Hyundai Santa Fe 2007+

drwoodr

What I can't figure out is why I keep seeing the Santa Fe stuck into the small SUV segment. It's bigger than the Toyota Highlander (same length, but wider), and Edmunds has it listed as a midsize SUV. But I agree, no surprise here with the award.

mpuzach

When my Santa Fe's engine is full cold (such as after sitting overnight) and I start it, it runs at around 1500 r.p.m. After a minute or so it slows down to around 1200 r.p.m. but even this seems quite fast for shifting the transmission from Park to Drive. I've got to believe that putting the car in gear at such a high engine speed puts a lot of strain on the power train.

BTW, once up to full operating temperature my engine idles at somewhere between 500 and 750 r.p.m., a range within I know it's fine to shift from Park to Drive. I've never sat at idle long enough to time how long it takes to drop from 1200 to 750 r.p.m. but I'm sure it would be at least a few minutes, much longer than it makes sense to do on a regular basis.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

- Mike

jcwsbltd

I had a similar problem on my previous vehicle - it turned out to be a dirty (oxygen? fuel?) sensor that increased idle speed. It certainly doesn't sound right to me - my S.F. starts out idling at approx 850 rpm and then settles to 600 rpm with air condotioning on, which is right where it should be.

As it'sJune already, it should be warm enough that the auto choke isn't on for any length of time. I'd definitely take it to the dealer service dept. and get it checked as the S.F. has an electronic drive-by-wire throttle (not an old fashioned cable sytem). Something isn't being measured right, or the setting is too high.

regan63

What is the drop/rise on the hitch connector you're using to tow your popup? I just installed a factory hitch yesterday with plug/play wiring harness and was suprised at how low the hitch was. I'm assuming that I'll need to use the connector in the "rise" position in order to tow the trailer lever. The hitch came with a 2" drop/3/4" rise connector but I don't think 3/4" will bring it high enough.

mpuzach

I visited the dealer earlier today and spoke with one of their Hyundai "master mechanics" about my Santa Fe's idle speed when cold. He was very familiar with the phenomenon and said that it's entirely normal. He went on to say that there's no need to let the idle settle all the way down to that of normal operating temperature (approx. 650 r.p.m.) before shifting into drive. The sales manager and I then checked another new Santa Fe 3.3 liter on the lot that had not been started today and it did the same thing - idled at around 1250 r.p.m. for a couple of minutes before gradually slowing to around 1000 r.p.m.

Of course, this begs the question, "If this is normal, then why does jcwsbltd's Santa Fe idle at 850 r.p.m. when cold?" I have no idea. jcwsbltd, is yours a 2007 3.3 liter?

gizzer777

My 2007 SF w/ the 3.3 engine also idles at about 1200 rpm when it is first started this time of year. In winter, It starts off at about 1500 (choke engages I guess) and quickly comes down to about 1200. When it reaches normal temp it idles like yours.... Mine is a Nov 06 build. Note: there is NO jerk or even a hint of a jerk when going into drive at 1200.....

jcwsbltd

My abject apologies - I must not have read the original post correctly - what I meant to say was that my old vehicle would idle normally and for no apparent reason the idle speed would then run high to 1500 rpm and return to normal after a couple of minutes - it did turn out to be a dirty sensor.

I checked my S.F.'s cold idle speed and it is like everyone elses - 1200 rpm at first , but it does quickly go down to 650. It is a 3.3 Liter FWD Limited.

Sorry about the confusion.That'll teach me to read the posts more clearly. To err is Human - to forgive, Divine !!!

mpuzach

Thanks for the clarification, jcwsbltd. Approximately how long does it take for your engine to slow to 650 r.p.m. after a cold start?

- Mike

jcwsbltd

In the Phoenix summer, not too long to get to normal idling speed. Morning temps are starting around 84 deg or so - afternoon temps are 98-104 depending. I would estimate I'm up to normal engine temp. in less than 10 mins.

bellefant

Took my SF to the dealship b/c the check engine light came on for the second time. (I have now had the vehicle for 20 days) They ended up finding a wire loose that they fixed.

Asked them about the hook and they took it off for me without and questions. While I was there I checked out the other Sante Fes and they did not have this strange contraption! The guy looked into it and told me that it was on mine b/c it was assembled in Korea and the hook was used to lash it to the boat when it was shipped over, unlike the models that were assembled in the US. Sorry, but I didn't get a chance to take a pic, as I wasn't planning on taking it in when I did.

themoonman

I have been getting the run around on the "map light" issue for months. Would you please post any info you have so that I can help my dealer help me? Thanks!

lv2drv

Hi, today I turned off the SF, but forgot to put the windows up first. Due to a short term memory problem, I forgot I had turned it off and proceeded to raise the windows. The car was off and they still went up :surprise: !!! Is this common? I noticed the sun roof didn't close.

pelican19

On many vehicles including the Santa fe power to the windows and in some cases other devices are maintained for a short period of time as long as none of the doors are opened. Power is cut the moment any door is opened...

themoonman

Based on my dissatisfaction with the base radio in the Santa Fe Limited, I recently replaced it with the Pioneer AVIC-D3 through Tweeter. This is an in-dash navigation unit/satellite radio/DVD player unit. I also replaced the standard speakers in the doors. The unit (not including the speakers)cost about $1000 and installation was another $99. I am very happy with this system!

mpuzach

Since the unit has only one disc drive, what do you do if you want to listen to CDs while using navigation? Also, how closely can you match the Santa Fe's blue lighting in the AVIC? Finally, is it possible to use the steering wheel audio buttons with the AVIC? Thanks.

kdahlquist

You can still use the Nav while listening to a CD in the AVIC D3, but some functions are locked out. Essentially, the AVIC loads your current route info into memory and keeps it there, so it can continue to guide you without needing to access the Nav DVD. You can't modify the route, however, look for POI's, etc. I'm not sure on this, but I also think that auto rerouting turns off.

The AVIC is a very nice unit. It is high quality and has great menus that are clean and easy to use. The ones I've seen can be set to match the factory lighting perfectly.

Yes, you can use the steering wheel control buttons. It requires an adapter and additional installation time, however. I looked at an AVID D3 recently. The head unit was on sale for $900, with $100 for the basic install. Hooking up steering wheel controls cost another $250. On top of that, it was $35 for the iPod interface cable and $70 to install it. If you wanted the Bluetooth kit, that was another $250 installed. A backup camera added yet another $350 installed. Total price for what I wanted was $1950. I'll make due with the factory unit for now.

virgil2

I know that the dealers in USA (with the help of Barbara of Hyundai customer service)are replacing map lights for free. Anybody experienced it in Canada? Do the Hyundai customer service in Canada heared about this issue? Are the dealers in Canada replacing the map lights? Someone talked to a ''Canadian Barbara'' and what is her name? Phone number? Is there a TSB or a recall about it? Thank you to replying...

gizzer777

Hello Moonman
This for USA Autos....

I had posted this in the Maint section...the dealers know nada for the most part...here is the info

it is a warranty issue FREE...

Call 1 800 633 5151 ext 54204 (Barbara). She has been arranging for the fixes. Again FREE, paid for by Hyundaiusa!

Do not let any other rep tell you anything different either...Suggest you read all the comments in the forums from all the people getting weird stories from the reps EXCEPT barbara. The part Number for my kit (grey no sunroof is 00305-92800J4) different trims have different part numbers, so If you cannot reach barbara and a rep tries to BS you...ask her/him what that part number is....It may even be a TSB by now but you must secure a Claim # from Hyundaiusa (tel# number above) and they arrange for your dealer to get the stuff needed. (new map light, new dome light and harnnesses) In fact THEY will call your dealer and tell them what to order etc!!!

Good Luck...should be easy but I will bet they are backed up by now! Mine took 1 week...then others were reporting 2 weeks now...??

gizzer777

Here is a link to the story about the SF's safety award
http://www.cnn.com/2007/AUTOS/06/12/iihs_hyundai_santa_fe/index.html

drwoodr

Just had my map light fix installed today, it took a week to come in, then a week for me to schedule the appointment. Looks and works good, and my wife says the eyeglass holder works nicer than the old one (the replace the entire overhead console).

Part number for me was 00305-92800-J9SR (SE with beige interior and sunroof).

I was the second one my dealer did. Not sure how long mine took, but they had told be the first one they installed last week took 1-1/2 hours.

I also had the auto door locks enabled at the same time. I'm a happy Santa Fe owner!

jimsist

had my lamps fixed yesterday. took i to te dealer at 8.15.a.m had it backat 11.45. they gave me a loaner to drive but to my surprise the maps lights worked in it .i ask if it had been fixed she said no. i looked at the build date it was 12 18 06 no sunroof. mine was build date 12 06 06 withsunroof . so some are right and some are wrong but at least they are fixing them at no cost. now i had another probleam .the right ft seat at the back had something sharp stick9ing out from it. they had to order a seat bottom with wire the back brace is bent so check your seats. i have a 2007 gls with cloth seats.love my santa fe . :confuse:

roudy1

When I took my Santa Fe in for service on Jun 5th I asked the Service Manager about the map light. He didn't know anything about it but said he would check into it. After reading this thread, I was sure I wouldn't hear anything from him, or would get some story about parts being backordered. He called me today (Jun 15th) and said he had my map light; took them an hour and a half to install it--it was the first one they had done.

I've had the Santa Fe for about 5 months (14,000 miles) and have been very satisfied with the service I've gotten from Bob Hall Hyundai in Yakima, WA., mainly because the Service Manager is always cheerful and willing to answer my questions.

Part # for a grey interior with sunroof is 00305-92800-J4SR.

fillimerica

Just got off the phone with Towne Hyundai in NJ and they said that Hyundai is mailing a postcard to all affected owners in order to manage the repair. I will have to wait to receive my postcard before I can have the map lights fixed.

Dealership can not cut the line on behalf of customers.
What I was told.

ravenfan50

Did you have to do anything to get the Pioneer AVIC-DC to install properly? I took my 2007 (SE) to Circuit City and the sales guy told me ths unit would not fit. Seems the factory intalled radio has a slight slant on the edges. I did not want any gaps, so I decided not to purchase this. They also told me I would lose my steering wheel controls without "a part" (his words). He did not know where to get the part, but knew one existed.

Anyone else have an in-dash unit installed?

mpuzach

I know that others here have successfully added the Pioneer unit to their 2007 Santa Fes; hopefully, some of them will chime in for you. There is indeed a way to connect the steering wheel buttons and make them functional with the Pioneer unit though I believe it costs around $250 to do so. (If it was me, I'd definitely do it.)

lucky15

I just got off the phone with Hyundai, I orginally asked for Barbara but a fellow named Casey answered the phone, asked me what I needed and I explained the situation to him and he was aware of the problem and was able to set things up for me, he said they are on back order and I should be getting a call from my local dealer within two weeks, if not call him back, so if by chance you miss getting Barbara, ask for Casey, he is on top of it also. PS-have your VIN number with you when you make the call and he will also ask you if you have a sunroof, apparently that makes a difference, and tell him what color your interior is if he doesn`t ask. Casey`s extension number is 54327.

fal900

I have avic d3 installed with radio controls working fits perfect need metra dash kit and wire harness and pac radio controls I will give part #s tomorrow. Bought everything but wire harness on ebay. then have circuit city install they will not have dash kit or wire harness

jcwsbltd

When I first turn my engine on, their is a lag of at least 10 seconds after the engine is idling before the climate control fan kicks in and starts the A/C - does everyone elses' do that, too?

I also noticed on the Korean site that they show a Santa Fe with anti-pinch windows, by showing a yellow tennis ball stopping the window. Do we have that feature on the U.S. models too?

They also mention the Solar Control Glass on the windshield and front driver and passenger doors,for UV and Infra Red reduction for heat build-up, which I do remember being a standard feature, and I know we have those. But in the korean blurb, they again mention a standard feature of an underbody skid plate and self levelling suspension, but I don't reacall those as standard features in the U.S. Model.

Anybody know for sure?

mycgilligan

Just got my map lights fixed today. In and out in exactly one hour. They work perfectly! I have a 2007 Limited with gray leather interior and sunroof--built 1/10/07. I love my Santa Fe, too!!

chp

The d3 deck fits the 07 Santa Fe with no mods and no gaps. Looks factory.
The install kit is from metra online , trim kit 95-7325 , wire kit 71 - 7302. Price
is about $ 30 - $ 40 . The steering wheel kit is from PAC , model PAC SWI-PS. You can
find them on ebay. The only negative i have heard about this unit is the nav dvd has
to stay in the deck if you are using this mode , so it gets in the way when using the cd player as there is only one slot. I have a 60 gig ipod permanently installed in the car with
all my music so this never is a problem.

gllund

I've had mine on order for approx 6 weeks. I think the regional manager is holding it up. I have to give him a good reason to get the fix. The biggest problem is I live in Canada and there are sooooo slow on this fix. I know it's been done here but I've just got the run around so far. I love the Santa Fe but this is bugging me because I park in underground parking and is very dark down there. Gord

colklink

So the Santa just isn't quite the size we need for 3 car seats in the back seat, so we are looking to get a minivan. We got our Limited model back in September, so I realize we are likely to lose some on it.

There are no pricing figures on any of the sites (kbb, edmunds, or nada). :confuse: I'll probably try to sell myself to get a little more than trade in value.Has anyone experienced trading in, buying a used, or private party 07 yet?

Thanks.

somedai1

maybe check back with your dealer to see what they would give you on a trade for a veracruz or something - just to get them to give you a trade in price (baseline?)- then go after what you really want at other dealerships for your minivan - it's new so as long as the mileage isn't outrageous you might be able to get a good deal...

colklink

We went back to our dealer and I dealt with a different sales person than who we bought if from (probably mistake #1). Anyway they would not give us any up front information until we picked a vehicle we were interested in and they began working up a deal. That seemed pretty shady to me considering in the past I've had dealers appraise our trade in while we were test driving with no commitment or intent necessary.

We only have 9200 miles on it and got it last Sept. I'll probably end up trying to sell it myself. There are no 2007 SFs listed in a 75 mile radius from me so I could do alright if someone wants to get a SF with low miles for $3-4K less than at a dealer. In my area it is hard to find a Limited w/o XM and all the other bells and whistles.

flwonder

Where do you live?

colklink

Indianapolis area if you know of anyone interested. Still not sure how I will list it. Dealers within 75 - 100 miles are listing used FWD Limiteds in the $22K - $25K range.

2007 Santa Fe Limited FWD 3.3L
9300 miles
Steel Gray Ext / Black Leather Interior
Floor mats
Mud guards
Cargo area floor mat
Trailer hitch
Any offers???

gizzer777

My guess for a Front Wheel Drive LTD with under 10k on it, in excellent condition,Dealers are PROBABLY OFFERING THE POOR OWNER MAYBE $18K Just MHO...Maybe even less. You really take it in the shorts the 1st year, and a bit worse for a Hyundai. Think you should find another dealer just to check...lots of them do internet deals since they cut out the salesman's commission that way!

themoonman

Here in Baltimore, I have found the staff at Tweeter to have far more knowledge regarding car audio installation and system options than Best Buy or Circuit City. There is a unit (PAC-SW) that allows you to use the steering wheel audio controls. Regarding the comments on needing the DVD to stay in the single disc drive, the DVD is the database. When you set a destination, the information for a route is stored in an internal memory. You can then use the disc drive for CD's.

gizzer777

Problem there is my dogs love to eat DVD's and Cd's! :sick:
I am sticking with the Nuvi that has the entire country stored in non volatile RAM

gnanne

Hi, I installed my draw tite hitch easily, but am having trouble removing the rear threshold. I removed the screws in the storage compartment but I do not want to break anything and can't find how to get that threshold off? any suggestions?

cnod

Well it has happened. I have been afraid of getting a pair of sunglasses stuck in one of the holders in the ceiling of my 2007 Sante Fe Limited.

Does anyone have any ideas of solution for opening the stuck door of the rear (near the front windshield) glass holder compartment. Evidently the sunglasses were to large or shifted once the spring-latch door was closed. I dont want to force or break the hindges. Thanks :confuse:

gogrego

I just bought a new '07 CruiserRV FunFinder 189FBS travel trailer which weighs just under 3500# loaded up. My 07 Santa Fe Limited AWD w/ trailer pkg towed it beautifully. But, a must is electric trailer brakes, sway control and load leveler bars. This package makes it very stable even with high cross winds. My only complaint with the Santa Fe for towing is the mpg. 11.5 on the computer after 200 miles on mostly highway. Never went over 60mph. I really thought it would be better. The last time I towed a trailer was with a 78 Dodge Van with a 360V8 and it got 14!

gogrego

picture is at link below (I think)

http://www.carspace.com/gogrego

stever

Yep - and you can copy a bigger photo by using the Album at your CarSpace site - just follow the instructions for uploading photos from your computer to the Album you set up.

slateblue

Towing a trailer of that weight and size is puttting you seriously close or perhaps over the gvwr of the Santa Fe and I believe your expections of better gas mileage are unreasonable. You don't mention if you were pulling the same or equivalent trailer with the Dodge van.

ravenfan50

Thanks themoonman. I am in the Baltimore area (hence name of ravenfan...) I made an appointment with Tweeter. Very professional. They are ordering my system and should have it in by 7/7/07 (Lucky sevens).

lcdos

I have driven the new SantaFe for 3 weeks and found something interesting/concern.

Open your front door as wide as it can. Look to the foward direction at the car body near the hindge. What do you see? What I saw on my SantaFe are some black foam stuffed inside the body.

This seems weird to me. For all my other cars, that metal part of the body at that location is enclosed. Leaving an opening would invite water, dirt etc in.

Anyone has any idea of whether it would affect safety?

gizzer777

Just got my Drawtite Hitch from Etrailer...what a class act they are!

Needed a new ball and receiver + locking hitch pin...total was $160. If you spend $150 shipping is 99 cents! Sure beats the hyundai offering ($550 installed for the same hitch w/ a SPLICED in harness no less....not even a tee connector.

I DID spend the $80 for the plug and Play Harness for my "pre wired" SF though (had to mail order it from a dealer in Calif...just figured for the extra $50 over the Modulight t connector job, it was both worth my time not taking the rear paneling apart, and no gripes from Hyundai down the road if something electrical happens on warranty!

Boy you need little fingers to install those 4 bolts to the frame...not much room in there. Used a small hydraulic jack, 2 jack stands (it weighs about 60 lbs)and a few extensions on my ratchet, and it was done! Wiring took less than 15 minutes and 1/2 of that was trying to follow their instructions and pics for the wire routing...looks pretty good I must admit. Thanks Etrailer!

gizzer777

Interesting find. It looks as though it may be some sound deadning foam and I wouldn't be surprised if there were metal behind it...just a guess, but I am not concerned about it.

While on the subject...how many eons ago did they stop putting full undercoating on autos? I feel ancient!

gwilly

Did you remember to remove the plastic oval around the latch?
Two screws need to be removed if I remember correctly. Then a gentle pry will do it. The storage compartment will come out after that.