Hyundai Elantra Maintenance and Repair

1333436383968

Comments

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Me too--so get those bushings repaired NOW--or maybe wait until October? ;)
  • wormgambillwormgambill Member Posts: 6
    quick question for elantra gt owners. i've read things about uncomfortable seats in this vechile....is this for the gt (leather) as well as cloth? i plan on test driving one soon but comfortability is a must espically dishing out a little more cash for leather. can any gt owners help with this???
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    The Elantra's seats are firm, and the leather makes them feel a little more firm. I've driven Elantras for five years, so I have grown accustomed to the firm seats and I love them. In fact, there are times when I'm on the road in a rental car with softer seats and can't wait until I get home to my Elantras. If your current car has soft seats, the Elantra's may feel uncomfortable at first. But you will come to appreciate them, especially on long trips. To me, the Elantra's seats remind me of the firm, supportive seats found in makes like Volvo and Porsche. The other thing I like about the Elantra's seats is that the driver's seat bottom is multi-adjustable so it can provide good thigh support--which is often lacking on cars without a power seat.
  • inharmswayinharmsway Member Posts: 153
    Backy, you are right on as usual. My GT 2004 has the best seats I have ever had in a car .
    Niels
  • twells1twells1 Member Posts: 1
    My daughter has a 1999 Hyundai Elantra, its been a great little car for her. But the car won't pass smog and the dealer said it the computer. It seem that the car passes all tests except for when they prompt for the check engine light it won't come on. It works when you start the engine as it should.She is down to her last week before she has to pay late fees on a car that passes all but this one thing. I was under the impression that in california all smog equipment was under a 7 year warranty and this wood be a dealer problem. Can anyone help. Twells1
  • trafficboytrafficboy Member Posts: 14
    Hey Twells,

    Have you tried an "emissions beater" additive? It goes in the gas tank.Not sure of the brand... I used it on my 98 accent, and my check engine light went off for 4 days.... passed inspection... the cel went back on the next day!! Be sure to give a few days for the computer to "clear out" any old emissions data... bottle cost me $4 ... worth a shot i guess... good luck
  • christiantchristiant Member Posts: 1
    Hi there. I own a 2001 GLS as well, only mine has 74,000 miles on it and I also started experiencing that problem a while back. I never took mine to the mechanic though b/c it happens so infrequently :confuse: . An engine savvy friend of mine suggested it may the firing of the spark plugs and to replace them. If anyone else has any words of wisdom please let me know.
  • doohickiedoohickie Member Posts: 949
    For those who have shimmy problems: PROBLEM SOLVED:

    I looked around on Hyundai Webtech, and there is a link for training. I looked at it and there was a training presentation that covered, among other things, tire vibration. The training covers Radial Force Variation, the balancing problem that is not handled by normal wheel balance machines and instructs service departments to use a Hunter balancing machine (even saying that if the dealer doesn't have one, they should send the car out to a shop that does).

    Here is a link to the training presentation. Click on NVH, and Tire/Wheel NVH to see what they instruct their dealers to do about tire vibration. This shows Hyundai is aware of the problem and is instructing their dealers to fix it.

    Print this out and take it with you to the dealer. Armed with this, I'm sure you can have any wheel balance problems you may encounter solved at the dealer.... WITHOUT paying anything!
  • 5port5port Member Posts: 395
    Read Messages:

    #1786
    1163
    964
    922
    709
  • doohickiedoohickie Member Posts: 949
    Right. I posted that link because you don't need a Webtech logon to see it, and it's interesting to see what Hyundai tells their dealers regarding this issue. They don't like to advertise it, but they certainly know it exists. And Hyundai tells their dealers to fix it, and how to do so.
  • oshanroseoshanrose Member Posts: 2
    I was looking through the forums because I also have had numerous problems with my 2001 elantra. I had to replace the clutch at 29,000 miles and a new engine at 59,000 miles. Now, at 64,000 miles, they say my clutch is destroyed once again because the clutch put in was too small, but they refuse to pay for it although they did the work.

    I was just wondering how your latest experience with Hyundai turned out.

    Good luck!
  • oshanroseoshanrose Member Posts: 2
    I also bought the Kumho tires for my 2001 Elantra from Discount Tire. Yet, I have had problems with the road noise and shaking periodically. The balancing job is pathetic. My car is back in there every two weeks being rebalanced, something which they blame me for. Yet my last set of tires lasted me 50,000 miles on this car with no balance problems.

    Hopefully you can have better luck with the tire company. As for the Kumho tires, I had them on my old Accent and loved them, I prefer them, especially for the added traction and manuevering.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Must be this particular store. I've had a great experience for the first year (7000 miles) with my Kumho Ecsta HP4 716's from Discount Tire.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Something strange happened to my '01 GLS today as my son was driving home from practice. I had driven the car earlier today and it was fine. And he drove to practice just fine. As he was coming home and pulling off the freeway, the gears started grinding (vs. shifting) and the engine stopped. He could not restart the car. Unfortunately, he did not have his cell phone with him (which I pay for, for just this kind of thing :mad: ) so he couldn't call Hyundai Roadside Assistance, but a police officer happened to come by and radioed for a tow truck to bring the car home--$80.

    The clutch pedal feels loose, i.e. very little resistance. When the tow truck called by Hyundai Roadside Assistance arrived at my house, he jiggled something and the car started, but the gears would only grind, not shift. (I told him, "Please don't do that too often!") He took the car away to the nearest Hyundai dealer.

    Any ideas on what the problem might be? I assume something broke since it was a sudden malfunction--at least I hope something broke so it's covered under warranty!

    BTW, the experience with Hyundai Roadside Assistance was excellent, very responsive, professional, and courteous in all aspects. A great benefit. It was the same story the other two times I have called them--to open up my '04 GT after DW locked the keys in the car. Also, they gave me instructions on how to get reimbursed for the towing charge.
  • 5port5port Member Posts: 395
    My .02

    The free feeling brake pedal is the tip-off. I think the clutch master cylinder has failed. The clutch pedal is directly connected to the master cylinder and that drives brake fluid to the slave cylinder that moves the clutch.

    The grinding when you try to get into a gear is caused by the fact that the clutch is not moving (not seperating from the fly wheel) so you are forcing the stick into gears. I've had car wash bozos do this while cleaning the interior with the engine running and leaning on the stick :mad:

    Certainly not your typical clutch failure with spinning revs and car goes nowhere. Sorry to hear this happened. Sounds like Hyundai emergency service works well. I just bought a prepaid type cell phone for just that reason. Let us know how this turns out.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    There is a slave cylinder on the other end, down by the clutch. Could be it went out, or something knocked the line loose between the master and slave and lost the fluid.

    Lots of things it could be, but clutches are very simple animals and generally not too difficult to diagnose when it is sitting in front of you.

    Jim
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I don't like the sound of "something knocked the line loose." I can hear the Hyundai service manager now: "Well, obviously your son abused the car [which he doesn't] and caused the line to be knocked loose. Sorry, not covered." The tow truck driver looked at a few things, including the master cylinder fluid resevoir (looked ok) and also looked under the dash, but didn't see anything in particular. But he did do something to get it started again. However, the gears would not engage.

    Oh well, the dealer was backed up today so looks like they won't get to it until Monday. Good timing I guess in that I left for Sydney today, so my family can get by on one car for awhile. The service writer did say they'd get my wife a loaner car Monday if necessary--they were out today.
  • jprybajpryba Member Posts: 201
    Did you make sure to ask Discount Tire to check the RFV on the tires? Chances are one or more tires have an RFV greater than the 18 lbs that Hyundai recommends.

    I managed to get rid of my Elantra shimmy once and for all -- I traded mine in and leased a new 06 Sonata! I figure in 3 years I'll look at the new Elantra and see if it has had the same shimmy issues the current one has. (BTW, does anyone with a 96-00 Elantra have shimmy issues? We don't hear about those too much around here. It seems like it all started with the 01 redesign.)
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    Didn't mean to imply the young man did something intentional, more like road debris collecting the line, though that would leave a mess under the car. The seals in a clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder can wear out and cause the clutch to not fully disengage. That isn't so much an issue of mileage as it is operations. Let me know what they find. I am a curious sort when it comes to these things.

    Spent the morning helping a friend out. '98 Chrysler Concorde on its original brakes, at least what was left of them. Using a floor jack and stands we did rotors, pads, and both motor mounts in less than three hours. If anyone is wondering, the drivers side motor mount isn't easy. Had the wheel off anyway, so I used a 36" extension through the wheel well to get to the bolts. yee hah.
  • jimpimmsjimpimms Member Posts: 81
    I had a similar clutch problem with a '97 Tiburon. I got stuck a few miles from home, on city streets, but luckily, in light traffic. I had to shut the engine off and restart it in first gear each time I had to stop at a traffic signal. There was a dealer service bulletin issued for the problem; if I remember correctly, the solution was to disassemble and clean the slave cylinder. It was covered under warranty. It could be that your problem is just that simple.
  • tidalwavetidalwave Member Posts: 25
    Hi. I have the wheel shimmy around 70 mph in my 2004 Elantra and want to try to get it fixed at Discount Tire. How long would one expect such a wheel balance to last? Is that answerable or is it too dependent on one's personal driving habits?

    Also, is Hyundai supposed to pay for this? Will I have to let the dealer try to fix it first?

    Thanks for any help.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    The wheel shimmy would be covered under warranty unless it is due to something you did, e.g. hit a big pothole at 60 mph. :cry:
  • tidalwavetidalwave Member Posts: 25
    Well, I hope the dealer will take care of me since I have purchased two new cars from them in the last three years. Also, we have no potholes in Texas. Lots of armadillos, but no potholes. ;)
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    Never blow your horn at a 'dillo crossing the road. Scares the h*** out of 'em, they jump straight up and will take the grill and radiator right out of a car. :surprise:
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    No, no potholes--just those big holes on the side of the road where the fire ants have eaten away at the blacktop. ;)
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I got the bad news from the dealer today on the clutch problem on my '01 GLS (58 months old, 35k miles). Seems the clutch pressure plate "broke apart". The dealer claims they checked thoroughly to find a failed part that was the cause of this problem, but could find none. They say they are certain that the clutch at some time in the past took a heavy hit and last week the pressure plate just broke apart. Bill is $1250.

    I had a talk with my son, who is the other driver of the car (since I know there has never been a "heavy hit" to the clutch while I have driven it). He did admit that when he first started driving about a year ago, he had a few rough shifts. Would that be enough to cause a failure like this?

    I am not too happy about this, and have some other questions for you folks who know more about such things than I do:

    * Is it common for a clutch pressure plate to "break into pieces" without any defect? I have owned many stick-shift cars and in only two have I had to replace a pressure plate--both were due to wear. Up until I replaced the part, the cars drove fine, but the shifter and clutch action wasn't as nice as when new.

    * Does $1250 seem reasonable for this kind of repair? I would have thought I could get an entire new transmission (rebuilt anyway) for that kind of money. The last clutch pressure plate I had replaced (granted this was around 1990) cost $400. $1250 seems like a lot. It includes $80 for machining the flywheel. I am out of town so I haven't seen the details of the repair order; my family needs the car back so I told the dealer to go ahead and fix it. :cry:

    I appreciate your input because it will help me decide whether to appeal this "up the chain" at Hyundai.

    Needless to say, if I ever get another Hyundai (which is much less likely than it was yesterday), it will have an automatic transmission, which is covered for 10 years/100k miles.
  • 1racefan1racefan Member Posts: 932
    " Does $1250 seem reasonable for this kind of repair?"

    I would find out exactly what all was done. Then I would call a local transmission shop (like a Cottman or some place that just does transmission/clutch work), and ask them what they would charge to do this on a 2001 Hyundai Elantra.

    My boss has a car (not a Hyundai) that has an automatic tranny. Last year, he was having a problem with it - it was hesitating a little upon take off. He took it to the dealer (car was out of warranty). The dealer drove it, and said it would be a minimum of $500 for them to tear into the tranny and diagnose it, not to mention additional costs for actually fixing whatever the problem is. He took it to a transmission specialist, they drove it, diagnosed it, and $60 later it was fixed.

    Now in your case, obviously taking it to the dealer was the correct thing to do - since it is still warrantied. I just wonder if after they diagnosed the problem at the dealer and called you with the estimate, what they would have charged you if you were to have told them that you didn't want them to fix it because you were going to have it towed to a tranny shop because you thought they were too high??

    I will say that the Hyundai dealer's service department (and I am referring to both of the ones that are local to me) have also kind of caused me to shy away from purchasing another one in the future. I love our Elantra, but some of the things I have seen and been told at the service departments scare me.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I wonder too, but since I am in Australia this week and it is hard to talk directly with the dealership, I'll never know. My wife was freaked out and didn't know how to handle it, and needed the car back, so I told her to go ahead and have them repair it.
  • jkobbjkobb Member Posts: 51
    I have a 05 Elantra GLS and I just checked my air pressure in my tires for the first time, after about 5 months . I generally check them sooner . My reading was 42 psi on all four tires. The door sticker says 30 psi all around .Oh , by the way this was done first thing in the morning before I drove anywhere. So, I know tires don`t gain air so they must have been filled to at least 42 psi at the factory or dealer. And seeing that I`ve had the car for 5 months and tires usually lose some air in time, these tires were pretty much overinflated somewhere.I brought them down to 35 psi , I don`t believe that is too much over . Have anyone else had this experience, I was wondering ifthis was a common practice ? :confuse:
  • 1racefan1racefan Member Posts: 932
    I read somewhere that a lot of times, tires are inflated way up before they are loaded on the truck for shipment to the dealer. I don't know why the transport companies like to have the pressures jacked way up, but the article I read did say that they do prefer to have the pressures up when shipping them on the auto transport truck.

    The article also said that most dealers adjust the pressures back down when they prep them for sale on their lots, but some dealers don't. The article said that sometimes dealers only adjust the pressures back down on 2 or 3 tires (because they get distracted and forget to do a tire or 2). I guess people have test driven cars in the past, and the handling or steering feel has been weird, so they checked and one front tire would be at 32, and another at 45. Once both tires were put on equal PSIs, back where they should be, all was normal.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    Clutch job on a FWD is going to run more than RWD. The transaxle is going to come out, obviously, but this also entails pullng the axles. And on parts they will be changing the clutch plate, pressure plate, and throwout bearing as these parts can only be accessed with the aforementioned parts removed.

    And as a statement of fact, FWD clutches and transaxles will not stand up to abuse the way a RWD system will. Just the nature of the beast. With RWD, agressive action on the part of the driver will spin the wheels out back. On a FWD, the weight of the engine tries to prevent that from happening. All those load forces have to go somewhere.
  • 1racefan1racefan Member Posts: 932
    Just curious -
    With all of the parts that you just mentioned that need to be removed when changing a clutch on a FWD, would it not be smart to go ahead and have a new CV joint put in at the same time (assuming it were a high mileage car - I'm not referring to backy's)? Seems like with a CV joint being such a high stress item, that if you had a FWD with over say 80 or 90K miles and you were needing a new clutch that you could probably just pay for the cost of the CV joint, and not really any labor since all of the other stuff had to come out anyway.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    A CV joint can be easily checked out during the clutch replacement, but if not needed can later be replaced easily without the work required for a clutch replacement. The axle and cv joints are totally external to the transmission and clutch assembly. Think of it as similar to changing the U-joints on a rear wheel drive car.
  • miamixtmiamixt Member Posts: 600
    It is a common sales Practice to over inflate Tires, because they look better. However the real danger is when the Consumer buys a Car which hasen't been fully prepped. And in answer to your question, yes this same exact thing happened to me. Imagine what they sent you off with, 50 PSI? If the Door says 30 PSI, follow the Door!
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    More info: talked to dealer, and sounds like the clutch is being totally rebuilt, many new parts (except flywheel, which is being machined). So it's not just a pressure plate replacement. If I had taken the car someplace else for repair, I would have been charged a $89.95 diagnostic fee. I suppose the good news is the clutch should not need further servicing for the remainder of the time I own it (now that my oldest son is proficient in rowing a stick), and given I will own it 10-11 years at least I was probably facing clutch work at some point.
  • wdoranwdoran Member Posts: 31
    My 2003 Elantra GLS has developed the shimmy problem. Car has bout 23000 miles and prob;lem started about 20000, shimmy at 65-70 mph. I loved my Elantra until now, I have owned many cars and kept some well over 100,000 with never a problem like this. Tires have been rotated. At about 7000 miles front wheel bearing failed and was replaced by dealer, several months later I rotated tires only to find lug nuts so tight I had to use a 3 foot pipe to loosen wheel dealer worked on, so much for dealer service. I will get hunter ballance done, if this doesn't work will trade in car. drove the new Sonata and couln't believe how well it performed, but am concerned due to the shimmy problem on elantras.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    Well, the price looks about right. Labor rates here in Yuppyville (Austin, Texas) run from the low $60 to $90 an hour. I keep asking myself why I didn't go into the auto business.

    Oh, that's right. Dad said he would disown me. He had spent over 30 years in the business and was a bit jaded.
  • joekamjoekam Member Posts: 3
    Hi

    I had a 2003 accent and now a 2005 elantra GT. Both cars seem to bottom on relatively small bumps.

    Could I put high profile tires on when time to replace.

    So far this is the only problem with my GT. I was hoping that the "performance suspension that is included in the GT model would prevent this.
  • lemonagainlemonagain Member Posts: 1
    I have owned my 2002 elantra since june of 2004 and I have had numerous bulbs replaced. I have asked them to check to see if there was an electrical problem with the car. They said that all electrical systems are fine. I then asked them if they would check the charge of the alternator. They say that replacing this many bulbs is "normal wear and tear"...although I don't know much about cars I find this ridiculous...so I am curious if anyone else is having this problem?...
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    That sounds strange. On my '01 GLS, 58 months old, I've had only one headlamp and one license plate lamp go out--both were replaced under warranty. Do you do a lot of driving with your lights on? Most of my driving is in the daytime, and the car has only 35k on it.
  • 5port5port Member Posts: 395
    If you are constantly losing bulbs on your Elantra the alternator is throwing out spikes. The 01-03 Tiburon has a TSB for this. The TSB is to replaced the alternator with an upgraded one. If you can tell the dealer about the Tib TSB you might make some headway. Why they do not include the Elantra I dont know. Check webtech for TSBs:

    http://tinyurl.com/9br9q
  • 5port5port Member Posts: 395
    * Is it common for a clutch pressure plate to "break into pieces" without any defect?

    Yes. My first car was a Fiat 128 5spd. About one month after buying it used the clutch went. The repair shop showed me how the fingers on the pressure plate just shattered. Repair price in the late 70's dollars was about what $1200 in todays dollars.

    After that I've always treated clutches with respect and got long service. Your right, now that he knows it should last.
  • 1racefan1racefan Member Posts: 932
    My wife's 2002 Elantra has 65000 miles on it. We have been through 2 headlights, several sidemarker light bulbs, and both license plate lights. We were losing a bulb of some sort (at least 1) every 6 months. I also asked to have my electrical system tested, and they responded that the bulbs they use are "bottom of the barrel" bulbs, and that's what the problem was. In January, I had 2 more bulbs out, so I called them to b**ch about it being an inconvenience to keep getting bulbs replaced. They responded that they would replace my bulbs with a higher quality bulb, and that was 9 months ago, and I haven't had one go out yet (knock on wood). Over 50% of the time my wife drives her car, the lights are on.
  • madmaxooohhhmadmaxooohhh Member Posts: 9
    I think your problem is with your particular dealer... not Hyundai. When I had a minor
    shimmy problem with my car when braking.... I told the service manager, he looked
    and took some readings from my front 2 rotors and swapped them out with brand new
    ones with no questions asked.

    Car is a 2005 Elantra GLS hatchback with 22k miles and my dealer is excellent!

    He said if I wanted to.. I could do all the maintenance myself like changing oil, spark plugs , transmission fluid, etc... but to make sure I kept the receipts for the items
    and document my repairs/replacement and mileage. And his dealership would honor any
    warranty issues if I had any. He just made the point to follow the maintenance
    schedule religiously to keep the car humming along, and to maintain the warranty
    coverage.

    When I heard that, then I knew I could trust my dealer to do the right thing. I have been
    going to his dealership ever since to do my maintenance since I know they were
    trustworthy and would not bend me over wth unecessary work.
  • lamond1lamond1 Member Posts: 1
    I am having the same problem I was wondering if it covered under the warranty? and how much did it cost to get fix.

    lamond

    lamond13@cox.net
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,602
    RE: Kids & trannies. My younger son has lived in AZ for over 4 years. I'm in CT. My previous car was a '91 Chrysler convertible. Car was notorious for bad auto trans. 1st replaced at 56K miles & dealer put in a rebuilt under warrantee. 10K miles & 15 months later the second one blew. No warrantee because the replacement/rebuild was only waranteed for 12/12. What BS, didn't know I was getting a rebuilt, plus 15 months vs 12 month with low miles. Anyway to cut it short, that was about 7 years ago. While visiting with my son six months ago, after a few cocktails, he told how he have reved the engine in neutral & popped it into gear to help it burn more rubber. So, while the '91 Chrysler tranny has problems, some are driver induced.

    My first car was a '60 Falcon, 3 speed on the column shift. Something like 85 HP. Car was reved out at 60 MPH. But being 16 years old, I wanted to burn rubber, like my friends could. Simple with the stick, just rev the engine & pop the clutch. Never thought about the stress to the car, just that it was cool to spin the tires. Maybe you'll find out about a similar story a few years from now when your son is older & ready to tell you, if that is what happened.

    But, yes, I'd to go as far as reasonalble to see if Hyundai will pay for the repair.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I would love for Hyundai to pay for the rebuild of the clutch, but in all fairness I don't think it's the fault of the car. My son learned how to drive a stick on this car. He admitted after the fact that "a few times" he has hit the clutch pretty hard. In 16-year-old-speak, that probably means a lot of times. I did ask the dealer in depth about their analysis on the failure, and the dealer said they tore the clutch apart trying to find a link to a bad part so they could charge the work under warranty, but couldn't find anything. So that, plus my son's history with the clutch, give me, as they say, no leg to stand on. Hyundai and the dealers I've been to for service have been very good about fixing anything else under warranty, even light bulbs, so I really can't complain. I got home from overseas tonight and found out the car is ready, will pick it up tomorrow. It was fixed Thursday, but when they test-drove it, it would not shift into first, so they tore it apart again. :mad: If it doesn't shift like new (for $1250), I'm taking it right back.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    When you pull the tranny on a cable operated transmission, which almost all FWD are these days, BE SURE to mark EXACTLY the position of the cable attachment to the external actuators on the transmission/transaxle. In my experience, even the slightest mis-adjustment can make the difference between a sweet shifting honey or an obstinate, hard to shift, stubborn beast.

    A good example is the Fiero which had very long cables. The adjustment could be off less than a 1/4" and that little sucker would not shift.

    And yes, it can also make it difficult if not impossible to engage one or more gears, like first.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I need to pass that along to the mechanics at the dealer that fixed (almost) the clutch on my Elantra. Picked it up today and went into first--fine. Then second--crunnnnnnch! Drove it right back. I am now driving an Elantra GT sedan loaner while they figure out how to repair it correctly. For almost $1300, it had better be perfect.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    The reason this is so critical is that the length of the cables have to correct to move the shafts cleanly through the synchronizers to get the gears up to speed. Otherwise, the shaft may move short and not fully engage the gear. This is sometimes seen by the car jumping out of gear while accelerating and decelerating.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Your Privacy

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.