By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
jim
And contrary to what the owners manual shows, there are no cup holders in the back seat of a hatchback. The sedan shows to be in the lower portion of the seat, which is true. My owners manual shows a fold down arm rest in the upright of the rear seat with two cup holders. Nope.
It is odd the way you can flip the seat cushions forward and then fold the seat backs down.
It is too bad about no cup holders in the back seat. I think the armrest is one of those features other markets get.
The fold-front seat bottoms are actually fairly common in small hatchbacks. The system on the Tuscon (and Mazda6) is spiffier, where the seat bottom sinks down as you fold the seat back; maybe the next gen Elantra will have that. I like the way the rear headrests fit into the space under the seatbacks, when you fold them. I don't know if that was intentional, but I appreciate it.
And contrary to what the owners manual shows, there are no cup holders in the back seat of a hatchback. The sedan shows to be in the lower portion of the seat, which is true. My owners manual shows a fold down arm rest in the upright of the rear seat with two cup holders. Nope.
It is odd the way you can flip the seat cushions forward and then fold the seat backs down.
"I wonder why I pay to subscribe to the Post when I can get lengthier versions of articles online for free."
I agree . . . we stopped getting the Washington Post a long time ago, and we don't regret it. However, some people like physically holding a paper and some people use read the paper when they commute to work on the VRE or Metro or one of the other mass transit options . . .
This new recall isn't mentioned on the NHTSA's site yet.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7187-2004Dec17.htm- - l
You may have to register to read it. The gist of the article is that the airbag didn't deploy during an IIHS test in May. However, it did deploy properly in 25 subsequent tests conducted independently and by Hyundai.
The Elantra got a good rating, but it took 3 tests and a recall or two to get there. This applies to the 04 and 05 models, though. I don't think there will be any fix for the 01-03 models, but you never know.
It's too bad that the new Spectra got a poor rating, though, considering how similar it is to the Elantra. I'm sure there's plenty of discussion about that on the Spectra boards now.
Jim
I have one too on my 96 elantra. What does it do, though?
Over the summer, my check engine light came on. I took it to two different places and they both said that there was no problem.
Finally, the light started to blink at me, and the car would idle roughly when I would be stopped at a light or put it in park.
I took it to the Hyundai dealership and they couldn't find anything wrong with it, so they cleaned the fuel injectors and sent me on my way.
The next day I was driving on the highway and the light started to blink again, and when I would put my foot on the accelerator, it wouldn't accelerate, plus there was a horrible knocking noise under my hood. I almost got killed because my car would not "go"!! It does this whether car is cold or warmed up.
I promptly took it back to the dealership, and they have had it for a MONTH!! They cannot find what the problem is, and want to give it back to me or charge me for the diagnostics (which they haven't been up till now). They have tried to swap and replace a slew of things, from coils to injectors to fuel rails. Nothing has worked.
The best they can come up with is that the engine cylenders are misfiring, and I have low fuel pressure.
If the Hyundai dealership can't find what's wrong, where am I supposed to go?
Please help!!
You havent mentioned your mileage. Have your oxygen sensors ever been replaced? A intermittenly failing oxygen sensor will give the symptoms you described.
I pulled this from Alt.Autos.Hyundai and it sounds like the 96 is known for failing Ox sensors:
--------------------------------------------
Over last 4 years, the O2 sensors on my 96 elantra have repeatedly failed
(I've had about 5 replacements so far). The car has run fine the whole time
(I'm now at about 78K kms), and I've taken good care of it (service it every
3 months). Most of the exaust system has been replaced (new catalityc
converter 2 years ago, new front pipe, new muffler), and the computer was
replaced recently. Now my check engine light has come on again a week after
the newest sensor's been put in (to be fair, it *could* by something else -
has happened before), but I'm beginning to think it's something else with
the car that it itself is not indicating, and my dealer hasn't been able to
detect, and hence has not been fixed.
As I said the car is well maintained, and while I don't do much mileage
anymore, the driving I do is not just 'short trips'. Since my extended
warranty has just gone out, any further repairs are gonna start costing me,
and I don't want this car costing me more in sensors than gas
Anyone encounter this type of problem before?
Thx,
Xxx
I'll take this back to them. Still under warranty.
While the car was at the dealership, they tried to replace the computer and other things, so they can be ruled out. They did not say anything about the sensors, though. Thanks so much again!
Niels
Since shortly after purchase I have had a couple of problems, most of which have been fixed (rattling dash, replaced front right strut assembly, burned out dashboard clock, AT transmission 3rd/4th shift flare, and an unexplained thumping sound from rear of car while idling at a stop). One problem, consistently irks me to this day: It sounds as if there is loose gravel tumbling around in my engine when I accelerate after a cold start OR while driving in cold weather (So Cal cold, not freezing temps). After leaving my car with the dealer for a cumulative total of about 2 weeks over the past four years, I have ONE service ticket stating that the technician heard a "tapping noise." I was first told that it was "cold solenoids" and later noisy valve lifters. After about a year, the dealer did a Valve Clearance test, which they say was up to normal factory specs. I researched online and found the next likely culprit was a weak oil pump that is taking too long to lube the valves in the first few seconds after startup. I also learned that anything beyond a minute of valve tapping—assuming it even IS the valves—will gradually DESTORY the engine and camshaft. Apparently, this type of noise should never be ignored IF it lasts more than a minute after startup. In my case, the noise started out immediately after purchase. I thought it would go away after break-in period, but it has become worse. Four years ago, it was so faint that nobody could hear it (except those who have very good hearing, which most shop mechanics do not have, unfortunately). Now, the sound is *sometimes* loud enough in very cold weather to be heard when the windows are rolled up and sometimes also over the radio! It's not like it gets so loud that people driving by start staring at my car, yet it doesn't seem harmless, either. Eventually it fades out after about 5-15 minutes, depending on the combination of how cold it is outside and how long the car sat (as few as three hours to overnight).
The dealer's assumption is that if anything were really wrong with the oil pump or anything else, the idiot light would come on or a fault code would show up. (If it's really true that all Hyundais make this noise, my contention is that the car's computer isn't programmed to RECOGNIZE the problem in the first place.)
Last week, I went to my dealer and found that new service advisors and a new service manager had been hired. With new people, I figured maybe I'd have better luck with my longstanding concern. Right off the bat, the service advisor admitted, "All Hyundais make that sound. It's from the hydraulic valve lifters. When the car is cold, the oil drains into the pan and it thickens. It takes awhile to thin out and reach the valves." So, as you can probably guess, the dealer won't agree to do an oil pressure test because it's "normal." Now, if I were in SD in the middle of sub-zero temps this might fly, but in So Cal, it's infrequent that we have truly cold weather.
One of my family members owned an auto shop. Growing up, I heard about every noise in the "this isn't good news" category EXCEPT valve problems. I've driven some pretty old cars that were unreliable, but never any that sounded like they were tumbling rocks or bolts around in the engine. It's like somebody throwing dice in a plastic cup. Another way to describe it would be the automotive equivalent of a "frog in the throat"—except that I can never clear it. The loose noise gets to me like fingernails on a chalk board!
I'm really confused: If this IS as widespread as Hyundai says, where are all the grumpy customer complaints? Considering that a lot of the 2001s are reaching 60k and beyond, why isn't there news leaking out of people having to replace their engines (or even a recall)? I've checked forums like this over the past four years and sometimes I see a post here and there, but there aren't enough replies to prove useful as a comparison or to troubleshoot. As a result, I'm still wondering if: A) everyone hears the noise but doesn't recognize it as a problem, or
While at the dealer, I did have an opportunity a year or so ago to start up a NEW Hyundai Elantra for comparison. That car DID make a tapping sound just idling in "park." However, my sound is virtually non-existent at during idle and is primarily an issue when I begin to ACCELERATE down the block and out of the housing track and onto the main streets (5-10 mins). I also read that an emissions leak can also make a sound like "marbles" on acceleration; my assumption is that THAT particular noise would continue even when the engine warms up, whereas the sound I hear fades away.
I read somewhere recently that you can troubleshoot your oil pressure delivery by turning the key a couple of times without turning over the engine (on to the point of seeing the dash lights and then off again for a total of three or four turns). I have only tried it ONCE so far, but interestingly enough I didn't notice the rattle that night. If the sound goes away, it supposedly means that the oil pressure pump is under delivering. If it does NOT go away, it supposedly indicates that the valves themselves are to blame. (Gee I wish I would have bookmarked that page!)
Questions:
• Has anyone else heard what sounds like bits of gravel rolling around in the engine in cold weather and on cold engine acceleration? The slower you go the slower it rattles, the faster you go the faster and louder it gets (until the engine is loud enough to drown it out)?
• Has anyone reading this post had an independent mechanic evaluate the oil pressure or valve performance? If not, would you be interested in taking your car in (assuming you hear a similar noise) and we could then come back to this thread later to compare the findings of an independent mechanic?
• If you HAD a problem like this and it is now fixed, what was the culprit and how did you get rid of the problem?
• If you consider yourself to have good hearing but STILL have never heard anything like what I'm describing, would you mind sharing some info. about your Hyundai? For example, what weight of oil do you use? Synthetic or regular? Any special oil filter? Any oil/fuel additives? (I'm just trying to figure out any commonality between cars that MAKE THIS NOISE and those that DO NOT.)
Thanks for your patience with my long post. :-) I really hope we can put our he
This is a very long stretch. I had a similiar nose of tapping that started around 500 miles after I got my 2001 Elantra GLS. The noise would progressively get worse as the engine RPMs went up and it would eventually drown out after RPMs went to about 3000. It sounded kind of like tapping valves. Anyway upon looking under the hood one day while cleaning the car I checked to see if the air conditioning sprocket for the AC accessory belt was tight. It was not and very loose! I could turn it almost by hand. The sprocket would wobble slightly around when the engine was running. I think the bolt that holds the sprocket is somewhere around 14mm? Don't exactly remember. Anyway, I just tightened it down and the problem never came back and the tapping noise disappeared. There was another reader in here that apparently he was driving and his AC sprocket came off, along with the accessory belt, while driving. Apparently some of the first batches of Elantras off the assembly line didn't have the sprocket torque down properly.
Hope this is your problem but its a long shot. You should be having any of these noises. My 2001 Elantra GLS never had a single problem (no warranty work or anything other than maintenance) other than the above issue. Keep oin fighting with Hyundai because the sound you are experiencing is not normal for the Elantra or any other car for that matter.
Good luck
Shawn
RE: Backy:
I would agree that another way to describe it is like marbles. I've done a bit of research in the Dear Tom and Ray archive at cars.com and found that the valves, weak startup oil pressure or an emissions leak can cause this sort of noise.
Your reply has already helped out a lot because you have side-by-side experience to compare. I've been told that this valve noise happens to all Hyundais. I was hoping by posting here that I could find out if it was really true. At another forum, I'm getting a lot of "me toos," but here it seems this isn't a problem for most of the other folks posting (from what I've read so far).
I look forward to hearing whether or not the other dealer can fix it for you. I'm considering taking my Elantra to another dealer, too.
Yesterday, I took my car to an independent mechanic who was able to hear the noise. He attributed it to the valves, but it's not all that loud or severe yet. I got distracted and left without his comments in writing, but before he left he did tell me that I should have the problem documented in writing from the dealer. I have many service tickets detailing this complaint in my automotive file, but only one service ticket dating nearly three years ago that confirms a tapping noise. The problem is, the ticket doesn't attribute the tapping to the valves—or anything else. Is that proof enough?
If another dealer can't help, I suppose the next step is to try calling corporate. I really like my car. I just want the peace of mind of knowing that the cause is understood, and that driving it won't cause damage—which it will happen if the valves are really to blame.
Here are some things that I heard in other forums about what caused and fixed a similar noise. I have no idea how relevant these suggestions may be. Mechanics don't care much for Internet tips, so no luck having them ruled out yet. :-(
• Debris in the air filter/box
• HLAs
• Weak anti-drainback valve in oil filter deprives valves of oil
• short block (1/4" crank movement)
• "If a chunk of catalyst gets loose it will rattle around in the pipe and sound similiar."
• "I had this rattle problem a while back. It ended up to be the spring that controls the tension of the chain that runs the cams (I think they called it the cam chain tension spring?). Looking from the front, this noise is dominant on the left side of the valve cover, but sound bounces and can also seem like it coming from other areas. This is the chain actually tapping the valve cover. I was told that the design did not allow enough clearance for slack in the chain over time."
I thought I was imagining the fumes until it got so bad one day that I had to roll down the window. I always drive with the vent set to recirculate and the windows up. I close the vent before I even pull out of the driveway or parking space. Last week, the dealer pulled out the dash to check the vent motors. When they didn't find any problem with their operation, they gave it back and I'm supposed to breath this stuff (I can roll down the window but sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate).
My problem is noticeable when I'm near an old car, bus or diesel truck in traffic. Prior to this, however, I could be behind someone belching black smoke and never catch a whiff! Right now, the problem isn't horribly obvious. Only a few people riding in the car have noticed. How bad is your problem? Better yet, has anyone found a solution?