Hyundai Elantra 5-door

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Comments

  • gt_fangt_fan Member Posts: 159
    I'll mop up my tears now and get on with my life. I really can't regret the deal too much, because my GT been a fantastic car so far (turned 2000 miles this morning). Now if I could just sell that piece of junk Audi taking up my GT's rightful place in the garage!
  • claywaterfillclaywaterfill Member Posts: 534
    You say that price of $16,120 is out the door, so that is not a bad price--compared to what others have been posting on the price of a Package 11 GT. I don't know what your tax rate is there, but here is 7%. So, $16,120 OTD means if you have about $250 in fees, the selling price is a little over $14,800. The guy in Washington would love $14,800!
  • bri70bri70 Member Posts: 147
    -"the gas tank door doesn't open right away and I have to try three or more times to get it open. Has anybody noticed that?

    That seems to be a common complaint. I also have that issue.
  • zigliflerziglifler Member Posts: 99
    I also had the problem and took it back to the dealer and they replaced the spring i was told and the problem is gone now . u might want to rememeber that next time u take it in and mention it . it fixed mine . other wise i love the car . the only problem i have now is the cruise ,when turned on , interfers with the am radio signal . has anybody else noticed this ?.
  • wmoseswmoses Member Posts: 212
    ziglifler said --

    "the only problem i have now is the cruise ,when turned on , interfers with the am radio signal . has anybody else noticed this ?."

    No, I don't have that problem and I use cruise daily, although not much on AM. Have you mentioned this to the service department? Could be a faulty RF filter, perhaps.
  • zigliflerziglifler Member Posts: 99
    as of yet no i haven't but i plan on doing it when i go in for the 3750 checkup the dealer wants me to do . i was just wondering if others noticed this or was it just my car .
  • markj11markj11 Member Posts: 6
    If you want to cross the state line- there's a Hyundai dealer in Sylvania (Suburb of Toledo, OH).
    They had a couple of GT's on the lot when I was shopping for mine in nov/dec.
    The dealership (Brown Pontiac/Hyundai/Mazda) is on the Central Avenue auto strip. It's not where I made my purchase (got mine at a higher volume dealer in cleveland) but it was where I first got hooked on the GT after a test drive. Roger Parker is a knowledgable/no pressure/no BS salesperson there.Let me know if you need the phone #, I can look it up in Toledo phonebook if you want.
    I live in small town (Port Clinton) 50 miles from Toledo and haven't seen a GT in 2 months yet which is nice imho, unlike seeing 200 ford focus a day. Good luck on your search.

    CJaccetta: Yup I admit to being a Brown's fan, though I think my team needs a little more than a RB. I think our main problem is your team's strength- offensive and defensive lines. At least my team is somewhat "watchable" now...
  • toronadotoronado Member Posts: 4
    Just drove home with my 02 Rally Red GT!
    Paid 13428 delivered out the door with
    tax/title/license yet to go--this should
    total about $650. Car has everything but
    the cargo net and is a 5spd. Hopefully
    can look forward to many miles of fun
    driving. Thanks to all posters for their
    comments.
  • compensatecompensate Member Posts: 212
    I used to have the same problems with the fuel filler door not opening right away. Then I realized that I was pulling at it too quickly and not pulling it all the way up.

    Now, I simply pull the lever up all the way and hold it there for a half second and it always opens.

    Just a suggestion - maybe it will work for some of you.

    I've got 14,800 miles on my 2001.5 GT 5-speed now and love it!
  • sparkymarksparkymark Member Posts: 7
    I have noticed the same problem on my '01.5 on AM with the cruise engaged. Especially bad on semi-distant stations like try to tune in an LA station in San Diego, or a weaker LA station when only 40 miles away.

    I too will ask dealer at 3,750 check up next week and post the answer.

    Otherwise, still lovin my "Ellie"
  • wmoseswmoses Member Posts: 212
    compensate said --

    "I used to have the same problems with the fuel filler door not opening right away. Then I realized that I was pulling at it too quickly and not pulling it all the way up."

    There may be something here, since I sort of came to the same conclusion the last time I went for gas. I pulled the lever up more slowly than normal for some reason, and it opened first try. I wanted to try this a few more times before declaring it a solution, but after seeing someone else with the same finding, it looks like it might be a reason. It is an alternative to slightly bending the striker plate/catch on the fuel filler door itself.
  • mike91326mike91326 Member Posts: 251
    Today when I purchased a K&N airfilter for my 2001 Elantra the salesperson made a suggestion that I have not heard before. He told me that the air box that is used on the Elantra and most other cars is very restrictive. He said that to get the best out of the K&N that I should drill four to six one inch holes in the bottom of the factory air box. He said that he did it to his car and it increased his mileage and horsepower. Has anyone heard of this?
  • silver_bulletsilver_bullet Member Posts: 1,339
    This is a fairly common mod for those seeking less intake restriction, but beware: If your car's intake horn is positioned to pull cool air from outside of the engine compartment, you may find that adding holes to the airbox allows hotter underhood air into the intake - not good for making more power. Also, make sure that any holes are drilled on the "dirty" side of the filter! I've seen kids drill the airbox on the engine side of the filter, which of course just lets in gobs of unfiltered air - dumb. Lastly, make sure you don't end up with water in the airbox from the added holes (from a deep puddle, etc.) - also not good!
  • wmoseswmoses Member Posts: 212
    silver_bullet said --

    "If your car's intake horn is positioned to pull cool air from outside of the engine compartment, you may find that adding holes to the airbox allows hotter underhood air into the intake - not good for making more power."

    As far as I can tell, the intake horn is positioned just behind the left fron light and does get its cool air from that area. There is also a small grill in the left front wheel well liner, which I would suspect aids in the air flow to the intake horn. Drilling holes in the bottom of the air filter box would likely draw warm air in, since the box is next to the engine block.
  • yardbirdyardbird Member Posts: 30
    Yeah, you got that right. 3.5 or 3 2/3 quarts. I am irked at the Manual because it seems that even a tech at the dealership screws up on this. If the owner does'nt bother to check this out and inform whomever does the change, you're probably gonna have alot of overfills out there (not good).
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    One showed 3.5 quarts, two 4 quarts. Since I use the SuperTech bottled oil rather than bulk I assume they're putting 3.5 in there and showing the 4 quarts opened. Each fill was exactly to the top marker and the car shows absolutely no oil use with 4K changes.
  • gt_fangt_fan Member Posts: 159
    All this talk about Oil capacity got me to wondering just how accurate the dealer was about filling my GT at it's first oil change. When I measured, I found it a good quarter inch above the max line. I've been running around like that for 1200 miles! (I know, I know. I should be checking more often.) I'm going to drain a bit out of there tonight to get it down to where it should be. What's the world coming to if you can't even trust the dealer to do an oil change right.

    To dredge up an old subject; I checked the gas pedal on my '95 Audi and sure enough, it's hard plastic too. This on a car that sold for close to $30k new. I guess it's not just Hyundai saving money where they can!
  • bri70bri70 Member Posts: 147
    If anyone is interested, there are two web sites that can help with increasing your Elantra's horsepower.

    www.hyundaiperformance.com
    www.hyundaituner.com

    Information can be gleaned from the message boards. According to those guys, spending a little less than 1 grand can net you anywhere from 15 to 30 more horses for your Elantra.

    The mods sound interesting. I'm debating whether I want to forgo the warranty protection. Of course that is after I get my low mpgs looked at. :-)
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    There's been a lot of discussion (especially on the Toyota sludge forum) about using the dealer who obviously has a lot more expertise when it comes to oil changes than the Jiffy Lubes/Wal-Marts of the world. My feeling is that the dealers usually use the dimmest bulb in the pack to do jobs like that and the kid who screwed your car up at Jiffy Lube last month will probably be doing the same thing at the dealer next month.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    One of the reasons I have my Elantra serviced at my dealer even for oil changes is that they told me they have Certified Hyundai technicians do even the routine maintenance, such as oil changes. Now, I don't know if that's true or not, but at least it sounds better than having some kid at a Jiffy Lube do it. Also, my car only needs oil changes twice a year, so going to the dealer is no big deal.
  • dkamholzdkamholz Member Posts: 2
    Now for the real question. Is the manual wrong or are the dip sticks wrong? I'd realy like to know if I have to much oil or not enough. The manual says 4.5 qts. but if the dip sticks are to long they will indicate to much oil. I've heard of this problem on other vicheles.
  • bri70bri70 Member Posts: 147
    Count me as another one who is now able to open the fuel door with one tug.

    Pull slowly, all the way up and hold for a moment.

    Thanx, Compensate.
  • mxo11mxo11 Member Posts: 27
    Compensate had it right: I've tried twice (at different times of the day) his/her suggestion and it seems to work fine.

    So, what's the word on how much oil the car should have?

    Second question: Reading the manual, they say that one should start the car in neutral gear pressing the clutch pedal (because of the security switch thing). I usually start it in first gear. Any ideas?
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    a $400+ bill to replace the oil pan assembly because one of the certified techs stripped the threads to the bolt. The bill is being reviewed by Hyundai for reimbursement but no word yet.
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    all else is well. Just did a round trip from Jersey to Baltimore of pure highway driving and averaged 35.3 mpg on the trip computer driving between 65 and 80. Guess the winter blending is over with. I love this car!
  • gt_fangt_fan Member Posts: 159
    Sorry to hear about the oil pan. What do those certified technicians use, an impact wrench? I've read somewhere (not sure if it was here or over at hyundaiperformance.com) that a quite a few of the Elantras were coming from the factory with extremely tight oil plugs. I had the dealer change mine the first time specifically so that if the threads stripped, it would be their fault and not mine. Unfortunately, it sounds like it may be more than just a factory assembly issue because this isn't exactly your first oil change. I'll be changing my own oil in the future and will be especially careful about cleaning and torquing the plug.

    By the way, does anyone know the correct torque setting for the oil plug? I don't recall seeing it in the owners manual.
  • wmoseswmoses Member Posts: 212
    Typically, this is around 18 - 20 ft.lbs. Remember to change the washer as well. After it is compressed it is finished, and should not be re-used.

    When I did the first oil change I did not find the plug particularly tight.
  • dmarzo1dmarzo1 Member Posts: 37
    Hi,

    I have had problems with a tinny rattle coming from the passenger side dash (2001.5 Elantra GT), particularly when it is cold and when I am accelerating. Have had it in twice--rattles all the way to the dealer and then mysteriously stops when I have the techs drive it. Go figure.

    Anyway, the tech yesterday seemed to be able describe the noise perfectly from other instances he has seen. He says there is a cable near the cold air intake valve (I am not a car guy so excuse me if my lingo is not exactly right) and the cable vibrates against something and it works its way up to the dash. The fix is to apply a silicon spray of some sorts.

    He said in my case, the two parts that were causing the problem by rubbing were not close enough so he is not sure if that is my problem--but he did spray it and I had a relatively rattle-free day. Keeping my fingers crossed

    Dave
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Just proves Certified does not mean Perfect.
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    I had been complaining of oil dripping on my garage floor for some time, going back to the beginning. I believe that in attempting to stop the leak, Alexandria, VA Hyundai used an oversized aftermarket plug which stripped the threads. This is what Freehold, NJ Hyundai told me they found. When I called the service manager at Alexandri H, he said that they did indeed use oversized plugs to stop leaks, but wouldn't own up to that happening on my car. Hyundai Motor America is telling me that my request for them to pay is being processed now and that I should get an answer shortly. If they refuse to pay there will be h...to pay. One of their own did it, even if dealerships are independently owned.
  • rs18rs18 Member Posts: 4
    Need some help guys. New Elantra GT. Engine pings when accelerating or climbing hills. It's not the gas, I've tried several brands and even premium gas.

    Also noticed that when the engine is idling and you open the hood, a loud hissing sound can be heard on the driver's side of the engine. Is this normal?
  • wmoseswmoses Member Posts: 212
    rs18 said --

    "when the engine is idling and you open the hood, a loud hissing sound can be heard on the driver's side of the engine. Is this normal?"

    No. I suggest you take this car to the dealer and get a technician to look at it. It should not ping either. Sounds like you have some serious problems -- problems that can't realistically be solved online.

    How many miles do you have on the car?
  • dhubsdhubs Member Posts: 1
    Hi all you Elantra GT owners, I'm looking to buy this car and wondering if you are all happy with it? Would you buy another one? Have you had a good experience?
  • wmoseswmoses Member Posts: 212
    dhubs, we are all fans of the Elantra GT! Check this forum for past messages attesting to that fact. Also drop by my website, dedicated to the Elantra GT.

    http://www.gwebworks.com/elantra_gt/
  • mike91326mike91326 Member Posts: 251
    It sounds like one of your vacuum hoses has come off. Take the car back to the dealer so they can find the leak.
  • gtjillgtjill Member Posts: 6
    so my friend was trying to put a bicycle rack on the back of my GT as I was getting the bike ready to put on the rack. I looked up in time to see her slam the trunk down. I hear a very loud pop, and the window smashed into a million piecies!! ahhhh!!!!

    The metal hook was around the top of the hatch, which is glass, and when she shut the hood it snapped a little chunk of glass out, which then caused the entire window to crack up.

    Doh!!! I feel pretty dumb about the whole thing, but no harm done.. the insurance will cover it...

    I have never been so happy to have glass insurance. According to the guy fixing the window, it costs over $700 for a replacement.
  • th003gth003g Member Posts: 149
    My experience with my GT was so good that my father wanted to get my mother one of her own...at an even cheaper price but with more features....I wanted to be unique so I convinced my father to go for the GLS for her and now we have 3 Hyundai's in the family. Now my Dealership experience is a whole 'nother story.
  • cjaccettacjaccetta Member Posts: 236
    Tough break with your rear window (pun intended). I didn't realize that big old slab of glass could be so costly to replace! Perhaps your post will save some other GT owners from the same fate.

    GT owners should beware of mounting any rear bicycle or luggage carriers that involve the use of straps and/or hooks to loop over the rear glass.

    I work part-time in a bike shop and to the best of my knowledge most of the big-name rack manufacturers (Thule, Yakima, Rhode Gear, etc.) now make good quality roof racks which will fit the later-model (1998-2001) Hyundai Elantra. If you absolutely MUST use an external bicycle rack, then ask your local bike shop to reccomend a roof rack. Avoid using a rear-mount carrier on your Elantra GT or you risk breaking the rear window.

    By the way, I just fold down the rear seat and throw my 700c road bike in the back. There is plenty of room for even two full-sized (700c or 26") bicycles back there if you take off the front wheels.

    Happy Motoring (and Cycling)!
  • rfd2240rfd2240 Member Posts: 1
    Just test drove the GT/automatic. I was very impressed with the way it handled. Nice stereo too. The salesperson said it is tough if not impossible to get a GT with antilock brakes/option package 11. Is this true? Any suggestions?
  • ooooooo48ooooooo48 Member Posts: 7
    Here's my feeling. The JD Powers surveys' they asked people who had owned 5 yr old Hyundai(and many other vehicles) about "Problems";

    the "Problems" that put Hyundai at #35 out of 37 "makes"
    1) Wind Noise!
    2) Tire noise!
    3) Sometimes braking noise(they ever hear of brake pad wear out sensors?)
    4) And" sometimes window rattles when closing the doors!
    Who replies to these? Lexus car salesmen?

    Speaking of Toyota, Inc, read posts aboju 3.3 million vehicle recall for Sludging engines.
    I think engines that break down before 12,000 -30,000 miles due to design fault is worse than a "road/tire noise".
  • andil1andil1 Member Posts: 97
    Don't believe them! There is a dealer in a Chicago suburb that gets a lot of GT's that are MSRP'd at $16,607 that have the package 11--that includes leather, sunroof, ABS and traction control.

    By the way, I have a '99 Sonata that was loaded with everything you could get from the factory, including leather, ABS, and traction control. The car is great. I have had no problem with it. I don't put many miles on it--16,000 in 2-1/2 yrs, but that's 'cause I work in the same Chicago suburb I live in. I love the traction control, and would not buy a car without it in this climate. Kicks in when it's raining as well as snowing.

    I've been monitoring this board because I'm thinking of getting a hatchback or mini-SUV I could more easily put my 2 dogs into, or some plants that I wouldn't have it put in my trunk sideways. There are about 12 different models I'm looking at--even have an Excel spreadsheet with all the different specs! But I am very pleased with Hyundai, and you can't beat the price. I do have a 6 cylinder, however, and I can't drive a stick--could never get the hang of it, so I'm a bit hesistant about going to a 4 cyl.auto. But the 6 I have it not the speediest--takes almost 10 seconds to get 0-60. I don't need the speed very often--just to "get out of the way" occasionally, so to speak. (Just to let you know, I learned to drive when 380 V-8's were very common!) But I've had 4-cyl's--a 1976 Audi Fox was the car I had the longest.

    When I bought my Sonata in Aug of '99, I was able to get about 6.6% off sticker, FYI.

    I like to go on Sundays (dealers closed in Ill.) and "look" in the local dealer lot. I like the rally red color a lot. I also like the silver, although they are few and far between around here. Always a lot of obsidian blacks for some reason. The chianti red looks good, too. In the winter, you can really tell which colors look better dirty--in the "polluted" areas, in the dealer lots just off the main highways, after the morning frost drips off!

    If anyone can tell me how the mileage is for automatic in the "stop and start" areas of the country--a light or stop sign every two blocks--I would appreciate it! Andi
  • ooooooo48ooooooo48 Member Posts: 7
    i used to live up that ways, Merrillville,Schererville, Hammond, Gary, and os on("suburbs" of Chicago, or bed and breakfast, Lake county, In.). I know of one Hyudnai dealerhsip, 35 miles from chicago, Route 30, 8-10 miles east of rt41 and rt30...is that the dealership(forgot name) u r talking about?
    We got our sonata gls-v6 july 99.

    ours has nearly 73,000 in same time frame as yours has 16,000. Man, if ours was that "pristine", I could probably trade it in for close to pay off.
    WOuld like a GT, but with our mileage, I had better wait until it is close to paid of first.
  • andil1andil1 Member Posts: 97
    I'm directly west of Chicago in Naperville--in contention for 3rd largest city in Illinois with neighboring Aurora where the dealer is (Gartner).

    The only problem with Hyundai may be resale value. I don't know yet if I'll get a better price trading it in at a Hyundai dealer than elsewhere. I know what Edmunds says my car is worth, but.... So glad to hear you have 70K+ miles. I'm hoping Hyundai will be taken seriously some day. Maybe once their cars are actually manufactured on American soil like some of the Japanese makes.... Andi
  • edovidedovid Member Posts: 22
    I was really disappointed in Toyota (and I've owned several) when I tried their comparison between the LE and the GT. Unlike Honda, whose
    website flat-out shows you that the GT is better, Toyota gives you slanted information, avoids anything detrimental, and makes a big deal out of nothing ("Corolla is a lot faster!" - .1mph). The site is poorly designed and the car is a lot more expensive. They oughta be ashamed!
  • risa5risa5 Member Posts: 23
    I just bought one and had no problems other than I couldn't get it in Carbon Blue on one day's notice. I ended up with Chianti Red which I actually liked better.
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    The GT's 4 banger is plenty powerful and you should get in the low to mid 20s in heavy city driving and in the low to mid 30s on the highway.
  • smoopinssmoopins Member Posts: 4
    I had the same thing with my 2001 GT. The dealer actually went into a little depth explaining what it was. At the factory they apply an oil based protectant to the exhaust system to prevent rust for the time it sits and waits to be adopted. I think the reason he bothered getting into it is because when I went to pick my GT up I started it and it puffed a small, thin cloud, so I shut if off and went immediately to the manager's office for my deposit. They both assured me that by the end of the week it would stop doing that, and if it decided to again in the next TEN YEARS, I was to bring it back for free service. I was definitely reassured after that, and all has been well other than two small evap leaks which, as promised, were fixed free of charge. (I even got an oil change and a car wash out of the deal both times.)
  • yardbirdyardbird Member Posts: 30
    I'm not sure who you are responding to regarding that "oil smell", but I would'nt overlook the fact that many technicians at Hyundai dealerships have been incorrect when doing oil changes for customers. The correct amount of oil to replace is 3.5 quarts...NOT the 4.5 quarts stated in the manual!! The smell could be the result of overfilling during filter changes! Just something to consider. later.
  • ipse_dixitipse_dixit Member Posts: 24
    Can anyone tell me exactly how Hyundai's traction control system works on the Elantra GT? Hyundai's US Web site describes it as "brake, engine, and transmission modulating integrated with ABS," but says nothing more of any substance. The way the images in Hyundai product literature portray the system as keeping a car from sliding around a corner, it looks more akin to a stability control system than just traction control--i.e., as though it works on all four wheels, not just the driving wheels, and does not require the car to be under acceleration to kick in. If this is, in fact, how it works, is it linked to yaw sensors, or just wheelspin sensors associated with the ABS system?

    In a related question, I've noticed that while the rest of the world is getting traction control on the 2003 Tiburon when they order ABS, all of the Hyundai US sources seem to indicate that traction control isn't included on US models when you order a package that includes ABS. Is this true, or just an oversight by Hyundai?
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    As far as I know, traction control and ABS are bundled on the Elantras. Might be separate on the Sonata, but I am not sure. The roof is included on the GT. Don't know the specifics of how it works, but I will tell you this. On an icy, slippery day on Jersey back roads last month, both the ABS and the traction control engaged several times on my GT and the car handled great. The traction seemed to engage during acceleration around curves. When the ABS pulses, you will know it! Wouldn't buy a car without them, although I know others prefer to do it themselves without the aid of a computer.
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