Hyundai Santa Fe Maintenance and Repair (2006 and earlier)

12346931 · August 2006

See msg #1339 on this forum. The "buck" you describe, sounds like the problem I had with my SF. There is a TSB on the problem TSB #044007. sounds like you are haveing the same problem with the dalership, as I had with my dealership, until I went to a different dealership. Rich

joblack · August 2006

My engine light recently came on when driving my Santa Fe. The car showed no other sign of malfunction, although I did mention to the service people that I thought I heard a slight ticking noise while stopped at a light a few months ago, but I honestly was not sure if I was really hearing something or not. The car has not given me any trouble whatsoever. The light turned out to be a sensor and was fixed under warranty. The service people then wanted to change my timing belt "because I was approaching my 60,000 mark. I told them that I would change it, but not at the dealership. Of course, they called me back several hours later to tell me that they needed more time to look into the noise coming from my engine. I told them that I really didn't think that I had a problem and that the car was working fine. They then questioned me as to whether I have been keeping up with the oil changes because they don't have it in their records?! He then went on to tell me that if I didn't produce receipts my warranty would be void and any future engine work would not be covered. What a surprise??! The truth is that I have kept up with the maintenance and oil changes, but I may not be able to produce all of the receipts. Has anyone had anything similar happen to them in regard to warranties because I didn't keep them all and because my mechanic does not keep his records in a computer? I honestly feel that they are trying to take advantage of me.

jcspohr · August 2006

Sounds like they are guessing and then assuming that it is an oil failure related cause. Make them prove their assumption and put the burden of proof on them.

Good luck,

JCS

joblack · August 2006

Thanks. Since the car was in for the engine light, I think they know exactly what is wrong with the car. They told me that I will be asked to give them $200 upfront if I bring it back to them, so that they can look into it further. I would then be asked to produce my receipts if there was a problem. Depending on whether or not I had proof, they would either ask for more money to fix the problem or give me some money back. Wouldn't they put my car on the computer to find out the answer to both of these problems? My mechanic suspects it is a valve and suggests I live with it because it would not be dangerous.

nifty56 · August 2006

What year is the vehicle and what engine size? For others that post please identify what you have.

jcspohr · August 2006

I still think they are guessing based on your reply about them looking into it further. They are trying to shift the burden of proof to you so you'll go away.

Alternatives:

1. Take it to Autozone and have them read the diagnostic code. They will do it at no charge and only takes a minute.

2. Take it to another dealer.

Best of luck,

JCS

joblack · August 2006

What is Autozone?

jcspohr · August 2006

A national discount auto parts chain in the U.S.. If you don't have one near you, try a similar chain that is local to you. Others that come to mind are Oreilly Autoparts and Advance Autoparts.

Here're some store locator links:

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?UseCase=ST001&UserAction=displayStoreLo- cator

http://www.oreillyauto.com/EW3/FindAStore.do

http://advanceauto.know-where.com/advance-auto-parts/

BTW - Where are you located?

JCS

bw3 · August 2006

Has anyone had the problem with a shudder seeming to come from the rear end of their Santa Fe?
I get a extremely hard shudder at 37-40 mph and it shakes the entire car. Two dealers had different ideas... balance tires, oil seal, road force balance, lower front ball joints, but nothing stops it from happening. Not all the time, but often enough to require attention.
Now I'm going to Conrads to have the tiers rotated and re-balanced.
bw3

jcspohr · August 2006

I would suggest getting a Four-wheel alignment. Not just front, but all four wheels. When you have that performed you will be assured that everything is set correctly and within proper wear tolerances.

For example, I noticed my Ford Taurus (with only 15,xxx miles) was pulling to the right and exhibited vibration/shudder around 70 mph. I took it in for an alignment and the dealer informed me that there was excessive wear (slop, looseness, whatever you wan to call it) in a lower ball joint to perform the alignment. I had both lowers replaced and re-aligned and the dealers expense (warranty).

Also check for uneven tire wear. They'll do some strange things if the alignment is out and wear the tires unevenly.

Good luck,

JCS

survivor93 · August 2006

I own a 2003 Santa Fe with 56,000 miles. I recently noticed that the lights on the speedo (only) flicker.
I took it to the dealer and was told that the alternator was going bad & it would be replaced under the warranty.
It was replaced & I picked up the truck.
That night I noticed that the lights in the speedo only,
was doing the same thing.
I checked under the hood to see if the alternator was changed & it was. The only lights that ever flickered was the dash lights, not the headlights, radio etc.
Has any one experienced this problem?
If so please let me know what you did to correct the problem.
Thanks-SURVIVOR93 :confuse:

axis_roll · August 2006

Sounds like either a loose dash light bulb or a bad ground wire.

survivor93 · August 2006

Thanks for your help. I am wondering thoug, would
this happen even when the car is standing still at an idle? :confuse:

jcspohr · August 2006

Yes - even at idle. Anytime the ignition is on. The engine vibrations will make it more apparent.

Check your main positive cable on the battery. Our mini-van had a small secondary wire off the main terminal that corroded and caused some very strange and erratic behavior with our dash lights. Replaced the cable end and resolved the problem. It did take me a while to figure it out though.

JCS

survivor93 · August 2006

jcs..thanks for your help.
i will try it tomorrow..survivor93

bw3 · August 2006

Thanks for the help.
I had the dealer do an alignment to all wheels. Lower, front ball joints were replaced and a complete wheel balance with what the local dealer called a "Radial force balance". $100 and it made the front shake so severely at ~60 mph I had to go to my local Conrad's and have it re-balanced (smooth now) as I have to go 45 miles to the dealer.
The Radial force balance was a joke... I called and requested my money back. I'll let you know if they pay as they said they would.
Needless to say, I still have the intermittent rumble from the rear end area. ~35 to 40 mph and it shakes the entire Santa Fe. If I hold that speed it will continue to vibrate, maybe for a minute and then go away.
I think it's coming from the drive train. Lots of oil present at differential, but everyone thinks wheels, etc.
The hard part is to get it to do it for the tech. They just drive it. The 1st tech drove at 65 (after I told them it only does it at ~35) and noticed a vibration so he rotated the front wheels... not noticing the front lower ball joints were bad 'duh':(( not all service people are pros.
No one can find the problem yet. All the obvious has been done several times (thanks to Conrad's for the correct wheel balance) I have another appointment on Aug 31 for another try with the shotgun... the only problem is I'm at 96600 miles with the Hyundai 100K warranty. The dealer said if I go over that repaired or not, I pay at 100,001.

jcspohr · August 2006

bw3,

Sorry to hear that it's not resolved. Looking on the bright side, you know what it is not. Sometimes trouble shooting comes down to the process of elimination.

Since the wheels are balanced properly:

Have the front and rear wheels been rotated front to back? That would eliminate the cause being a wheel.

Considering your comment about oil leakage, mileage and warranty expiration, I would take it to the dealer and have them open up and inspect the rear differential.

You might also investigate the lemon laws for your state. You might have a course of action there if you have had it in to dealer for repairs and meet the criteria.

Cover Your Assets as they say.

Good luck,

JCS

axis_roll · August 2006

Is this a 4-wheel drive Santa Fe? Is so, a drive shaft balance issue might be the cause. The presence of oil suggests a seal leak/failure somewhere, which could indicate a bad wheel bearing/axle bearing (is so equiped, I am not THAT up-to-date on the workings of the Santa Fe drive train/suspension). I bring this up since, as someone already pointed out, the obvious causes have been proven not to be the cause.

Good luck

michaelw2 · August 2006

the dealer inspected , and did not find the problem, i am living with it.

recently when I just pick up after full stop, just at very low speed( almost zero), a "dung" sound is always there.
and after that, everything ok, anyone have same experience? is that the normal or problem with driving train or brake or 4x4 system ? thanks.

joblack · September 2006

Has anyone had a problem with a valve in the engine? If so, how expensive is this to get fixed? Thanks

dessie · September 2006

Thanks chrisducati. SF on the way for a check with the dealer on Thursday.
D

dcbarry · September 2006

Juls:

Wondering how your sistuation worked out. Minie is similar. 2002 Sanata Fe, when I hit the remote it makes a "noise" but does not actually unlock, I have to use the key to open the hatch.

Anyone has a smiliar problem, or done a self repair? I'm well out of bumper to bumper due to milage. 110K+

d.

jpanozzo1 · September 2006

Pay the dealer with Mastercard or VISA. If the work is substandard, write the credit card company explaining the issue. They will force the dealer (or any retailer accepting their cards) to either do the work correctly or refund your money. The credit card companies have a lot more clout than an individual customer!!!

Joe in Texarkana

sprintrps · September 2006

I had a whistle also, on my '07 Santa Fe. I found that it was caused by the wind passing through the space between the bottom of the mirror and the mounting bracket. I fixed it by inserting a piece of velcro (the smooth side) between the mirror and the bracket. I used a toothpick to push it into this tight space. Whistling noise was eliminated.

jowens1972 · September 2006

I had problems with my Santa Fe 3.5L starting hard. After it would start it would run very rough. This was not after a gas fill up. If your problem is only after gas refills you should investigate this that I found on another website:
Your purge control valve is probably stuck open. Under normal operation, the ECM (Engine Control Module) opens and closes this valve when you're driving to burn off excess fuel vapors. If it's stuck open, the a large amount of vapors will be pushed out of the tank and into the engine when you fuel, causing the engine to be flooded.

My solution which has been working great for a week is to replace the fuel pressure sensor. The box is labelled:
35301 37100
Regulator- Delivery pipe press(ure)
$35 to $55

This is a do it yourself project that will take about 15 minutes.
-Remove the plastic engine cover (6 10mm bolts)
-Disconnect the 1,3,5 spark plug leads from the distributor cap (they are going to the back engine spark plugs) and from the two guides.
-When looking at the engine to the right between the two (front and rear) intake manifold ports is a 1/2" black fuel line that leads to the pressure sensor. Another way to locate the sensor is to look for a black 1/4" vacuum pressure line coming from the rear intake manifold port. A third location tip is just before the second spark plug wire guide (moving away from the distributor).
-It is recommended to remove the fuel pump pressure relay and run the engine until it quits to remove the fuel pressure. I was unable to locate this so I put a rag under the pressure sensor and SLOWLY loosened the bolts.
-When removing the 2 10mm bolts that hold the pressure sensor in be VERY careful not to drop the lower bolt. To help locate the sensor, the bolts are going into the right side of the intake manifold. The bolts are not pointed toward you.
-Again, I slowly loosened the bolts and wiggled the sensor to let the pressure release prior to fully removing the bolts. The fuel will be coming from the manifold, not the fuel line.
-Re-attach the fuel line and vacuum pressure lines to the new sensor. Replacement of the fuel line and vacuum line was not required on my vehicle.

I would highly recommend if you have an air compressor that you blow A LOT of air in the area where the gasoline may have fallen to vent the fumes and remove the gasoline prior to engine start.

The first engine start will be a little hard since the fuel pressure must be re-established.

I am not a mechanic, just a guy happy to save $75 in labor costs.

joblack · September 2006

When I bring my car in to the dealership to have them look into a problem, should I be charged $100 to have the car put on the computer? My car is still under warranty. Thanks

joblack · September 2006

The engine light recently came on my Santa Fe. The dealership told me it was a bad sensor and fixed it under warranty. Now, there is a loud noise coming out of the front end and the car feels as though it is dragging. I have 59,000+ miles on the car. Any idea what this could be? Thanks

jcspohr · September 2006

I won two Key Fob Remotes on eBay and need to know how to program them for my vehicle.

Anyone know how? Or where to find the instructions?

Thanks,

JCS

joblack · September 2006

I've been hearing a ticking noise in my front end. Aside from the occasional noise, the car is working fine. I've been told it is the buckets. Can someone tell me what that is? Thanks

miss_accord · September 2006

they r seperate............how did u fix ur oil leak in ur transfer case ?

lcvulcan · September 2006

Took my wife's 2003 Santa Fe (16,000 miles)in for service for the following issues.

1) Front axle leak

2) Rear hatch handle inoperable

3) Rear wiper arm getting stuck/not pressing against glass

All repairs performed under warranty with no problems.

stever · September 2006

I recall that Hyundai put their factory service manual on line for free and I found this link for the Hyundai's Technical Support Department. I'm assuming that the service manual is there if you want to register (I didn't go that far). Hopefully a d-i-y'er can get signed up.

sunshiny · September 2006

Hopefully someone can help me with my car question. I recently bought a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.5L with full-time 4WD. It was a dealer demo. Since I bought it in July of this year this has only happened about 4 times. When I am completely stopped with my foot fully on the brake, it will bump like someone lightly hit me from behind. My husband says he thinks it has to do with the 4WD. I am worried it is the transmission b/c sometimes it shifts hard. Any clues to what the problem may be, if it is a problem? Thanks!

sprintrps · September 2006

The material beneath the inside door handle on my (1 month old) 2007 Santa Fe has come loose. Seems that their is not enough material used to cover the small section in the middle of the door panel. Dealer said I'm not the first with this problem, and he has had to order new door panels, which I have been informed are "back-ordered". Anyway we checked his inventory and a bunch of 2007 Santa Fes in his stock have the material pealing away just under the inside door handle. You may want to check yours!!

devious · October 2006

I signed up for it! It is great, not as in depth as a Hayes or Chiltons, but it works. You need some mechnical know how to use it. But very helpful.

stever · October 2006

At least the price is right.

wjaner · October 2006

I have a 2003 Santa Fe 4 Cylinder with 5 speed manual tranny. This Santa Fe has 30,000 miles and I want to change the Radiator coolant.
The drain valve on the left side of the radiator when opened will only drain one half of the system coolant which totals two gallons.
The 2003 Santa Fe factory service manual does not show where the engine drain plug is located on the 4 cylinder engine. I do all of my own preventive maintainance and religiously keep a accurate log of all work done.
Would someone please advise where the engine coolant drain plug is located. I found a plug on the rear of the engine block which in a logical location for a drain plug but it is difficult to reach. Help with this item would be greatly appreciated. Sparcap54

sprintrps · October 2006

I have the same exact problem. Its just a minor nuisance so I am not going to have the dealer try to resolve. Mine is a 3.3 2WD.

dcbarry · October 2006

I have an '02 Santa Fe V6 with 102K on it. Until very recently, it was
running very well, never had any major issues or service. Recently had
major service (details below.)
Would really be grateful for suggestions. The powertrain warranty is
good for 120K miles (due to the horespower class action), so I still
have time left for warranty work.

Primary Issue/Symptom:

Recently it has been stalling when idling to a stop shortly after after
being shut down for several hours. It doesn't do it every time, but
when it does, it almost always happens in the first 5 minutes after
starting. I'll come to a red light, be idling in "D", and it will very
suddenly stop. It doesn't do a "sputtering stop", it just dies. I can
restart immediately without any issue, and it will generally behave the
rest of the way. It has not aciviated the MIL light in all this time.
(I tried to pull a stored code with a generic code reader, but
nothing).

Secondary Issues/Symptoms:

Since the "repairs": Some belt (or belts) is squealing (not always, but
often). In addtion the shifting at highways speeds is sometimes (though
not always) rougher than usual, sometimes a "stumble" shift, other
times it races a bit, then jumps into the next gear.

All of the issues are intermittant -- the idle is a once every two or
three days problem, the shifting issues a bit more, although only
blatantly obvious ocassionaly, most often more subtle.

History: (aplogies for length, but want to be thorough.)

As mentioned, until very recently the vehicle was performing quite
well. It had regular service, though not always at the dealer.
Unfortunately about two months ago I learned too late (my wife was
driving at the time) that it was losing coolant, and it overheated.
Long story short, the heads were sent out to be resurfaced, and at the
same time, I had them go ahead and replace the timing belt and water
pump, in addtion to the other major service items (tranny flush,
replace filters, spark plugs, belts, etc.).

Getting the work done was a long, painful 10 day ordeal at the SF
delearship. The day I was due to finally pick it up, they could not get
it to spark, and they spent several hours trying to get it to start. In
the end, I had to return the next day, when they reported back to me
that there had been a sensor problem (unfortunately, I don't
specifically remember if they mentioned the crankshaft sensor.)

When I finally got the SF back, I immediatley noticed the squealing
belts. When I mentioned this, I was given "looks", and asked to wait a
few minutes. Not knowing I was watching, I observed the mechanic spray
the belts with lube. I remeber thinking at the time that this seemed
like fixing a symptom, not a cause, but after not having the car for 10
days, after having to fight them to pay for part of my rental due to
the length of repairs (they admitted to screwing up on ordering parts,
and then delayed sending out the heads due to other issues, I just
wanted to be done with them.)

My wife initially drove the SF afterwards, and complained to me of
hesitation issues. I did notice that ocassionaly (but not regularly),
when giving it "quick acceleration" from a full stop, it would indeed
stumble and recover. However, it was very intermitant, and the dealer
could not recreate the problem to capture on the flight recorder, nor
could I recreate it for them on demand. That problem seemed to lessen
after a while, but the "death on idle" situation seems to have taken
it's place.

I have not yet taken the car back into the dealer officially, but I did
speak with the service writer. He has already hinted that "I shouldn't
expect much on a car with this milage" and poor service history. When I
asked what that was supposed to mean, he said that they assumed I never
changed the tranny fluid, becuase when the did they tranny flush, "even
when we flushed -- it still came out dark and never went pink."

Questions:

SO, based on what I have described, any thoughts on what could be the
problem? I've heard/read/gotten the general ideal the crankshaft sensor
can be a delicate thing, and since it sounds like it came up at the
time the heads were rebuilt, might be a likely candidate? I'm thinking
it probabbly is not a fuel issue, based on the "quick" nature of the
stall, and the other shift issues that come up.

My big concern is that this doesn't become a fishing trip for them--
simply swapping out parts, especially non-powertrain (non-warranted)
parts. I'm not very confident in them based on my history with them,
but feel like I should go back to them first, before moving on to
another dealer. Thoughts again?

Many thanks in advance to all who reply,

d.

electricdesign · October 2006

You don't NEED an engine drain plug. You clean out the cooling system the same way you clean out an automatic transmission or an air conditioning system, you FLUSH it out. The flushing procedure is unique for each system.

colklink · October 2006

Anyone else experiencing Radio sound cutting out slightly on a 2007 Santa Fe? It almost sounds that every once in awhile one of the left side speakers just shuts off. Then it will come back. I haven't noticed it with CD yet, but happens on just about any radio station. Thanks.

wildcatplh · October 2006

My 2004 Santa Fe has the most intruiging problem! Last weekend, I was running some errands, and after leaving one of my short stops, I discovered that it wouldn't start. The dash lights all came on, and the radio came on, but the engine did not turn over. I called roadside, and while waiting over an hour, decided to keep trying. After sitting for about 60 minutes, the car started up with no problem. I figured that it was maybe just a computer glitch, and didn't think much of it, until I had to run more errands after work on Monday night. The same thing happened! It seemed that I could let the SF sit for several hours after driving it and not have any problems with starting it, but if it was just a short rest between turning it off and then on, nothing. I took it in on Tuesday, and they found some electrical shorts, which they dealt with, but on my way home that day, it happened again. I took it back in on Wednesday, and they have had it ever since (it is now the following Tuesday). They were able to replicate the problem by the end of the day Wednesday, and decided to replace the ignition switch. That then caused the entire fusebox to burn out. They replaced that yesterday, and thought the problem was solved. Today, while it was still at the dealership, it happened again. Luckily, they had kept it an extra day to be absolutely sure it was fixed. What do you think the problem might be? The mechanics seem pretty confused by the whole thing... I have a rental, but I just want my own SF back!!!

jbad · October 2006

My 2001 4cyl. has what sounds like the identical problem. This problem just started in the last 2 days. It will also stall while driving and approaching a stop. Please post the outcome as my dealer seems to love "fishing expeditions". Thank you in advance...

gbxk86a · October 2006

My explanation can be completely wrong, but I had one time a similar problem with an Infiniti I30. The car had one time a problem starting. It would not crank. The dash lights were all on, so I did not think it was the battery. After a couple of hours, I tried again and it started. This goes on very occasionally once or twice a month for two or three months. Then one time, after I filled in the gas tank, the car would not start. Again, the dash lights were on so I did not think it was the battery. Left it at the gas station overnight. Next day, I tried to jump the car thinking that that was all I could do. The car did not crank. Towed it to the dealer in the weekend. The service manager called Monday and said I needed a battery which was about 1 year old from Sears. She said it was not charging. I disputed that and brought it to Sears for testing and the battery was good and they recharged it. The mechanics then determined it was the terminals, being corroded. They charged me $30 to clean the battery terminals real well. Car was started and brought home. For two years, the problem did not show up again.

What threw me off was the dash lights were all on, so iniitially I did not think it was the battery. Apparently, when the terminals were corroded, the battery could not get charged but there was enough juice to light up the dash but not enough to crank the engine.

I don't know if this would help, but thought to mention to you since it is quite easy to check out the battery terminals, continuity and voltage.

masonstone · October 2006

I have similar problems with my 01 santa fe 6cyl. awd. I bought this car a few months ago and started having these problems shortly after. I have notice that when the car is in this mode of shorting out for a second, it might only happen once or several times within a few minutes, if the car is stopped and restarted it seems to stop acting up for a while, maybe days or weeks. I read with interest about the alternator amps being too low for the 2003 and was wondering if you thought this could be the problem with my 2001. Should I invest in a 120 amp alternator for it and should the voltage regulator be changed also.

wildcatplh · October 2006

After replacing the ignition switch, the fusebox, and several wires, the mechanics came up with a faulty assembly box (I don't remember exactly, and there were a lot of abbreviations on my receipt). They replaced that, and Ta-Da! Everything was fixed. I guess it was a lot of electrical problems all combined to make it extremely confusing for all of them, but, after 8 days, I have my SF back, and everything is running well. I hope my problem can help someone else solve there's!

cny · October 2006

Someone! PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE, let me hear from anyone who has had a similar problem! I had been having a serious problem w/ my '03 Santa Fe for MONTHS. {the specific problem is not the issue} The dealer tried numerous times over the past 18 mos. & couldn't "fix" it. The problem became worse and worse, so I contacted HMA and expressed just how dire the situation had become, because it was not only a safety, but a health issue also. The rep. "acted" with GREAT understanding & concern & assurred me she would get right on it and solve the problem once and for all. She went so far as to give me a case number & the date she'd be getting back to me. Then, POOF!! NOTHING!! Not only did I not hear from her on the date promised, but each of the NUMEROUS times I called her back, they made a million excuses as to why she couldn't take my calls. The other reps that i settled for subsequently [incl.an attempted call to the regional mgr.who never answered the message i left] did the exact same thing until finally they wouldn't put me through to anyone!! Even attempts thru the dealer's serv. manager yielded NO HELP. They STONEWALLED me re:my still very valid warranty! Am I HMA's only sucker? Thanks, but right now it won't help , so i don't need to hear from those fortunate enough to want to sing HMA's praises! I'm on a fact finding mission here! AM I ALONE IN THIS !!

tidester · October 2006

You may be interested in this discussion: Warranty Claims Administration

tidester, host

electricdesign · October 2006

Glad they got your electrical problem straightened out, hope it keeps starting well for you.
I thought I would mention something that may help some of you that may have similar problems, should your car not want to start. The dash lights may light because they only draw a very small anount of electricity. A bad connection or partially corroded battery terminals may allow a small current to flow to light the dash lights, but if you hit the starter, the large current tries to flow through the corrosion, it's resistance instantly builds up heat, and the connection opens, and no current flows to the starter. SO, when you have a no start condition, try adding more electrical 'LOAD' to the battery to see if you can get enough 'juice' out of your battery. Turn on your dome lights and headlights and watch them to see if they dim when you try to start the car. This puts more load on the connections, and will not mislead you with a false reading, the battery will either keep the lights bright enough or they will get very dim. If headlights stay almost as bright as normal, then it would be safe to say the battery has power, and there is something else causing it not to start, like a bad starter or starter/control connection. But, if headlights get very dim or go out, then battery power is low OR battery connections are bad.

pelican19 · November 2006

I traded in my 03 for the 07 Santa Fe. My 03 would do the same thing. Not all the time. Took it to the dealer several times but they could not fix what wasnt broken at the time. Its a hard problem to diagnose. I went as far as to call roadside assistance only to look like a fool when it would start up once they got there.

Finally on my third trip to the deal to express my irate opinion on the issue it would not start for them while on the diagnostic computer. AHA! Turned out to be a bad crank sensor. Hope this helps...

Hyundai Santa Fe Maintenance and Repair (2006 and earlier)

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