Hyundai Sonata 2006-2007

pat

The topic of whether a car sales person should drive what he/she sells perhaps could be discussed over in Smart Shopper, but it is not on topic in the Sonata discussion.

As everyone knows, we have several sales folks who are members here. They are as entitled as any other member is to get feedback and look for information on any vehicle that interests them without having to justify their interests.

Let's call off the dogs here, please!

kwonc71

I had 2000 base Sonata that vibrated at idle. Most of 4 cylinder cars vibrates little. My 06 LX hardly vibrates at idle, but I still feel it sometimes. I also have 1988 Acura Integra Vibrates enough to make me feels like on a boat, but does not considered as problem.

Best way will be, find same car you have and try that one if it is lot better than yours.

If your car is way worse than other same I4 2002-2005 Sonatas try:

1.use other gas station-your car's engine might not like the gas you use. Try premium gas once with Injector cleaner added. This is more likely the solution.
In fact, one of the gas station's gas cause my Integra engine rough & stop running at idle many times. Now I use Costco gas station for that reason. Since then, I had no stalling problems on my Integra.

2.Do basic maintenance like spark plug,timing check, fuel filter, and air filter

3.I saw a 06 GL owner had engine vibration problem from the day 1. They end up find that out that one of little part was missing at valve lifter, but this is very rare case.

What the Dealership mechanic said by the way?

snakeweasel

1.use other gas station-your car's engine might not like the gas you use. Try premium gas once with Injector cleaner added. This is more likely the solution.

The dirty little secret with oil companies is that its all the same gas (caviet: some places may water down the gas or water could seep into the tanks). The gas you get at the Exxon could be Shell gas refined by Shell, or BP gas or so on and so forth.

kwonc71

Still, use other gas station will be the cheapest and easiest thing you can try.

snakeweasel

I would agree if they were buying from a second rate convience store type station. But if they are buying from a normal run of the mill exxon, shell, BP station it is worth a try but may not work. Plus we are talking about Idle vibration from a 4 banger. Unless there is a lot of it changing gas won't work as most 4 bangers have some sort of vibration.

w9cw

A friend worked at one of our local distribution facilities. It's called the "tank farm" by most of the folks here. All of the gas stations, BP, Mobil, Shell, etc, as well as the discount stations get their gas from this same facility. Now, do they indiviudally add anything, I don't know. But, I've seen Shell, and other tanker trucks fill up from the same tank at this large facility.

targettuning

Vibration is inherent to some greater or lesser degree on all engines simply because of the nature of the beast. Think of it this way... at idle, actually at all times the engine is running, there are thousands of controlled explosion occuring within the cylinders. Add to that all the transference from the vertical motion of the pistons to rotational motion of the crank. All this and more going on produces vibration...naturally. V- type engines have sort of a natural counterbalance within that mostly cancels out vibration but inline engines seem to have a tougher time of it. Then there are balance shafts within some inline 4 cylinders to further smooth things out and additionally how well the motor mounts are engineered can help. However, all things considered, most modern engines are remarkably smooth at idle. If they shake unnaturally sometimes idle speed is too low or the AC compressor is engaged dragging down idle speed somewhat BUT all these functions are now controlled by the engine management computer and it should keep idle RPM stable.

mamamia2

Here is more about the 4 cyl. engine rattle/vibration:

For a while now I've noticed that when my 2.4 engine is warm, at the end of a drive, when I slowly back up into my garage, in idle speed (just above 750 rpm, gas pedal is NOT touched) -- there is a SUBTLE RATTLING noise/vibration coming from the engine.

It's even more pronounced when I press on the brake pedal -- which causes the RPM to go down a bit, to just under 750.

And it goes away when I move the lever out of gear to Neutral or to Park.

It is mostly heard/felt in Reverse, but also, sometimes when in Drive, again, at very low RPM and the brake pedal pressed.

Is this the kind of rattle discussed here? Is this normal to this (or ANY) 4 cyl. engine?

targettuning

If I read the post correctly you are moving the car at idle speeds..."gas pedal NOT touched". Normally one would feed a small amount of throttle to do something like this (move the vehicle) so it may be that forcing the engine to do the work of moving the car at idle speed with the throttle closed is not something it is happy doing. When you move the transmission out of gear and take the load off the engine it returns to a "no load" idle speed/condition and just,well,idles. If I had to guess I would say normal and just feed it some gas when moving into/out of your garage.

mamamia2

If the car is on a leveled surface, it WOULD move even without touching the gas pedal... Manouvering into my garage, I let go of the gas pedal, and the car would still move...

But, again, the rattle/vibration is actually MORE pronounced when I apply the brake and bring the car to a stop (still in Reverse gear).... That's what makes it a "mystery"...

black_tulip

Maybe, but why does his preference lie in another direction?
There is no accounting for taste. I already gave you an example: he sells SUVs but likes sport coupes. That does not make the SUV a bad vehicle.

Well thats 23 MPG, may I ask what type of driving were you doing?

It was 95% highway averaging 65-72 mph.

snakeweasel

There is no accounting for taste.

Its not about taste, its about showing confidence in the product you're selling.

It was 95% highway averaging 65-72 mph.

Yeah maybe you should have gotten more, especially if it was an I4.

w9cw

As you explain it, you have it either in Drive or Reverse with your foot on the brake - correct. In this instance, the engine is under load as the transmission is in gear, and you have your foot on the brake which reduces the engine idle speed.

There could be quite a number of possibilities for a subtle metallic rattle. The one I would certainly suspect is the exhaust system, specifically the catalytic converter heat shield, an loose exhaust hanger, or even a loose baffle in the muffler or mufflers. I've had this exact thing happen a number of times, and it's always related to the exhaust system, most typically the catalytic converter heat shield.

At low RPMs under load, the engine runs a bit rougher than normal, and there is quite a bit of vibration and movement in the exhaust system.

I don't think your noise is emanating from the engine or transaxle.

If you want vibration and noise, I will let you drive my 1964 Triumph TR4 with the old Vanguard Ferguson "tractor engine" wet-sleeve long-stroke Inline-4 cylinder with only 3 main bearings. Vibration . . . it's enough to rattle fillings out of your teeth at idle under load.

mamamia2

On an I4 you should be getting at LEAST 30 mpg on the highway. I am getting almost 34 mpg on pure highway driving, at least according to my trip tech (which is found out to be pretty accurate).

mamamia2

Thanks, W9CW. I wrote all your options to discuss with and give some ideas to the service manager later this week.

And NO, I do not wish to rattle any fillings out of my teeth, please. I HATE DENTISTS. I really really do.

kwonc71

Only problem is not all gas station's gas tank is in a same condition. Just like my in-law just who bought a gas station in Seattle. The gas station he looked at first had crack at the bottom of tank,the inspection confirmed. He had to give up on that one even though he like the location of it so much.

Depends on a tank, the same good gas could be contaminated and became a bad gas too.

snakeweasel

Depends on a tank, the same good gas could be contaminated and became a bad gas too.

I mentioned that earlier. One time my mom filled her brand new Chevy with almost 100% pure water because the gas station tank had a leak and filled with ground water. The station, which had repair facilities, offered to fix it for free but since it only had a few thousand miles on it she had the dealer do it and sent them the bill.

mackabee

Wow! I didn't think me asking about a Hyundai would turn into such a "heated" exchange because I sell Toyotas. Let me reiterate, I do drive Toyotas, and there are also Hondas, Acuras, and there have been Nissans in our household. Does that make me a "bad" Toyota salesperson? I don't think so. On the contrary, I have experience on other competing makes that makes me more knowledgeable when comparing my products to the competition. I have been asked plenty of times on test drives what kind of car I drive and it didn't sway my customers one way or the other. I'll be passing on the Sonata anyways as the gentlemen that traded it in is buying it back for his son. That new FJ Cruiser is shure looking good though! Thanks for all the replies.
Mackabee
:shades:

averigejoe

Targettuning,
This claim you made, that V- type engines have sort of a natural counterbalance within that mostly cancels out vibration but inline engines seem to have a tougher time of it, is NOT true.
Nope. Not true.
V motors are not inherently smoother than inline motors. In fact, all other things equal, the inline engines are simply smoother.
Discounting complicated electronics and counterbalance shafts and counter rotating weights in some motors, it is the number of cylinders, weights of moving parts, direction of reciprocating masses, the firing order and the number of degrees of rotation separating the power impulses during the engine's operation that dictates the natural smoothness of a motor.
Four cylinder motors, either V or I style, are not naturally smooth running and need multiple fixes built into them to smooth them out. But a properly designed inline-6 cylinder engine is inherently smoother than a V-6 motor with similar technology, displacement and power. Obviously, there are more power impulses per crankshaft revolution in a 6 cylinder motor than in a four. That alone is one reason for a six being smoother than a four. But, in an inline six, the power impulses are also evenly spaced around the crankshaft rotation. In a four they are not. In an inline-6 motor, rather than a VEE, in addition to the reciprocating mass being all in the same plane, promoting smoothness, the firing impulses are also evenly spaced in degrees and time as the crankshaft rotates. An inline cylinder arrangement is more conducive to smoothness than a V motor which has pistons and rods flailing about in a V angle. Neither a four or eight, inline or VEE, nor even a V-6, offers the same smoothness factors combination as the inline six. Of course, trade-offs other than natural smoothness have influenced most manufacturers to favor V-6 motors over inline 6's nowadays.
Opposed cylinder motors (180 degrees) are also smoother than V motors for some of the same reasons.
Compare the smoothness of the old two cylinder horizontally opposed BMW and Marusho motorcycle engines to any of their competion's V twin motors. Harley Davidson, Indian, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, etc, all had vibration much worse than the boxer (opposed) motors.
A minor point really, but maybe interesting to some.

That said, the Sonata and Azera V-6 motors are very smooth.

scoti1

That was what I was told when I had the rotten egg smell on my Toyota Sequoia. Toyota first said it was bad gas but eventually came out with a TSB that replaced the catalytic converter. This corrected my problem even though I did not change gas. My other vehicles do not have this problem and also use the same gas.

joedirt

I have to laugh at anyone bragging about Toyota quality. I have more friends that have had problems with Toyotas than any other car make, period. Does anyone remember the engine sludge issue with the Toyota V6s? Yeah, it was huge, affected a massive amount of new Toyotas, and Toyota disrespected their customers by trying to blame them for not changing their oil or somme other such nonsense. It took several lawsuits by state attorneys' general to get Toyota to honor their warranty. I will never, ever, ever buy a Toyota as long as I live.

bobad

I will never, ever, ever buy a Toyota as long as I live.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Why shoot yourself in the foot? Right now, I have an 06 Sonata, and the quality is great. The bang for the buck is unbeatable. But nothing... not Hyundai, Honda, Nissan, have better quality than Toyota. Yes, they screwed up on that sludge problem, but it will make them better. Hyundai is cleaning their clock with the excellent Sonata for $5000 less, but they'll come back with an answer for it. No manufacturer, not even Toyota, is immune to problems and an occasional bad decision. If you rule out Toyota, you're only hurting yourself.

targettuning

Wow...OK I defer.

llamania

So far: 1150 miles.
local: 24 MPG
highway: 40 MPG at 55-60 mph.
35 MPG at 65 mph.

pretty impressive.

johnap2

I have noticed the rotten egg smell in my Sonata on many occasions. I just recently put two and two together that everytime I notice that horrible smell my significant other is in the passenger seat. Hmmmmmm.....

llamania

I don't if this will help, but I had the same problem with my then brandnew Elantra a year ago. The smell mostly comes out when I park the car and get out of it. It's from the tailpipe. The sulpher contaminant also hurts the engine so engine knocking started to show up later. I have since used 91 octane gas for quite a while. and now it's completely gone.

mamamia2

Are those numbers based on your trip-tech (and if so, at what point do you reset your trip-tech?), or are they gallon divided ny miles calculations?

ace35

just wanted to post in regards to a 06 Sonata GLS V6 that i rented last weekend for a business trip. I was very impressed to say the least with the quality of this vehicle, nice clean design with excellent paint quality and panel gaps were minimal. The V6 impressed the most with its smooth as glass idle quality and excellent punch around town and highway. This car easily cruised the highway at extra legal speeds effortlessly, while being as quiet as anything ive driven in a while. (Being a lexus owner i know a quiet vehicle)the only gripes i can think of is the cheap feeling material on the cloth seats (i know leather can be had on the LX, which would solve this issue) i also thought a glaring ommission was with the radio controls on the sterring wheel, there is no button to skip through tracks on a cd, the appearance of the center stack left a little to be desired, they should adopt the look of the azera which would solve this issue. otherwise excellent vehicle then when when you factor in the price, this is an unbeatable value in my book. Will probably consider this vehicle when ready to get new vehcile.

mamamia2

You pretty much hit the nail on the head, ace35. Your comment about the radio buttons on the steering wheel is what so many here have been complaining about... I'm sure the next Sonata ('07?) would correct this little mistake.

Then we'd have one PERFECT car named Hyundai Sonata.

llamania

based on trip computer.
It's on a 60 miles trip, all on highway.
I reset it on the highway.

lserve

As far as '07 goes any idea if they will add folding mirrors? For any city drivers, they are practically essential.

mackabee

I don't think the exclusion of some features on the steering wheel audio controls would keep many from buying this car. It was an oversight though. Excellent car for the money.
Mackabee

djdublm

I work for a Leading company in manufacturing of Fuel dispensers for gas stations point of sale equipment, and we also have a department that makes the underground tank monitors and they do the monitoring of the underground tanks and lines for gas stations. Just an FYI There is almost always some water in underground tanks, water is heavier than gas so it sits on the bottom and the pump that pumps the fuel out of the tank sits serveral inches off the bottom of the tank. There is an alarm set to go off when they have usually about 1/2 inch of water in the tank at 2 inches it will shut the tank pump down and will not let it fuel and if monitored it will automatically call in to our helpdesk and show the alarm, we intern dispatch a technician out to pump the water out of the tank. Bad thing is allot of mom and pop type operations dont have a monitoring system and there not monitored by a place like where i work. Water in fuel tanks can come from a leak or from condensation from when they get a fuel delivery, due to the tanks being underground there cold and then you drop a load of fuel thats been in a tanker it could be a couple of degrees warmer, thus sudden temperature change in the underground tank causes condensation, this of course would take a really long time to build up this way. Another thing that happens is the bottom a fuel tank gets sludge in it, Diesel is way worse than unleaded fuel though, and when they get a load of fuel it can stir up that sludge and it can get sucked up by the pump but the filters in the dispensers are designed to catch that. So even though we may want to protest against the large oil companies beause of fuel prices, they are the ones that are monitored for such issues..

ace35

Well im sure it wont keep most from buying the car, but when you have a vehicle with audio controls on the sterring wheel, i think the purpose of this feature is to assist you with keeping your eyes on the road. So for the exclusion of such an important feature of the audio controls is not good. Every other button is there for the audio execpt the button to switch tracks. Im sure hyundai will address this issue on the 07. Otherwise excellent vehicle.

cumptrnrd

I've had my LX since late August of '05. I don't remember if I had this problem ever since I've had the car, but now the passenger seatbelt warning light sometimes flashes, whether there is a passenger in the car or not. Sometimes it works perfectly (flashes when a passenger is in the car without a seatbelt; off when passenger has seatbelt fastened; off when no passenger), but other times it will just flash forever when there is no passenger. It's really annoying during long night drives. It's weird because the passenger airbag detection system seems to be working okay. I would think the sensors for the two systems would be the same, or at least related. I took it to the shop and they replaced the BCM (body control module), but the only difference is that the light doesn't flash when the car is at a stop (there was a TSB to reprogram the system this way). Anybody else having or hear of this problem?

I highly doubt anyone has even heard of anything like this happening, but I drove from St. Louis to Chicago last Thursday afternoon and I did not hear ANYTHING hit my car. Friday morning, there is a 6 crack starting from the right 1/4 of the windshield. Saturday morning, the crack got bigger and now is past half of the windshield. I didn't park under any trees and there wasn't any extreme weather... Think I can get it taken care of as a warranty repair?

snakeweasel

I highly doubt anyone has even heard of anything like this happening...

It sounds like you might have a stress crack happening. Does there appear to be an impact point? or is it starting at the edge of the windshield?

It could also be that something did hit and for whatever reason you didn't notice it at the time. It is possible that being on the right side something hit and you just didn't notice it.

As for getting it repaired as a warranty repair, I would doubt it but you can always ask, the worst thing is that they say no. If you have to pay for it yourself contact your insurance agent, many times they have deals with repair places where you can get a discount with the repair.

idvkn

{they are the ones that are monitored for such issues..}
all do respect they have to monitor these tanks, if not it will not only become a health factor but a safety factor too meaning lawsuit. and then they will loose more money than spending thousands a year maintaining these tanks.

2zmax

whatever you do, make sure that your insurance has the comprehensive coverage, it is usually $100, do you’ll have to pay that either way. Second, don’t go to Cindy R, because they employ [non-permissible content removed] that mess your car up.
Last time I went to get my windshield replaced , they forgot to connect the washer lines back together, and I almost flooded the engine with the washer, while driving on hwy.
Third, make sure that you get it on the hwy and listen carefully to the wind noise, sometimes they don’t install the windshield correctly, and it makes more noise as a result.

Good luck

growwise

A friend of mine is thinking of buying a new Sonata. I was asked to do some research on potential issues/ known problems to watch out for. Also, how's the resale value? My impression from the testdrive with my friend is that this car has come a long way but still there appears to be some sort of confidence issue with the korean make due to its past. Any input would be strongly appreciated. He narrowed down the purchase between a used camry v6 xle with 28k mi and brand new sonata 4 cyl. Which is a good choice? Downside to camry xle v6 is the used car financing. Sonata is being offered at 0% brand new.

backy

Really either would be a good choice. Which does your friend like driving more? The Camry XLE V6 will offer more luxury and performance than the I4 Sonata, albeit with lower mpg. If the Camry can be had with an extended warranty, for the same price as the Sonata, that is a good buy. Is this a Sonata GLS I4 with the moonroof/power seat package, or a base GL? Makes a big difference in driving enjoyment. Given the big discounts on the V6 Sonatas now, I am surprised your friend can't find a V6 for the same price as the Camry.

cumptrnrd

The crack does start at the edge of the windshield. I was also thinking it might be something like that because the crack got bigger by itself overnight!

If it is a stress crack, why would that be my fault? Shouldn't that be covered under the bumper-to-bumper?

ray_h1

"...Toyota first said it was bad gas but eventually came out with a TSB that replaced the catalytic converter. This corrected my problem even though I did not change gas..."

Ok, scoti1, are you implying that the catalytic converter caused the rotten egg odor? :confuse: I don't doubt that Toyota let slip a few bad catalytic converters that had to be replaced under warranty - and you can bet your last farthing that Toyota's supplier(s) heard about it pronto, too. ("Stuff" happens, and it's entirely possible that the only link between your defective converter and the in-cabin odor was a defective seam in the outer case that allowed the hydrogen sulfide gas to collect around the car and enter the cabin while stopped at idle through the fresh air ventilation system rather than totally exit through the tail pipe for following motorists to "enjoy") But, hydrogen sulfide requires sulfur to form. Catalytic converters don't have any. The only avenue providing sulfur to the combustion cycle is fuel. (unless you live near an active volcanic vent or on planet Venus with its sulfuric acid atmosphere...) By the time you fueled up again at your usual station, the underground tanks probably had been re-filled with decent gasoline - glad you got your problem solved.

snakeweasel

If it is a stress crack then I would talk to the dealer about a warranty repair. Just remember that if it doesn't start at the edge (not near the edge but at the edge) or if there is an impact mark its not a stress crack and won't be under warranty.

jimstrenk

"I highly doubt anyone has even heard of anything like this happening"

Not only have I heard about this, but I've seen it with my own eyes!

While waiting at the drive-in teller to make a deposit Winter '04, I noticed a little line on the windshield of my 1990 Toyota Corolla. At first, I couldn't figure quite out what I was seeing. After looking closely for a few minutes, it dawned on me what I was seeing. Without any explanation, a small 1/4 inch crack had developed. Watching carefully, the crack increased in length, right in front of my eyes! Fortunately, the crack was growing horizontally, rather than vertically. Be the time I had finished with the bank and made my 33 mile trek to work, the 1/4 crack had grown to span half the windshield. Within a matter of days, the crack made its way across the entire bottom portion of the windshield, close to metal trim. :sick:

I would certainly be asking the dealership if in fact the windshield is covered. I would imagine it is.

Good luck with the windshield! I hope it is a warranty item.

kwonc71

Just want to make sure you don't put anything on passenger seat while you driving. I have seen my MDX and 06 Sedona seatbelt light comes on when I leave my back pack on passenger side seat.

backy

A cold-weather crack like that happened to my mom's nearly-new '76 Volare once. The dealer replaced the windshield, no questions asked. Nowadays, I carry zero-deductible glass coverage (not very expensive) so I don't have to worry about problems like that.

mrdisco33

Resale value - unknown as its a new model, however i'm pretty sure it will be lower then the Camrys of the world. Toyota hasa the name brand and the quality to stand behind which Hyundai is only now trying to build up.

It's a slightly unfair comparison between the XLE (I assume its the '06 model) and the 4cyc Sonata. The options on the XLE are greater. The 4 will give you better mileage though. which one has the cheaper montly payments?

jaxs1

That is meaningless. They will never actually give you trade-in value of more they sell a new one for.
More likely 2 or 3 grand less than the lowest after-rebate price of a new one, so they have room to resell at a profit.
Worry about resale value after you have it 3 or 4 years.

jaxs1

If Nav existed on the Sonata, this is how it would look:



Maybe 2007 with XM.
Hyundai should think about making their cars with AUX input also.

backy

Nav does exist on the Sonata, as your picture proves--just not here yet.

The nav system makes the dash design seem much sharper, more upscale. I never noticed before now that the insert in the upper center dash is a mirror image in shape of the surround for the HVAC controls. That is a nice design touch, very symmetrical. Maybe if Hyundai tied those two components together better visually it would make the dash really stand out.