many of those who have made the switch to the Bosch +4's have the I-4 engine which comes with a standard plug. The V-6 install of the +4's is more involved as the intake must be removed to access the rear bank. Installation of any component not standard with the car will not void your warranty. The worst case scenario means that any particular problem which can be shown to be directly caused by such an installation would be non-warrantable. That is true across the board.

And you can source the mats at

http://members.home.net/davefjeldsted/itmidx1.htm

as well as anywhere else. Focus Hyundai is usually very quick to respond.

Hope you enjoy your car and this forum. You might also try the T-H-C.org. if you haven't already.

2000glsv6

Do as astral says and order the factory mats from http://members.home.net/davefjeldsted/itmidx1.htm . I had to for my 2000 GLS V6 rental purchase as well. Around my area the dealers wanted $80+ for the mats and nobody had them in stock. I ordered them from Dave Fjeldsted and the cost with shipping was less than $70. I was hesitant about ordering stuff from Canada because of the shipping cost not being known. Now I will order whatever I need knowing the shipping isn't that bad. It was like $12-15. Good luck.

satz

My check engine light came on and i got a appointment on thursay .This is the first problem on my 00' GLS 19000 miles.
I drive hard and in the upper 70`s so its been a good experience till now.i will keep u guys posted on whatz up with this light.

sonatabean

Yep - the 1985 Sonata does have a powered rear-seat recliner. Much like a Mercedes S-class.

I suspect, however, (1) the Mercedes recliner was more predictable in operation and (2) the Mercedes recliner was NOT installed to promote owner napping during frequent, lengthy dealer service calls.

Recent Hyundai automobiles seem exceptional.

The old ones, however, were rather unreliable. All the electronic gadgetry possible would not compensate for the poor reliability record.

That said, my Sonata is still whirring along without trouble . . . and the gas mileage has actually started to improve a tad. I noticed another poster had the same problem I did: a Hyundai rep explained that this apparent ignition sensor problem does, occasionally, happen.

sonatava

Here's a pic of the 3M buzzer I installed in my aunt's 2001 Santa Fe GL this afternoon, which has the same problem with leaving the parking lights on. The only difference is that the Santa Fe's fusebox area has plenty of space to mount the buzzer, whereas, the Sonata's doesn't allow you to replace the fusebox cover, with the taps installed. I originally left the cover off, and stuck the buzzer to the bottom of the fusebox. I'm still deciding whether I want to drill some small holes somewhere to route some wire-extensions. For the Sonata, the white wire will go to RR Fog, not RR Wiper (santa fe). Unfortunately, Geocities doesn't allow direct linking to photos from an outside source, so you'll have to type this in manually for it to come up: http://www.geocities.com/tomgull/santabuzzer.jpg

satz

Well it turned out to ba a missing fuel tank cap.
so cheers!!.i mean reputation does have a effect.i assumed the worst and did not even check the small things like a fuel tank cap ,i thought it was a major repair.to all i can say is i just love my car more with each passing day and mine always stands out in a parking lot of toyota and hondas and i really proud of this fact -- not another guy ! we r spl

sonatava

If you live in an apartment or any other place with a fair amount of riff-raff and undesirables, I highly recommend a pager alarm, or pager/monitor add-on, keeping it near your bed:

I guess I deserve someone trying to get my Sonata, since the driver's kickpanel's been off for about a month, with various wires hanging down out of it. Still, even though I just need to tidy up the wires and replace that panel, I figured that my car would be relatively safe, since my flashing superbright Varad LED was clearly visible and the system fully functional, except for fine-tuning the shock sensor. Well, for whatever reason last night I tossed and turned and just couldn't go to sleep. About 2:50am my LCD pager remote started going crazy. The sad thing is that if it had displayed a shock sensor violation, I probably would've taken my time to check on it, however, the display showed a Door Trigger/Door Open Violation, which immediately put me into a state of shock and disbelief, thinking it had to be a stray signal or malfunction. I quickly threw on some pants and flip-flops and headed out the door. Between my door and the building's front door, I mistakenly disarmed the system, trying to shut off the beeping of the remote, rather than press the remote's reset/clear button. I immediately realized this, so I quickly pressed the arm/disarm button a few times, making sure it stayed on an armed status. I left out the front door of my condo building, took about 10 steps, then noticed an old Toyota mini-van (riff-raff resident of same condo complex) parked in the middle of the street near my Sonata, with it's lights off, rather than where I usually see it, parked 2-3 spaces away from mine. As soon I saw the van, the driver floored it, so I assume the engine had been running. Now, this guy lives on the further end of where my car was parked, and he certainly was not near his residence, rather he was in a great position as a look-out for anyone coming from my direction. If it hadn't been for the suspicious behavior of the guy/van sitting in the middle of the street with his lights off, then hitting the gas as soon as I came out at a fast walk, I probably would've thought the alarm system was malfunctioning or my pager received a stray signal. Anyhow, while checking out my car, I adjusted the shock sensor to be extra sensitive (the LED flashes w/sensor to help you adjust it) and took "The Club" out of the trunk and put it on the steering wheel (yes, I know the Club's not that effective). My car is fine and showed no signs of tampering, but I don't know if the siren even sounded, since it was parked a ways from my condo unit. I've taken down the guy's license plate number (he parked across from me this morning when I went to work) and am reporting the incident to the property manager, in case any similar events happen in the future, but I'm sure glad I got that pager remote. Like I said, if it had been a shock sensor violation, I probably wouldn't have taken it seriously, but a Door Trigger would either have to be the real deal or a serious malfunction.

2000glsv6

I have a GLS or so I am told. I see on the 2001s they have the GLS V6 marking on the trunk. My 2000 only has V6. Did they not put GLS on the trunk in 2000 or is mine just missing it. I have the 4 wheel disc brakes, radio/CD player, V6, etc. Mine does not have, however, ABS T/C, leather, sunroof, keyless entry/alarm and whatever else was available. I guess being a former 'Rental Car' has its disadvantages when it comes to available options. I will probably end up ordering the GLS letters from Hyundai and put them on myself. If anyone can answer my question I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

Sonatava, sounds like you might have gotten lucky and stopped a theft.
Hopefully it won't happen to you again. Looks like that alarm is going to pay itself off.

satz

Today i crossed the 20000 miles in 10 months and i just wanted to share my exp with my 00 GLSw/L pkg 11.All the problem i faced in this year has been when i broke my fuel gauge while putting the white gauge faces and check engine light came on when i forgot my fuel tank cap.so its been a great experience.I will look at the 2002 sonata as i am in the market for a replacement i really need the tcs/abs ,had a couple of close calls in the snow last year .does anybody have any idea when the 2002 are coming to the dealer ship?.

astrol

Our '00 GLS just passed the 20K mile barrier in 11 mos. As most here know already, my wife is the daily driver and has a decent length commute. We have experienced only one major problem (front brake replacement) which is currently being considered by Hyundai Customer Service for cost adjustment. We are being aided in this by the Hyundai Consumer Advocate (Paul 911) at the T-H-C.org.

The only continuing minor irritation is the door buzzing/vibration problem on some road surfaces which I tackled with foam strips and poly batting. Until I get some Dyna-Mat in these door panels, I'm sure I'll continue to hear something as time goes by.

All things considered, the GLS w/pkg 13 remains a standout 'value luxury' car. Since the recent 15K service and the 4 wheel balance and alignment, the car feels better, drives and performs better than it did when new. We are very pleased and I am especially happy since my wife loves her 'Moonbeam' more every day.

(On a side note, I have discovered through experimentation that I get a noticable improvement in gas mileage with Exxon gas. I used to use Amoco on a regular basis but began to question the efficacy of this when circumstances required other gas brands and I found my #'s going up with the exact same driving routines/history.)

Looking to August, the '02 Sonata should be even better with improved engineering, more power and even more goodies to play with. Oh, those compound curves!

sonatava

I was telling my aunt about my car alarm episode, and she reminded me of something I had forgotten about. Just earlier that evening, she had been visiting, because I was installing a bug/stone deflector on her Santa Fe. My Sonata was parked near by with the trunk open. Suddenly a young guy pulled up (in his spiffied Honda Civic) and asked for a light for his cigarette. I don't smoke and I didn't have my main toolbox which has my microtorch, so I had to offer him the Santa Fe's stock cigarette lighter. He then said something like, "Oh, you puttin' on a bug deflector", and I said "yeah". It never occurred to me that he could've just used the cigarette lighter in HIS car. He was most likely casing the place. Either way, some people are hesistant to believe my story, thinking that why would someone risk discovery by stealing from their own apartment complex? Well, it was only 2 months ago that the county cops busted a ring of thieves about 15 miles down the road, who did exactly that, and had stolen 6 cars over 6 months from the very same complex they lived in. Besides, most car alarms sound for about 30 seconds then reset, along with being ignored by everyone. Even among paging systems which most people DON'T have, not all differentiate between the various triggers like mine. And I've also learned that many "average" cars stolen nowadays are headed for overseas or south of the border, not necessarily for parts or joyrides.

giowa

astrol: Don't give up on the rotors. Lincoln has rotated and resurfaced mine twice in my '00 LS8 Sport. Always under warranty and nary a peep from service manager. She has about 32,000 miles and I drive her hard (which is fun and easy). Hyundai replaced my burnt out front right headlight (low beam out) under warranty a couple weeks ago.

Am at 22,000 mile mark for my '00 GLS. Still no problems. The dealer had to order the pollen air filter. Took about 3 weeks for him to get one.

mauvas

Regarding when the "All 2002 New Sonata" will arrive to North America, I posted the same question here two weeks ago, since I was shopping for a New Elantra and it happened that I visited www.kia.co.kr (Official Korean Site) and I saw this beatifull thing called the "All New Sonata". Then I decided to wait, and I have been doing some research by myself.

The India Financial Times says Hyundai will launch the 2002 Sonata in July at the worldwide level. The debut for North America (which I hope it includes Canada as well) is expected to be late July. Then, probably is a matter of one month before we can see the "new thing" here.

For what I have seen in the internet, I couldn't agree more with Astrol about "those compund curves".

If you can go to the following address bellow, you will see the spy picture from Car and Driver Magazine. They say, the dimensions are equal to the BMW series 5, and the front grille just resembles de Mercedez Class C.

http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/carnews/spy_target_hyundai_sonata.xml

And for those interested in the future of the brand, Autoweb.com.au (from Australia) forecast that probably in ten years Hyundai Motor will be one of the giants in the automotor industry in the world, because it is expected that Hyundai-Kia will be the leader in the chinese market, with total sales of 50 million cars every year by 2010. (three times the forecasted american market).

 

Here is the source if you are really interested in knowing who is going to provide you with spare parts for your today sonatas and eleantras in 10 years ahead:

http://www.autoweb.com.au/start_/showall_on/id_HYU/doc_hyu0001261/article.html

Sorry for the long answer!

killerk

While I was in the shop for an engine oil change for my 2000 GLS V6-pkg 13, I asked the manager if they could put in the platinum spark plugs during the 15K maintenance if I bring'em in. Their 15K maintenance included the spark plug change & I thought I would get those Bosch plugs you guys were raving about.

However, the manager said they won't put them in b/c it's non-Hyundai part. He told me that Hyundai doesn't use platinum plugs & if I were to put them in, then it could void the warranty. Any feedbacks on this??? Chao.

PS - I think someone posted that V-6 has platinum plugs??? Is that right???

de1029

brought car in on 6/25/01 because car experienced same problems on 6/24/01.
service dept read code & identified the output speed sensor needed to be replaced. part had to be ordered. car left overnight. repaired next day. ride seems fine so far.
sorry i didn't respond earlier...i was on vacation the week that the car went in for service.
thanks for reply and info on other web site (canada tech.)

astrol

are Platinum Coated or Tipped. Not quite as robust as the solid Plats. That is why the change-out is not as long a time interval (60K) as the 100K mile tune-up as in the Alero, etc. BUT, since your dealership does not know WHAT THE HELL is in your car, I highly suggest you take it elsewhere for servicing. This kind of stuff is a RED FLAG. Take your owners manual into these jokers and show them the service interval chart, section 5-3, where it states 'Platinum coated' (item #7) and section 6-6, under SPARK PLUGS, where it states 'Platinum tipped'. Then calmly ask them why they don't know this stuff. Be prepared to laugh. Then do yourself a favor and leave. They are MORONS. Do everyone else a favor and report this stupidity to Hyundai Customer Service.

sonatava

A neighbor in my building, who parks his tow-truck in the same area as my Sonata, said that someone tried to steal the strobes off his truck the same Wednesday night that my car alarm registered a door ajar alarm. They couldn't steal them because his boss had them welded on after a previous theft. I talked to this same neighbor a few nights ago, and he said that the Sunday night following the original incident, he saw 2 guys trying to steal his strobes again, actually breaking the lights in their attempt. He called the police who were there "in seconds" with a K-9 unit and helicopter, and caught the 2 guys. One of the responding officers just happens to be moving into my condo complex in a few weeks, and said he'd bring home his cruiser to park in the lot.

I finally have most of my website up, showing details of changing the oil on the GLS's V6, the headlight reminder buzzer (which I routed through a notch made in the fusebox cover), and information and links for installing a keyless entry system, security alarm, and/or remote starter on a Sonata, or any other car. I know that by posting the details of my alarm installation makes my car a bit more vulnerable to theft, but I figure it's worth the risk. Keyless entry is really neat, a security system will usually give you an insurance discount and a bit of peace o' mind, and the remote starter is convenient in winter.

Most of the regular pages don't have photos, but the pages showing the actual installation may be slow-loading because of the images.
Tom's Sonata Pages

dougndo

Although I've been very pleased with my new Sonata GLS Leather, I was underwhelmed with the stereo. I thought the head unit was fine, but the sound was just weak. I debated about adding the CD changer for around $400, but didn't think it was worth it under the circumstances. After listening to my girlfriend's stereo in her 2001 Tiburon, I was convinced I either had a dud stereo or the Sonata sound system was just plain inadequate.

I went to a local car stereo establishment, and they laughed (what else?) when they heard the sound. After haggling to a decent package price ($800) I had them install a new Pioneer double din head unit (latest model FH P4000—very silver with blue LCD display and 200 watts) Blaupunkt 6x9s and 6.5 component speakers, plus a 12 CD changer and 8" Kenwood amplified sub tube in the trunk, and WOW!! what a difference. Now it not only looks like "da bomb" but sounds like "da bomb."

Apparently it was a somewhat difficult install, since it took three hours longer than they anticipated. The rear package shelf was a real challenge, as indicated by the look of total despair when they discovered what they'd really have to do to get to those speakers. However, they did a first rate job, despite the fact that they probably didn't make a dime.

Have any of you felt the audio quality was poor in your Sonatas? If so, did you go back to the dealer, or just go for the total replacement like I did?

tonykrapil

I have had my 00 Sonata now for over 16 months and not a problem. Right at 12k miles.

Last night while driving I noticed the gas gauge slowly fall from 5/8ths tank to ZERO and back up a little in a matter of 2 miles!!!

I almost belived I was going to run out of gas !!

I always reset the odometer at each fill up so I knew I should be at 5/8ths.

Got home, went to bed hoping this bad dream would be over. It still read less than a 1/4.

I went to fill up and it only took 7 gallons which jives with the odometer reading.

Anyone else have this happen yet???

Tony

liljonson

this might sound like i'm crazy but i think some hyundai cars are evil or something and like to eat the gas we give them. i fill up a tank, its at full, next morning when i start it up, i see the gas and it had dropped?!?!?! same thing happnes when its not full. my friend has the same problem. its really weird and i can't go to hyundai because they'll most likely do the likely thing, "your brakes are fine" "but i didn't come for my brakes" "ohh but i'm pretty sure it has something to do with your brakes"

jc58

You can tell it is the end of the year, plus the new Sonata is coming, our local dealer has a new Sonata GLS (silver)with auto and floor mats ( sticker of $18384 I believe) for $13,799.A couple of weeks ago I saw another add for a GLS with auto and leather for $15,799.

What are the current incentives on the Sonata?

hdcse

Hello again, folks. I just went over 4k miles in the V-6 5-spd Sonata I purchased in February. Thought at this time it would be a good point to run some fuel mileage figures. The first test of 50/50 in town and highway driviing yielded 28.00 mpg on a 400+ mile tank of fuel. I was suspicious at such a good figure and did another test with the subsequent tank. This time it was 80% in-town, 20% rural/highway. The result? 27.8 mpg. And this was refueling at the same pump to insure identical nozzle shut-offs. This, my friends, is damn good mileage for the conditions. But my laptop GPS shows a speedometer that is at least 2 1/2 to, 3 mph optimistic at 75-80. So the actual fuel mileage is likely less than what my figures indicate. But ever so slightly so. And these figures were obtained with a driving skewed toward fuel conservation. Even so, the fuel consumption I have experienced is most impressive. It will be interesting to determine the highway mileage at speeds between 80 and 90 mph. Anything above 25 mpg under these conditions would be satisfactory. A rental 4 cyl Sentra and Altima I had experience with last summer did no better than 24 mpg at these speeds. This is an unsatisfactory figure for a 4 cyl vehicle.
A final observation: Hyundai did a great job with NVH on the Sonata. Too bad it was to the sacrifice of the suspension. Spring rates, strut valving, and, particularly, the suspension bushings are way too soft. The latter results in subtle changes in suspension geometry at high speeds on roads that are less than perfectly smooth. If you have a Sonata and enjoy high speed touring, you no exactly what I'm refering to. There can be a tendency for wandering off center that is disconcerting. But the fix is easy - offer a touring suspension option that uses the same suspension parts as those on vehicles headed for Germany an Italy. Surely the cars come down the same line, so the parts are right there. But do something. The American/Canadian/French suspension calibration just doesn't cut it. If I wanted a Buick ride I would've bought a Park Avenue. Come on, Hyundai, make this more of a drivers car. It would cost next to nothing. The parts are already there.

giowa

Thanks for the update. Couldn't have said it better myself. I've been preaching the need for Sport Package with decent suspension and tire upgrade for a long time. It is all that my '00 Sonata GLS V-6 Pkg 13 w/5-speed needs. I consistently get 26-29 mpg, with about 80% 2 lane county highway or interstate.

Had car in shop today getting the pollen filter replaced. Has about 21,500 miles on her. The dealer had to order the part the last time I was in for LOF.

2000glsv6

On our '00 GL V6 with auto my wife and I are averaging 26-28 mpg at every fill up. We both drive it every day. I put 60 miles on it and she puts 40 or so each day Mon-Fri. It is our commuter car. We had a 92 Scoupe that we purchased new. We put 156,000 + on it and it still was getting 30 mpg when we traded it in. Can't say enough about the quality improvements Hyundai has made from 92 to 00. If they keep doing what they have been they will have loyal owner for a long time here. Go Hyundai.

verbalkint

I just passed 36k miles and my check engine lite came on. Does anyone know if this is just programmed to come on at this point or is it a real problem. I called Hyundai and they said call your dealer and have it serviced . I called thd dealer and they said to bring it in, the standard response to everything.
Also the paint is cracking under the door handles. Is anyone else experiencing this problem? The dealer claims they are scratches and thus not covered by warrenty.

giowa

Mine came on a couple hundred miles ago. For about two days. Told dealer. They replaced MAF sensor. This was after I had already had the recall MAF sensor change last year. I have about 22,000 miles on my '00 GLS V-6 w/5-speed.

verbalkint

Additional info for my check engine lite problem. The lite stays on for 5 days now. I have screwed the gas cap on. I have had the recall on the air sensor performed.

astrol

Just returned from a mini-vacation at the beach. Our freshly serviced GLS got a whopping 37mpg on the trip down! The needle was at the 3/4 mark when we arrived after 165 mile trip. Constant low AC and full trunk with three adults. Unbelievable! Naturally I topped off again to verify...only used 4.447 gals. I use a cold PSI of 30-31 in the tires and never make highway/load adjustments.

The return trip was under the same conditions except for heavy cross and head winds. Mileage dropped to a more standard 29mpg. It appears the effect of wind on mileage can't be overstated.

Funny thing though, my '95 Sonata 4 cyl. auto which lost overdrive a good while back has just returned an average of 25+mpg for the first time in over a year. The only difference was that I had to roll the windows down for ventilation during this period instead of using the AC as it needs a recharge. I would have thought that the effects of drag would have had a greater impact on mileage than the use of AC because I have normally been averaging 21mpg since losing overdrive. Perhaps it is only something peculiar to my car's running state when AC is engaged.

majorthomecho

Astrol, you say that you took a mini vacation and had a full trunk with three adults. Didn't they object to riding in the trunk? ; )

giowa

Being from sheltered midwest I didn't think too much about astrol carrying adults around in trunk. Was thinking it was probably part of working with an illegal immigrant ring or helping organized crime dispose of some bodies. Was just glad to see the Hyundai trunk came in handy for such things. Is always good to know.

astrol

Who needs it? Actually, trunk hi-jinks always worked for me at the drive-in, so why not? I said it was UNBELIEVABLE! We did have the 40 of the 60/40 down in the back seat so the air conditioning could reach the trunk.

Hey! Now you guys have gone and really given me an idea!

majorthomecho

Just remember that when they catch you, you don't know me. ; )

hdcse

High folks. Just went to take a look at the Elantra GT at the local dealer. I also surveyed the Sonatas. Auto Fair Hyundai in Manchester, NH has a new "01 5-spd V-6 Sonata in stock. It's dark blue, has a cloth interior and package 10 with a sunroof. This is a high-volume dealer that cuts great deals. I'm passing this along because I have heard many of your comments about the unavailablity of the 5-spd, V-6 combo. And you can get a no-hassle i-net quote. Try autofair.com. Hope this info helps someone searching for 6 cyls and a clutch.

sonatabean

Well - the formerly-misbehaving 2001 Sonata GLS V6 just passed 20,000 miles.

Ever since the sensor triggering ignition spark was replaced (posted problem here earlier), the car runs beautifully: nothing to note since Hatfield Hyundai (Columbus, OH) did the repair.

Have noticed the mpg is starting to get a tad better, too.

Curious to know pros and cons other drivers have experienced so far.

Love my car - but am still a bit nervous about long-term reliability: this baby has to get me through medical school and residency because there is no way in hell I can afford another car over the next 8 years!

Happy motoring all . . . .

Sonatabean

destro2001

Hey, cool you're in med school too! I guess you go to Ohio State? I'm an M2 now pretty close by at the University of Illinois. I feel the same about needing my Hyundai to last the next 6 years at least, but if it's still working well at that point, maybe I'll end up buying another one after all! Love my accent, although somewhat lacking in power.

sonatabean

Not in the MD program yet. Have a BA in English, so I took a med faculty member's advice and am taking a degree in nursing/patient tech (2 years since I got a BA; one year already completed) to get hands-on experience and bone up on anatomy (no pun intended), physiology, biochemistry, pharm, etc. Will be taking the MCAT shortly; hope to have my apps out this winter. Oddly, I'm considering going to medschool in Canada, not OSU: Canada seems to have a lot less crap in the profession then here (ie. the bull of managed, for-profit care). In light of "today," socialized medicine does not really seem that bad . . . .

I did not go for the Accent: it was too damn Spartan. My first car was a 1976 LeSabre Custom my mom cast off in 1984. It was a great car thru college: we could pile an entire fraternity in the car along with enough booze to keep a military base happy.

Went from a LeSabre (it was as-loaded as possible; every option, midnight blue, midnight blue leather) to a Geo Metro after graduation.

Metro was surprisingly reliable, but I learned a valuable lesson: I HATE ECONOMY CARS ! ! !

Followed with a Z (will never buy Chevrolet again: complete garbage; great sex appeal and speed, though) and then this Sonata.

Right after I bought the Sonata is when I decided to go back to school. The company I worked for went under . . . so I study, I incur debt, I drive a nice car.

Now, if I could just get adopted by a rich elderly couple . . . .

'Bean

sammy35

Hi everyone,
moved from Arizona recently, the drive from there in my 01' Black Sonata GLS V6 Auto cruised with delight. Now I have a problem. The dealer I purchased my car from gave me 5 free oil changes to make up for the difference in Ad Fees when I dealed. Do you think any new Hyundai dealer might adopt/honor this freee offer?? I have 1800 miles on my car and got my first baptizing So. Cal car door ding. I'm hurting.:(
Time Magazine had a glowing review about Hyundai company, but did not mention the Sonata???
Another comment, I still think the only thing missing on this car to intice young and old buyer is a beautiful chrome hood ordament something like a Dragon on snake. (Kinda like the Jaguar) How can I get this idea to the manufactures??

majorthomecho

Try the Hyundai website. I think there is information on how to contact Hyundai.

mynova4444

I have been reading this forum for a while now and finally signed up! We have a 2000 Sonata GLS
Auto w/Pkg. 11. Purchased June 1st 2000. Now has 30,000 miles. Only problem so far is the drivers side power window regulator went bad last week and is being fixed next week under warranty. What I really want to know is does anyone know the Transmission Fluid capacity when changing w/filter. I intend on doing this myself as the dealer wants $100.00 and it only takes about 20 minutes if you work slowly. I guess i'll still have to buy the fluid and filter from the dealer because no parts stores here ever heard of SP-II.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

vocus

I just got on CarsDirect.com and checked the prices for my area (zip 21230, MD). The Sonata loaded with leather, V6, and everything is $18,396, or $1000 below dealer invoice (including rebate). I was surprised that this was only $3000 or so more than the Elantra GT. Then I ran a Kia Optima SE V6 without leather, and the price was a little over $21,000, or $300 or so below MSRP! I can not believe there is such a difference in pricing between the Sonata and the Optima, considering they are about the same car save some chrome trim and a "steptronic" automanual tranny.

I have liked the Sonata alot since last year or so, and almost bought one. Just couldn't do it though, due to the car's soft handling. But still shocked that the Sonata is not too much more expensive than the Elantra GT. Color me surprised!

majorthomecho

I was at an auto show and I noticed this price discrepancy between the two similarly equipped vehicles. I asked the Kia salesman why and he said (with a straight face) that they used heavier steel. He suggested that I try feeling the weight of the hood on both. I did and I could not tell that much difference.