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Comments
I am no expert on car finishes. However, I do understand that all finishes need to be protcted from the sun, oxidation, etc.
Zaino is not a wax -- it is a polish. You do not buff it, only apply it and wipe it off when dry. Zaino recommends that you have as little contact as possible with your car's finish when washing, etc., and to use 100% cotton American-made towels.
The reason I like Zaino is because it that makes my car look great and apparently offers the highest level of paint protection from the air and sun. It is easy to apply and is supposed to last 6 months -- I don't know, because I apply a new coat every 2 - 3 months to increase the gloss level!
Does anyone know what could I get from the arbitration? What should I prepare for it except all the documentation of repairs? My car did not show any other symptom in addition to the check engine light, so what I have are the paperworks of repair.
Any advice will be highly appreciated.
I'm not sure the check engine light is serious enough to warrant replacement, though. Make sure you document your visits to the service department and good luck!
As I write this, if you look in the Maintenance forum you'll see 821 entries under Honda Accord Quality Control Issues, 353 entries under Honda Civic Problems, and 123 entries under Honda Civic Quality Control Issues. Why is that, Mr. NiggaGee?
I'm not excusing a dealer who can't seem to get the light to come off (because I agree, that's wrong), but it's not just Hyundai-made cars that can have this issue.
To the person who is having problems with the light coming on the '01 Elantra, and as someone else pointed out, check the gas cap for three clicks and make sure you aren't "topping" the tank off. If these approaches don't fix the problem, I'd keep taking the car back to the dealer until they fix it.
Steve
If the engine light comes on, the owner should try to remember if that happened after filling up the gas tank ... if it was overfilled... if the gas cap was turned until it clicked a few times!
If one doesn't remember and the car runs otherwise normally (sound/rpm/shifting,temp...), then it is not much to worry about, but it needs fixing!
In Hyundai's manual they warn (in yellow) on PAGE 1.1:
"WARNING:
* Do not "TOP-OFF" after the first nozzle shut off when refueling.
* The fuel cap must be tightened at least 3 clicks, otherwise " " light may illuminate."
Also somewhere else , they warn about cellular phone installation which might also cause "serious problems" / interference to the computer on board.
.
I don't know if it was a good thing I didn't wait for the 2002... because I read a review which was not very flattering about the new "shiftronic tansmission":
"All Sonatas receive a new 4-speed shiftronic transmission which permits manual shifting as well as automatic shifts. The incredibly smooth shifting transmission of the previous Sonata would be hard to beat and my first impression is that the shiftronic isn't quite as smooth in automatic mode, but nevertheless an excellent transmission. And manual shifts were a bit lazy."
I think I will try Zaino, if it does't require too much work to apply... but the problem is which one? they list several products! Also how much (oz) do you need?
.
Re Zaino -- the only products you need are the base (I think that's Z-1) to prepare the car's finish for the polish application ( I think it's Z-2 or Z-5, depending on clearcoat or regular paint). I also use their car wash concentrate.
The base and the polish go on very lightly with their applicator. You can put on as many coats of the polish as you want -- each coat increases the gloss. You should probably get 12-15 coats from one bottle -- probably enough for 3 years or more. I have never removed an old application, just put on another coat.
Read the info on their web site, they give you many helpful hints!
BTW, I agree that the "check engine" light is not worthy of lemon law arbitration, but it can be very frustrating. In virtually every manual, they fail to indicate what the problem could be, and just tell you to have the vehicle serviced. However, it can be a more serious problem with emmisions control, etc. I had an '89 Chevy Caprice that gave me these warnings just before the catalytic converter seized and had to be replaced. It was out of warrannty and expensive!
As to arbitration, I'll just forget it for now. Never thought it'd be easy. Just a kind of encouraged by the attorney from attorney general's office. He did say I can apply if it happened the fourth time. Thanks for all the kind advice.
Read what the owner manual recomends and use it.
Is it good to use a premium gasoline during break in period and then switch to regular. By doing this does the engine get a better chance to set right?
Thanks in advance.
Z-1 Pre-cleaner
Z-2 Polish (for clearcoat)
If you buy the Z-7 car wash concentrate, your total will be $29.85. With a purchase over $25 they will give you a $2.50 cotton polish applicator free.
Total cost, including S&H, would then be $36.80. With the exception of the car wash, this should last you for years.
Just an FYI for those of us who didn't know the difference.
http://waxdepot.safeshopper.com/faq.htm#1
The question is : Do you need a WAX on a clear coat paint?
Since I like this car quite a bit ( no problem so far, break-in period almost over 1,180 miles in 10 days), I will use Zaino. It's too bad I didn't get the GLS... I decided against it mostly because there is only 21 hp and 10 torque difference... Next time, hopefully if they are still cheap!
Thanks Browney for the Wax Depot Site...Very informative ... Now I know the difference and which one goes first!
.
Glad you're happy with your new Sonata...
Oh!.. remember this is an Elantra's forum not an Echo's forum: Get out of here!!!
Thank you.
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
Any updates on what Hyundai is doing to improve the crash performance would be appreciated.
I post here and posted what I did because I have a roommate who is almost in the market for a car. One of the cars she might look at is the Elantra sedan, but one of her hot button issues happens to be safety.
I thought maybe an actual Elantra owner might be privy to information that is not yet available to the general public. Therefore you can expect similar posts in the future.
I wish I knew why some Elantras have pulsating brakes, but I'm not a mechanic and have no first-hand experience with this problem--my Elantra has been near flawless so far. In general, pulsating brakes are often caused by warped rotors. If you've already eliminated that possibility, I have no other suggestions. This is a question best left to those who have dealt with it, and who have found remedies.
Perhaps I misunderstood the purpose of this forum, and maybe Pat/HOST could clarify it for everyone. I was under the impression that this forum was not restricted only to owners who wish to comment on problems and answers to those problems, but was an open forum for all who have an interest in the Elantra. I thought the Hyundai Elantra Owners Club forum was the one set aside specifically for Elantra owners.
Disparaging other posters certainly does not meet those requirements. Anyone who has anything to ask or say about the Elantra is most welcome to post a message here, regardless of what vehicle he or she owns, as long as the message is civil, respectful, and topical.
I hope this clarifies the issue. If anyone has any questions about what I am saying, please feel free to address me off-line.
We've had quite enough disruption of the discussion here - let's get back to talking about the Elantra and leave aside comments about the participants in this conversation.
Thanks.
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
Aside from the poor crash test performance, what else should I use in estimating weather I should recomend a new Elantra to a co-worker?
Cameron
I have yet to see a real crash/accident occur in exactly the same way! which is to say that the angle of the impact has a lot to do with the seriousness of the injury; regardless of the "armored" car one is riding in!
Wasn't Di riding in the best "crash proof" vehicle made/available?
It is too bad so many people rely on those "tests" by those "experts", and give them too much weight!
One ounce of prevention is worth more than one inch thick steel armored car!
.
* Value (most car for the money) is a major consideration
* A smooth, quiet ride is more important than sharp handling
* Having a powerful engine is more important than getting exceptional gas milage
* A comfortable, roomy interior is important
* You don't care what friends and family may say about your buying "just a Hyundai"--may be less of a problem now with solid models like Elantra, Sonata, and Santa Fe, but still some anti-Hyundai sentiment out there
* The Hyundai warranty is sufficient to negate concerns over the Elantra's unproven long-term reliability
* You plan to keep the car in the family for several years, since Hyundais have historically had poor resale value compared to makes like Honda and Toyota (also the 10/100 powertrain warranty does not extend past your immediate family)
* You can find a good dealer near you for service (only 500 dealers in the US, but probably several in a major city like Seattle)
These are the criteria that led me to buy an Elantra last October. I've been very happy with my choice.
The phone number is a toll free call so anyone that wanted this info could call and bug Hyundai for it. ;-)
I may have felt the same way at one time since I was able to steer out of a certain collision when the driver on my right decided to change lanes, forcing me into oncoming traffic. Or when a tired or inattentive semi driver moved 3 lanes over and unintentionally forced me off the road. I was able to keep control in the mud and barely get back on the highway behind the semi just missing a bridge abutment.
Especially may have felt that way since everyone who has ever driven with me has said how safe they felt with me driving.
I may have felt that way right up until I had a drunk driver turn into my lane, on a 2-lane road, causing an offset head on collision. (Offset since I had about a second to try and turn the wheel to avoid the crash)
I ended up with a broken nose and stitches in my nose, lip, and eyelid. (And that was with a seatbelt on, no airbag, at about 35mph) My rear seat passenger spent 6 mos in the hospital. (no seatbelt on)
Bottom Line: Nobody is immune from potentially having an accident no matter how great a driver he or she may think they are.
That is why people, myself included, look to the people who do crash testing and the auto makers to tell us all the facts about how safe their vehicle is. Then we will be able to make an educated decision as to whether or not the vehicle we intend to purchase is as safe as we want that car we purchase to be.
I like my Elantra but would not have purchased it based on the results of the offset crash tests.
I had planned for over a year to buy a PT Cruiser but the minute they failed the offset crash test I lost interest.
I know I have posted parts of this before but it seemed like it needed to be said again in light of those who think car safety is such a minor issue.
Other than that, we love the car.
I say this because I don't believe that the government reported this problem when conducting the full frontal collision test.
Some view the side air bags going off as a problem and it was given they are not designed to go off in a frontal collision, but if a side air bag gives added protection even during a frontal collision, I think they should be designed to go off then.
Last week, the reverse happened to someone on the Subaru Forester board: his front airbag deployed when his vehicle was impacted on the side, resulting in burns.
How about a letter writing campaign to Hyundai, demanding to let you owners know which vehicles are affected by this problem? Or if the IIHS could provide the serial number of the three Elantra's they tested, potential shoppers might be able to ascertain which "bad batch" to avoid?