Hyundai Entourage Starting/Stalling/Idle Problems

plolzynka

I have a 2007 Entourage with 11,000+ miles.
I've noticed a louder than normal whirling sound in the engine. I can hear it immediately when it starts and it changes with the engine speed. Checked all the fluids and everything is full. I've even had people comment on the sound when I pull up near them. The van seems to be running great, so I haven't bothered to take it to the dealer yet. Has anyone else heard this?
My only other concern with the van so far is that it seems a little sluggish responding from a dead stop. When I push the gas, it takes a second or so and then all of the power kicks in.

Overall, I love this van.

entour1

Just bought a Limited in Sept. 2007. I should of said something before I took possession of it the next day: when my wife and I first took the test drive I noticed when the salesman started the engine that a pretty loud "tapping" sound commenced lasting about 3 seconds. "Well I thought, must be just that it was sitting on the lot for awhile and the lifters didn't get a chance to pump up."

So my wife drives it for the next month or so and I just keep hearing this loud "tapping' at start up every time the car has sat overnight (tapping is especially louder in the morning when dead cold) or even when the car has been parked for about an hour - though the tapping isn't quite as loud. Needless to say even though the rest of the car is very nice indeed this is starting to bug me. A $34K car should not sound like a car with 150K miles on the odometer, right?

After perusing numerous Entourage forums (which aren't many) I figure it just might be the timing chain tensioner(s) as per Hyundai's TSB.

With this knowledge I let the service manager at the dealership where I bought it listen to the motor after it sat overnight. Two service techs come out to listen. One supposedly is a "platinum tech" and the other a senior tech. After they heard the tapping sound for themselves they both agreed it must be the timing chain tensioner(s) per the TSB too.

It goes into the shop the following week. It comes out after 2 days and 13 hours of service book tech time to take out the original timing chain tensioners and replace them with upgraded parts.

I go to pick it up after service hours, start the motor with no mechanic around to listen, and there's the same %$#@& tapping sound with not even a touch improvement. Craaaaaaaaap. So much for that Platinum Technician expertise!

Needless to say, the service manager next week will be hearing from me.

So I'd like to get some of your opinions with these points to consider

1). The TSB for the timing chain tensioner upgraded parts didn't obviously fix the problem.

2). I have read on one other Entourage forum that some surmised that their similar tapping noise could be due to how the oil filter is situated on top of the engine block hence not allowing enough oil pressure to build up fast enough when lifters or what have you are confronted with a cold engine much less high speed start up idle. IOW, possibly a built-in design anomaly that every owner's just going to have to live with. Not likely me though.

3). In any event, this does not appear like it's going to be an easy problem to DIAGNOSE. The fix will likely require a sizable engine teardown, down to and including lifter bodies and camshaft. Even then, traceing the root cause is going to mean leaving this van in the shop for quite some time I would bet.

4). But, due to the fact that I don't have exactly a whole lot of confidence in these platinum and senior service tech abilities to diagnose this problem at this Hyundai dealership close to me (and I don't want to drive 40 miles to the next one around me either to get a second hands on opinion) I'm thinking to nip this pain in the butt ordeal in the bud by calling Hyundai's customer care dept directly and getting a regional field service tech to get involved right off the bat before it turns into a lemon circus.

5). What bothers me more than anything else to be honest with you is how can Hyundai quality control at the FACTORY let something this noisy leave their line?

Bottomline: If any of you have an inkling what this problem could be beyond what I've indicated it would be most appreciated.

I sincerely hope this is not an inherent 'design flaw' in the Entourage engine that I have to live with. To my way of thinking when and if I trade-in or sell this car one day I sure don't want to have to explain what this noise is to the potential buyer who then tells me, "I can't give you your asking price nor take it in for a trade-in because the motor obviously has start up noise issues."

Any insights or suggestions in general again appreciated.

Entour1

davethecarnut

Bummer... I don't have this problem with mine, but you should absolutely, positively do what you said in (4.

davethecarnut

Is your A/C on when you hear it? I had my pulley replaced on the compressor, it's a TSB, it made a whirring sound that would match RPM's.

mikefromnm

Bought my van in September 2007. The engine did fine until it got cold out (for us, November to March). The engine noise you describe would only occur overnight and when very cold. It sounded like grinding. It also only occurred for a few seconds (around 5-7) at start-up and would not do it again until the van sat for a long period of time and it was fairly cold. The last two time I changed the oil, I did it myself. I put Castrol Synthetic Blend 10w-30 in it. No more noise. However, I have the van in for service (under 8,000 miles on it in 15 months - 2000 of which was a long road trip) and they will likely put the 5w-20 in. I'll see if it occurs again. One solution I did last winter was to start the van and immediately put it in reverse with my foot on the brake. This drops the revs immediately and the noise is very brief. Sometimes I was able to prevent it from occurring as it took a second or two for the van to go to high idle speed at startup.

entour1

hjc1

I have a 07 Azera with the same 3.8 engine. I have 14,000 miles on it and No noise on cold start up even at 4° ( It get cold in Wisconsin )

hburg

When starting the engine on my 2007 entourage, the engine seems to rev excessively high at around 1500 - 1800 rpm . My foot is off the accelerator.

I sort of cringe when this happens, especially on a cold engine. This goes against my normal practice of slow rpms on start-up of a cold engine until the oil starts circulating. My other vehicles with fuel injection do not start with rpms nearly this fast.

I am especially concerned about this with the thin engine oil recommended for this engine. 5W - 20 , I believe.

Questions

Does this occur with other (all?) Entourages? How about yours?

Is it normal, or is it something that can and should be corrected?

Is there a fast idle adjustment as on my other vehicles.?

Thanks in advance for your help.

reagan8

Our Entourage does exactly the same thing. It is nice to hear about somebody else's doing it too. Ours usually idles high for a few seconds and then it slows down to normal.

stush

Mine does it also. I just thought it was normal. I have a 02 Santa Fe with 61,500 miles and it does it too. On the Santa Fe, Only replaced the brakes and rotors, a power window motor went bad and just put front wheel bearings on. Running like a champ!!

lavrishevo

The purpose of fast idle on cold start is to pump the oil back up to the heads as quickly as possible to prevent metal on metal contact. Especially important for DOHC motors. Not only normal but good for engine life.

redshoe9

My 07 entourage limited has been dead on cold mornings at least 6 times. Previously I thought it was just due to super chicago cold winters but finally I had it towed and looked at. They replaced some connector to the battery and it ran great for about three weeks.

Again this morning on the way out the door---another dead start. Barely a bit of juice left in the car and it won't start. I'm so frustrated at this and really getting mad. I'm taking a long road trip in Feb and I can't have this vehicle acting up since it will be me and small child alone. Ughh..

Did anyone get any firm resolutions to this continual problem?

lavrishevo

There was a TSB on Kia Sedona which really is the same van as the Entourage about the ignition switch not installed properly and it can cause a drain on the battery. That is the only TSB on the van about battery drain that I know of. Do you notice the drain only on very cold weather?

lavrishevo

In my post I said ignition but meant door lock.

plolzynka

Dave,

I have been watching when I hear the whirling sound. It is not only when the car is in idle, but while driving as well. If in idle and I press the gas, the sound speeds up. The same thing happens while driving. I have not notice the increased RPMs that others on this site have been mentioning. I guess I need to get it to the dealer. I might go back and test drive another one before I complain to see if a new one does the same thing.

PJ

davethecarnut

Also tell them about the idler pulley. That would make the same sound as the pulley on the A/C compressor. A/C TSB# 07-97-003

iw3w

My 07 entourage had the same problem 3 times now when the weather is cold. The car just can't start without any noise or crank. yesterday I had it towed into the dealer, and I had the call from the dealer this morning at 8:00 Am, they said they can start the car without any problem. it was -14C at the morning of Toronto. It really kill me!

marsar4171

I have an 07Entourage (Sept 07) and an 04 Sonata...both idle high upon startup, but then soon slow down...I think that is normal.

I'm also having the 'tapping' issue that I've seen in other threads. I didn't bring it up to the dealer, but when it was in for service, they called me and said that they were replacing the timing chain tensioners...which did nothing to fix the sound. I assumed it was normal b/c it only occurs for about 2-3 seconds ( thought it just took a moment for the oil to circulate).

What I am dealing with now is that the power sliding doors have opened 2"-3" by themselves after closing over 20 times (currently in the shop for the fourth time). Also, the airbag light has come on 2 times, the front glass defrost started smoking the first time I turned it on, and the fog light dash indicator has started flashing while merging onto the highway after using the turn signal (in the daytime when the lights are off).

So, even though I havent been on the dealership to fix the tapping, it has spent a month (of the six months I've had the van) in the shop. I've already started the Lemon Law process...It's a shame because I really like the van, but I can't risk the doors opening by themselves as I'm driving down the highway (I've seen that reported in other threads as well).

Let me know if anyone is having similar issues, and how the problem was resolved. Thanks!

minivanmom1

I have a 2007 Entourage Limited with this whining problem as well. Can be heard at idle and low speeds. Quite loud from inside and outside of the vehicle. Developed the noise at about 28K. It makes no difference if the AC is on or off...it's a different noise than that of a loose belt. Kind of a very loud whirring or hum. Sounds to me like a bad bearing, but they think it's in the power steering mechanism. They replaced the PS reservoir, but the noise remained. They think they've fixed it by replacing the PS fluid with synthetic, but I feel like this will be a short-term solution. I've seen one or two others with this problem, but haven't seen a solution. My van's been at the dealer's garage for a week, but they gave me a great loaner (Veracruz Limited), so no complaints there! Anybody have insight into this problem??

ktgann

I have the exact same whining noise, and I also have 28K miles on my van. I've had the noise for 2 to 3K miles so far. They said it was the A/C pulley and replaced it. It came home with the same noise. Don't ask me how the dealer actually spent time on it, replace parts, and sent it home with the same noise. I've brought it in about 4 times so far and no luck.

ktgann

Here's an update - after replacing the a/c pulley (and the whine did not go away), the dealership the replaced the idler pulley and the whining problem was fixed. Hope this helps anyone with a whining Hyundai Entourage or Kia Sedona.

omar6575

Has any one experience during cold starts (car park for over 6 hours) during fast idle the rpm stumbles for a couple of seconds follow by a strange smell (black smoke smell ) then goes back to normal fast idle. once the engine reaches proper operating temp. it seems to idle about 600 rpm and just runs normal and just once in a while it drops rpm to 500, but the most strange thing is the check engine light does not light up for either event. I only have about 13,000 miles on the clock. i want to take it back but with out eh check engine light on, i dont know if they would be able to figure it out.
any sugestions are welcome.

cobrazera

I'm new to the Entourage boards: I'm in the market for a minivan and doing some research. Anyway, I own an '06 Azera with the 3.8 and it does the same rattle for a minute or two after a cold start. The rattle gets worse the colder it is. It's not too noticeable in the summer, but it is now that winter is coming. My wife doesn't notice it ( the Azera is very quiet ), but I'm an old engine guy and I notice those sort of sounds.
I owned an '01 Tahoe which was notorious for piston slap and the Azera rattle is the same. It's due to increased piston to cylinder clearance when the engine is cold, and until the piston expands with heat it rattles a bit in the cylinder. It is not a longevity or reliability problem, and is pretty much unfixable.
BTW, I love my Azera, I've had it for 3 years and it's been back to the dealer only for oil changes - that's why I'm looking at Entourage.

1alexr

When commuting or traveling long distances, once at my destination when I have to slow down or stop, as I take off again the engine starts to stall, or hesitate. Not the old fashioned kicking around, knocking or hesitating of older cars, just a lack of power, if that's the way to say it. I start to accelerate and NOTHING, I continue putting my foot down and before I know it, my foot's on the floorboard and the van WILL NOT P/U SPEED, it just will not accelerate. I have to let off the pedal completely and barely, SLIGHTY, give it gas until it slowly gets up past about 40MPH and then it's ok again. This also happens everytime we are stuck in VERY SLOW traffic for about 30 min's, once we clear the traffic and start to take off, the engine will not respond to the accelerator pedal, not even when it's all the way down. 2008 V6 with almost 18k mi's, it should NOT be doing this. And the suspects are: fuel filter or fuel pump, possibly the air filter??? Anyone else having this? The local dealer is now 150 mi's away

As far as the knocking sound, we have had that to and after taking it to the once local dealer they did fix it (for a few months, well it started again, AFTER THE LOCAL DEALER HERE CLOSED FOR BUSINESS [OR LACK OF]). The dealer mechanic told me then that it was the blower motor inside the A/C. They kept the van for a week and supposedly ordered something for the blower motor and had to remove the dash and console in order to reach and R&R it. Like I said, the sound actually went away but now it's back.

This engine failing to respond to the accelerator pedal is dangerous. I could pull out in front of approaching traffic thinking that I am going to accelerate and when nothing happens, all I can do is watch and pray that the oncoming vehicles are able to stop in time. I don't usually pull out in front of traffic when there is a little margin in safety but eventually there comes a moment when you encounter this scenario. The point is that in all my life I have NEVER had this as a problem, now I don't know if this van is going to respond or not during a critical moment.

omar6575

it sounds like your having a TPS SENSOR PROBLEM, whenever the sensor goes south or the voltage is erratic, it throws the car into "limp mode" once in limp mode the car wont accelerate pass 35 mph its sort of like a fail safe systems. this vehicles carry a drive by wire system with an electronic throttle control, it uses the tps sensor and the accelerator pedal switch to determine how much power to deliver and to anticipate the drivers intension and a number of other systems such as abs, esc, transmission shifting logic and even awd power distribution. there is a know problem with the tps (throttle position sensor) a TSB is currently posted under 09-FL-003-2 you can google the tsb for more info. There is also a vehicle ecu software update involved for the new sensor. You really have to take it to hyundai for this repair. hope that helps.

1alexr

Thank you SO MUCH! I'll make an appt. at a dealer and get this fixed. To bad it's not something that I can R&R myself, like an oil filter or bulb. I just paid $500. to have a BCM (Body Control Module?) replaced and reprogrammed on my primary vehicle (UGGH). Oh well, at least I'm doing my part keeping the dealers in business COL (crying out loud). Thanks again and hopefully it's an inexpensive fix.

1alexr

Just returned from the Hyundai dealer, they ordered an oxygen sensor, they said it's on the manifold (intake or exhaust, I forgot to ask) it wasn't in stock and they quote a simple R&R without having to program anything, no program updates or anything. After that's done, I'll post the results to see how it fared. They said a TPS issue would probably result in a VERY SIMILAR set of symptoms.