Hyundai Elantra Maintenance and Repair

5port · December 2002

I couldnt agree more with your post #457.

olcrock · December 2002

i too, agree with you,post 457 & 459! just go to other boards and read their gripes?complaints! and they paid more!!have had my care ten monthes and really like it. just some paint chipping on the hood,and the car is going into the paint shop tomorrow! no hassle at all from the rep. none of this bull...t about bird crap,etc!....

backy · December 2002

It's possible the oil leak is from stripped threads on the oil pan. Was that checked? It's easy to do on an Elantra, and given that your dealer's service department hasn't been stellar on fixing the rubbing noise, it's possible they stripped the threads when changing oil. If that is the case, and the oil was always changed by Hyundai dealers, you can make a claim to Hyundai to get a new oil pan. Other owners have done this successfully, as reported in this board.

jlflemmons · December 2002

Please please please! Never overtorque the drain plug! If you tighten to ~10ft lbs and still get a drip, check/replace the gasket and make sure the mating surface is not damaged. Many oil change joints go with the gorilla method and end up pulling the threads in the pan. There is NO oil pressure in the pan, thus no need for massive amounts of effort on the plug. I have seen a lot of drips come from not replacing the gasket with the oil change. If the gasket has not been crushed, you may be able to use it twice, sometimes three times. But good grief, they only cost like $.50, so why bother?

Jim

dpthomas · December 2002

Thanks....

It was the protective cover over the wipers that was causing the noise, and not cleaning the window. I found it right after I posted my initial message. So, if you buy a new Hyundai, and the wipers make horrible noises and do not clean the water off the window. Pull off the protective cover that the dealer forgot.

mmpptt · December 2002

I bought an 02 elantra and after about 1000 miles it developed a 2nd to 3rd gear shift flare. It was my understanding that the 01 models had that problem but were fixed. The 02's were not supposed to have this problem. When I took it to the dealer to have it fixed, the technician told me that there is a 3-month production period where the 02's do have a shift flare problem. I supposedly bought one during that 3-month period. He told me that Hyundai does not have a solution to fix this problem, so there is nothing they can do.

The first time he put in a new throttle positioning sensor and it didn't help the shift flare. The second time they put in a new transmission control unit and this didn't help the shift flare problem either. The technician told me that when enough people complain about the shift flare, then Hyundai will have to find a fix for it. I am going to take my car back a third time, because you must take it three times according to the lemon law. I don't understand why I have to take it back again if Hyundai knows they cannot fix the problem. Does anyone else have an 02 with a shift flare problem and what did your dealer do about it? For those who do not know it, the Hyundai representative acknowledged that there was a three-month production period where there is a 2nd to 3rd gear shift flare problem with no fix available. Other than the transmission problem, I really like my car, but Hyundai is going to eat this one! Thanks for any input! Marty

kentavos · December 2002

Thanks for the help. I'll check the cable and see if it's twisted or bent. I live in Southern California, so I'm doubting it's the cold

.

mrvan · December 2002

What is a "shift flare"?

delaluz · December 2002

My 2002 elantra auto gt makes a sound like a tin can rattling under the hood when the engine is cold (first start of the day). When the car warms up a little the noise goes away.

Anyone else have this?

Berto delaluz@mindspring.com

mmpptt · December 2002

Shift flare is a very elongated shift from 2nd to 3rd gear. It can feel like the transmission is slipping,or in my case,it is a very noticeable skip before it shifts into 3rd gear. Don't know how in the heck this occurred in certain 02's during a 3 month production period.....but it did. Like I stated before, hyundai acknowledges the problem.....but they currently have no fix.

My dealer told me to be patient, cause sooner or later, they will come up with a fix. Patient?.....I don't think so. When I bought my car,a "second to third shift flare" was not listed as standard equipment. What if I wanted to sell my car today, and the buyer took it for a test drive? Not only that, but when the vin number is punched in a computer, it will show the car is problematic.

I also had other issues with the transmission. It shifted erratically, downshifted when it shouldn't, constantly hunted for the right gear to be in, and my gas mileage was 18 mpg. (mixed driving) a new transmission control unit was installed and fixed all the problems except the shift flare. I now get 24 mpg.

I'm taking it back the third time for the shift flare. If it is not fixed....hyundai is going to be the proud owner of a defective car, and they know it.

Sorry for venting......but it's frustrating. - Marty

jimbeaumi · December 2002

Is this shift flare somehow different from the shift flare problem some 2001 Elantras were having? There was a cure for that one; you may have to go back a bit through these threads.

jlflemmons · December 2002

2002 Elantra GLS w/5spd, 10K miles

Starting at about 6500 miles, the throttle developed a 'dead' spot. No throttle action between idle and 2K rpm. I checked it out and found a bad TPS. Dealer checked it, got the same bad readings, and replaced it. Problem recurred within 1K miles. Test showed same thing, bad TPS.
Replaced and tested good. Car drove normal for about 10 miles, then back comes the dead spot. Now, for any of you who drive a stick you know what this means; The engine has to be reved enough to avoid stalling, but if you are in traffic, you have to back off quickly to avoid collision.

The symptom is that as you start stepping down on the throttle from idle, the car will stumble and then lunge ahead. When slowing, all is very smooth until you are down to about 10% throttle at which time the engine stumbles and drops to idle. Nothing I have tried will let the engine run between idle and with the latest tps, about 2300 rpm. If you are sitting still and with the clutch in, and accelerate the engine to 3k rpm then slowly ease up on the throttle, the engine slows smooth as glass until ~2200rpm at which point it just drops to ~650rpm.

No lights, warnings, or codes are set.

To make sure it wasn't a mechanical binding issue, I pulled the cover off the engine and checked the throttle cables for binding. Free and easy, but lubed them just to be sure. If I take my hand and manually try to run the engine at any speed between idle and 2K rpm, no dice. If I measure the resistance of the TPS in the range of the problem, the measurement shows the tps is bad. But no one has ever seen this many bad tps on one car with only 10K miles. The dealer has contacted Hyundai and done additional tests to see if the voltage to the tps is too high and may be causing the damage but all is within spec. And don't forget, for the first 6500 miles the problem did not exist.
For now I have to use a lower gear in traffic and keep the revs above 3K.

Any ideas or common problems? The dealer is very apologetic and is working with both the factory and me to get this fixed. It is the only problem I have had with the car.

n2vsw · December 2002

If you go to Hyundais US web site they have the complete maintenance manual on line. They also post all their technical service bulletins and monthly newsletters to the dealers concerning the transmission flare problem. The fix was to up load new software to the transmission control module. This problem existed in 2001 models and as you said yourself carried over into the beginning of the 02 production run. What was done for the 01 models to fix the problem fixes the 02's as well since there were no mechanical changes in the transmissions. I'm surprised they haven't tried this. The service reps are great for what they do, mediate problems, check on dealer claims etc but they are not always mechanics. He may simply be standing by what the dealer told him without verifying if it's correct or not. I would check with another dealer first before accepting there is no fix. Sounds like another case of a lousy service department.

olcrock · December 2002

concerning the shift flair, i had the same problem on my 2002 elantra gls three monthes after i bought it.(feb 2.2002) took it to my dealer. he simply put it on the computer and thirty miniutes later i was on my way. no more shift flair. you might try this. also,i mentioned in a previous post that i had a couple of paint chips on the hood and roof. my dealer set up an appt. for to me to meet the rep.two weeks later. he authorised a new paint job on the hood and roof. no hassle,no talk about bird crap and acid rain.got the car out after three days in the shop(with a loaner car,a new elantra) looks new again. ihave not experenced any problems with the dealer or the car in the past 11 monthes.just thought a little GOOD news on here for a change would be refreshing! olcrock....

aceeli · December 2002

I'm new to this site so these problems may have been discussed before.

I have a '02 Elantra GLS 5 speed. Accelerating through the gears, the engine lingers at high RPM's for a moment at each shift as the clutch is depressed and the accelerator is released. Intuitively, when the accelerator is released, RPM's should drop immediately. (This isn't just poor clutch/accelerator coordination; the engine RPM's linger the same way when I just rev the engine from idle.) The dealer says this is controlled by the engine computer and is normal. Does everyone experience this condition?

Second, about every 20th time I start the car, the engine revs to about 3,000 RPM and stays there for 8 to 10 seconds or longer. Sometimes it slows on its own, and sometimes I get so alarmed that I punch the accelerator to cause it to slow. The dealer has assured me that revving in this manner won't harm the engine (a claim I don't believe for a minute, especially if it occurs on a sub-zero morning when all the engine oil is sitting in the oil pan). The dealer replaced a throttle position sensor, which seemed to help; the problem occurs less frequently, but has not been eliminated. On a second trip to the dealer, they could not duplicate the problem, so couldn't make a repair. I'm now logging the number of times and conditions when the problem arises (it's happened twice in the last 10 days). Has anyone else experience something similar? Thanks.

jlflemmons · December 2002

The symptom you describe with regard to the engine not dropping to idle immediately is indeed a function of the engine management computer. In the old days of carburators, an item called a dashpot was used to prevent the engine from stalling during a throttle drop to idle. Newer engines with electronic fuel injection would stumble and stall if all fuel were removed suddenly. So, the computer maintains a small amount of fuel function when you let off the throttle so that the engine doesn't drop straight to idle and stall. Very common in most all EFI engines.
On the matter of the fast idle at cold start I agree with you that this is not a 'good thing' for a cold engine, but a very cold engine doesn't want to keep running and must have a fast idle for a short period of time to give the combustion chambers a little time to warm up. This is a good reason to use good oil and maintain shorter change intervals during severe temps, whether hot or cold. In extreme hot conditions, I have personally seen 10W30 oil go to the consistency of water in 1500 miles. When this happens, the oil can foam in a high RPM engine and mess things up just as fast or faster than cold starts on old oil. Long story short; your dealer is not lying to you, he may just not be explaining things clearly.

Jim

mmpptt · December 2002

Thanks for the responses. The shift flare in my 02 elantra is exactly like the flare in the 01's. I called another dealers service manager today to see what they had to say about my problem. She was stumped. She told me the flair did carry over into the 02's. From November 01 to May 02 there was a bulletin on how to fix the flair. (the same fix for the 01 flair.) After May 02..... hyundai has not issued any bulletins on how to fix shift flair on cars produced after that date. My car was manufactured on June 6th 02.

She told me to not even bother bringing the car in to try to fix the flair......because there is no current fix. The first dealer did try to feed the 01 software into my 02's computer......no go.

She said lemon law is probably the way to go for me. She also said a bulletin could be issued at any time but that is an unknown. She suggested contacting the local dealer representative to see how hyundai wanted to proceed with the problem.

I left a message with the representative today. I will let you all know the final outcome. If anyone wants to give me any feedback or suggestions, I surely would appreciate it. Thanks to all who replied. - Marty

keziah · December 2002

I have a 2001 Elantra, black, that I bought in Nov. '00. Here is my experince with Hyundai so far.

My email to them about 6 weeks ago.

"I bought my 2001 Hyundai Elantra from Dean Team in Ballwin, MO in November of 2000. In the summer of 2001, not even a year after I bought my car I noticed that I had pain flecking off on the drivers side door, I thought maybe it had gotten scraped so I dismissed it. Later that year and in the early part of 2002 I noticed when washing my car that it was not just one
spot, tons of spots of paint were coming off of my car in tiny flecks. I brought this to the attention of the service department at Dean Team and they said that a Hyundai Representative would have to look at it, they would call me when she was going to be there. I followed up over 10 times and have never been able to get an answer from the Dean Team on when I can see a Hyundai Representative. Reading my owners manual I see that there is only a 36 month warranty on my paint, I suspect they are trying to
stall until my warranty is up. My car need to be repainted, I cannot sell
or trade my car in its current condition. I take good care of it and its
is garaged most of the time, I need for Hyundai to take care of this
immediately.

Kristi M. Evans"

Their response.

"Dear Kristi:

Thank you for contacting Hyundai Motor America. Your file number that is
associated with this email reply is 720854. You can use the file number to
reply to this email, or if you call our toll free number in the future.

We have noted all of your comments and concerns from this email into our
database system at Hyundai's National Headquarters.

We would like to assist you in this matter; however, some additional
information is needed. Please respond to this email with the following
information:

1. Current mileage
2. VIN number

Upon receipt of this information, we will advise you of the next date the
Hyundai District Parts and Service Manager will be at Dean Team dealership.
You may then make an appointment with the Service Manager for that date to
meet with the DPSM regarding your paint concerns. Please be sure to
reference your file number 720854 with your response.

Thank you for using Hyundai Motor America E-MAIL support.

REMEMBER OUR TOLL FREE CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE: 1-800-633-5151"

I sent them all of this info., Their response

"-----Original Message-----
From: RMcdade@hmausa.com [mailto:RMcdade@hmausa.com]On Behalf Of
consumeraffairs@hmausa.com
Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 5:56 PM
To: evans@nocturnal.org
Subject: Hyundai file # 720854

Dear Ms. Evans:

Thank you for responding with the requested information.

The Hyundai District Parts and Service Manager (DPSM) will be at Dean Team
Hyundai on December 19, 2002, and has requested that you schedule an
appointment for that date with the Service Manager. Please explain to the
Service Manager that the appointment is for the DPSM to inspect the paint
concerns with your vehicle. Please also express that should the DPSM's
schedule change, the DPSM has expressly requested that you be notified and
your appointment date changed accordingly. You may also wish to call to
verify the appointment date and time a day in advance, as the DPSM's
itinerary does change occasionally.

Thank you for your patience as we work to address your concerns.

Sincerely,

Roseanne McDade
National Consumer Affairs Department
Hyundai Motor America"

In the meantime a visit to the dealership, explained below

"
Okay, I was really hoping that I would not have to write this letter. Last
week, on Wednesday I believe it was, I took my car in for service at the
Dean Team to get a headlight bulb replaced. Due to the correspondence I
have had with you, the service manager had called me the night before and
told me that he thought the District Rep was going to be there that
afternoon and could look at my paint. I took my car in at 12:15 for the
headlight repair. The service manager came out and asked me to show him
where the paint problems were, although I had already showed him earlier in
the year. I went outside with him, commenting that he probably would not
be
able to see them because it had snowed the day before and my car was
covered
with salt from the still wet and slushy roads. Sure enough when we got
outside he said "I don't see any paint problems", I again stated that it
was
obvious the car was covered in salt, I hadn't washed in on the way in to
the
dealership because the roads were still wet and salty and it would not have
done any good. He said OK, to wait in the waiting room. I sat there for
about 35 minutes and he again came and got me and asked me to show him the
problems with the paint on the car, so I went outside and pointed out
several chips, peels and areas where the paint is bubbling up and flecking
off, he said that they rep would have to look at it but she wouldn't be in
until about 2pm, could I wait. This was about 1pm and I told him I would
go
run some errands in the area, gave him my cell phone number and told him to
call me when she got there. about 3:30 when no call came, I finally went
home. At about 4pm he called and said the rep was there, could I bring my
car in, no please, I'm sorry for the inconvenience, anything, but wanting
to
get this resolved, I drove the 20 minutes back to the dealership.
I went in and the Rep came out to look at my car, the service manager was
telling her on the way out that he couldn't really see anything wrong. I
pointed out the problems with the paint, mentioning that the started
happening about the time my car was 15 months old with VERY few miles on
it.
She barely looked at the car, not getting down to look at the spots like I
thought she needed to then looked at me with a very smug expression on her
face and said, "these spots are caused by rocks, bird droppings and
environmental fallout, there is nothing I can do about it". I pointed out
spots that were too small to be bird droppings and places that it was very
unlikely rock had hit and she sited 'environmental fallout'. Pointing out
several large spots I asked what they were caused from, she said bird
droppings will eat away the paint on a car if they are left on there. I
asked her how long they had to be left on there for damage to the paint to
occur and she said she didn't know. I showed her the front quarter panel
that had been replaced about 6 weeks prior due to someone backing into me
and then asked her to look at the rest of the car compared to that part and
what bad shape it was in, she didn't have any comment to this. I was
getting upset by this point and asked her why this was the only car of
several I have owned in my life, that has ever done this when all were
driven more and left outside more than this one, she said she didn't know.
I told her that one of the main reasons th

keziah · December 2002

I told her that one of the main reasons that I had bought the Hyundai was
because of the warranty, but what good was it if they will not make good on
it?
She stated that there was nothing further she could say or do and hers was
the final word. I left that day very upset with Hyundai and the Dean Team,
I have put off writing this letter to give myself some perspective.
Now I have talked with other Hyundai owners and I am not alone in my
dilemma. I invite you to browse through the Edmunds.com Hyundai owners
message boards and look how many people are
having the exact same problem with their paint. I am not alone and this is
not a one car problem. Hyundai needs to recognize this and take care of
it,not tell us some crap about bird crap, that is insulting to your owners. I am getting very tired of this whole affair, it bothers me most because this is going to significantly effect the resale value of this car. I need this
issue to be taken care of and taken care of in a timely manner. The reputation of your company is on the line here.

Their response today

"
Thank you for your recent email.

We have thoroughly reviewed your correspondence. We have concluded that
the decision of the regional personnel was both accurate and fair. The
District Parts and Service Manager (DPSM) is fully responsible for
concluding all investigations in your area involving Hyundai products and
bases the decision on objective facts that would determine responsibility.
The DPSM's decision is Hyundai's final decision.

We apologize for any inconvenience this situation may have caused you.
Thank you for allowing us this opportunity to clarify our position in this
matter.

If you should have any other concerns that you want to discuss with us,
please feel free to write or call our Consumer Assistance Center at 1 (800)
633-5151.

We have your comments on file in our office and appreciate your taking the
time to write us.

Thank you for using Hyundai Motor America E-mail support.

Sincerely,

National Consumer Affairs
Hyundai Motor America"

sjtu · December 2002

Hi

I just moved here in Houston Texas from Indiana few weeks ago. So I am pretty new here. I have a 2001 Hyundai Elantra. Can anyone recommend a good and dependable Hyundai auto dealer in Houston Area? I would like to bring my car in for regular checkup and maintenance.

I appreciate very much for your recommendation.

Thanks,

Albert

olcrock · December 2002

to kaziah: i had a paint problem with the hood and top of my 2002 elantra gls. paint was chipping in a couple of places. took it in to my dealer.told him i didn't want to hear about bird crap and acid rain. he said he would contact rep,stating that it probly wouldn't do any good. i told him that i had a warrenty and it WOULD do some good,that i talked to my lawyer and he said i bought the car IN GOOD FAITH fromthe dealer, and that they would honor the warrenty. when the rep showed up, i informed him as soon as i met with him that i did not want to hear about crap and rain. he then authorized the paint job. had a new elantra for a loaner for three days,car is like new, no problem. maybe it wouldn't hurt you to contact a lawyer. good luck....

mrvan · December 2002

I have had no problem with the paint on my car, but I've only had it about a month! This paint issue, and the stories of bird droppings and fallout scare me. No keziah, you are not the only one who has had this problem, and I would hate to be in your shoes with no one supporting you.

I think the suggestion of talking to a lawyer is a good one. Don't take any "bird crap" from them. If you think it would help, make a request for a letter campaign. I'll write one, because I want Hyundai to deal with the problem if it happens to my car...

backy · December 2002

Since Hyundai has stated that you have their final word on the matter, looks like legal action is called for. First I would try one more thing: write them a letter and lay out your arguments, and say if they don't reconsider their position in X days you will sue them for breach of contract.

I was wondering: what color is your car, and how often do you wax it?

olcrock · December 2002

a letter writing campagn is an excellant idea. do the koren car makers think we are idiots?? i guess. well, let's give them ataste of good old american justice. you see, in this country, you have to abide by the law, and the law says,if you buy something under warrenty,YOU MUST ABIDE BY THAT! bird crap and acid rain were not stipulated as issue to void your warrenty when you made your purchase!! folks, i can assure you(and HMA) that i will suetheir collective pants off if they ever not honor my warrenty! for you that are experincing problems with their so-called reps, see your lwyer.....

bikerpa · December 2002

...and if the dealer service department won't budge, take notes on exactly why, and write the owner of the dealership about it, cc'd to Hyundai USA. That's what I'd do, anyway.

mike91326 · December 2002

I would recommend that you contact your BBB. Based on some posts on the Hyundai boards it appears that the reps "final word" is not always final when the BBB gets involved.

jlgolden · December 2002

sjtu: you posted that you are looking for a trustworthy Houston area Hyundai dealer. We purchased our Elantra GT at HUB Hyundai on Highway 290, and they have been a real pleasure to deal with regarding sales and service. They just opened a new location called "HUB West" on I-10 at the Barker Cypress area, but we have not been there yet.

imabirder · December 2002

I have a 2002 GT Elantra that is 5 months old with 17k miles. My left front fog light went out last week. It was replace free of charge (even though it was beyond 12k warranty) after the dealer contact a company rep.

Two days later the right front fog light went out!?

Is there a known (or recognized) problem with GT or Elantra head/fog lights?

mrvan · December 2002

Well, there you have it, Kristi. If talking to your BBB and then a lawyer doesn't help, let us know.

If we can all presume to get along, I'm sure that the readers of this board will be happy to take a moment to send an e-mail off to Hyundai to express our concerns regarding their dealing with the paint issue. It will help all of us (and Hyundai) if Hyundai gets a clue and treats its (potential) loyal customers right.

Good luck!

backy · December 2002

you could mention in your letters that you would like to see HMA implement the same fix to the Elantra's driver's seat mounts (which moved forward too far in the IIHS offset crash test) that they made to home-market models, and make sure the driver's air bag sensors are working properly, then ask IIHS for a re-test. Faulty paint is not good, but it won't hurt anyone.

jackyl100 · December 2002

I've owned my 02 GT for exactly 1 year as of yesterday. Yesterday, after a car wash, I noticed that the side mirrors weren't responding to the remote control. The left side wouldn't move at all and the right side controls were all mixed up. It resolved itself by the end of the day.

This morning, my car was completely dead. Remote unlock wouldn't work. No interior lights. Nothing when I turn the key. I jump-started and let in run for a few minutes. I turned it off and it started right back up so I drove to work. I was stopped a light about a mile from my house when everything in the car dimmed. I gave it some gas but to try and rev the engine but it just proceeded to die. I coasted down hill and into a parking lot where I called Hyundai Roadside Assistance. While waiting for the tow, I tried cleaning off the battery connections but that had no effect.

The tow still hasn't arrived. The service department at the dealership is closed until the day after Christmas. Aargh!

What could it be? Bad battery? Short in electrical system? Bad alternator?

I'll never hear the end of this from my Dad! He thought I made a bad choice in Hyundai. He always asks "How's your car running?" like he's been waiting for something to go wrong. Dang it!

Merry Christmas!

backy · December 2002

"...after a car wash..." seems like a telltale clue. If everything was working fine before driving into the car wash, it's unlikely the battery or alternator died right then and there. Maybe a short. Let us know what happened. And if your Dad gives you any grief, ask him if anything ever went wrong with one of his cars within the first year.

wmoses · December 2002

jackyl100 said --

I'll never hear the end of this from my Dad! He thought I made a bad choice in Hyundai. He always asks "How's your car running?" like he's been waiting for something to go wrong. Dang it!

Heheh ... could it be your Dad fiddled with the car to make his "prediction" come true? :-)

Yesterday, after a car wash ... This morning, my car was completely dead ... What could it be? Bad battery? Short in electrical system? Bad alternator?

Did you by any chance get an underbody wash with your car wash? They can cause problems. Causes the clock in my Grand Caravan to go "flickery", and goodness knows what else, although nothing critical in that car.

I have never car washed my car, but it sounds as though water has gotten somewhere it shouldn't have.

If the dealer traces it to a shorting out sensor or something like that, the I would hardly think that your Dad could say anything about the car, since it is likely the car getting waterlogged from the car wash. As for the future ... don't get an underbody wash. Unless you live in an area where salt is used on the roads, it is unnecessary IMO.

olcrock · December 2002

jacky, you stated that roadside assistance won't tow your car till the day after christmas. i believe that the warrenty says 24/7. didn't say anything about holidays,etc. this may take some checking into.after calling the toll free number, your car should have been towed to the nearest dealer,no matter what the date...

jimbeaumi · December 2002

Jacky stated that the service department was closed. He didn't say he couldn't get a tow (the tow truck just hadn't arrived when he posted).

keziah · December 2002

I have file a complaint against Hyundai with the BBB Autoline about my paint, wish me luck.

nitochi · December 2002

I had that problem about 6 months ago. I was driving and suddenly everything started to dim, and the car never started again. The problem seemed to be the alternator i had to rewind the crown (it's called corona in spanish I actually don`t know if it's called crown, but it's the spired wire around the alternator core) and also I had to change the relay. It costed like $100 bucks.

Good luck

nitochi · December 2002

Anyone else has a problem when the fuel tank is 1/4 full??? My car gets stuck, like when you are learning to drive and release the clutch too quick. I have tried cleaning the tank, the fuel injectors, changing the fuel filter, using aditive but nothing seems to work. Any ideas?

shado4 · December 2002

I own a 2002 Elantra GT with just over 8,000 miles put on in 13 months. During this time the car has performed wonderfully, with just an occasional rattle here and there.

Recently I've noticed what seems to be a bit more "play" in the steering, combined with a wobbling feedback. The wobbling effect and play in the steering is more pronounced at lower speeds...it's almost like I can turn the steering wheel a few degrees left or right without affecting the direction of the car. Before, the steering was tight and predictable

Any ideas what the problem(s) could be? I'm guessing the wobbling may have something to do with the tires becoming imbalanced, but would that explain the looseness in the steering itself?

Thanks for any feedback...

clayman1 · December 2002

I did not mean to embarrass you when I wrote my reply about the errors in your message.(#484) If it came across that way please accept my apologies.

Clayman

olcrock · December 2002

apologies accepted. i now offer my apologies to you. we can now spend our time and energy on this board helping the people,if we can. have a good day,clayman1....

tjm1957 · December 2002

I've had my 2001.5 GT for thirteen months/17,000 miles now. No problems, nothing but fun.

Now here's the problem. I've noticed, on at least four occasions, a humming or vibrating sound coming from the rear driver's side, right before my cell phone rings!

It sounds like the fuel pump or some type of electric motor.

When I mentioned this to the service department, they looked at me like I was nuts.

Has anyone else experienced/heard of this occurring? Are there any RF controlled parts in the GT?

The phone doesn't have a vibrate setting.

(Good starting point though, Backy!)

5port · December 2002

Sounds like possible loose hardware in the front end. Could even be loose wheel nuts (dont laugh i've had this happen to me). Take it to the dealer for warranty repair.

jackyl100 · December 2002

On Christmas Eve, my dead car was towed to the dealer. Hyundai roadside assistance was nice enough, but I didn't like getting calls from a machine when I'm all stressed out.

Anyway, on Thursday it took the service department about 2 hours to find and fix the problem. Bad alternator. They replaced it and the battery. Nothing out of pocket. The side mirrors work fine now. The car wash was a red herring (and no underbody wash either).

My dad didn't gloat, at least not outwardly. I think Christmas distracted him and put him in a good mood.

It's nice to have the security of a long warranty but I hope this is the first and last time I use it.

Happy New Year!

icehawk5 · December 2002

I am currently on my second Elantra - the first was a 2000 GLS and now I have a 2003 GT. I really love this car - but what the hell is up with all of the noises! I had never experienced any of these noise problems with the 2000 GLS.

There is way too many rattles, vibrations and whistles in this car. A lot of them have been repaired by my service dept., but I still hear the noises.

This is what they have found and fixed:

Speakers buzzing - fixed a door speaker and rear speaker - but still have the problem with other speakers.

Rear hatch rattling - fixed by adjusting hatch.

Rear door rattling - fixed by adjusting rear door.

Rear seat rattling - adjusted rear seat mounts.

Rear seat release button rattling - fixed.

After all of these repairs - I am still hearing a lot of noises.

1. Rattle on right front passenger side - seat or door?

2. Rattle in the back - back seat or rear door?

3. Buzzing noise around the B pillar on the driver's side - this noise is the most annoying because it is right by my ear.

4. Whistling noise - this seems to only happen when the air condition or defroster are running. The service dept. has seemed to have isolated this the the air conditioner "expansion valve" but after several adjustments - the noise is still there.

I do not have the time to constantly take this car to the shop to have the noises diagnosed and repaired. I wish that they could fix all of the problems at one time.

phantom_oper · December 2002

Saw your post about the cell phone induced noise and thought I would offer an idea about the issue. I think I've seen this before.

Did the noise possibly sound like it was coming from the speakers? How far from the radio was the phone when you heard the noise? If it was nearby, the only explanation I have is the radio picked up interference from your phone...

I have a Nokia phone from my company, it seems to intefere with everything if the phone is close to the device - causes buzzing in televisions, radios, computer speakers, etc. It has even caused buzzing in my car stereo a couple of times (not an Elantra though.) On the other hand, my personal Samsung phone doesn't seem to cause the interference. Perhaps my Nokia is on a frequency that just likes to interfere with electronic stuff.

Hopefully that's all it is. I wouldn't think the interference would be harmful, but who knows...

If it's something other than that, well, I'm stumped.

jimpimms · January 2003

> 1. Rattle on right front passenger side - seat or door?
I've also noticed noises on the passenger side. The seat belt buckle, if not lying flat on the belt, will rattle against the B pillar. My passenger headrest, if extended, will sometimes produce a low buzz. It's also possible that something vibrating in the glove box could be the cause.

> 2. Rattle in the back - back seat or rear door?
Empty the trunk. Since there's next to no sound-deadening materials, you can hear the bottles in an empty beer case, placed at the extreme rear of the car, clink like they're right behind the driver's seat. If the rattle persists, it could be in the spare tire compartment.

> 3. Buzzing noise around the B pillar on the driver's side - this noise is the most annoying because it is right by my ear.
Assuming you're wearing your seatbelt when this occurs, check the driver's headrest.

Previous posts have noted that fiddling with the door panel screws may also solve some extraneous vibrational noises.

shado4 · January 2003

"Previous posts have noted that fiddling with the door panel screws may also solve some extraneous vibrational noises."

Very true. I experienced a passenger side door rattle that was fixed by having the service department tighten the door panel screws.

The only remaining unwanted noise I have in the car comes from the front passenger seat. It tends to squeak in colder temperatures when no one is sitting in it. But whenever someone is occupying the seat it never makes a sound.

jimbeaumi · January 2003

I have the slightest constant buzzing from my passenger door and driver door panels. Just lightly pressing my finger (or elbow) against the panel near each door's rear opening stops the noise. I would rather do the tightening, but have to figure out how to remove the screw covers without ruining them. Tips?

ems1 · January 2003

I thought my passenger door panel was buzzing. When I leaned over and pressed against it, it stopped. It turned out to be the passenger seat belt buckle buzzing (the left buckle, Not the right side belt that rattles against the b piller some times). When I leaned over to press the door panel, I put pressure on the seat belt buckle and stopped the buzzing. I buckle the passenger seat belt to stop the buzzing until I figure out what is buzzing inside the buckle. Try the seat belt before you take the door apart. This worked on '02 Elantra. Anyone else have a noisy seat belt buckle and fix?

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