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Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

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Comments

  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    I don't know what temps you experience in the winter where you are, but an Elantra shouldn't use 10W40. Obviously, with the miles you have it didn't hurt it, but unless your winters are extremely mild (like nothing below 50F) that is too much of a spread. Where I am the winters can get as cold as upper 20's, the summers over 100F and we run 10W30 Castrol GTX year round.
  • dria24dria24 Member Posts: 32
    I live in Nyc and the winter ranges in temp from 15 degree to 60 degrees. So I should 10W30 from now on correct? Pls repond
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    You might check your owners manual, I think for temps that low they may go with 5W20, though on the rare occasions my Elantras saw temps that low, I had no problems with 10W30. Did I read that correctly that you have 167K miles on your Elantra? Wow, that's pretty good! What brand of oil have you been using?

    If you lived in an area where the temps were consistently in the teens and twentys I would definitely go with 5W20.
  • dria24dria24 Member Posts: 32
    Are you saying that this is the heaviest oil I should use since I live in the NYC area and the temperature does get cold? Also , since I can hear a little sound in the engine area I want to put a heavy oil for the winter. I dont have a manual. Yes the miles is 167K and still going good. please reply ASAP for directions.
    thanks
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    I think most manufacturers used to recommend a lighter oil for winter driving, and a heavier oil in the summer.
  • dria24dria24 Member Posts: 32
    So do you suggest the 5W20 for the winter months, is a lighter oil? Please reply asap thanks
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    Yes, lighter oil, 5W20, in cold weather, 5W20 would be good. Heavier oils do not flow as well when the engine is cold, causing additional wear.
  • sandra23sandra23 Member Posts: 1
    My 2002 elantra has 226,000km I'm having problems with my car chugging when I am stopped at a light. When in park it races. I was wondering if it's the gas i'm using because it started after getting gas awhile back. Also does anyone know how long i can expect this car to keep going. should i put any money into it.
  • dria24dria24 Member Posts: 32
    I would use 89 octane gas, I have elantra 2001 and its at 170,000km. make sure you change the oil every 3,000 miles, its good to hear that it can go that long, I was worry about the longivity of this car. Does anyone have one that has gone longer??
  • flasher1flasher1 Member Posts: 3
    Check for a cracked PVC hose. If it is cracked you will hear it hissing as soon as
    you open the hood. It will cause high rpms in park and erratic operation of engine.
  • jimbeaumijimbeaumi Member Posts: 620
    Today is the day -- my little Betsy just rolled 100,000 miles! Woo hoo!! So no more warranty of any kind, but I'm not worried. This car has done very well by me. I had intended to run it to 200,000 miles, but at this rate it will be another 8 years, and I'm not sure I can wait that long for my next new car.

    2001 GLS 5-speed
    :D ">
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Congrats! I hope you treated her to a wash/wax, maybe even a complete detailing. :)

    My old 2001 5-speed, now with my sister, is at about 70k and still going strong. My 2004 GT AT hatch is at about 48k and still runs like new, and looks like new except for a few small dings. Someone asked my wife the other day, when she had it, when she got the "new car". I'll be able to use the full powertrain warranty on that car, but it looks like it will have only about 75k on it at 10 years--when my middle son is nearly done with college.
  • flasher1flasher1 Member Posts: 3
    What is likely to cause a P0440 code on check engine light? This is supposed to be ( Evaporative Emission Control System Malfunction ).
  • sweetchariotsweetchariot Member Posts: 9
    I don't know what that code is...but I do know that my check engine light always went on if I didn't close my gas cap enough, apparenly air sets in, and the sensor goes off...we are supposed to turn it 5-6 times, they say. I finally got sick of going to them to shut if off, that I had them disconnect the sensor for that issue.

    Currently my check engine light is on again, for some emission, but my garage man told that it was very minimal, when he checked it out with his machine. So, he shut the signal off, only to have it come back on a couple of days later. This is not going to help when I have my car inspected next June, so whatever it is will have to be repaired by then
  • saintforlifesaintforlife Member Posts: 2
    I am looking to buy a reliable daily driver and a colleague at work is selling a 2004 Hyundai Elantra with 102,000 miles on it for $4100.

    It is a 4 cylinder with an automatic transmission. Features include: power windows, power locks, AC, keyless entry, alarm, AM/FM cassette player, cruise control, alarm, front and side airbags and ABS.

    The miles seem kind of high for a 2004 car and is what concerns me the most. I have looked at the pictures of the car and it looks like a clean car without any obvious defects. I just want a economical and reliable daily driver that I can drive for a few years without having to spend too much money on repairs. I've never had a Hyundai before and I'm not familiar with their reliability.

    I checked the KBB and the TMV value for the car and it is around $3700 (private party) for the car. How much lower than the blue book value should I make the offer? Do the blue book values even mean anything?

    Is this car a good deal?

    Thanks!
  • erg135erg135 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 02 hyundai and it runs great, hyundais are definitely good cars. that price does seem kind of high though, I get the vin number and check it on car fax before you do anything else. you need to make an account and pay a certian amount.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Check to see what has already been replaced on it, e.g. brakes, struts, battery, exhaust system, belts, hoses, and ESPECIALLY timing belt (should have been replaced at least once). Also look for a history of regular oil changes.

    On a car with over 100k miles, if a part is original, it can go at any time.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    Don't just use KBB, check Edmunds and NADA, too. Also, check your local market on Autotrader and cars.com to get comparables.

    Most importantly, with those miles you need to see maintenance receipts. Lots and lots of maintenance receipts.

    Regarding the cars themselves, yes, they are good cars. But 100K miles is only good if the car has been well taken car of.
  • jimbeaumijimbeaumi Member Posts: 620
    My 2001 Elantra recently rolled 100K miles, and I would definitely buy another Hyundai. As far as the used model you are considering, in general it sounds like a safe bet and I would listen to all the caveats the others are telling you, especially when it comes to maintenance records. Keep in mind that Carfax can still let damaged vehicles pass, so use all of the tools you can. Maintenance really is the key.

    If you check the history of my 2001 in Consumer Reports, you see that owners have had trouble with cooling and other areas that I have not. I try to baby my car and it helps. If you know the owner of the 2004 you are considering babies his/her car and shows proof, then it's worth a shot. The history of 2004 Elantras in the Consumer Report survey is quite favorable. My car is older but with similar miles and I would not hesitate to sell it to someone I know, because it will last.

    Good luck and let us know of your decision.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    One of the problems Jim mentioned regarding cooling was attributed to premature and total thermostat failure. A very cheap preventative maintenance item, and probably not a bad idea. If that fails with this engine, you have very, very little time to shut it down before expensive damage occurs.
  • dovid2dovid2 Member Posts: 90
    I had a 2004 Elantra GT with 100,000 that I traded for a Sonata. In my case, they gave me $2500 and probably sold it for $5000-6000. I provided all records with my name removed and even the original brochure and window sticker, so it was as close as someone could come to a new car experience, but with a lot of miles.

    To have 100,000 in 5 years probably means a lot of highway miles, which are considered easier on a car than city miles. My car was essentially trouble-free the whole time, so I had no problem buying our fourth Hyundai in nine years.
  • colloquorcolloquor Member Posts: 482
    I know I'm replying to a week-old post, but here's an interesting tidbit regarding the thermostat in the XD Elantra. I took my 2006 Elantra GLS in for its 4 yr./48,000 mile service, and the tech at the dealer (both excellent) strongly suggested replacing the OEM Hyundai thermostat with an aftermarket, such as Stant. He said the OEM thermostat has a tendency to fail "stuck closed", whereas the aftermarket thermostats are designed to fail "stuck open." If this is the case, I find it refreshing that he would recommend this.

    Just a thought...
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    What he told you is true for the most part. AC Delco thermostats of more recent design will also fail open. I learned that the hard way when both our 1999 and a 2002 Blazers had thermostat failure within months of each other.
    The '99 just ran cold, the '02 (W engine) set a check engine light as the engine would not warm up enough to get into "low emission" status.

    Fortunately, a very simple replacement on both. Stant makes a good thermostat. Good radiator caps, too.
  • sue60sue60 Member Posts: 4
    My son recently purchased an 03 Elantra with 98K miles. When he bought the car everything seemed to be good--no engine noise, ran very quietly actually. Now the car is making a very loud and annoying squeaking noise when it is started and especially when he turns the wheel. He says the noise lessens a little bit after it is driven for awhile & the engine warms up. Any ideas what this might be? Neither one of us knows much about cars.

    A friend suggested to try putting soap on the belt but we haven't done this yet.

    Also, when he was driving home from work last night he was making a right turn at a stop light and he said the lights inside the car dimmed and almost went completely off. When he pressed on the gas it went away. We have no idea what this might be other than maybe the battery?

    Thanks in advance for your help. Really hope we don't have a lemon here.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    It does sound like you have a slipping belt. That can squeal and also, if it is loose, might not be fully charging the battery (via the alternator which is driven off the belt).

    Check the belts for a significant amount of play. If you can deflect/push the belt for more than, say, half an inch then it is loose and needs adjustment or replacement. Also examine the belts for wear by looking for cracks.

    Belts are a wear item and if they've never been replaced then it's probably about time for it.

    A shop can check the belts for you with a minimal diagnostic charge. They can also check your battery and the output from the alternator to make sure it's providing enough power to recharge the battery.

    Maintaining the car is more critical in winter since we tend to demand more of the electrical system - running the lights more since there's less daylight, running the heater/fan on high, running the rear defrost, etc. on top of the usual suspects like radio & wipers.

    I don't think you have a lemon; just a car that is ready, possibly past due, for a little maintenance work.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    Does sound like a slipping belt. Easy to change, belt will run about $15-20 from aftermarket auto parts.

    With regard to concern over it being a lemon, don't. A belt will just one day start chirping/squeaking with no warning. If you want to confirm it is the belt, spray a little belt conditioner, or drip a bit of liquid dishwashing soap, onto the belt while is is making noise. If that is the source of the noise, it will immediately change and/or go away, at least for a while.
  • sue60sue60 Member Posts: 4
    Thank you for your help. You are right, it was a belt. We just got home from the shop. Also, the air conditioning belt needs to be replaced, which isn't surprising considering the car came from Arizona originally. And it needs two front brake pads.

    Other than that, he said the car is very clean underneath and in surprisingly good condition. Sounds like my son got a good deal on his new car and he really likes it so I'm happy about that.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    I will give you some more good news. Brake jobs on an Elantra are very, very easy. It sounds like you have a good shop to deal with, so they will probably be straight with you.

    I don't recall if you stated if this was a GT model. With regard to the brakes, a GT uses disc brakes in the rear, where the GLS uses drums. Both are very effective, but the GT pads are very small and non-metallic, thus only last about 20K miles, depending on your driving style. All Elantras use disc brakes in the front, and the pads are semi-metallic. From experience I can tell you that while the Hyundai brand brake pads are more expensive, they last a lot longer. I have compared the Hyundai pad to the Wagner brand, and the Hyundai has quite a bit more material. Both will stop the car equally well, but common sense tells you that with comparable material, more will last longer.

    I have owned both an '02 GLS and an '05 GT. Both were excellent vehicles.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Actually any 2001-6 Elantra with ABS has 4 wheel disc brakes, and as you pointed out they are standard on the GT even w/o ABS. But it wasn't stated if the car had ABS either.
  • dovid2dovid2 Member Posts: 90
    I don't know about 20,000 on pads; I had an '04 GT, and replaced the rear brakes at 60,000, and the fronts were OEM when I traded at 100,000.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    Yeah, well, like I said, depends on how it is driven! ;)

    My GT also had the oversized Tiburon GT rear stabilizer installed with metal control rods. Handled like a go-kart. Had lots of fun surprising so called "premium handling" road cars in the twistees.

    I miss that GT. That rear sway bar was the absolute best bang for the buck suspension mod that could be done. All parts totalled <$150, and made a huge difference in the handling. Actually had a touch of oversteer ala rwd.
  • sue60sue60 Member Posts: 4
    Well this isn't going as well as I originally thought. Yesterday, the guy at the shop wasn't able to replicate the engine stalling when turning the wheels. It only happens intermittently but today he was able to replicate the problem. He thinks what's happening is there's a rod in the power steering pump and he thinks this is freezing up and causing the engine to nearly stall. Also the reason for the wear on the belt (which wasn't the best quality to begin with).

    I don't know how the power steering could affect the engine running unless it's pinching a wire or something when the wheels are turned.

    I'm wondering about the alternator belt that was mentioned as well but he didn't say anything about it.

    A friend who works on his own cars and his company's cars will help us replace the brake pads and the air conditioning belt. Maybe we should look into replacing all the belts? Is this a fairly easy thing to do? We don't have a lot of money to spend on repairs at the moment but I don't want my son driving a car with the engine stalling on turns.

    Some time soon we will have to replace the timing belt. Guy at the shop says it looks like it's still the original but it isn't in bad shape. It looks okay for now.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    If the power steering pump is locking, it can stall the engine. There are other things that can do this, also, such as bad bearings in an alternator, or, and I didn't believe this until I witnessed it twice, a short in the battery. Usually, once a hard short in the battery occurs, it stays shorted, but when it happens, it can put enough load on the alternator that it can actually stop the engine. And if you try to jump start a car with a hard shorted battery, you can melt the jumper cables.

    If that is the original timing belt at 89K miles, you better plan on getting it changed. The Elantra (and most cars these days) has an "interference" engine, which means that if the belt breaks, the piston in the engine can make contact with the valves and bend them, an expensive repair. Don't get mad at Hyundai for this, Honda, Toyota, and Nissan, along with most domestics, have this same characteristic.
  • sue60sue60 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for all the tips. Picked up the Elantra this morning and it runs perfectly. No more loud squeaking noise. Pretty weird the power steering pump could cause the engine to stall like that but the problem appears to be fixed.

    Even with the repair and a few maintenance items my son still got a great deal!
  • robjamesrobjames Member Posts: 3
    as with a lot of posts i have seen my 'check engine' light came on and wouldnt shift, when i turned off the car and restarted it it ran fine until it happened again, i took it in and was told the speed sensor was going out but i later found out there are two (input and output) i dont know which to replace. do i need to definately replace both? 2001 elantra 135k...priced $107 each
  • robjamesrobjames Member Posts: 3
    2002 elantra 135k check engine light on wont shift have to restart to reset car found out speed sensor going out wasnt told there are two...do both have to be replaced and is it dealer item only...first problem with the care ever...
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Yes, incredible as it may seem, BMW clearly copied the styling of the 2001-6 Elantra hatchback for its new 550i GT!

    image

    image

    Sorry, could not resist. :D
  • rguedelrguedel Member Posts: 11
    I have an 04 Elantra with just over 73,000 miles on it with an automatic transmission. I've noticed the past few times I've driven it, the car seems a little jerky when it's shifting gears. Could the transmission be going bad already? Or maybe it just needs flushed?

    Thanks!
    Robyn
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Has the fluid ever been replaced? If not, it's way overdue.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    The fluid should be changed every 30K as there is no filter used. If this has been done, you need to talk to your dealer as this is covered under the 100K warranty (assuming you are the original owner). Otherwise, the warranty is 60K.
  • robjamesrobjames Member Posts: 3
    i have an '02 elantra (135K) and just recently had both input/output sensors replaced as my transmission was also slipping in and out of gear. this alleviated the problem immediately and cost about $250. car runs great as it always has. Hyundais have historically had two problems: transmissions and timing belts, other than that, good cars.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Is the timing belt a problem (e.g. premature failures), or just that it requires replacement as a maintenance item? I don't recall reading about timing belt problems on Elantras. I've read a few reports on transmission problems, but not that many considering how many of them are on the road.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    We got a recall notice today for my wife's '01 Elantra. Affected vehicles are 01-03 Elantras and 03 Tiburons produced during certain dates and sold in the snow/salt/rust belt.

    Apparently the salt can potentially corrode the front lower control arms. The fix is to replace if damaged or alter (add holes; maybe for drainage or ventilation?) if not seriously damaged.

    The front subframe will also be inspected for similar damage. Replace if damaged; treat with rust proofing if not.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • newjerseyjohnnewjerseyjohn Member Posts: 3
    I just bought my second elantra. I have a 2009 GLS and found a 2004 with 36000. The only problem is that I only received one remote from the dealer and would like to get another but from what I saw on line a new remote is going to set me back $60 to $80. And the Hundai dealer isn't any better. Anyone know where to get cheap remotes?
    Thanks a lot.
    New Jersey John
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    eBay
  • elantraownerelantraowner Member Posts: 16
    I replaced one of my wife's 2002 Elantra GT remotes last year. Although looked and found remotes on line, I notice a warning on the online sites that with some remotes, unlike some American cars, the service techincian might have to program it. I was told (fact or fiction) by the Hyundai dealership that that was true with theirs. Rather than risk getting the remote and then having to pay a high service fee, I got mine at the dealership. I believe it was about $90 and I think because I had some other work done, they gave me a break. If someone knows whether it can be programmed by yourself, I would be interested in knowing how.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Looking at Elantra remotes on eBay (LOTS of them available), here is a note from one of the listings, for both 2001-3 and 2004 Elantra:

    PROGRAMMING: You will receive, free of charge, programming instructions to make this work on your vehicle. Avoid the dealer fee of $50 or more and do it yourself. These instructions do require you to remove the front facia panel from your dash, this is where the radio is located. Keep in mind the instructions are free and if you feel you can not do the programming you may have to bring it to a dealer to have them program it.

    So if this is correct, there is no special tool needed but it might take some work to program the remote.
  • newjerseyjohnnewjerseyjohn Member Posts: 3
    Thank You very much. I guess I didn't see the one on ebay where instructions were included. I'll keep looking.
  • newhartfordnewhartford Member Posts: 49
    I have a 2003 Elantra GLS. I went for an oil change and they did the inspection for the recall. Control arms are OK but the subframe must be replaced. I'm trying to picture what that is - the frame under the engine?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Here's a good description of what a "subframe" is:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subframe
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