Hyundai Elantra Transmission Questions

fushigi · August 2009

I can't really help on the diagnostic codes, but any Hyundai dealer's service department should be able to input your car's VIN into their system and pull up records to see if the recall applies to your car and if so, was it already done. They should do this for free. They may do it over the phone but might require an in-person visit.

al_zander · August 2009

I'm not intimately familiar with this model of car yet, so it could be nothing. I just want to play it safe though, so I'll ask here first.

When accelerating from stop to about 40, there is a rumbling noise, which sounds like it's coming from right beneath the centre front floor, somewhere between the exhaust manifold and the cat. I've only listened to this from inside the car. The best I can describe it is, it is the type of sound you would hear on many GM cars like the Grand Am, Grand Prix and older Cutlass series cars. Sort of like a catalytic converter rumbling type sound. It only happens when in Drive though, not when revving in Neutral or Park.

Is this normal? Sorry, the last car I drove was much older and I'm not the best authority on what noise should and shouldn't be there in a new car.

Thanks in advance.

cstender · September 2009

We bought a '09 Elantra Touring Automatic and have owned it about a month now. Twice the vehicle has rolled when in park while making a popping sound. Then the transmission locked in park and would not release until the manual release was pushed. Is this something unique, or is this something that will be a common occurrence? The dealer is saying that this is normal operating procedures. They say that the parking break must be applied to keep the vehicle from moving while the transmission is in park. Any others experiencing the same issues?

backy · September 2009

If you parked on a grade (and I assume you did), it is pretty normal for a car to roll a slight distance until the transmission lock engages, with a sound accompanying the locking action. Your dealer is correct that to prevent the car from moving--and also to avoid damaging the transmission--you should apply the parking brake when parked on a grade.

How far does the car roll?

cstender · October 2009

I am not sure how far it would go. I stopped it before it ran into a car parked below us. The second time I stopped it after a few inches. Other than that and the transmission getting stuck in park one time, the car has been great. My wife drives it probably 60 miles to work and back each day. She baby's it and the computer is showing the car to be getting between 45 and 49 miles per gallon. If this is correct I am really impressed.

123tree · November 2009

On November 24, 2009 I had the automatic transmission replaced on my 2008 Hyundai Elantra with only 23,000 miles on it, at the Hyundai dealer, thank goodness for that offered warranty by Hyundai.

It had a sluggish ride and I would hear noises from under the hood and whenever I started the car and when I would put it into reverse, there would be a another type of noise from the shifting area. I took my car to the Hyundai service department, I told them that my car was sluggish up a hill and it's making a noise when I shift into park and reverse, the service guy drove it, took a look under the hood and noticed there was metal in the transmission fluid, and that's when they said the words "your car needs a new transmission" I just bout fell out of my seat. My baby now has a new transmission and she's peppy.

Hopes this was helpful.

crescentmoon · January 2010

My 2004 Elantra has 160k miles on it and the trans is slipping. I took it to aamco last spring and they said the fluid had the dreaded burnt smell and advised that I not change the trans fluid at this point since it would cause it to deteriorate even faster. They said I would need to rebuild it soon. Now the check engine light is on and the car jerks after starting it and putting it in gear. I'm taking it in for an estimate next week, and money is tight. I can't help but wonder if it's worth putting a lot of money into the car, especially with so many miles on it. The thermostat went bad on it and it overheated last year, which now has me concerned about a blown head gasket in the near future. Maintenance, even replacing headlights, seems to be costly on the Elantra. I'm being as practical as possible but I'm not looking forward to letting this car go, it's been good and reliable. Feedback?

gary97 · January 2010

Just bought a 2005 Elantra GLS 4 spd AT and was wondering if it is better to put it in 3rd gear for in town driving or leave it in 4th? It has 100K miles. Changed timing belt, new tires, trans fluid drain and checked out. Seems sluggish in 4th at lower speeds.

backy · January 2010

If it's under 35 mph, you can keep it in 3rd. But I find 4th kicks in right around 35 mph, if you have a light foot, and then RPMs are nice and low for fuel economy. Of course, if you need hill climbing or want quicker engine response, you'll need to downshift or it will lug.

gary97 · January 2010

Thanks for responding. I hope I understood you. Are you saying that fuel economy is better if left in fourth gear and let the auto trans do its thing rather than putting it in 3rd when driving in town on mostly fairly flat terrain and driving speeds varying between 0 and 40 mph?

backy · January 2010

Fuel economy is better the lower the RPMs, as long as the engine isn't lugging. I find I can get it down to about 1400 RPMs in 4th on level ground w/o lugging. For me this is around 35-40 mph. You can leave it in "D" all the time driving around town under normal circumstances--let the transmission select the best gear. It is an adaptive tranny and will adjust shift points based on usage. So if you drive with a light foot, as I do, it will tend to shift later. If you drive more aggressively, it will learn to shift earlier.

gary97 · January 2010

Thank you very much for your quick response to my questions. I bought this car for my college student daughter and will pass this information on to her.

Gary

sarah98 · April 2010

I was wondering if anyone would know why, all of a sudden, it's very hard to change gears on my 2001 Elantra (which has only done 60000kms, had regular services and oil changes, etc.) ? Gear change has always been very fluid until this morning when I struggled to change up and down gears, but only when the car was running - when it's off, I can easily move the gear stick between gears.
Any help would be much appreciated !
Thanks - Sarah

kangaroo · May 2010

Noticed in last few months there was a shudder when I was reversing into a parking spot. Also a shudder even more recently when applying brakes to bring car to a stop. Hyundai dealership (commissioned, i presume) salesperson said that I needed a change in transmission fuel to the tune of close to $200 (not within warranty). I double checked my car history and found it was changed 5k ago. He backed off when I insisted they check further. He called back saying that whole transmission has to be replaced (within warranty). Whew! Apparently that's within the warranty period, which expires in January 2011. I understand it would have cost $3,000. So, the point here, is listen and don't ignore to what your car is saying to you, especially within the warranty!

greeniebfd · July 2010

Has anyone been having trouble with a 2007-2009 Hyundai Elantra rolling in park or have had a transmission replaced and still having the same problem please post if you have.

sweetness03 · July 2010

My Transmition went at 56780 miles its covered under my warranty but I am without a car for a week they say they can give me a rental at 30.00 a day and thats a discount rate i have talked to consumer of hyundai and other dealer ships they would of gave me a loaner if i puchased thru them why is it different in my home town it dont make sence its a long time without a car.

sweetness03 · July 2010

I just don't know who else to contact i just think its not normal for a dealership to deny a loaner and I have to pay enterprize for a rental when its not something I could control it was a defect 3 defects according to them

backy · July 2010

Loaners are not automatically included under the general warranty; it's a dealer-to-dealer thing. $30 a day does seem steep though for an Enterprise (compact) rental. A few things to check: try to get a weekly rate vs. daily--it is usually a lot less for 7 days than paying a daily rate. You might also check to see if your auto insurance policy has rental car coverage and if it covers you in this case. Also, if you haven't tried talking with the dealership's service manager yet to help you with the rental car expense, because it's Hyundai's fault that it's taking 7 days to repair your car (I assume because they have to ship a transmission), you should do that.

sweetness03 · July 2010

thanks for your help.

fdimichele · September 2010

Don't do it! You are better off getting another of the same car with working trans. A rebuild is going to set you back a lot of money. Besides getting a younger version of the car you love so much, you could also get away with having a "car guy" disconnect cooler lines and blow out the trans fluid, while you dump new fluid in the top of the trans. You never know. Nice fresh fluid could make a big difference. Use SP3 (Castrol make an "import" fluid that meets this spec) Next suggestion is replace speed sensors (two of them). They are $27 a piece and not that hard to replace.

Frank

fdimichele · September 2010

I had the same problem. I would check that suspension is tight, then take a crow bar and push the drive axle out a little. It is the one on the passenger side and basically goes from your wheel hub to the trans. Can't miss it. You can't push it out, so don't worry about that. Just don't poke your crow bar in more than an inch or two.

My problem went away by doing this. No idea about the buzzing??

himi1 · November 2010

Has anyone heared about Elantra 2011 having a new six-speed automatic gearbox? This site states this:

http://www.hyundai-blog.com/index.php/2010/08/10/2011-hyundai-elantra-has-new-si- x-speed-automatic-transmission/

So, will Kias get it too?

backy · November 2010

Yes, e.g. 2011 Forte will get it. 2011 Optima has same 6AT as the Sonata.

fushigi · November 2010

http://hyundainews.com/Media_Kits/2011_Models/Elantra/Specifications.asp

spock072 · February 2011

spock072 · February 2011

Hi everyone, It has been a very rough winter. After getting stuck in a snow bank in my 2008 Hyundai Elantra GLS, and stepping on the gas to frequently in order to get out of the snow, i finally got out.

As I started driving i realized that i could not go above 30 or 40 mph, and that the gears on the shift were not working. No matter whether it was in drive or a different gear, same result. In order to get the car to 40 mph i had to really hit the gas and get the RPMs to 5,000 or almost 6,000.

Well i got home and then realized i had no reverse, so i put the car in neutral and pushed the car into my driveway. I then shut the car off for the first time. As I decided to bring the car to a mechanic i turned the car on and now everything is working fine, however the transmission fluid is now very dark, almost black...lol..

I know this needs to be corrected, but should I just get a transmission flush or a just drain out the current transmission fluid and replace it with new transmission fluid...im not concerned about cost.. thanks to all for your help...

K

fushigi · February 2011

Sounds to me like your transmission went into "limp home mode". Take it to be serviced; there may be error codes to indicate if a problem exists.

My guess, BTW, is that it overheated. It then generated the errors, entered limp mode, and between the overheating & your driving it the fluid got burned.

At a minimum you'll probably need the replace the fluid.

sarah2175 · February 2011

Wow, so your problem sounds just like mine, except for getting stuck in the snow. lol I bought a 2010 Elantra in early October, and the transmission went a month & half later, at 1800 miles. (I created a post about this in December). The first bad sign was when I took my boss to lunch one day, it took a second or two to get the car in reverse, it was weird. Then the following day, I was leaving work and I turned right at the red light. I accelerated like normal, however the RPM shot WAY up to 8,000, and for a minute I couldn't get it above 30MPH. Then it was okay, I got home fine. The next morning, I was leaving to run some errands, and the car wouldn't get above 25MPH. I turned around and came back home. I called AAA and they came out and the guy couldn't even get the car in reverse. We had it towed to the nearest Hyundai dealership. They told me 20 minutes later that I needed a new transmission.

If it's a 2008, I'm under the assumption that it's still under warranty. Do NOT just get a trans flush...as I said your problem sounds like exactly what happened to me.

justinlust · March 2011

I have a 1999 elantra 5 speed manual trans. when I go in reverse and push in the clutch the front wheels lock up but the car stays running if I let the clutch out it will travel in reverse again until i push the clutch in again . This does not happen in the forward gears. anyone know about this ?

andra1 · April 2011

Hi, recently I've been hearing a low grinding noise in all gears, and the gear shift slips out of 1st gear pretty regularly (I start in 2nd gear). There's only 115000 km's (not miles!) on the car. Could this be anything other than a transmission problem? Is this common for an 04 Elantra?? Seems early for transmission problems...

cs86 · July 2011

Have you ever checked or changed the fluids? 115,000 km is around 71,000 miles; if you haven't you should probably start there.

sfisher1492 · September 2011

I'm having trouble shifting into reverse and 5th gear in a 99 Elantra, 144K Miles. It started having problems going into reverse a month or two ago, and now it is also having problems going into 5th. I think it may be stretched/worn shifter cables, can I get an opinion from someone who has experienced this problem? I don't think it is the clutch master/slave, it shifts beautifully into first thru fourth, and the friction point seems at a reasonable level, that hasn't changed, clutch fluid is at the full level. The only way I can get it into fifth is starting from fourth, if I start pushing the shifter to the right before I even leave 4th, and shift it pretty hard and quick, then it goes into 5th most of the time, otherwise it keeps trying to go into 3rd if i shift "normally". If I am in neutral and push the shifter all the way to the right, then forward, it goes into third every time. It feels like it is putting some extra strain on things, and I would like to fix it, just want some confirmation on the diagnosis before I spend time, $$ on shifter cables.
Thanks, Steven

P.S. Been doing some more research, I see several mentions of replacing shifter bushings, can this help with my problem? Some are "racing" bushings, or should I stick with OEM parts?

tulsaboy · September 2012

I have a 2001 Hyundai Elantra GLS with automatic transmission that will drive normally until reaching normal operating temperature wherein it will revert to limp mode and stick in third gear. I have changed all of the speed sensors and the neutral inhibitor (aka, transaxle range switch). The fluid is in good condition and is also the required SPIII. The ECM is showing P1529 which is nothing more than a code stating that the TCM is throwing up its own code and that it wants to be checked. While the transmission is hot I can reset the code and the car will rev up to 5000 rpm's in first gear and then do a hard shift into 3rd and yes, limp mode. I am assuming this has to do with heat because I can drive the car normally for 10 or 15 minutes before the issue begins.

trickyd71 · March 2013

I have the exact same model and the exact same problem. Did you find a solution and if so What was it? Thanks

tulsaboy · March 2013

I resolved the issue after taking it to the dealer and verifying that it was the output sensor. I was a fool and had the car running fine until I took it to clean the engine. I was tired of working on it as dirty as it was. After I exposed the output sensor to water it shorted which, as it turns out, is what caused the issue in the first place months before when I washed it the first time. It took me awhile to put the two incidences together. The dealer described it to me as the #3 output sensor. Yes, I suspected that it was that but I wasted my money anyway and they did turn out to be correct.

Before I took it to the dealer I even replaced the ECM which I found a replacement for on Ebay for under $30. My advice is that if it comes up as a P1529 or any other code that refers to a generic problem with a sensor on the transmission then you start with the input or output sensor as they are actually sitting on the transmission itself. All the other changes I made could have been avoided.

Good luck

Hyundai Elantra Transmission Questions

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