Hyundai Elantra Maintenance and Repair

elantradriver

But they're not nearly as funny as Americans . No "eh" sound here arsiong.

gettinpoorer

We just purchased a 2002 GLS automatic. I have noticed two issues with the air conditioning that I thought I might solicit some feedback on.

The first few days I drove the car I got a weird noise from the air conditioning fan that sounded like a baseball card in a bike spoke. That seems to have subsided, but I was wondering if this was common.

The second issue arose yesterday. When the air conditioning is on, there is a high pitched noise, almost like a dog whistle, that seems to be on some sort of cycle. Could this be the compressor?

Thanks,
Nick

elantrance

My AC in the elantra seems to be a little more noisy than other cars I have driven. I don't mind tho, because after about 10 mins, even in 90 degree heat, my car feels like a meat locker! Or even some parts of Canada, eh? ;-)

wmoses

gettinpoorer said --

"The first few days I drove the car I got a weird noise from the air conditioning fan that sounded like a baseball card in a bike spoke. .... When the air conditioning is on, there is a high pitched noise, almost like a dog whistle, that seems to be on some sort of cycle."

The latter sounds like the compressor, and others have mentioned hearing the AC making some sort of high pitched sound. I don't know what the first sound is, but I don't believe it is at all normal.

I have a 2002 Elantra GT and have no noises coming from the AC. So I suspect all these noises should not be there. The only thing I hear is a slight speeding up of the revs once the AC compressor engages and I am at idle.

Take it in to the dealer and show them the noise.

jlflemmons

Sounds like a piece of paper fell into the blower during assembly. If the noise has gone away, I wouldn't worry about it, especially if the fan is blowing strong velocity.

The "dog whistle" is in just about everyones Elantra. After about 3k miles, mine has quietened down a bit, but if I listen for it I can still here it. Awesome AC unit. Here in central Texas the inside of a car in the summer will get so hot you can burn yourself on the interior. Within ten minutes the inside will be very comfortable, even at 5:00pm. In the mornings, I use the lowest fan speed and still can get chilled.

Jim

spamlet

I had the first noise w/ the A/C. It evenutally went away on mine too.

I don't notice the high-pitched noise. I can hear when the compressor runs (like a rattling noise) but no squeal ...

If someone could just figure out the high speed wind problem...

shadesofblue

Hi all,

I've looked through the other posts here and noticed a previous discussion about the fuel door problem I've been having (where it takes a couple pulls on the door release lever to get it to open), so no need to go back into that. I have two other problems that I wonder if anyone else has noticed.

First, I have a 5-speed transmission in a 2002 Elantra GLS with 9300 miles on it. For the last 1500 miles or so, every once in a while, the car reacts weird when I go into 2nd gear. Every time, it's been right after I've started the car up from it sitting overnight, first gear runs like normal, and then I switch into second and the engine loses all power -- it feels almost as though I had gone into 3rd or 4th at 10-15 mph. That kind of weird engine lugging, no acceleration. Anyone else seen that ever? If I take the car back out of gear for a few seconds, and then put it back in second, it still feels weak, but it at least lets me get into 3rd. After that it's fine.

Also, a less alarming problem, when I get to about 70 mph or faster, the speedometer starts shaking. Is this an indication that eventually the speedometer's gonna go and I should get it fixed? It's not too bothersome, since I'm rarely driving above 70 mph, but I don't want to miss an early symptom of an uglier problem.

Thanks!

wmoses

I have a manual GT and don't have this problem. Neither have I had it on my other two manual Hyundais. I suggest you take it in to be fixed, as that is not normal.

The speedometer cable could be causing the speedo to "tremble" although it should happen at all speeds. They will try and lubricate first, and if that doesn't solve the problem they should change it.

arsiong

Backy -- No, I didn't buy my car from Canada. bought it from Michigan, USA. the noise coming from the brakes. not pedal.

ralphwig

The stock CD player on the 2002 GT up here in Canada has been changed from a Clarion to what the dealer said was the same one as those in the U.S. There's a red flashing light next to the volume knob - for you Americans, do you have the same one, and what is that light for?
Thanks.

wmoses

No flashing light on my US-spec Clarion CD-player.

elantradriver

Anyone had problems with small paint chips on the front of the car? If so is the paint job under waranty at all? Also I just recently started getting a very high pitched squeal while I'm driving. With the radio on you can tune it out so it's not that loud but it is worrysome. It's not the AC "breathing" I'm not totally sure what it is.

backy

Every car I've ever owned, especially the newer ones with painted bumpers, accumulated paint chips in the front of the car from pebbles thrown up by other cars. I haven't noticed any special problem in this area with my Elantra after almost 2 years, and in fact it probably has fewer chips than most of my cars did at this same time. I've used touch-up paint to take care of the few chips that have happened. Is there an unusually large number of chips on your Elantra, or are they unusually large? That could be the sign of a bad paint job. Paint chips in general wouldn't be covered under warranty ("wear and tear") but a bad paint job would be.

inadilema

i have an automatic Elantra GLS 2000 with 75,4000 miles on it. at around 60,000 the transmission went up so it was replaced under warranty. i am getting nervous since its only 2 1/2 years old and has all that mileage. i don't know if the car will hold up before its paid off (2 more years). i was considering getting a new one 2002 but was told Hyundai are junk and dealers can't get rid of them when traded in. i have been to three dealers now and they will give me between 3,000 -3500 as a trade in. i've looked at the new sentras GXE but they are a little higher priced. my husband thinks i will get a lot more miles out of this car. it's now out of warranty for the bumper to bumper.

csandste

the depreciation will easily outdo your risks for future repairs. You would be badly upside down on your loan at this point. Most late model cars, including your Elantra should be easily capable of 200,000 miles.

jlflemmons

With those kind of miles on a two year old car, it wouldn't matter what brand, the depreciation will be huge. Typical two year mileage is in the 24K to 30K range, so you are way over on "normal" mileage and that will kill you on a trade-in every time.

Jim

dustbail

If you are the original owner the 10 year/100,000 miles Powertrain protection, also covers the Transmission (or parts of it):
"Covers repair or replacement of powertrain components (i.e. selected Engine and Transmission/Transaxle components), originally manufactured or installed by Hyundai that are defective in material or factory workmanship, under normal use and maintenance." If you are currently having probelms have them take a look at it and see if it will be covered.

inadilema

thankyou dustbail, jlflemmons, and csandste for your inputs. presently i am not having any problems with my elantra 2000 with 75,400 miles on it. i am the original owner. i am just nervous about cars getting up in mileage. To csandste: you said i should be able to get 200,000 out of this car. that would be great, but why do you say that? i can't find any info to put me at ease. and i think elantras from past years don't have good track records. any info or source reference would be greatly appreciated.

exlux2

A spot that I thought was just some bird doo or something else is now a spot where the clear coat is peeling off of my Elantra. I have had this car for two weeks. I bought it knowing it had hail damage but 1) this large spot is on the door, where there are no hail marks and 2) it wasn't there when we bought the car two weeks ago. I took it to the dealer and the service manager told me that I had managed to get acid on the car that was eating at the paint. When I called Hyundai, the same service manager told them that the hail damage was the cause of this corrosion, so obviously he's a liar (oops, surprise, a car dealer who is dishonest). Does anybody else have a similar problem? The car is the midnight gray or whatever that is. I need to be able to prove that this is a defect, not some sort of damage I managed to cause in just two weeks. There are also spots on the hood and roof ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAR, which makes the whole "guess something splashed up on the car" excuse pretty unlikely. Is it possible that the acid bath they put these cars through was done improperly and it's eating through my paint? I really need some help here.

Incidentally, I discovered that the dealer where I bought the car is quite possibly one of the largest and most disreputable in the country. Lesson learned: research your dealer.

Thanks

jlflemmons

No, if the car was repaired from hail damage, it is possible the base color was not properly prepared before the clear coat was applied. I have seen this before, and sometimes it may take more than a year before the clear coat releases. The only way it can be repaired is by sanding, prepping, and repainting. If the car was repainted by the dealership, skip the service manager and show it to the body shop foreman. If they did the work and have any scruples, they will stand behind the job.

Jim

joffficer

Sorry to hear about your problems! Let others know who this dealer is... maybe it'll cost that dealer some money by missing a sale!

tmichaelny

i just bought a 02 elantra sedan and think its a great car. but i wish i did some research on the dealership.

when all was said and done, it wasn't a great deal with my trade in. unfortunately, i did not realize it until i got home. the dealership website stated "5 day money back guarantee." when i realized i got a lousy deal, i tried to take advantage citing the website. they refused to honor it. that evening, the dealership yanked the guarantee out of the webpage! talk about dishonest! i called hyundai's corporate office but they refused to help.

i then went to get the cd player installed at the dealership. this was thrown in to close tha sale. i don't know why, but i assumed the unit would be replaced with a new unit with cd player. instead of replacing the entire unit, they put this add-on which goes through the radio. a brand new car with this cheap ad-hoc CD player. its not even in the dash! the controls are on a cord! the "good" thing about this control unit is that there is velcro on the back, so i can mount it wherever i'd like! now the dealership wants me to bring it back so they can fix it up to "look likes its part of the dash!" wow!

so far, i like the hyundai, but this was the biggest rip-off and shoddiest customer service that i have ever encountered. if you are in the south florida area, my advice to you is
to avoid RICK CASE HYUNDAI in fort lauderdale!

elantrance

Sorry to hear the news. But, i guess it should have been up to you to know what kind of deal you were getting. Research, research....but the deal with the website? that's kinda fishy...

About the CD player...when I was in the process of gettin my Elantra GLS, it only came with an AM/FM/Cassette...the dealer said it would be around $300 to install a CD player...and yes, it would have been trunk mounted. that is what you recieved, so don't be shocked. I bypassed, and got a Pioneer CD player headunit installed. Looks and sounds a whole lot better than the stock stereo...

Other than that, enjoy your ride! I sure am (1258 miles now in about a month...broken in... )

lots2luv42

I also purchased a 2002 Elantra GLS sedan which did not come with a CD player. I toyed with the idea of getting the dealer installed player, but decided against it. Since my purchase, I have installed a Jensen system which includes a CD player, 500 watt amplifier and 2 10" subwoofers in a box in my trunk.

I now have "junk in my trunk" and it only cost me $400 installed. So don't buy the $300 dealer installed player. It's not a good value for the money.

gle_helle

I'm probably going to buy a '97 Elantra with 29,000 miles in a couple of days. Anything wrong with this particular year or anything specific I should look for? It has auto trans. and AC.

dominickc1

Yea I just got mine back from the service dept. yesterday. This post is from the post that Bartbikew wrote. The A/C still doesn't run right I have to put it on #4 setting on the fan, before it gets cold. The service advisor was trying to tell me that his wife SantaFe does it too. But I know better that he is full of crap. I went to school for a Auto Tech. I didn't learn that in school at all. But I'm going to take another one out and see if that car does it too. If it don't they better give me another GT, because I need the A/C for medical reason. The car sits out all day at work and it is very HOT inside, because of the dark leather interior. I put the sun shade in the front window and plus I have all my windows tinted to keep the sun out. The service dept. that I take it too is not good at all I give them a 4 for service and thats bad.

The gas mileage is very good on my GT I can go 2 weeks without filling it up. My wife and I can go all over town and not worry about my gas mileage. It even holds my Medical scooter that I have to haul around. It is a great car other than the service and the A/C problem.

joshrtek3

I just got a Pioneer DEH-P4400 head unit for my 2002 Elantra GLS. Best Buy installed it (I know, I know, they suck, but this was a gift) and they installed it where it sticks out 3/8ths an inch from the rest of the dash. I sounds great, but looks horrible. The installation tech told me that they don't make a mounting bracket for the 2001-2002 Elantra. Is there anyway I can make this fit? I've never heard of anyone else's Elantra having this problem. Does anyone make a kit for a correct install, or did Best Buy just do a horrible job. Thanks.

-Josh

elantrance

I have a pioneer DEH-2100 in my elantra GLS...it sticks out...it's not going to look stock, but it looks ok to me! You may just have to deal with it ;-)

dustbail

I installed a Kenwood KDC-MPV7019 CD/MP3 Receiver and it sticks out slightly. I can overlook that because I can change the color of the LCD to match the color of the dash lights of my GT, and the buttons can be changed to Red or Green to match the center console (it has 67 different color combinations). I cant forget to mention how great MP3’s are. However I did learn during installing that different brands or manufactures prevent it from sticking out further than others....They did mention that Pioneer, is a brand that will stick out less. For the price and the options I felt that the Kenwood was the best choice...and I can always add Sirius Satellite Radio.

lostlove

Well I just got my 2002 Elantra GLS last week. I put 500 miles on it (I commute a lot) and haven't noticed any problems. It does seem to corner weird although I mean, that's a petty point considering this car is not as much as my previous car. It's manual transmission - I need to shift later than all of the other cars I've ever driven. The spread of the gears is different so I'm adjusting to that. Really love the cup holders, CD player and the intuitive power mirror interface. Very nice!

rstolp2

Has anyone had satisfaction from their dealer or Hyundai Rep regarding the several paint problem postings here? I have a 2001 with similar problems all over and the dealer, CORMIER HYUNDAI, gave me the same excuse - something fell on it, i.e. bird poop. Tried to explain my wife's 1999 Sonata parks in the same places I do and has absolutely no problems with the paint but it did me no good. Also, checked my manuals and I see no reference to "bird poop" damage not being covered. They list several other specific things like acid rain, etc, so I imagine they would/should have mentioned it. I'm definitely standing my ground on this one. Will call Hyundai soon and may try the original dealer I bought it from, LAMAR HYUNDAI in Cerritos, CA. Have had poor service from them before but will give them a try, can't afford a new paint job, especially on a 1 year old car! Email me if you've had any luck or advice with this at rstolp2@hotmail.com. Thanks!

PS Drivewise, love my Elantra and Sonata!

nc616

I have a 2002 Elantra gls and I must say that the car is great with the exception of the shimmy problem that I have had since day one. At 60 mph ...no problem with the shimmy....when I increase it to 65 and 70, the steering wheel vibrates....very annoying. Does anyone out there have an answer.....I have rotated all the tires and balanced them as well.....Is it the tires perhaps being out of round ?? Help !!! Thanks much !!!! Lew

jimbeaumi

I had a very very slight vibration at about 70 mph also, and it developed within the last six months (the car is just over a year old). The recent alignment and balance seems to have corrected it. If it returns, I'll post it here.

jacobi1

I hate to sound negative but I think it's important to post ALL info. I've had my GT for about 2 months anbd put about 10,000kms on it(long commute to work and summer vacation) and have some complaints.
Minor
- trimming on Interior around hatch has started to come unglued/velrowed to the hatch itself-disapointed while driving and noticed it fallen
- paint chips easily - 2 other cars are over 2 years old and have less paint chips
- carpeting discoloured upon delivery of car, looks like they did a poor dye job
- allignment is off(easily correctable)
Major
- transmission shift 'funny' in lower gears - almost seems like it can't make it's mind whether to stay in first or second
- on acceleration from dead stop there is a grinding/dropping feeling in the steering column
- many, many rattles!

I've dropped it off at the dealer today for them to take a look at all the 'problems'. Don't get me wrong, I love driving my GT, I love the way it looks but I'm very disapointed in the results thus far. I've frequented the message boards and noticed similar concerns so I thought i'd post as I know it helped me choose the car - maybe chose to soon?

Although I must say I picked up my rental car this morning (Pontiac Sunfire) and let me tell you that is a piece of crap! it's the 3rd time I've had one in the past 3 months and each one does not compare to the GT.

enough complaining-I'll repost in the next few days about the results from post-dealer looking after car.

jacobi1

Alright, I'm able to post sooner than possible - I just got off the phone with the service 'consultant'. Let's just say I'm not impressed:
- fixed the interior trimming on the hatch
- carpet fixed
- allignment - they say they noticed a slight pull to the right(duh) but want to monitor it until next iol change-->WHY not do an alignment now! I'll get on them in a minute - needed time to vent.
- say nothing found in tranny shifting
- the worst of all which I KNOW is an issue the the steering column issue - they say they couldn't feel it! it's felt on every start up from dead stop! I couldn't beleive that the 'mechanic' said they didn't notice anything! The 'consultant said I should take the Service Manager for a test drive and let him feel it, of course he's on Holidays until the 27th!

Well, I'll repost after I pick my car up...

wmoses

jacobi1 said --

"I hate to sound negative but I think it's important to post ALL info. I've had my GT for about 2 months anbd put about 10,000kms on it(long commute to work and summer vacation) and have some complaints."

It sounds like you've got a lemon.

Not one of the problems you mentioned has occurred in mine (14,500 km / 9,100 miles) and they are both made in the same place -- Ulsan, Korea.

As for the paint chipping easily -- I don;t find that at all. I drive a 30 mile round trip to work every day for the past 10 months I have had the car, on Houston freeways at speeds occasionally kissing 80 mph (regularly around 65 - 70 mph) and there is one small nick on the hood. There is lots of debris, grit, stones that crack people's windshields, refrigerators, mattresses, boulders, logs and all sorts of detritus on the roads here. You'd think there would be more chipping.

Now easy to dent I can agree with. The sheetmetal is really thin so it dings easily.

No rattles, although the RHS passenger door trim used to make a soft rattle-type noise.

You car sounds like the car from hell. I would try and take it back if I were you. See what the Lemon Law can do for you.

elantradriver

I bought my Elantra in May and now have close to 17,000km on it, not a single problem. In fact if anything it runs better now then it ever has. I have got a few paint chips on the front grill area, but I was forced to drive down a gravel road daily for about 2 weeks so that's totally understandable. They're just slight chips anyhow, easily hideable and fixable. I used to notice a squeel coming from the RHS passenger seat door, but it has dissappeared. Anyways I'd have to agree with moses jacob, it sounds like you got a lemon on your hand. Almost all of the feedback I've read in other forums about this car and long term ownership of it have been extremely positive so I'd definitely say your in the miniority.

jacobi1

Well, I'm unsure what the dealership has done with my GT but it seemed to run better last night and in the drive in this morning. They said they took apart my front end and checked eveything but found nothing? although the steering column issue has disapeared - I'll monitor that and if it reappaears I'll take the Service Manager out for a drive test. Rattles are still there, my wife says I'm anal about it but I just want my new car to be perfect - we do however drive on old highways that haven't been paved in years. I'll repost future issues/fixes - thanks for the input all - great site Wayne, it helped me decide on the GT...I still enjoy the car even with the minor problems.

dominickc1

Do not take your Elantra GT to Phillong Hyundai service dept., because they don't know how to fixed any of the GT's at all. I had my GT at their service dept. three times and they haven't even fixed it right at all. So I'm waiting for the 03's to come out and I'm going to get one and it is going to be brand new. Mine was a program car when I bought last January and I ahd nothing but troubles with it.

bartbikerw

Hey,

I did 111mph my 2002 elantra gls the other day on an empty highway on my way to michigan. Did anybody beat that. At 105 and up I did notice very loud wind "wistle". But I guess you can't complain about that :-). The car was very stable though at that speed but it took a long time to get to it. I was holding it at 4000-6000rpm for a long time on 4th gear and then I shifted it to fifth at about 107mph. I got to about 5000 rpms at 111. Great car. But don't try it at home. I usually drive withing a speed limit :-).

wmoses

bartbikerw said --

"I got to about 5000 rpms at 111"

The engine redlines at 6500 I believe ... did it not want to go past the 5000 or did you back off?

jacobi1

What sort of problems did you have with your GT?

bartbikerw

I backed off. I initially planed on going 110 but it went to 111 by the time I looked at the spedo (I was watching the road :-)). I don't think the care can go to the red line on the fifth gear because of the wind resistance, but it will probably go to the top speed of 119 as I read somewhere. You would gave to keep it going for a while, cause it has no acceleration at that speed. I didn't look at the time but it probably took me about 30 seconds to go from 100 to 111. You can probably go to the red line on the fourth gear but I just went up to about 6000rpms.

jlflemmons

elantrance

Hey all...just noticed the top speed thread here...I hit 105 in my GLS 4-spd auto one night in the Liberty Tunnels in Pittsburgh, PA...these tunnels (know as the 'tubes here in the burgh) are about a mile and a half straight away through Mount Washington away from downtown pittsburgh...no speed traps in there! I was able to hit 105 because I got a head start before going into the tunnels *g*.

The car felt suprisingly stable at that speed. But accelatrion after 80 or so? haha ;-)

FYI, I hit 127 in my dad's '98 Lincoln Continental..and it was still pulling! Worked a lil magic when I was still working at a local tire place and got him some Z-rated tires on there (btw, if you want long tread wear, avoid z-rated...got about 10k miles on them *g*)... so no tire speed-worries there...just got scared and backed off ;-)

dominickc1

The engine light comes on every month for the last 4 months now and I'm just not going to bring it in. I have been tighten the gas cap to 3 clicks that don't help at all it still comes on and the service dept blames me for leaving it off so I'm going to trade it in for a Mazda Pro5 or a 03 Elantra GT.

kentavos

Is the warranty worth anything or is it an empty promise? I know it depends a lot on the dealer, but I'm curious if what the overall experience has been for people.

5port

During my first few months of owning the GT I had gone back to the dealer for free adjustments. I will list all. Adjustments are free for the first year. Only thing that has failed so far is the digital dash clock and the dealer replaced it (had one in stock).

1800 mi.

First dealer oil change.
Asked service to lube the clutch pedal.

2500 mi.

Asked service to adjust Emergency brake.

5285 mi.

Asked service to tighen driver seat (loose)
Asked service to lube the gas pedal linkage.
Asked to have emergency brake adjusted again.

7135 mi.

Complained about a belt noise at idle. Service adjusted AC belt.

Complained that digital dash clock is intermittent. Service said they duplicated the problem and replaced the clock. New one is much brighter.

The dealer always did as I asked with no questions. I also have a few mods on my car that the dealer service had to notice (short shift kit,HID low beam system,etc.) and they never made a comment about. All in all its been a good experience. Your milage may vary.

backy

My dealer has been good about making adjustments, specifically working on squeaks and rattles, even after the 1 year/12,000 mile "adjustments period" expired. Perhaps the fact that I'm very polite with them when I ask them to take a look at it and also patient (squeaks and rattles are hard to fix sometimes) helps.

loopydude

Hi Everyone !

I have a 02 Elantra VE(Oct/01). I have been to the dealer to many times now to have this checked. They have balanced/alligned/replaced all 4 tires/balanced/balanced/replaced all 4 rims and tires again/balanced and have 4 more rims on order.. The problem, "which the say" is the rims came off the mold with a warp in them. Okay!! Great!! Then fix the mold!! (Don't get me wrong, my service dept. has been great with this). I drive HWY everyday and have to put up with this. I've been reading up on Lemon Laws and might have to follow through if Hyundai can't come up with a fix. Maybe they should put a set of GT rims on the car (might be cheeper for them in the long run).