Hyundai Elantra Maintenance and Repair

paladin1111

A friend of mine bought a 2001 GLS. There was a scratch in the bumper which we noticed when we got the car home. The dealer said that could be repaired so it was invisible. I did not believe it could be done, but he was right! He had a person repair it and it was totally invisible and has been for over a year. So, to the Manhattanite who has scratches in his bumper, take it to the dealer. He may well have a person who can do the same perfect repair job!

miken626

not sure if it's just me, but when i'm driving w/ my a/c on along w/ the recirculated air button on...when i turn the car off, then on again, the recirculated air button is mysteriously turned of..and must be pressed again...this is also true with the Traction control button "TCS"...this isn't normal for the car, is it???

Mike

jimbeaumi

Yes, it is normal. Same with cruise.

gtpete

My 2002 Elantra GT has the same problem with its fuel guage as has been mentioned before. When car is full guage reads 1/8th less than full, and then occasionally moves up to full. Has anyone taken their car to the dealer and actually had it fixed? It doesn't matter if I fill it with the key in ACC or ON, the car will spuradically read inaccurately but only at the top portion of the tank

In regards to the A/C in my car, mine like most others has a very faint high pitch noise to it every now and then which does not bother me at all but I've also noticed that when I turn the air on, I feel a loss of power when the compressor kicks in. My brothers 88hp Escort does this but not my mom's 130hp Focus. I assumed that this would only happen on an underpowered car, not one with 140hp. I also notice that while my A/C is cold, it is not ICE cold as many other respondants have said, maybe its just my Canadian view of what "ice cold" is, is a little different than someone from the southern states. No offence meant by this statement.
Any respondants to my problems would be very much appreciated, thank you.

jlflemmons

It is not uncommon for an a/c compressor to cause engine loading as it takes quite a bit of power to run one. Saying that one engine "feels" it more than another is a very subjective issue as the loss of power sensation is dependant upon where you are in the power band of the engine. On my 6.0L 300HP truck, you never feel the compressor cycle. The engine has both very high torque and a flat torque curve. The Hyundai 2.0L does develop 140HP, but at a very high RPM. Thus, you will notice the a/c cycling more at lower engine speeds than higher. This could be why the Focus engine is not as noticable at a comparable engine speed. This is nothing new, for many years engines have needed an idle speed-up solenoid and later the ECM control to keep the engine from stalling when the a/c cycled at idle.

Now, with regard to cooling, we have already seen 100+ temps here in my part of Texas, and the cooling in my Elantra is some of the best I have ever seen. If you think your cooling is not up to snuff, I would get it checked. These newer a/c systems use much less freon (r134A) than the older systems so a slight undercharge could really show reduced cooling.

Good luck,

Jim

gtpete

Thanks for your help Jim. I'll have to see about the A/C. It's definitely not as cold as some other cars that I have been in lately. We too have been experiencing a heat wave (90 degrees plus) and the only way that I have been able to stay comfortable is with the air on full blast and the recirc button pressed. If there isn't any problems I won't worry too much, we won't get any hotter than this past week.
Once again thanks for your help.
Pete.

backy

I think you should have your dealer check your A/C. It does not seem to be cooling as well as my Elantra's does, or as well as others have reported in the Edmunds.com boards. My Elantra's A/C is by far the coldest A/C of any car I have ever driven, and I've driven a lot of cars over the last 30 years. In the recent 90+, humid weather in Minnesota, I had to keep the fan on the lowest setting and sometimes turn up the temperature to keep from getting too cold. That of course was after the initial cooldown for a hot (parked in the sun) car, which is very quick. Also, I notice no noticeable loss of power when the A/C kicks in on my Elantra. You might ask to drive another Elantra off the lot on a warm day to compare its A/C performance to your car's.

gtpete

Thanks, will do. There is definately a hesitation when the A/C button is pushed, it almost seems as if someone has hooked up a trailer to the car. I've concluded through reading other messages and talking to other people that my car's air is definitly not as cold as other Elantra's. I'll deal with the temp first, we'll see about the "loss of power" it's not enough to concern me, just noticeable.

jacobi1

Hi all, I'm a proud new owner of a GT Auto, picked up last week. I've been through this message board among others looking for information/tips/help on the way the automatic tranmission works on this car. It seems to flip back and forth when going at slow speeds between first/second and third. I drive in a lot of bumper to bumper traffic and it's almost as though the trans can't make up it's mind what gear to be in? almost liek the trans drops then kicks in again...it's quite annoying. Now, I've heard some say 'fuzzy logic' and others say there was a software upgrade to this? is there anyone that can shed some light on the issue? I'm taking it in early next week but would like to have something to go on before i go into the dealership. I've had plenty of Automatic cars but none of them felt like this, I guess I never noticed it in the test drive as I did mostly striaght hwy driving. Thanks

registry

I've owned a 02 elantra gt for two months now and its close to 2000 miles. Its been a great car except for gas mileage. I've never gotten over 21, and every time except once it has been between 14-19mpg. The one time I got 21mpg was driving from boston to Hartford and back. Also, when I am stopped I can usually watch the trip computer mpg estimate go down at an unusually high rate. When I fill the car up I do the math in addition to the trip computers math, and they are always very similar. The dealer doesn't want to look at it. It have auto trans, so I should get between 24-33 I believe. This is very frustrating, and I was hoping you guys might know what is causing this.

backy

A few ideas:

* The Elantra engine is tight initially; you will get better mpg as the engine loosens up. For me, that was after about 1500-2000 miles. Initially I got around 24 mpg, but now I am getting almost 30 with mostly city driving, some stop-and-go, a lot of urban freeways and city streets. That's with a 5-speed.

* How fast do you drive? You'll get lower mpg at 80 than you would at 60-70.

* How much stop-and-go driving do you do, or driving on city streets? You mentioned the trip computer's mpg reading goes down at an "unusually high rate" when you are stopped. I don't know what is usual for a GT because I have the GLS. When driving in town, do you like to gun it, keeping the revs high, or do you accelerate smoothly and anticipate stops? Driving habits can make a big difference with mpg.

* Have you checked tire pressures? I have mine set around 35 psi, a bit higher than recommended, but it seems to improve handling and may improve mpg too.

* How loaded is the car? I've noticed a difference of about 5 mpg between a car with just me and a car loaded with passengers and gear.

* How much do you use the A/C? That will rob a little mpg, how much I don't know, but I've done two long trips in my Elantra, one with A/C and one without, and on the non-A/C trip I got 40 mpg (all level freeway) and on the trip with A/C I got about 35 (with some hills and a few slow-downs through small towns). Each time my max speed was 70.

registry

It is usually city driving in boston between the times of 5pm-1am. I deliver pizzas (probably not smart in a new car ) but I don't gun it usually and the a/c is on half the time, usually until 8-9pm. I am usually the only person in the car with not very much cargo, the psi is whatever the dealer set it at. Also, I now have 1850 miles, so the engine should loosen up, even if it hasn't, 15mpg seems real low... (Right now my trip computer is reading 16.9 mpg with a third of a tank left). Hope this helps...

Mike

jimbeaumi

Delivering pizza means stopping the car, starting again, stopping the car, starting again, right? And lots of little hops back and forth from store to home and red lights/stop signs in between. That kills your gas mileage. City driving puts me into the mid- or sometimes low-20s for mpg, with 5-speed.

registry

I know the delivery driving hurts gas, but I was getting 15-19mpg before I started delivering. So for the first 1200 miles I didn't deliver and I broke it in properly....

Mike

backy

You might try a simple test to see if there is something abnormal with your car. Top off the tank until the fuel filler clicks off by itself, and take it for a cruise on a level highway that will have no or few stops for about 100 miles. Keep speed moderate, under 70 at least. Keep the A/C off if possible. Top off the tank again, the same way you did the first time, and calculate your mpg (and compare with the computer's mpg). If you don't get at least 30 mpg on a trip like that, I'd say something is wrong.

registry

thanks for the help I'll try that. I'm also going to the dealer on Wednesday for an oil change and maybe have them look at this problem too...

Mike

sbilheim

I just wanted to follow-up to say that Hyundai finally gave me my money back for the Elantra that had a horrible high-pitched squeal in it. I had written in this forum before about it. Sometimes, Justice prevails. Hopefully, Hyundai will work on a fix for this problem. Anyone suffering from this problem can feel free to write me at sbilheimer@techwritingmkt.com. Susan

ajenkins23

Can someone give me advice regarding cleaning the leather seats in my GT? I've never had leather before and I notice that dust/durt etc accumulates in the cracks in the seats making it difficult to get out. What's best to do? Thanks!

wmoses

sbilheim said --

"Hyundai finally gave me my money back for the Elantra that had a horrible high-pitched squeal in it."

Are you saying you returned the car and got your money back?

elantrance

Hi all, I picked up my brand new 2002 (black, baby ;-)) Elantra GLS last Saturday. So far, I am VERY impressed...I already downright love this car! Can't believe the price for how good a car I got (little under $12k WITH the extended warranty)...but anyways, I degress...you all know how great they are ;-)

Anyways, I bought the basic car (still has a lot of stuff *g*) with the auto trans. I almost gave into the $300 premium the dealer wanted for a CD player, but bypassed as I felt that was WAY to high. I am going to get a CD changer installed sometime in the future.

In the mean time, I was just planning on using my Sony CD player with a cassette adapter. However, the stock head unit seems to have the auto-side function (where it flips automatically from A to B at the end of each side)...when I plug in the adapter and play a CD, it will play for about 5 seconds, then try to switch sides (the adapter has no tabe, btw). It does it every 5 seconds or so. Obviously, I cannot listen to a CD...this is not a MAJOR issue...I mean, I'm happy with the quality stero I got for the price of the car, but it is rather annoying considering the vast collection of CD's I own, and total lack of cassettes. Anyone else have this prob? Any solutions?

Jon

sbilheim

Yes, WMoses, that is exactly what I'm saying. Hyundai repurchased my lemon and I returned the car!

bartbikerw

Hey,

I just wanted to get an oppinion from a few people. One day I when it was the 95 degree weather in chicago I came into my car and notice a large crack on the plastic of the instrument pannel (then on that covers the spedometer). I took it to the dealer closes to me the same day so that they would know it wasn't my foul. At first when I came into the car I though that somehow I did that about I have not touched it and even if I wanted to crack it on purpose (yea right) it would be hard. Well when I want back to that dealer to fix it, the menager told me that they would not fix it under the warranty and if I want to fight it then I have to go to the dealer I bought the car at. I made an appointment already with that dealer but I have a feeling they will give me a hard time. I think that plastic cracked from the heat, and I am sure it is nothing that I did. I just wanted to hear what people think. And also my cluch started squicking and being rough and they have to replace the main cylinder. My car is only 5 months also and I have a feeling that this is too much stuff for one time. Also I have a feeling my air conditioning is not cold enough and it that makes that noise but it does not bug me that much. Thanks you for responses.

lep999

2001 Elantra GLS have had the car back to dealer
5 times in 11 months for engine check light.
Dealer said that gas cap must be screwed on tight
!! three clicks has anyone had this solve the
problem!!!Not for me%@$#&%*!!!car has 20,000 on it

wmoses

sbilhein said --

"Yes, W , that is exactly what I'm saying. Hyundai repurchased my lemon and I returned the car! "

Amazing. I have never heard first hand of someone taking the car back under the Lemon Law.

In light of the many other satisfied customers, and I believe that you liked you car otherwise -- will you get another Hyundai, or have you decided to move on?

tkepner

We bought a 2002 Hyundai Elantra less than 3 months ago. There are spots where paint is missing on the roof, hood and trunk. The car has been garage kept since day one. Hyundai refuses to fix it--says it is not their problem. We have a claim in to the BBB Auto Line. I see from the postings that there is at least one other instance of this. Has anyone gotten satisfactory resolution from Hyundai for this problem?

rasmoo

I noticed a couple of weeks ago a tiny dent/scratch on the drivers side back panel. Looks like somebody banged their car door into it and it made a tiny dent and left a smidgen of red paint. I've only had the car about 4 months and when I went to show the dealer he said he could take out the dent for $35.00 and sell me touch-up paint for $8.00. Should I do it??? The mark is so small I have to get right up next to it to see it. But I worry that it will start corroding in the scratch. I know this is a minor matter but I'd really appreciate an impartial opinion.

joffficer

I had a small dent caused by another car's door (on a dodge ram I own). It wasn't a big deal, but the paint was broken, and now there is rust. Now it's a big deal, because once starts rust will keep spreading. If it only costs $43 I would have done it long ago, but I was lazy about it! Now I needed the whole door treated and painted.... I'm sure much more then $43!

sbilheim

Are you kidding???? After all they put me through and, by the way, this car had had so many other problems within the first four months that even the Hyundai rep was surprised, I hope to never even sit in a Hyundai again. They broke something else nearly every time they attempted to fix something. I bought a Mazda Protege and I LOVE IT! Especially the VERY quiet air conditioner. Susan

jlflemmons

Greetings, all

Had my Elantra (Chianti Red) for three months now and had my first problem, and a minor one at that. I ran the fuel down below a quarter tank and the Low Fuel indicator came on, the one that looks like a gas pump. Well, it came on for about three seconds and went out. I have run the tank low a couple of times since, but the lamp will not come back on. Anyone else had this happen, and if so, what was the problem? I have a lot of "wrench time" under my belt, so if this is just a bulb replacement, I would be tempted to just fix it myself rather than have the car back to the dealer.

Other than this minor glitch, the car has been flawless. I did the first oil change this weekend and noted that the engine had used less than 1/4 a quart of oil in 3000 miles, assuming it was properly filled when new. Have no reason to doubt that as I check the oil at every fill up and have not seen the level change since new.

Later,

Jim

backy

I'm surprised your low fuel lamp came on at 1/4 tank. My Elantra's light comes on when the needle is on E, with a bit more than 1 gallon left. Have you ever let your Elantra's tank run down that far? If not, you might want to risk an experiment (when you are close to gas stations) to see if the light comes on.

Just curious--do you remember what was happening when the light came on before, e.g. did you make a sharp turn? The gas can slosh around in the tank and momentarily cause my Elantra's low fuel light to flash even before the needle is on E.

joffficer

computer says I have 50 miles to go before I'll need gas. Of course I'm sure this changes with my driving patterns, but that's been the norm. At first the light might come on and go off (as the gas moves in the tank), but if I push it a few more miles it'll stay on.
I haven't run it empty (I'm good for that ) but I trust the numbers the trip computer displays...they match my fuel records pretty close! (mpg)

jlflemmons

the last time I filled up. If you turn the key on without starting, all the other lamps are tested. Does the low fuel lamp come on also?

Jim

joffficer

I've had four cars with the low fuel reminder, and none of them came on with the light test either (honda, ford, isuzu, chevy). I don't know why, but it seems to be common.

jxs81

hi lep,

The first a few months I owned my 2001 GLS(a little over one year now), the check engine light kept coming on for 3 or 4 times. All but once, the dealer told me to tighten the gas cap. Finally, I went to extremes to turn the cap at least ONE FULL TURN after each fill. It never comes on again since:)

Hope it helps,

Jeff

chella1

have an elentra 2001, my hsband recently went in to have an oil change and found out the plug had been stripped. Had to replace with our money-some 300 bucks later and now the darn thing is leaking. Service manager at the dealership is not taking care of this problem!! Also everytime we have the car in the shop, something else is wrong with the car. We had a shaking sterring problem after the tires were rotated-had the car serviced and a couple months down the road one tire in the back is bald already. Is my car a problem or is it the technicians? I would like to hear from avyone with similar problems.

5port

chella1:

Stripped oil pan is a common problem with dealer serviced Elantras. The oil pan is made out of aluminum and has NO steel insert for the threads. The stripping of threads does not have to happen if the plug is torque right. This is the reason I and many others bought the Fumoto Drain Valve. Once the valve is inserted into the drain plug hole you simply turn the valve on to drain the oil. Also dealers have a nasty habit of over filling the oil. Results in slow acceleration and possibly blown gaskets.

Shaking in the steering wheel is tire balance problem. If you have the tires rebalanced correctly (this may involve breaking the bead and moving the tire on the wheel) that should go away. Alot of the Elantras came from the factory with wheels out of balance.

ONE tire being bald already means you have an alignment problem. Tell the dealer and they should take care of it under warranty.

I sense that there is nothing wrong with your car that my or other Elantras have not suffered. The problem seems to lie with your service techs. They dont give a damn. I would try another dealer for service. If not happy with service ask to see the district manager.

jimbeaumi

I agree with 5port: dealer makes a difference. So far it looks like I have a very good service department. Friendly, quick, and they are patient on days when I have a bazillion questions.

jxs81

I have a 2001 elantra GLS 5sp. Recently, I have noticed that there is like a rubbing sound when I pressed the clutch down. This only happens after the car has been warmed up.

I had the dealer checked it a couple days ago. They couldn't find anything wrong, so they just lubricated something. However, I can still hear that sound, although it seems to be less often. Does anybody know what could be wrong? I'm concerned it might be something serious.

Thanks,

Jeff

bartbikerw

I had the same cluch noise (and still do cause I am waiting for the part). I took the car to the dealer I bought the car at and they did the same thing that they did to your car but it didn't help, so I took it to another dealer. This other dealer told me that the first dealer didn't know what he was doing and that you don't just put all that lubricant on the cluch to make it better. What came out of this is that my master cluch cylinder has to be changed and I am waiting for the part to come. I really lost trust in the repair guys. I am always afraid they will to something worse to my car. I'll see if the next repair will fix the problem, but it seems like you have the same thing.

bartbikerw

and it is nothing serious, but the dealer said that untill I'll change that part I will just have to drive around in that noise and rubbery feel.

jxs81

Thanks, bartbikerw.

It's a pity to know the dealer didn't do a good job. I'll have to try another dealer.

Jeff

backy

I heard a noise when depressing the clutch pedal in my '01 GLS last fall. It sounded like a moan, and only appeared when the car was warmed up. It took three (!) visits to fix it. The first time, they replaced the clutch throwout bearing and the noise went away for a day, then returned but a bit less than before. They next time, they simply lubed it--no effect (duh). Finally they removed and cleaned the pin between the slave cylinder and clutch lever, applied anti-seize, and reinstalled the pin. No noise since then.

desg

My biggest gripe over the years is dealers, they often fail to fix what they are supposed to, don't do it properly or in same cases have caused other problems, the last time this happened the service manager had to lend me his car since they stuffed up the fuel line.

A car is a mechanical device so I expect to have the occasionally problem, I think it is a bit unrealistic to expect it to always perform perfectly, that being said a lot of problems can be averted with a decent mechanic working on the car, finding one is the problem.

I do however think it is rather pointless to blame the car or the manufacturer for dealer problems, or to say you won't buy that make again because of a poor dealer, by all means change dealers or go to third parties but realise where blame lays, in reality manufacturers can't do a great deal about most dealers.

backy

People make mistakes. If a dealer makes a mistake in servicing my car, but is professional about it and eventually corrects the problem, that is not a big deal to me. If the dealer is consistently inept and/or rude, it's time to find a new dealer.

This week I had to take my Caravan in for a strange problem--the Check Engine Light would flash when I went over a sharp bump. I suspected something was loose, and the dealer had just done some work on the electrical system the week before. Sure enough, they had not tightened down a battery cable on the last service. This was the first goof this dealer had made in eleven years of otherwise exemplary service. Also, the service writer gave me a coupon for a free oil change for my trouble. Will I continue using this dealer for service? You bet.

mnmers

Has anyone had a problem with their clutch
on a manual (2002 GT)? Mine "pop"s into neutral after I push the clutch pedal and start to shift.
We live in a very hilly area, and most of the
problems are happening on hills. It is in the shop, and the mechanic can't seem to duplicate
the problem. This is my 4th manual transmission
car, but the mechanic started to hint that I might
not know how to drive it. (It never happened on the 3 manual trans. Hondas I owned!) The other day, it popped out of reverse while I was backing up, and I also have the problem with it killing in reverse, unless riding the clutch and the gas.

wmoses

No problem here, after 8200 miles. This is my third manual Hyundai and I have never had this problem.

Do you actually get the car into gear and then have it pop back out into neutral?

If so, why can't the mechanic replicate this problem? Ask him to sit in the car while you do it in the parking lot.

5port

I do not have this problem on my 2001.5 GT. I did have this problem on my leased 1986 Izusu Impulse Turbo and like you I complained to the service department. they could not duplicate it. It would not happen often. Mine was a little different. If I just lifted off the gas (kind of a neutral state) the stick would slide out of gear to neutral. The car was on a four year lease so I put up with it then gave the car back. Good luck.

arsiong

Just picked up my new 2002 new Elantra GLS 5-speed 2 days ago, everything worked fine, except it had this 'Eh' sound coming from the brake everytime I released the brake, ( when I pressed the brake, it was fine). not sure if it was coming from the front disc or rear drum. the brake function is working fine except the 'Eh' sound.(it was more like a normal "tug" of the engine resisting your brake pedal pressure in a automatic car, it surely was not a squeal sound). could this be because of the new brake? will it go away along the time?

did anyone has the same situation?

backy

You didn't buy your car in Canada, did you? (Sorry, could not resist.)

Is the noise coming from the brakes or the area of the brake pedal? I ask because my '01 GLS had a sound kind of like that, but when releasing the clutch pedal. The noise was coming from the clutch pedal, not the clutch. Details a few messages up.

elantrance

Nice call Backy! I can just imagine my elantra goin, "Where aboots are we goin, eh?" when I put on my brake ;-)

(I'm beating a dead horse already...but hey..Canadian's are kinda funny *g*)