Hyundai Azera Front End Problems

pahefner01

Great information Jim. I don't have the "clunk" but I know those that do will appreciate your efforts and information.

jim101

Hello,
Shame on me, to tighten the lower front strut bolt requires that the strut be compressed not extended. The strut needs to bottom out (be seated). This can be done on an alignment lift or at home. Turn the wheels far left or right, whichever works best for you, while the car is sitting on the ground. Loosen the bottom strut bolt, not all the way. The strut should 'seat' itself, re tighten. You can also drive onto floor ramp-stands if you have them.

jim101

Grayfox, most interesting. Typically 'cold' would cause the rubber to shrink increasing its durometer hardness and fitting more securely around the body mount bolt, reduced x-y-z movement. Heat would allow the rubber to relax reducing the durometer hardness and increasing x-y-z movement of the part.
The latter would allow for more noise if the part was not secured, tightened more.
Jim101

filbrooks

Gentlemen, It is time to look outside the box. I have spent the last six months looking for the clunk all over the front suspension. I even expanded the search to the engine compartment. I also took the right front strut assembly apart for a close inspection. I tightened to specification every bolt and nut from the front suspension. After all of this I still have the CLUNK. So, I decided to search other forums for answers to the right front suspension clunk. One of the forums mentioned the HOOD adjustment. I have nothing to loose so I decided to fallow that lead. As I was pushing down on the hood a click came from the right corner of the hood. I pushed down on the left side and no click. A closer inspection of both hinges, (left and right) revealed an indentation on the rubber bumper or seal that goes across the cowl on the left side, none on the right side. I adjusted the “L” shape from the right hinge (bending it) so it will put pressure against the rubber bumper/seal. I used a shop towel and an adjustable wrench. I also adjusted the hood height over slam bumpers (four) and the hood latch. Amazing results, THE CLUNK AS A CLUNK IS GONE. Now my focus is on the six sub-frames bushings. I want to silence the suspension as much as possible. More to fallow.

jmjk

I have the same symptoms you have described. I live in Houston and when it was cold the clunk did not seem to be quite as pronounced. Now that the weather has gotten warmer it as prevalent as ever. Additionally, I can, from time to time, feel it in the floor of the car. I actually posted that I felt the clunk in the bottom of the car a few hundred posts ago.

I am tired of dealing with it.

jmjk

filbrooks:

RE:355

I can only spot 2 slam bumpers out of the four you mentioned. The 2 that I have located are on each side of the hood latch - I couldn't miss them. Would kindly explain to me where the other 2 are? And how did you adjuste the hood latch?

Thanks,

JMJK

filbrooks

JMJK;

You have one bumper on each corner of the hood and if you look to at the top left or right corner of the front grill between the top of the headlight and the grill you will find the other two. You may want to adjust the bumpers first.

filbrooks

JMJK,

I hope this link will give you a more clear picture.

Filbrooks
Hood Rubber Bumpers Photo

jmjk

Filbrooks:

RE: 359

I found them, thanks. One more question. You said in your post that you adjusted the slam bumpers and the hood latch. Did you have to remove anything to get at the hood latch?

Thanks,

JMJK

filbrooks

JMJK;

You don't need to remove anything. You may need a 1/4 inch drive metric ratchet set with a 8 to 12 inch extension. The socket is a 12MM. You can reach the 3 bolts through the front grill. The adjustment is for a fine tune, this means that the latch won't move much. After adjusting the bumpers press down the front of the hood and if you have excessive play then adjust the latch. Good lock.

Filbrooks

newguy6

I have had my Azera since Sept. of '06 and it still has the "clunk". I have taken it to Two different dealers, tried the "home remedies" in these postings, called Hyundie twice and have had no improvement. The last service advisor said he could not hear it and any noise I think I heard was normal. I have driven new cars every three or four years since 1971 (both mine and my wifes as well as work cars) and I can tell you if this noise is normal,the Azera is junk. I do not think it is junk, I think they have a problem that needs to be taken care of.
As you can tell I am frustrated. We , with the clunk, need to all keep on Hyundai's case until this problem is resolved.

filbrooks

I feel the same way as you. I am so frustrated with Hyundai as a company that I avoid taking my car for service to the dealer. I can tell you that the hood adjustment took the clunk as a clunk. Now the noise sound's like it is coming from the subframe bushings. It feels like if the entire front end is coming apart. Now I am concentrating on that area and I am working the solution. I strongly believe that there is a gap between the subframe bushings and the body.

chilliwack

I'm done tilting at windmills...now I just turn up the stereo.

newguy6

I think you may be right. Why do we as owners have to figure out the problem and try to fix it ourselves? I am not sure that "the best warranty in america" is all it's cracked up to be.
Other than the "clunk" the ride is great. I rode in an '06 Accord yesterday and there was no comparison, the seats in the Azera, the overall comfort, and solidness of the ride was far superior to the Honda. Now if we could just get rid of the clunk I think we'd one of the best cars on the road.

floridabob1

RE: 365
Have you tried any of the "fixes" reported on these forums?

jim101

Hey newguy6,

Great question, answer is because we can.

It appears the factory engineers 'may or may not' be working the concern. My bet is 'may not'.

Dealers only work HMC distributed concerns, repairs, fixes because they will not get paid for 'search and find' possible warranty issues.

Therefore, because we can, and because some of us our mechanics, engineers or mechanically talented and enjoy the quest to resolve an issue.

Sometimes it is better to make adjustments vs. waiting for the 'system' to follow through.

This 'clunk' seems to be within a certain built date range.

Again, thanks for asking, hope this helps.

sda

Just test drove a Limited build 5/24/06. Very impressed, not a squeak, quiet, smooth. But every time I hit a recessed manhole cover or similar bump such as a pot hole with the right front tire, it sounded like the wheel did a double bounce. It didn't sound loose, but sounded like a quick thud, thud. Is this the infamous clunk? Perhaps the soft spring and strut calibration are to blame?

theblackhole

Yep! That's the clunk sound I get on small road imperfections under 40mph. 2006 SE Premium 1/06 build date.

There have been a few really good suggestions here and on other forums detailing what to look for. As the weather continues to warm up in NY, I'll tighten struts and other bushings and hopefully be in a position to share what fix worked for me & help others out too.

While annoying for sure, the Azera is still a great value, and has been reported to have lesss problems than many of ot's [non-permissible content removed] an US competition.

Good Luck with whatever you purchase.

altazera

re 256

Your "cure" reminds me of a 76 Dodge Ramcharger that I once used for work. The rear door (hatch) rattled and drove me crazy. It continued to get worse until one day the rattle magically disappeared! Unfortunately the chief engineer, who was following me, wasn't so impressed with the cure! It took out his front end!

I am still hoping the clunk in the front right suspension "heals" on my 2006 Azera limited. by the way it was manufactured in Feb 06. seems to be a problem with the early productions.

I also had a major problem with tire flatspots. michelin is supposed to be shipping me new tires at no cost.

altazera

It would sure take some stereo to cover up the sound of my clunker!!! Perhaps 20,000 watts at full volume.

dncb

I have a 2007 Limited (build date Aug 2006) and have the "clunk." What's worse is that the dealer says he cannot hear it and Hyundai says no one has reported similar problems. :mad: After reading these forums and seeing that it is a widely reported problem I have to ask myself whether Hyundai is really that badly informed or it is just the old "deny and see it we will go away" approach. Thanks for those of you searching out the solutions.
Any other 2007 owners with the clunk??

dncb

I might also add since this is a forum for Azera's that I am having this clunking problem with my 2007 Sonata Limited not an Azera. Does anyone know if the suspensions are the same design?

gamleged

"I have a 2007 Limited (build date Aug 2006) and have the "clunk."... Any other 2007 owners with the clunk??"

Looking back at the 2006 "clunk" and at a couple of posters who have corrected it themselves, it's beginning to look like the primary cause is insufficiently torqued strut hardware which allows a little too much movement and permits the suspension to juuuust contact the body (producing a "clunk") under certain conditions.

If so, and as the 2007 suspension probably hasn't changed, the occasional "clunk" may still come out of the factory...

dncb

"it's beginning to look like the primary cause is insufficiently torqued strut hardware"

Thanks for the tip. I looked at the posts for the Azera including the photos of the lower control arm and got under my Sonata to look at it today. I do not see any visible space in mine. I, then, looked at the top strut mount bolts and saw no obvious loosening indicated by paint lines still lining up. I did not re-torque them, however.
I did suspect the struts from the beginning, however, since the problem only happens on certain kinds of bumps (actually more related to abrupt waves in the otherwise smooth road surface. The combination of two waves produces the most repeatable result.) which cause the strut to extend first rather than compress, although it will do it also with a compression followed by a quick extension. Perhaps it is just easier to hear when there is no pothole connected to the actuation thus eliminating the combination of tire noise with mechanical noise. It is funny, however, that on a dirt road with washboard which actuated everything repeatedly I heard nothing but normal sounds.
I'll re-torque the strut mounts tomorrow and see what happens. Thanks for the input.

jim101

DNCB,

Because the inspectors paint mark is aligned does not mean that the nuts are tight. Mine all turned from 1/4 to 1/2 more.
The bottom of the strut seems to be the area of concern. I'm confident that the lower nut will tighten from 1/2 to 3/4 turn or more, then the noise should be gone, bye-bye and hostalvisa baby (SP).

Go for it...

pat

Since this discussion is s'posed to be about the suspension problems, let's continue talking about tires here: 54gradsteds, "Hyundai Azera Tires and Wheels" #26, 6 Apr 2007 12:32 pm.

jim101

Hey folks,

Seems the 'clunk' issues have abated quite a bit. Makes one think we eliminated many clunks in many Azeras and still have a few with a clunk.

Next time the car is on the hoist ask the mechanic to tighten the body mount bolts. Tell him/her that they may move from 1/4 to 1/2 turn or more.

Good luck

altazera

mine isn't fixed yet. I have it parked until I have a chance to work on it...and to avoid the worst of the spring potholes. Rattles drive me nuts!

chilliwack

While inspecting the front right suspension assembly for the umpteenth time, I finally located the source of the "Dreaded Klunk". If you take a flashlight and shine it up behind the wheel and at the top of the strut assembly, and look closely, you can see a little gremlin up in there with a small, looks to be a single-jack or small sledgehammer. I tried to spray it with raid, but he scampered into the engine compartment. Now my engine knocks as well. :sick:

floridabob1

Try adding the Raid to the fuel.

gamleged

There was a rumor floating around that Hyundai had bought up all the warehoused AMC Gremlin parts for some reason... :shades:

altazera

Geez, my gremlin must love road salt, road spray, ice and snow! tough little devils!

I am a licenced exterminator... so watch out...

I wonder if sand blasting would work?

pat

got me ROFL here!! :P

drdonrs

Solution folks! Wear ear plugs and or drive only on smooth interstate highways. By the way some of us older folk whose hearing "ain't what it used to be" don't find anything objectionable with the ride. The car is awesome so enjoy it and then consider trading up to the "Genesis" when it comes to market. Do you hear anything :confuse:
Don

altazera

I finally found an adapter and checked the factory torque on the top (centre) nut on the FR strut. It was only 12.5 lb-ft! And the nut had not moved as the paint lines were still in line. I cranked the nut just under 1/2 turn and well over the recommended 14.5-18.1. It removed most of the suspension rattle. Now I only hear the noise on very severe bumps and even then it is bearable. Next opportunity I will be working over all of the suspension nuts and bolts, and I'll report back the results to this forum and to my Hyundai dealers.

If anyone on this forum has access to Hyundai engineering, please pass the info along so they can fix or re-calibrate the robot on the Korean assembly line. Or at least include the special torque adapter with each car

dborth

I'd be concerned about warranty nullification if an authorized dealer did not perform what you describe above.

altazera

Hyundai won't do anything about it, and I can't stand rattles!

Can you recommend a qualified and "competent" dealer within a thousand miles of my location in Newfoundland?

Warrantees are a joke!

dborth

Re 405: I can understand your frustration. Mine has a noisy suspension, but I have learned to "accept it". My service department experiences too have been a joke. The CA dealer I leased from last October recently closed having lost the line, and my closest dealer now is Lincoln/Mercury, and these clowns don't know an Azera from a Tiburon. Their warranty in my judgement is a strong selling feature at the point of purchase, but useless if the service department personnel aren't trained in product service & repair.

altazera

I realized that after I drove my car without my mechanic in the passenger seat, more of the noise came back

I wonder if it would be cheaper to keep him in the passenger seat or under the car? :confuse:

Well at least we have a barter system. no taxes for Rome!

jim101

(dealer or mechanic) the paint lines on your nuts don't line up?

(reply) I'm not a mechanic, can you show me what you mean?

(after seeing) So what does this mean, I don't understand?

Bottom line, how would you know how it came from the factory. Did the dealer inspect during set-up, I don't think so.

Dont forget to tighten the nut on the bottom of the strut, it does not have a paint line???

jaymagic

I think its important for any paint line on my nuts to match up.

jim101

Let me get a grasp on this :confuse:

Paint lines straight = clunk :sick:

Paint lines not lined up = no clunk

Paint lines, no impact on anything if not aligned from nut to thread

The choice is yours, good day

arbee88

Just a revelation to share with you. I was in a late model Toyota Camry and a Chevy Impala (2007) where there seemed to be less suspension noise than my car, a 2006 Azera (May 2006 build). But as I rode in both cars, I realized while they were quiet, the cab was no where near as quiet as the Azera. Carefully listening, I also realized that there were in fact many of the same suspension noises that the Azera makes. They were less noticeable due to the slightly noisier cabins.

The Azera is so quiet, every noise is magnified as there is nothing but the radio and conversation to hear other than the suspension feedback.

If you want to quiet it more, I suppose regular profile, like a 70 series may be more pliable and take up some of the feedback from the road. Over inflating or inflating tires to its maximum will also cause more noise.

Enjoy the serenity!

dborth

"If you want to quiet it more, I suppose regular profile, like a 70 series"

Sure, if you want a 70's Town Car / Fleetwood swailer. Then maybe Hyundai will put foot rests for the ladies in the rear compartment to compliment the opera and coach windows.

gamleged

"Sure, if you want a 70's Town Car / Fleetwood swailer. Then maybe Hyundai will put foot rests for the ladies in the rear compartment to compliment the opera and coach windows."

Add a couple of bud-vases and you're there!...

pat

All the Azera front end problems are solved?

altazera

not mine.

grayfox

Not mine. Many things tightened and two trips to the dealer. No change.

jack_sprat

Has anyone bought a 2007 model and had the clunk problem ? I want to make sure its been fixed in the new cars.

roadkingtc88

Not mine. Still need to jack it up & try some things. Bolts have all been tightened, but no change. May try to add a few wahsers.