Hyundai Elantra Maintenance and Repair

desg

Dripping water is normal and occurs when the a/c is run when there is reasonable humidity in the air - cooling the air turns humidity into water i.e. it condenses

As for a smell that is also not unusual, the best solution is regular use of the a/c like ever few days, leave a a/c system for any length of time and you will get a smell when it is started

jlflemmons

I tend to keep mine on recirc due to the traffic fumes, and if so the first time I switch to fresh air the stink is there. My drain was not flowing freely so I took a screwdriver and cleaned out the drain. Even though it was dripping before, the volume of water increased a bit.

Jim

wmoses

Jim -- where is the drain located? Under the car close to the firewall, would be my guess. If so you'd have to jack up the car to do this cleaning, right?

jlflemmons

It is a little rubber tube about 2-3" long sticking down roughly between the oilpan drainplug and the tire. You don't have to lift the car, but if you are a Bud man it might be easier! ;-)

ezwjraia

Ever since my GT was new, I've taken it to my neighborhood Jiffy Lube for oil changes. A couple of weeks ago, I got a promotional from the Hyundai dealership's service manager. He "wanted me back" as a service customer, and offered to change the oil for $9.95. I accepted the offer, and brought the car in for service. However, after an hour or so, the service manager told me that whoever had changed the oil last had damaged the threads in the oil pan and that his mechanic was unable to re-install the plug. The car needed a new oil pan, which would cost me about $497.00 and was not covered by the warranty. He would have to order the pan, which would take several days for delivery. I asked if there wasn't another way that they could solve the problem. He suggested a temporary plug which might hold until he could install the new pan. He cautioned me that the temporary plug was not designed to last very long. When it failed, I'd lose all my oil and have to get a new engine. He then gave me the old plug, so I could show it to the Jiffy Lube manager when I tried to get them to pay for the damage they had caused. The threads on the lower portion of the plug were indeed completely filled with what appeared to be aluminum. I drove immediately to the Jiffy Lube service center and related this story to the assistant manager. He asked if there had been any oil on my garage floor after the last Jiffy Lube oil change. I said that there had been none at all. He felt that the mechanic at the Hyundai dealership must have damaged the pan, either when he removed the plug or when he attempted to re-install it. He offered to install a larger, self-tapping plug. I accepted his offer, and so far have not noticed any oil leaking. Can anyone on this forum tell me if I must replace the oil pan, as recommended by the Hyundai service manager, or should I just continue to use Jiffy Lube for oil changes and only go back to the dealer for warranty work?

jlflemmons

Is probably where your plug was damaged. The gasket on the drain plug should be replaced each time the oil is changed, or at the most every other change. This crush gasket prevents the drain plug from leaking without having to tighten the plug "super tight".

On the other hand, there is absolutely no reason to change the oil pan for a stripped drain hole. The hole merely needs to be tapped out to the next size drain plug and use the larger drain plug in place of the original. On the Elantra that is a very easy job due to the location of the drain and shouldn't take more than 15 to 30 minutes tops. No way would I buy a new oil pan!

Jim

ezwjraia

jlflemmons - Thanks for your response to my plea for help. Could you tell me if it is possible to get a Fumato Oil Drain valve installed on my "damaged" oil pan, and any suggestion as to who I might get to install it? At this point, I'm reluctant to go back to the dealer whose only recommended solution is to spend $500.00 for a new oil pan. Wouldn't the new pan be as likely to be damaged by the next inexperienced person trying to change the oil as the original one was?

jlflemmons

Any drain plug with a size slightly larger than the original can be installed by tapping the correct thread size into the drain hole. You should only go to the larger size closest to the original to avoid having to remove excessive material from the pan. There is nothing wrong with staying with a regular drain plug. Aluminum oil pans have been used for years. Unfortunately, many oil change stores have grease monkeys who are more brawn than brain.

kharthcock

I know that this topic was discussed a while ago, but i would like some further clarification about how it can be fixed. After purchasing a new 2002 hyundai elantra gls, my wife and i were disappointed to hear a very annoying noise. it can be described as whistling, humming, grating, but any way you describe it the noise is irritating and is not natural. The car currently has about 3800 miles on it, and we didn't learn of the problem until after the first 1200 miles. we were on a trip and were driving faster than normal.

the noise seems to be dependent on the velocity of the vehicle. occuring at around 70 - 90 mph. it can occur as low as 55 mph if it is very windy out.

we have spent many hours traveling back and forth to the dealership to get the problem fixed, but they have not only not fixed the problem they have been exceedingly rude about not fixing it. when the car was first brought in for repairs we were asked to drive the technician around so that he could hear the noise. after that they resealed the windshield. it didn't fix the problem so we brought it back and had to drive another technician around and they tightened a belt on the air conditioner. this didn't work either. after talking to the service director they "agreed" to look at the car again. the service director, whom i was supposed to drive around to hear the noise got caught in traffic and couldn't make the appointment we had set up, so after driving yet another technician around to hear the noise they said that a hyundai representative would be in that day, and they would all have a look at it. when we picked up the car they said that they drove the car and didn't hear the noise so they did nothing. this obviously didn't fix the problem.

we've talked to the sales manager along with the service director and technicians who all seem to think that we are "driving the car beyond its capabilities". we thought that that was ludicrous so we decided to test drive a new car from the lot. the salesman drove the car up to 90mph and there was no noise.

another comment made by sales manager and some of the technicians was that it was the tires making the noise and that they weren't rated for those speeds, but the car has H rated tires which are max 130 mph.

they seem to have it in their heads that we are just being picky; however, when one buys a new car one should be absolutley satisfied, and we obviously are not. my wife and i are young and plan to buy many vehicles in our lifetime, and this dealership acts as if customers are idiots and to say the least they will not be getting any more of our business.

has anyone else had this problem? if so, how was it ultimately resovled?

disgruntled new car owner

jimbeaumi

Leave it to the dealers to ruin an otherwise good new car experience. As for your problem, are there other Hyundai dealers nearby, perhaps with more competent service techs?

You've already stated that a Hyundai rep is aware of your problems. My other suggestion is to write a letter directly to Finbarr O'Neill, President and CEO of Hyundai USA. Be sure to state that you are at the beginning of many years of car buying and be very forceful with your expression of dissatisfaction with both the dealer and the Hyundai rep. These are two vital links in the chain between you and O'Neill and they clearly are weak.

This kind of thing makes me angry, because I feel I purchased a very good car and I have a good service department to back it up. I wish we all had this luxury -- and too bad I have to call it a luxury.

jlgolden

kharthcock: What dealership are you working with, city & state?? Just curious.

backy

I think this is a new one, at least I don't remember anyone mentioning it before. Since day one my '01 Elantra GLS has made a noise when turning sharply to the left. Sharply as in a 90-degree turn or more. It's hard to describe the sound, sort of a soft, high-pitched hissing sound. I reported this to the dealer at my first service, and they checked it and said everything was OK, including belt tension. I bought the car in late October, and it was a cold fall and winter that first year. I forgot about the noise for awhile, as I didn't really notice it this summer. Now the noise is back in recent days, although today it was quite warm, about 80. I especially noticed it today. It's time for the 15,000 mile service and I'll have the dealer check it again, but I was curious as to what the Wisdom of the Group thinks. I still think it's a belt. But why does it make a noise only on left turns?

5port

kharthcock

Your noise sounds like the inner front fender wheel well flapping. If you look back a few months there were people complaining of whistling/flapping noises at high speed. This turned out to be a loose inner fender well catching the wind at high speed. The fix would be to replace or install the missing hardware.

backy

My .02 is that your steering rack is passing hydraulic fluid thru a valve when you are making a very sharp turn. When the hydraulic pressure is a its highest (in the rack) is when the noise occurs. If this is the case the ambient temp would affect the volume of the noise (louder in morning,softer at night). Fix...replace rack.

rasmoo

I've had my 2002 Elantra six months and have taken it back to the dealership twice for the same problem. When I brake (sometimes slow, sometimes fast) I hear noise in the rear right of the car. The first time I took it in to be checked, no one explained what the problem was - they just told me they'd resurfaced the brake drums. Less than a week later it began making the noise again. This time when I took my car in they diagnosed it as a bad wheel bearing and I had to leave my car there for 4 days to be repaired. They gave me a loaner, but still . . . Now two weeks later it's making an even louder sound when I brake. I'm very disturbed that this problem hasn't been resolved and wonder if the technicians at the Hyundai dealership are taking me seriously. I'm going over there this evening after work and talk to the service manager. He seemed nice and concerned last time I was there, but that hasn't gotten the problem corrected. He did say that the brakes were a fairly common problem with the Elantra. Any suggestions on what else I might do? I don't want to be hateful with the dealership but I want my car fixed.

kharthcock

thanks for the response,

There is a dealership closer, and we plan to go there after we have exhausted all possibilities at the place of purchase. we have yet to talk with the general manager and although the hyundai representative knows about the problem it is through their service department and not through us directly as of yet.

if we were to take it to another dealership, it seems like there would be less incentive to help us with the problem. is this faulty logic? in your opinion would they be just as concerned as the original one should be?

one of the problems with the high speeds at which the noise sometimes occurs is that here in houston the speed limit is reduced to 55mph practically everywhere due to environmental regulations, and they refuse to drive above that speed to see if they've corrected the problem.

plodding on

kharthcock

the dealership is jay marks in houston texas

kentavos

I know this is the problems/repairs board, but I figured since most people resolve their problems by going to the dealer, this is a good place to look for input on a good dealer.

My history with car repairs have been 'nightmarish' at best, so it's really important to me that I find a dealer with a good service department. Can anyone recommend a dealer in the Orange County, California area?

I really appreciate this.

rrcobill

I bought my 2002 Hyundai Elantra last Oct. 2001. About 3 months ago I began to notice small blister like spots appearing on the top surfaces of my car. The color of my car is Chianti Red. As the blisters get larger, the paint peels off to expose the primer. As time went on, I noticed more spots appearing and more paint peeling off. I took my car back to the dealer. I was told that I would have to meet with the factory rep. who would let me know if the paint was defective. I had to wait a month to meet with him. He looked at my car, then told me there was no defect. The spots on my car were from droppings like from a bird or something in the rain. I couldn't believe how he was insulting my intelligence. He said that since there was no defect, there was no warranty claim. I told him I was not done and I would pursue this further. I would like to know if any one else has had the same problem with their paint peeling and if you took your car back to the dealer and what they told you. I have seen two more cars just like mine. Same color. Same problem. I welcome your input.

kharthcock

5sport,

thanks for the advice. the whistling sounds more like when you blow up a balloon and pinch the end while letting the air out. a little less high pitched than that but equally as annoying. not a flapping, but i could see your point about the wind traveling through a hole or seam that wasn't properly tightened down.

jimbeaumi

Most of us know that dealers operate independently of each other, and independently of Hyundai. For example, my dealer service department also services Saab vehicles, so that may have something to do with the high level of service I receive. Others in these threads, including you, have had headaches from your service departments. This is why I suggest trying the next dealer; you have nothing to lose. I would still highly recommend letters (more than one) to O'Neill detailing your encounters. Keep us posted!

rab613

i have about 14,000 miles om my 2001 elantra gls, and the check engine light came on and i noticed an unusual odor in the car, similar to an exhaust smell. i had already noticed on this board that the cap should be tightened for at least 3 clicks, which i am always careful to do. when i brought it in to the dealer, they claimed that the cap was loose which interfered somehow with the car computer, and they charged me $75.- to reset the computer.

does any of this make sense, since i'm sure that the cap was tightened properly. furthermore, according to previous postings about this problem, it was seemingly cured just by tightening the cap, without having to reset any computers.

please respond if you can advise me

thank you

backy

Offhand I'd say your dealer is not too interested in keeping you as a customer.

First, a loose gas cap should not cause an exhaust smell in your car. Second, a check engine light caused by a loose gas cap should eventually correct itself. They probably charged $75 to run the computer diagnositics to see if it was something other than the gas cap, e.g. an oxygen sensor (also caused a check engine light, as do other problems). If I were you, I'd discuss the situation with the dealer's service manager and ask to have the charge refunded, since you are careful to tighten the gas cap every time.

smiller678

Hi,

I live in south Orange County. When I had my 01 Elantra I brought it in to Santa Ana Hyundai. They were pretty decent not bad. Though they only performed routine maintenance (it was for the 30K).

smiller678

There have been some discussions about paint problems on the Hyundai Connection Forum. Try www.t-h-c.org. Anyway, there seems to be a lot of paint problem with black and red cars. Many people had reported exactly what you have. Maybe it was a bad batch of paint.

Anyway, good luck.

bartbikerw

Hey everyone,

I know there were posts before about the paint chips. I just notice they I have a chiping spot on my hood. It is probably from the bird droppings, but I wash my car at least once month if not more often, and I had never had it happen on any of my cars. The dropping are on the car never more then a week, because I try to get them off, or it rains by then and they come off themselves. I can not wash my car every week or every time I notice droppings. It is not supposed to happend that quick. There is something wrong with the paint. I did not take the car to the dealer yet because I am very busy, but I wanted to know if you guy were able to do something about the. My car is not eve a year old yet (9 mo), and it should not happen. Hyundai should fix it. I also have chipping paint in other spots as well. Let me know. Thanks. Bart

joenelaine

I have a 1999 Elantra and I am having major problems. It has 39K miles.

At 29K miles (10 months ago), the car began to stall, hesitate, and buck periodically. I brought it to the dealer and they dumped in a bottle of feul injector cleaner. This did nothing.

I brought it in again, and they suggested a full 30K mile tune-up. Which I did. 2 weeks and $500 later, the problems still existed.

I brought it in again, and they replaced the throttle sensor. It did not correct the problem.

A couple of months later I brought it in again, and they replaced something else. The name of the part escapes me. Again, nothing.

I brought it in again 2 weeks ago, and they replaced the transmission! Guess what, problem still exists and I nearly got into an accident after the car stalled at a major intersection. 5 trips to the dealer for the same issue, and it still is not resolved.

I am really frustrated because every time I bring the car in, I have to leave it there for a week and I am left without a car. The dealer does not have loaners. It is a major inconvenience. I have been without my car for nearly 30 days this year!!!

I finally contacted Hyundai yesterday, because at this point, I want to get rid of the dam thing. They gave me a file number and said that the factory rep was going to be in touch with the dealer.

I have no idea what to expect. the person on the phone said that this factory rep had the highest authority in a case like this. He would be able to determine if it could be fixed or not, replace the car or not, and even provide a rental vehicle or not. I am hoping to hear from the dealer shortly. Has anybody else dealt with one of these factory reps? What type of treatment should I expect?

wmoses

Was the fuel filter ever changed? Sounds like the car might be starved for gas ...?

joenelaine

Thanks for the response....the gas filter was changed when I did the 30K tune up. But I agree with your idea. Yesterday, I pushed the gas peddle down and nothing happened for 2-3 seconds and then it kicked in...

jimbeaumi

Throttle-position sensor?

joenelaine

Thanks for the response...they already replaced the throttle sensor...no results.

njdude

I have noticed many paint problems and I have one to. I have a 2002 Elantra GT (Chianti Red) which is 8 months old. Since then paint has been peeling and flaking off the hood and roof. I brought it in to the filed rep. and he said the same thing. It's from tree sap and acid rain. I don't park under a tree!! What can I do?/ better yet, what can WE do as a group to get this occuring problem resolved?? Thanks!

5port

I do park under a tree and have had no such problems with my paint (Colbalt Blue). I keep my car waxed and its under a car cover most of the time. Seems that most people who are having the problems have the red cars. Just curious, how often do you wax your car? Keeping the car waxed goes a long way to preserving the paint.

backy

Even if njdude has never waxed his car, the paint shouldn't be peeling and flaking off after only 8 months. Njdude, is it just the clearcoat coming off or the color coat too? If the damage is due to acid rain and tree sap, it's strange that it wouldn't affect the paint on the trunk lid too, right?

michael_lee76

I have 2002 Elantra GT and it's about 4 months old now with 5600 miles. it also has automatic trans.

i started to hear noise from the car when it changes from 1st gear to 2nd gear. here is the condition i found after careful diagnostics.

1. Car is parked for at least 2 hours.
2. it only happens once, the very first gear [non-permissible content removed] from 1st to 2nd.

does anyone have this problem?

michael_lee76

It seems like i have to purchase a adaptor to install a car stereo system. However, the adaptor they had was very ugly. I saw an article about just using the adapter they have but it also did not support the strong support for the stereo system.

any suggestions?

spinozag

This is in responce to the post by michael_lee76 regarding the shift noise between 1st and 2nd gear.

My car has similiar symptoms, but instead mine is between 2nd and 3rd gear, no audible noise but a hesitation in switching gears.

Like you, it happens when my car:

1.Is cold (parked about 2 hours)

2.only happens once, the first gear shift from 2nd to 3rd (your case is 1st to 2nd)

I am taking my car in for its first oil change and I am going to mention this anomaly to them.

I know my transmission fluid is down a little, ever since I bought the car and the dealer says they do it this way because it is new, and more can be added after the first 3000 or so miles. That may be what's causing both our problems.

Good luck.

kentavos

I'm about to purchase a black 2002 gt, but am really considering stopping the deal because of the stories of the bad paint job. Does anyone have a black 2002 gt that hasn't had the paint chipping problem?

spamlet

I have only seen the paint problems reported on the Chianti Red GTs, not the black ones. While I may have missed a few posts, I don't really remember any black ones being reported.

I have a Pewter GLS, but I don't have any problems

kentavos

I think there are a few posts in this thread that talk about both the black and the red being problematic with the paint. On t-h-c.org there are quite a few posts about it, mainly black cars. However, I decided to go for it anyways.
Thanks for your help.

jusrusnerds

HI

I recentrly bought 02elantra GLS.

I have started to hear a metalic noise from the engine when i first turn the car on for about 2 seconds when it is cold. does anyone else have this problem?

Also when I put my climate controll knob to floor and windshield my AC goes on and I have to turn it off always is that normal? it is very annoing in winter i have to turn the knob and watch the ac button to turn it off when I want to heat the windws and floor.

And last problem I do not know if it is supposed to be like this or not but i can switch on my automatic transmission between D and 3 gear without using the push button. Acutally when i unpark and go from reverse to forward it ends up in #3 gear rather then D cause it just zips pass it?

hopefully i am paranoid and AC and Transmission do that by default.

desg

There is a know problem in 2nd to 3rd gear changes exhibiting transmission flare - sort of like a very elongaged gear change

The dealer should know about this problem and the TCM programming upgrade to fix it.

In regard to the airconditioning whenever you shift to a position that include windscreen defrost the airconditioning comes on by default

As for D to 3 movement yes you don't need to press the button to do this

olcrock

i own a 2002 elantra gls,bought last feb. i noticed that the paint is starting to chip in spots on the hood, and on the top. really makes me mad,as i paid a lot of money for this car, and expected a decent paint job. will be contacting my dealer next week. has any one been offered a new paint job? i intend to see to it that they honor their warrenty. and i don't even want to hear about bird droppings and acid rain. this car is washed on a weekly basis. that's idiotic, in the first place!!

kentavos

What color is your GLS?

kirk33

Bought a new 2002 GT in September and have only put about 2500KM (1500 Miles) on it. Must say we are very pleased with the car. Unlike previous new car experiences have only two small problems to complain about:

1. A strange cracking or snapping noise in the instrument panel when going over small bumps with left side of car. More frequent when car and air temp is cold (cool mornings in Ottawa - not frigid!)

2.A noticeable but not very loud wind noise which seems to be from the driver's side window. Appears at fairly low speeds (60-70kmh/35-40mph)This is the only wind noise you can hear even a highway speeds.

Have not yet had the car in for service so would like to know if anyone else has noticed either or both of these problems. Particularly the cracking sound in the instrument panel - sounds like some plastic joint popping. Will be taking it in next week for its first oil/filter change - want to do the first one early after break-in - and any background I can give on these problems will be very helpful.

jimbeaumi

OMG! I thought I was nuts, but your cracking sound is what I first noticed a year ago when the temps began to drop. It returned a week or so ago. I had thought that maybe something was loose just behind the instruments, but it didn't make sense that it should happen only when the weather cooled down.

After yours and other posts, I know I will NOT be tearing apart my instrument panel. I may have the windshield removed and replaced, or I may just put up with it till I actually NEED the windshield removed/replaced. Someone had eliminated a noise (described differently) by having the windshield reseated.

No unusual wind noise here. 20K of near perfection.

montrealgt

I've just experienced some of that. I had just gone over 5500km with my 2002 Elantra GT when it was soooo windy last week. On the highway, doing about 110 kph, there was this weird noise on the drivers side (sounding like it came from the front part of the side window), like when you blow across the top of an open bottle. Not constant, not always, and not prolongued. It's only happened once since - this week, on another windy day, same speed. It seems to me that it needs to be a windy day, highish speeds and have the wind hitting the car just so.

And yeah, that's pretty much the only road noise this baby subjects us to! BTW - going to Ottawa tomorrow, so if you see a gold GT with Quebec plates - That's me!

jacobi1

Just to add to this post:
I've experienced 2 different typesd of wind noise:
1. wind noise coming from both pasenger and driver sides, basically just sounds like poor design...simply...not just my GT.

2. on hwy cross winds(windy days) I'm sure the sind that pass through the aluminum rims hums...seriuosly! it doesn't bother me, only once in a blue moon when its extremely windy.

I'm at about 26,000kms on my GT now and it's showing signs of age...I maintain it really well, in fact my wife says I baby it way too much. But I'm worried about a few things:
-from complete stop I find that something jerks/grinds(limited) in the front. I can feel it in the steering wheel. It doesn't happen ALL the time but about 80%...of course when I left it with the dealer to check out they of course found nothing(or say they didn't).
-tons of rear noises, sounds like something is loose...now, I won't feel it in the beautiful city rds but when I hit the 2 lane hwy thats 15 yrs old with small creavouses I hear the rattling quite well...very disturbing. I've taken everything apart and tighened what I could(dealer found nothing!) but I know somethings not right...

Honestly, not happy at all with my GT after 26,000kms...my OLD honda(12yrs of age) has less rattles, actually none...I've heard some poor comments elsewhere about the GT, of course after I researched and found nothing but positives and then bought one did these arrise...

I'm supposed to take the service manager out for a ride soon...when I have time...

jlflemmons

When slowing to a stop, a popping, snapping sort of noise that comes from the rear wheel, in my case, the right rear wheel. Being a mechie kind of guy, I ran some scenarios to determine that it was brake related, but only with hydraulic activation. In other words, just using the hand brake would not cause the noise.

BTW, my Hyundai dealership is really been excellent. Only had one other minor problem and they fixed it in one hour on a Saturday, brought the car around washed, with the a/c on and ready to go.

So, at 3:45 on a Friday afternoon, I called the dealer and told them what was up and asked when could I bring it by. They answered that "now is good." Pulled in, car was in the shop in less than 10 minutes, and they told me it was what they thought and would have it out in less than a half hour.

On Elantras the rear drum brakes can sometimes capture the brake shoe dust and keep the adjusters from tightening the shoes as they wear. The solution is to fully clean the assembly and inspect for damage (not likely to occur, but they are brakes and therfore rather important!). Most of my driving is either slow stop and go, or high speed with hard stops. If you drive I35 in Austin Texas you will understand.

Thirty minutes later "Chigger" (Chianti Red, small) was in the drive ready to go. No charge, repair in the system and was told that in one instance, an Elantra was driven so long with the shoes loose that the drums needed to be resurfaced. So if you have that noise, check it out.

They were going to wash the car as is standard procedure on service work, but anyone who has seen the weather in Texas lately knows that would be a real wasted effort. I told them not to worry about it and they said to just bring it in on the next sunny day and they would clean it up for me. Would that all Hyundai dealers have such good service!

Jim

olcrock

the color is pewter.....

lovinhockeymom

I am interested in hearing from any 2001 Elantra owners who have similar mileage (65,000) and have really tested the reliability of this vehicle. My Elantra is a manual shift, and has been in and out of the shop since 18,000 miles for serious transmission, clutch, engine and electronic problems. I am an experienced driver who has not abused this car, but I would like to hear from others with similar mileage to determine if I have a lemon, or if this model car just has a lot of problems after being driven a while. Thank heavens for the Hyundai Protection Plan, although my second clutch (at 55,000) was on my dime to the tune of $1,000. I have never had a clutch wear out that quickly unless it's abused. Anyone else out there with similar mileage or problems?