Hyundai Sonata Maintenance and Repair

Mr_Shiftright

not for calling YOURSELF stupid I don't think....but calling others stupid, yes, you would get your post removed.

ABS & race tracks -- what a race car driver does with brakes and what we do with brakes are really quite different worlds. Race car drivers don't slam on the brakes with the wheels turned (if they want to live).

gooch

Finally got the visors replaced. When I brought it in before, they didn't have the parts in stock so they had to be ordered. The new visors seem to be more sturdy than the ones that came with the car. They definitely take a bit more 'oomph' to get them to move, and the stop points are much more pronounced. Maybe it is an improvement, but only time will tell.

pekelopd

I wouldn't recommend slamming on the brakes unnecessarily especially if the car isn't fully broken in yet. You're like to cause premature wear on the brake pads and rotors. According to the manual's break-in, you should refrain from heavy/hard breaking (specifically first 200 miles) during this period.

xiao3008

I bought a brand new 2006 Sonata GLS V6 about one and half month ago. About one month ago, I found serious rusts on the rotors of rear wheels, my car only had 600 miles on it at that time; it makes my car look very uncomfortable. I went to the service department in the dealership, and showed them the rust on my car. But the manager said the rusts are normal, and didn’t do anything to that. Does anybody here have the same problem before, or any thoughts about how to resolve the problem? Thanks!

Here are the pictures of rusts on my car.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/xiao_f2000/album?.dir=57b8re2&.src=ph&store=&prodi- d=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

ray_h1

Disc brake rotors are made out of cast iron. Iron rusts in the presence of oxygen - even more rapidly in areas of moderate to high humidity and/or salt air near ocean beaches. Areas in which roads are salted during winter will also encourage rust buildup on brake rotors. The rust buildup your photos depict is limited strictly to the section not "wiped" by the brake pad material (nice photography, by the way ). Your dealer told you correctly. What you've encountered is not only perfectly normal, the surface rust you see will have absolutely NO effect on braking performance or brake rotor and pad life.

gmctruck

That's just the area of the rotor that doesn't make contact with the brake pads while braking. Rotors and brake drums will have rust on them! There is no "fix" because it's normal. If you look at other cars with exposed rotors, you'll see the same thing. The rust is a cosmetic issue only, so relax and don't worry!

bobad

gmc and ray are 100% correct. I am guessing that this is your first set of 5 or 6 spoke wheels. They're gorgeous, but the down side is they show a little "stuff" that you may not want to show in public. Some folks paint their calipers and non-swept parts of the rotors with a paint made just for that purpose. Paint them cherry red like Brimbos!

bhmr59

I agree with the above three posts. The rust shown in your pictures happens with ANY car having disc brakes...no matter how expensive or inexpensive the car may be.

gagre

Last month I purchased a silver blue 2006. I noticed in the brochure that this color was not included as a choice for the 2006 model year. I assume they added the color after the brochure was made up.
I went online to the accessories you can purchase for your 2006 Sonata and I saw that you can't get replacement paint or a rear spoiler that is in silver blue. You can get these items in the remaining choices. Anybody know what's up with the silver blue color?
I really like the color too. Makes the car look bluer on the cloudy days and more silvery on the sunny days!

94hawkskin

I'm having the exact same problem with Itunes. I will try to burn using something else next time.

The song title, album and artist all show up on the files for Itunes but only the song title will appear on my MP3 player. I am doing something wrong in the importing or burning process or is Itunes causing me the problems.

echo4

which one would you choose for the 06 sonata v6? which brand would be better also. the manuel said quaker state. i like mobile better.

bobad

There's not a nickel's worth of difference between premium petroleum-based oils, and little difference in pure Synthetic oils. I would go by price. Whatever premium or pure synthetic oil is on sale today is the best one.

If you decide to use pure synthetic, you can safely bump the oil change interval up to 5K miles. There is finally good competition among Synthetic oils. You can buy Pennzoil Platinum, Castrol, and Super Tech pure synthetic substantially cheaper than Mobil 1. I have seen the Pennzoil Platinum on sale for as little as $2.50 a quart. It's usually a little cheaper in 5qt jugs.

ray_h1

I agree with bobad. However, if you have a brand preference for Mobil, go with it. There's certainly nothing at all wrong with it. I have a hunch money changed hands in the process of Hyundai agreeing to recommend Quaker State by name in the owner's manual . Also keep in mind that Pennzoil and Quaker State are no longer independent blenders. Quaker State was absorbed by Pennzoil nearly a decade ago through an acquisition. Several years later, Royal Dutch Shell absorbed Pennzoil similarly. So, now, SOPUS (Shell Oil Petroleum, U.S.) is the corporate parent for Pennzoil, Quaker State, and Formula Shell products. The shelf pricing for those three brands of motor oil roughly translates to their overall corporate hierarchy in quality. None are bad, though. One final note, Pennzoil Platinum is the first commercially available full synthetic oil using base oils that that are directly derived from methane gas - "gas-to-liquid" technology. While molecularly different from the synthetic base oils that ExxonMobil produces, the resulting base oil of the SOPUS process is also totally devoid of impurities and shares equivalent or better lube properties and resistance to thermal breakdown. It's also much cheaper to synthesize. There'll be others to follow in the coming years. (Qatar is building a GTL facility that'll be able to produce 30,000 barrels of base oil daily. It should come on line within two years.) When you see flaring towers at oil refineries, that's methane gas being burned off as waste. Someone finally realized that was money, not waste, lighting up the night sky.

jack47

I only change the oil in my 1995 Camry about once every 18-24 months. And that's at the local quick lube place that uses the cheapest oil and filters.

Guess I'm lucky, as the car runs as well today as the day I bought it in '95 and the only thing I've replaced was the battery.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm going to buy an '07 Sonata.

ray_h1

I'm not gonna call you crazy, but I'd love to pull the cam cover and have a looksee at the upper end and valve train of your motor... If you've used a full synthetic, you may have gotten away with your service intervals. However, if conventional oil, I'd bet a month's pension check your engine's sludged and running on borrowed time. If your engine allows visual internal inspection of the area immediately below the oil fill cap when it's removed (some have internal sheet metal baffles in the way) and you see "black" when shining a flashlight inside, you got sludge. If it's there, it's elsewhere. The engine will run fine with sludge right up until that moment an oil supply gallery is sufficiently clogged to cause oil starvation to a bearing. The damage will be swift and sure if it involves the crankshaft and/or connecting rod bearings. Kinda like cholesterol that finally clogs a heart or brain supply artery: goodnight.

bobad

I only change the oil in my 1995 Camry about once every 18-24 months.

If you keep your cars 3-4 years, you can get away with that most of the time. But with today's hotter-running engines, you're bound to get sludge eventually. Please don't do that to the sweet 3.3 Sonata engine! But if you do, at least abuse it with pure synthetic!

digitalboy74

There is a subtle vibration in my 2006 GLS V6 (with 800 miles on it) when it stops at lights in gear (i.e., "D"). By "subtle" I mean such vibration can only be felt through the steering wheel. If I touch the wheel with my fingers, I can feel a pulsating vibration. If I watch the wheel, I cannot see any vibration at all. When the A/C is on, the vibration seems to become a little stronger. The vibration disapears when the car is moving or when I shift the gear to "N". Do any of you have the same experience in your vehicle?

I will have my dealership to look into that at my next oil change. But they probably will say "it is normal" or "it is the way the car is", I should say.

jack47

.....Please don't do that to the sweet 3.3 Sonata engine! But if you do, at least abuse it with pure synthetic....

OK...(laugh)as long as you put it that way.

BTW, did anyone catch that synthetic oil commercial on TV claiming you could go 15,000 miles between changes using their product.

Don't remember if the commercial was from a major company or one of those "fly-by-night" outfits.

Maybe someone caught it.

bobad

I saw the Mobil commercial. You have the best new car warranty on the market. Why would you want to void it by falling for a TV commercial?

geo34567

I have a 2002 Sonata -- one day it would not start, making only a ticking noice. We tried to jump it, but ended up having it towed. After a week of "trial and error," battery? starter? alternator? none of which were bad, it was decided that somehow the computer security chip on my car "thought" the car was being stolen, and therefore shutdown. One month later, it happened again. I was told to turn the ignition key slightly to the right for two minutes -- the "ticking" noise should then stop after two minutes, thus the computer sensor/chip has reset itself and therefore should start. It won't! Help!!!

tinydog1

I too have a 2006 LX V6 and am also experiencing a pulsating vibration in the steering wheel when stopped w/AC on and in gear. I usually put it in neutral when in line at a drive thru. I have also noticed a vibration in my 2006 Azera Limited but it does not pulsate like it does on the Sonata.

pboulanger

I am considering trading in my 2005 Camry LE, 6 cyl automatic for either a 2007 Camry LE, 4 cyl standard or Hyundai 4 cyl standard. Have had nothing but problems with the automatic transmission. On blogs I have noticed same comments from 2007 owners of Camrys and to a lesser amount on the Hyundai. Has anyone had problems with the Hyundai 4 cyl automatic. I understand almost all cars today have the CVVT transmission. Camry field rep told me they have had problems but it's all "within spec". Typical response. He did admit the Hondas have a more precise transmission.

ray_h1

General point of clarification - there's no such thing as a "CVVT" transmission. The term "CVVT" stands for continuously variable valve timing - an engine feature to maximize performance and fuel economy throughout the engine's operating speed range. CVVT is a now generally applied feature to many passenger car automobile engines. There ARE "CVT" automatic transmissions, though. "CVT" stands for continuously variable transmission. These use no gearing other than a reverse gear arrangement. Instead, an infinite number of forward drive ratios within the low-to-high final ratio are provided by a pulley-"belt" system in which one pulley changes its effective diameter by squeezing or expanding its relative size against the segmented steel v-"belt" in use*. Honda used such a system in the 1995 Civic VTi as does Nissan in the current Maxima's AT. The upcoming 2007 Altima will also offer a CVT transmission for its automatic option.

*The original idea for this design principle was developed in the Netherlands and applied to the DAF car in the late fifties. It used an exposed rubber belt. Weird little car, but because of its light weight, the system was workable. A classmate had one of these fleas and took me for a ride. Felt just like an early-fifties Buick with Dynaflow - lotsa commotion, precious little locomotion. But that was then, not now.

mrsvan

My Toyota Camry was stolen 3 weeks ago and I have been driving a 2006 Sonata rental. My husband and I drove a 2006 Sonata rental on our honeymoon in May and although I really like the look and drive of the car, I noticed that when I step on the gas, it "jumps" forward. I've had other cars with transmission problems and this just feels different. I have been considering buying a Sonata, but seeing all the negative reviews, I'm not so sure now. Does anyone have any positive feedback or would you seriously tell me not to even consider buying one?

osaka75

First of all, do you know if you are/were driving a 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder Sonata? That info will help others on this board to answer your questions. I drive a 6 cylinder and don't experience any jumps.

Also, cars break in over time. Was the one you drove before or the one you are driving now have very low miles on it? I have noticed that over time (3,800 miles now) the accelerator pedal loosened up quite a bit. It now seems to function like any other car I have owned. When new, very little movement made the car accelerate from a low speed to freeway speeds. It was hard to make it go 30 mph. Now it's fine. I guess the springs, etc just need to loosen up.

Best of luck with your purchase.

pboulanger

I forget what the acronym stands for but I think the new design transissions which all cars will eventually have is CVVT .My 2005 Camry has it and my friends 2007 also. On some cars it is more pronounced than others. I don't like it. My only solution is to buy a standard shift. Honda transmissions are tighter. I felt the same problems when I drove my friends 2007. As far as I know all Japanese cars have the new design. Supposedly it improves gas mileage.

csmab

I also have an engine vibration with my 2006 Sonata LX. It is only apparent when stopped with the a/c on. The steering wheel vibrates to a pulsating engine motion. I notice it most when I drive first thing in the morning wihin the first 10 minutes. It seems to settle down after that.

pboulanger

I understand the loss of power when A/C is turned on but my problem is far more noticeable. Ex: Between 35-40, car can't decide what gear it should be in..it hesitates and changes from one gear to another quickly. Also when rolling down a hill and if you don't come to a complete stop and decide to excelerate, there is no response for a second or two.

miamixt

"I noticed that when I step on the gas, it "jumps" forward"

Is this a bad thing?. I thought my V6 LX was just powerful.

"I have been considering buying a Sonata, but seeing all the negative reviews, I'm not so sure now. Does anyone have any positive feedback or would you seriously tell me not to even consider buying one"?


Almost every Review I have read has been positive. And owners love them!. I don't know what you have read though? Perhaps you should not consider buying one, seriously :P

jal012773

I have a 2006 Sonata V6 and know what you are talking about. I drive this car daily and with 2,700 miles am now used to the way the accelerator works and take off smoothly without any jumping. My wife on the other hand, who only drives the car when I take hers in for service, still jack rabbits the car and complains she's just not used to the way it drives. I have had no complaints about this car at all. I love it!

cxc

I assume that your Camry is I4, not V6, and Sonata that you are driving is V6. If you step on gas in a V6 Sonata like you do in an I4 Camry, Sonata will jump forward. Some people even consider that BMW M5 is NOT SAFE to drive.

Look at the top of the midsize car comparison thread. 2007 Camry is the worst midsize car according to owners. You can also search MSN auto.

ray_h1

"I forget what the acronym stands for but I think the new design transissions which all cars will eventually have is CVVT."

That's wrong. See post #1415 above for an explanation.

ray_h1

"Between 35-40, car can't decide what gear it should be in..it hesitates and changes from one gear to another quickly."

Your car's transmission is not shifting gears at all in the circumstance you describe. (unless you're ascending a moderately steep hill) The "problem" you described is the result of the transmission "hunting" between slush operation and torque converter lockup - which just happens to take place between 35-40 mph. When lockup occurs, it'll feel similar to a gear change, and the engine speed will drop ~200 RPM, plus or minus. The advantage of lockup is a direct mechanical connection between engine and driven wheels to maximize fuel economy. (All other things being equal, an automatic transmission equipped with a torque converter lockup mechanism engaged will return the same fuel economy as that achieved with a standard transmission over reasonably level terrain.)

njerald

Your 2005 Camry doesn't have it!

The '07 Camry Hybrids do.

eclark

This 'tranny fishing' is a major complaint for me since my purchase in 11-05. This is the first car I ever owned that can not maintain 35 to 40 MPH without constantly fishing for a happy tranny position. I think the drive train engineers blew this one. :lemon:

miamixt

"This 'tranny fishing' is a major complaint for me since my purchase in 11-05. This is the first car I ever owned that can not maintain 35 to 40 MPH without constantly fishing for a happy tranny position. I think the drive train engineers blew this one"?.

Of course you had the TSB performed right?. You will notice no difference when you do. What's the deal?. Where's the dependable passing gear(s)?. Why do I need 5 speeds if they all just can't get along?. Its actually quite funny how poorly the Automatic Transmission performs

bhmr59

That's very much like a "problem" I had with a 4 speed manual shift (plus overdrive switch) many years ago. I couldn't think of shifting into 4th gear until going at least 35 mph. Had to keep the rev's above 2000 in that 4 cyl Volvo, or else the engine would lug and possibly foul the plugs.

My'05 Sonata (4 speed A/T, 6 cyl) doesn't shift into 4th until about 34 mph on a level road. On inclines it won't shift in to 4th until a higher speed.

It may be that, rather than straining the engine, the tranny is performing (automatically) what a driver would do with a manual shift.

ray_h1

"It may be that, rather than straining the engine, the tranny is performing (automatically) what a driver would do with a manual shift."

Yep - you may go to the head of the class. I wonder how many people complaining about abrupt torque converter lockup in this discussion are driving around on cooked ATF. If it smells burned, that's because it is. Once that happens, shift quality suffers and internal wear begins to increase exponentially.

cestrouss

I know exactly what is going on, as this has happened to mine. The sad thing is, finding someone who knows how to reset the computer system is like finding a needle in a haystack. Here's what to do. Follow each step carefully. Get in and shut the door. Put key in and turn to on position. Wait 30 seconds. Press your lock/unlock button on your door 5 times (lock, unlock, lock, unlock, lock, unlock, lock, unlock, lock, unlock) It must be a sequence of lock and unlock 5 times. Then your car should start. I hope it works! -Christy

ray_h1

Identical to the owner's manual listed procedure for my previous generation '03 Sonata except for the lock-unlock sequence repeated five times. Thanks for sharing.

zlfanatic

We have a 2001 Sonata V6 that has developed a hesitation from a standstill. When we step on the peddle it hesitates, like its getting ready to stall, but finally it gets up and goes, anyone had this problem before. I have already changed the plugs, wires, coil and fuel filter.

lancer123

Hello,

I have a 2002 Hyundai Sonota 4 Cylinder with the same issue. The problem doesn't happen all of the time and seems to happen more when warm outside (and the car has been sitting for awhile). When the problem does happen, the car hesitates for a few seconds (as though it might stall) and then has full power. We had the dealership look at the car and of course they couldn't find anything wrong. Any ideas ?

sprintrps

I picked up me new SE 2 weeks ago. The front end shimmied during the test drive at 60 mph. The dealer immediatly removed the tires and balanced them. That seemed to fix the problem. Now, 600 miles later I seem to have a litle shimmy at 45 mph. I had an independant tire specialist rebalance the wheels, but I still have the issue. Any suggestions? or is just that the 17" wheel setup is overly sensitive to road irregularities?

zlfanatic

I wish I knew what it was, it never used to hessitate like this. My wife drives the car and said it has been doing this for awhile, especially when the vehicle is first started.

hdsit

Have you seen this thread:
hdsit, "Hyundai Sonata 2006+" #3773, 31 Jan 2006 3:19 pm
I have been struggling with this problem now for more than a year, and have not found any solutions at it yet...

lancer123

My wife has the same complaint. Does your car do it in the cold weather and warm weather ?

zlfanatic

I live in south Florida, so it doesn't get that cold. It seems to happen more when the engine is cold. I have driven it while the car was up to temperature and it still hessitated

sprintrps

Thank you for the information. The problem has really taken away from the enjoyment of a new car. If I understand all the threads correctly, Hyundai neither acknowledges, nor has a fix for this problem.I really think is a a great car for the money but if I had known this problem existed, I never would have bought this car.I could take it to the local Hyundai stealer, but I doubt if they any idea as to dealing with this issue.Does anyone know if there is any Technical Service Bulletin about the front end shimmy problem?

bobad

Does anyone know if there is any Technical Service Bulletin about the front end shimmy problem?

Yes, there is a TSB. The wheels must be dynamically balanced with modern equipment. End of problem.

sprintrps

Thank you for the TSB info. I'll go down to the dealer tomorrow, and I'll see if they can rectify the situation. I doiubt if they have a dynamic balance machine on the premises. This dealer is really a cheapskate. (I know...I worked there once)