Hyundai Elantra Maintenance and Repair

firstjohn3one

2002 Elantra with 7000 miles. Love it but notice after the A/C is on for awhile (during which time there are no problems) and then you turn it off, with only the fan running, the car is filled with an really bad smell...dirty sox...dirty diaper...whatever... Wife is afraid we're getting poisoned... Any ideas/similar experiences... will call dealer soon... Thx... Doug

backy

This is a common A/C problem, not unique to the Elantra. I have seen it (er, smelled it) on a few of my cars over the years. Have your dealer check for a plugged A/C drain hose as one possible cause. If it is plugged, water can build up and get moldy, leading to the smell.

jimbeaumi

I might have to look for a plugged drain hole on mine. It has intermittent foul smell. Very weird.

renea0625

I purchased a 2000 Elantra on July 18,02. I really love this car, but sometimes after I try to put the car in reverse, the car will not come out of park. I have a shift drive over lock button. I read in car manual that if the car does not come out of park, you have to put a sharp object in the shift drive over lock button, and it will release it. I have had to do this several time already. I have taken it to the dealer twice already. Has anyone else had this problem, and what did you do about it.

starriver

I don't want to waste my money for unnecessary high grade gas. I feel that there is a very small vibration when I use Shell 87. Do you feel that?
I also feel 93 is not smooth as 89.

5port

starriver,

I started using Amoco 89 when my GT was new. Had no running problems just though I would use a better grade gas. I did not have the vibration you are talking about. Then I switched to Amoco 87 and my gas mileage went up a bit. I have been using 87 ever since.
Just recently at 8500 mi I noticed a rough idle and car was harder to start. I bought a bottle of Chevron Techron and the GT is running smooth again and easy to start. Looks like I will be using the Techron once an oil change. My suggestion is to use 87 octane and a good fuel injection cleaner every 3000 mi. If you are having a vibration now try the cleaner.

spinozag

I have a 2002 Hynudai Elantra with an Automatic tranmission. I have 1800 miles on the car.

At lower speeds (5-20 mph) I have noticed a transmission problem. Here's how it happens:

1. 1st to 2nd gear switch is smooth
2. 2nd to 3rd gear switch is flawed. The car keeps running, but it feels like the transmission is hesitating to switch to third gear.

What is this and what is the cure?

Thanks,
Glen

spamlet

That's normal for the Elantra. It has a fuzzy logic, I think that is what it is called, transmission that "learns" how you drive. It will go away soon, especially if there is only one driver. You will notice it anytime you switch drivers for the first couple of shifts even after it stops for you.

It's nothing to be concerned about.

joffficer

Their is a service bulletin for just your problem. I had the same thing with the 2-3 shift, and they reprogramed the 'fuzzy' logic computer... cleared it up a bit. After the 30 minute fix it's been fine. Somewhere back in this board is the service bulletin number.

ymreddy

I too have the same problem with my 2002 GLS. bought 3 months back and have 5000 miles on it. The Auto transmission is horrible. it jerks a lot in slow traffic. May be its the same problem as in the previous message. My tape deck stopped working now. Driver side door doesn't close unless I bang it. With all these problems I was planning to sell off my car, but seems like I might have to take a big loss. Can somebody suggest me what is this Lemon law or refere me to the source of info for this law.

andil1

so start at: http://www.autopedia.com/Lemon/Lemon2.html

Find your state. Click on the state name to read the details of the law in your state.

Good luck.

backy

Rather than work on a lemon law case (which you won't win unless you've had the same problem pop up a few times and Hyundai could not fix it), why not just go back to your dealer and get the TSBs applied to the transmission, get a new tape deck (it's covered under warranty), and have them adjust the driver's door? One thing on the door--several people have noted that the Elantra's doors take more oomph to shut with the windows closed than on most cars, due to the tight door seals. But it sounds like your door is exceptionally hard to close.

jmatero

Let me tell you something.... I have a 2000 VW Passat. I'm trading it in for an Elantra GT (2003 if I can find one, or else 2002). The complaints listed here are all simple and easily fixed. I advise all of you to take a stroll over to the Passat Problems area. My car has had so many problems that I'll never buy a VW again... although the car itself is an engineering wonder and a joy to drive, the customer service and the warranty leave little to be desired. Paint chips after driving on a dirt road? A door that needs adjustment? Out of balance tires? Defective clock? You're kidding right? Based on all of my research over the past 6 months, I can honestly say I have found scarcely a dissatified Elantra owner. It's almost scarey. Every message board, every user group, every car-site.... praise after praise after praise. My B2B warranty ended at 24k miles on the VW. The Hyundai's is 5/60 and 10/100 for the powertrain. I realize there is going to be high depreciation. I realize the insurance is a little higher. I realize I'll be razzed by friends for buying a Hyundai. However.... drive the competition. Then drive the elantra. There is no comparison... at all. I drove the Civic EX yesterday... LOUD, BAD steering, BAD ride, poor interior quality and materials, no storage spaces.... hell, not even front fender well shields! Then I immediately drove the elantra sedan. Quiet. Powerfull. Quality. With the exception of chipping paint, all of the problems listed on this board are covered under warranty. Take your cars back and get them fixed... for FREE.

ymreddy

Thank you andil1 and backy for answering my questions. I will go back to the Dealer and give him the list of problems I have and take it from there.

jimbeaumi

I recently posted a message in the sedan thread about driving a friend's '99 Passat back-to-back with my '01 GLS. I love his car, but the drone at idle and over bumps was tiring. I really noticed the difference when I got back into my quiet car. Very surprising.

As for doors, my friends are so used to slamming American car doors hard that I have to remind them to gently close mine and they will seal tight. Fortunately they are not among those needing adjustment.

(One last thing jmatero: don't you mean the VW warranty and service leave MUCH to be desired?)

jackyl100

Thanks for your comparison with the Passat. When I began shopping, I really wanted a Passat or a Jetta. I just love the way they look. The P was way out of my price range and the J was a stretch. Then I found entire web sites devoted to VW hate. I'd heard that VW has made great strides to improve quality but I decided that I couldn't stake $25G on their poor rep for little problems. You have once again confirmed that I made the right choice in the Elantra GT. Great ride, great construction, great features, great price. Even if there are little problems later on, it only cost me $14G brand new. I've had my car for 8 months and we're still on our honeymoon.

calamus

I drove Passats for 12yrs and VW for more than 17yrs and recently bought an Elantra GT. Granted, there are differences between the two cars -- lots of them -- but overall they do not equate the price differential, no way (over CAN$12,000.00)! I could not be happier, even with a new VW!

quietjohn1

I bought a 2002 Elantra GT about 6 weeks ago, and so far the only problem I have is when I fill up I can never get the gas gauge to go higher than 1/2 way between 3/4 and full. the miles remaining to empty goes up and down erratically for the first 100 or so miles. Also, this may be a dumb question, but where is the rear window washer fluid container. Have not figured that one out either.

Thanks for any help

dustbail

May want to take it in for the gas gauge...

The Rear washer uses the front washer fluid, found this out after installing a Kenwood MP3 player and accidentally plugged the rear washer/wiper into the hazard lights and hazard lights into the washer/wiper button....Pretty funny actually. Because I kept trying to turn off the washer, used up all of my fluid before I realized what happened.

Good practical joke if you have a friend with a GT.

spinozag

I am going to take it to the dealer. Can you describe in more detail what your car was doing? Just to be clear, I didn't have a "shift flare" (over revving).

It's hard to describe, more like the transmission is saying, "I wanna shift, wait I don't want to shift, I wanna shift, wait I don't want to shift", and then it settles into third gear.

The car has been AWESOME despite this flaw.

Thanks.

dallasanthony

Regarding wheel vibrations in messages 282 & 283, I've had my 01 GLS since May '01 (#4 since '94) and now have more than 43K miles on the odometer. I drive a lot of miles per year. I noticed the vibration shortly after getting the car. The steering wheel pulsed and got worse when braking from higher speeds. It progressed to the point that at 20K mileage(5 months), I took the car to the dealer for service. The remedy at that time was to have the front disk rotors turned on the brake lath. That solved the problem temporarily but it has now return, 20K later. The car was just back to the dealer and I have now been told it is not under warranty since brakes are only covered for 12K. Dealer wanted $200 to do the work. The dealer did replace one rim stating it was out of round, but the problem was not corrected. I've speed balanced the tires several times and finally replaced all four tires and rims. Problem existed until a few days ago when I pulled the brake disk rotors and had them turned on a brake lathe again. Cost $12 and about 2 hours work for me. Problem almost resolved. No vibration in braking and only a slight pulsing in the steering wheel between 65-75 mph. The tech at the dealer admitted the rotors are probably bad, not an unusual problem on many cars, but no way will the dealer cover it under warranty. I called Hyundai and they told me to check with the service manager at the dealership, stating that very likely the problem was from driving to many miles at high speed which heats up the rotors(?) My intent is to replace the front disk rotors with aftermarket units if I can find them. Dealer wants $250 each. I am confident this will solve the problem.

desg

The shift flare is a very elongaged shift from 2nd to 3rd gear on the upchanges it can be mild or very noticable

Your sounds more like an erratic shift or perhaps it is hunting between gears, this is a different type or problem.

It's been noted that a bad connection in the pulse generator connector can cause erratic shift.

There is a TSB (# 00-40-011 I think) about this particular problem. Suggest you get details of both TSB's so that you are familar with both then visit your dealer and work through the problem with him, remembering it may be neither of these that is causing yor particular problem but at least you can raise them as possibilities.

andiec123

i just bought a 2002 elantra gt, manual transmission. it has about 700 miles on it right now, but i've noticed that it doesn't like to go into reverse. even when the engine has been running for awhile, it takes more than one try to put it into reverse. any suggestions?

dllncsp

I bought a 2000 Elantra GLS at an auto auction yesterday for $2050. I've never owned a Hyundai before. In an auction you get the car "as is" and the owner's manual is missing. There is a small red light on the top of steering column between the steering wheel and the dash which does not turn off. What is it for? Do I need to be concerned about it being on? How do I turn it off? Are there any other items I need to be concerned about or watch for until I can get a replacement owner's manual? Thanks for your input.

johhu

Congratulations Debbie,
How much you paid for your 2000GLS? $2050? what are the millage and conditions? We know cars are sold in auction 'as is',but consider that as part of the calculated risk ,what a deal you get!Don't know if it has anything to do with the well-below-average resell value of the hyundais.How much were the civics and corollas auctioned for? Can you please tell us? Thanks!

tsvi60

2000 Elantra GLS. My car self destructed. I parked at two am and at seven my next door neighbor called me to tell me the car was on fire. I came out to the FD putting it out. No vandalism The center console was completely incinerated as well as the gear shift (auto) the mirror, seats mats wheel etc. I called the dealer service said they had never heard of this before and I didn't see any posting like it but I'm not sure I want another Hyundai.

dllncsp

The car has 83,500 miles on it. I know that's high for a 2000, but it's still 70,000 miles less than my old car. The car was obviously in an accident. The driver's side door has no visible damage,but it won't open. The rear door on the driver's side is crumpled, but it still opens and shuts, and the electric window still works. The car runs fine, ac works, lights work, etc. The body damage didn't bother me because my brother-in-law owns an auto repair shop. Actually, this was was #11 on the auction block, so I didn't stick around to see what other cars sold for. There was another 2000 Elantra auctioned right before mine with 53,000 miles and no visible problems and it sold for $6300. I still need to know what the little red light is for. Thanks!

edovid

Hi, Debbie, I have a 2000 GLS with 40,000 miles
and it still feels as sturdy as the day I bought it. I have to tell you, there is no red light on the steering column as you describe. There is, however, an icon in the center of the instrument cluster that indicates a door open. When I read of the damage to your doors it bore out my suspicion. Does it look like a car seen from above with open doors? If so, it isn't going to turn out until you get them fixed. I hope you will enjoy the car otherwise.

johhu

Ed might be right.If the light is shaped like a small car with doors open,it could be door-opening indicator for the FOUR doors of the car.You can test by pressing the little buttons on the inside of each door frames where the doors touche when they close.
Or it could be the light for anti-theft system?
My 2000GLS has 19k with a dozen dings on the doors(soft sheet metal).It's running ok.

jlflemmons

jlflemmons

Okay, so chigger (Chianti Red Elantra) has developed a stumble and I thought I would bounce it off the forum here and see if any others have had the problem. The throttle seems to have developed a "dead" spot just off idle. Such as if you are in neutral and raise the engine speed to 2K RPM and slowly ease off, it will drop from about 1800 straight to idle. Same in reverse, you start applying pressure and nothing happens till it jumps up to 1800 or so. While this may not seem like a big deal, Chigger is a 5spd and in bumper to bumper traffic it causes quite a jerky drive. Not so much in the higher gears, but definitely in first and second. No lights are on, nothing else affected. Almost like the TPS has a bad spot. Any one else seen this?

Jim

5port

Could be a bad TPS sensor. Could also be a throttle cable that needs to be lubed. My car did something similar until I had the dealer lube the accelerator cable. Of course I could feel a point in the accel travel were it would snag then continue. If your cable travel is smooth its something else. Time for a dealer visit.

mmpptt

in a post (back in may - #143) by (tnjackie), she stated a problem with her 02 auto transmission downshifting,when it shouldn't be. some responded that it was just the fuzzy logic..... learning....and it would go away in time. forgive me for asking...but how is one to break in a new car.....so that it will end up shifting like all other new cars do.....properly......right from the beginning? i'll be driving my car 60 mph on a flat road, and when i let off the gas it downshifts and the car drags. it is very noticeable. same thing happens while going down a hill. find it hard to beleive, that these transmissions.....just "fix themselves" over time. i have 2000 miles on my car, and have yet to hit 20 mpg.....even on the highway, cruising at 60 mph. my 99 camry averages 24 city/ 36 highway. is it realistic to beleive my elantras highway mileage is going to double, after it is broken in? they both turn the same rpm's on the highway. hasen't anyone other than jackie and myself noticed this distinct drag? could this be the reason for the poor gas mileage? another thing i have noticed.........how many gears do these auto transmissions have? my car is endlessley shifting, no matter what type of terrain.

i'll give it some time, cause i really do not want a mechanic to start toying with such a new transmission, and possibly making it worse. i would greatly appreciate any feedback or suggestions. oops...almost forgot.....when i turn on my a/c....it sounds like something weighing 500 pounds just dropped out of the car and hit a concrete surface. a/c works, but i know this is not normal. sorry for venting........but anyone......PLEASE HELP. thank you. - Marty

jlflemmons

yep, it's the TPS. Got out the handy dandy meter and the sensor has a bad spot just off idle. The resistance jumps up and then drops back and becomes linear. This will not trigger the SES lamp as the overall voltage drop across the TPS is correct.

Jim

desg

see my post #323 regarding erratic shifts. The fuzzy logic is supposed to learn optimal shift points over a few hundred miles.

The auto transmission is a 4 speed unit, 4th gear is an overdrive ratio.

The a/c unit is not particularly noisy, depending on road speed you may feel a little bit of drag on the engine when it starts.

The milage you receive is dependant on many factors eg, type of driving you do, length of trips, driving style etc etc

jlflemmons

really tanks when you run 1-3 gears up to 6KRpm

dorf47

Have a '01 with just over 25k on it. Both low beam lamps burned out, within about 100mi of each other. I've also been in twice now for the check engine light. Each time the dealer has claimed to fix it (problems were about 3 months apart). The first time they replaced a sensor, the second time the gas cap. Anybody else had this problem and how was it finally resolved?

backy

The engine light on my '01 GLS went on only once, and the dealer replaced the rear oxygen sensor under warranty. I've always been careful about turning the gas cap at least 3 clicks, thanks to reading about that in the Elantra board before I bought my car.

jlflemmons

Mentioned earlier the TPS problem I was having. Called today (Saturday!) and the service writer told me to bring it in at 1:00pm. I showed up about 12:45, car was in the shop before 1:00, out in less than an hour. Instead of the usual "take your paperwork here, come back here for the car, etc..." he came to the lounge, gave me the paperwork, and led me to my FRESHLY WASHED Elantra. Problem was fixed.

jimbeaumi

SATURDAY service? I'm moving to whereever you are. That is the only thing my service department could do to improve itself, otherwise they are first rate.

Did TPS replacement help off-line acceleration any? Mine has always seemed just a bit "off" during those first feet of travel.

apple02

Marty, I have an '02 GT with the same problems. Last week I had it to the dealers to look at and tell me why the shifting is so erratic and the gas mileage is so poor. They hooked it up to their computers and told me nothing is wrong with it. I get better mileage than you, but 22 mpg city and 24mpg highway is not what I expected. If they knew about 'fuzzy logic' they didn't bother to explain it to me. I have 4300 miles on it...they tell me it isn't broken in yet but according to the owners manual, it is. I never mentioned the air conditioner to them but mine does the same as yours. Sometimes when I push the button there is a terrific clunking/grinding noise. It seems to run ok afterwards but I hear it cycling on and off every 60 seconds. Sorry I can't help you, just letting you know I feel your pain. Brenda

wmoses

At my dealer, this is limited to oil changes and tire work. No licenced mechanics are on duty on Saturdays. You might think that the oil change by apprentice is a good thing .... not necessarily so.

Today I wanted to change my oil myself but could not get the oil pan plug off. It must have been tightened with an impact wrench! I called the service department and the service adviser there said that he couldn't look at it until Monday. That made me even more ticked.

I went to my favourite Midas and two guys fought with it for about 5 minutes before finally putting some Vice-Grips on it and taking it off. Luckily I was installing the Fumoto oil drain valve so I didn't care. Needless to say I will think long and hard before taking my car to that dealership on Saturday again.

jlflemmons

This is a large multi-line dealership group who was looking for a way to differentiate itself. Personally, I think having the service open on Saturday is a bad idea, but these guys have done something to make the mechies and parts guys like it. I don't know how in-depth they will go on repairs, but it looked like they were doing a lot of general maintenance type work on the stuff in the shop. BTW, a TPS change out on an Elantra is no more than a ten minute job. The delay came in verifying what I told them I found and to get the part from the parts dept., paperwork, etc. I still cannot complain.

The amazing thing? The Hyundai service rep whom has been with this company for many years said when they first told him he would be assigned as their Hyundai Service rep asked what he had done to tick them off. But he said that Hyundai and the dealership has been tracking repairs and were amazed that thus far for 2002, they have had a grand total of 5 tickets written for squeaks and or rattles, one defective piece of trim (sunvisor split) and two mis-aligned doors. And this place sells a LOT of Hyundai.

bartbikerw

I think, that if the company is giving extended warranties for all the more expensive cars (i.e. sonata), elantra should get it too. After all they false advertised and not us. I know that I still have the same horsepower that I had when I bought the car, but it is their responsibility to couble check their numbers. We should get some voting going on and send it to hyundai.

mnorsworthy

Vibration problems have plaqued my 2001 Elantra since new. The dealer has tried hard to find the problem, but failed on about 10 occasions. Hyundai Canada has interceded but so far has just wasted my time (and the dealer). Now Hyundai Canada has my car equiped with very heavy steel rims and the vibration continues to be a problem. Has anyone else had this problem?

nevdesign

I just wanted to post about this issue. I've had my 2002 elantra GT for about 7months now and have had 2 dings in my windshield. I commute a lot (15,000 miles already). While these are not huge and can be repaired, I'm very unhappy with how the windshield has held up. My previous cars (GM's) did not have this problem. Just wondering how the rest of you feel. I've called Hyundai and they logged it, and said that if they get enough calls on the problem then they might do a re-call. So if anyone else has had this please call Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151 and maybe we can see some help with this.

wmoses

Got mine almost 11 months now, 10300 miles, one winshield nick.

I drive in Houston where the roads have lots of debris including boulders, logs, refrigerators, mattresses, etc.

I don't think that the GT has a problem windshield. Now the K-car ...

Wayne

backy

'01 GLS, owned for 23 months, 15,000 city miles, nothing other than very small (sand-grain size) blips, same as on any other car I've owned, because in Minnesota trucks hauling dirt, sand etc. don't have to be covered. The windshield has taken a few hits from small rocks, and hasn't cracked yet. I've had other cars where the windshield cracked just from turning on the defroster in the winter!

5port

I've owned my GT 11 months and 9800 miles and only a couple of stone chips and (like backy) sand sized blips. I drive a 50/50 mix of highway and "A" roads here on L.I. No worse than my 94 Civic which was sand blasted by the time I traded it in at 75K.

I wonder if the amount of miles you are driving(works out to 30K miles in 1 yr,2 months) is just exposing you to more road debris than the rest of us?

firstjohn3one

Regarding dirty sox/dirty diaper a/c smell. Got to dealer. Not a surprise to them and they emerged from the shop with a can of "Frigi Fresh" from manuf "BG" - they happen to sell it at the parts dept at the dealership. Sprayed it for good 30 sec into the vent at bottom middle of windshield (from the outside). While he was doing that the service manager said that you can also use Lysol. Well, its getting too cool here in beautiful CO to really use the AC any more so we'll see. The Frigi Fresh created a fairly strong but not too bad smell in the car. BTW, my car does have water dripping out underneath when using the AC. So....appears not to be unique to Hyundais...We'll see if Frigi Fresh helps next season....