Hyundai Elantra Maintenance and Repair

bjc2 · October 2006

i just got my 01 elantra back from the dealer yesterday. you
were right. they said it was a input sensor that was open.
it was not covered under the original warranty but was
covered under my extended warranty.i am glad i got it when
i bought the car.

bjc2 · October 2006

i was sorry to hear about your timing belt problem.you might
try calling hyundais consumer affairs phone number 1-800-633
5151 and tell them what the dealer told you.what the heck.
it;s worth a try.good luck.

pprendiz · October 2006

I changed the thermostat and this did not fix my prob. I run the car and is is find while I am on the road after ten minutes It starts to over heat. If I stop and let the car idle the car goes back to the standard temp. Please help. is it a relay issue?

bjc2 · October 2006

i've had a couple of cars in the past that had this problem.
both times it was the water pump.you might also check the
belt's to make sure thier tight enough.

jlflemmons · October 2006

This can also be caused by a restricted radiator. Check to see if the overflow bottle is filling up. If there is a restriction in the radiator, the coolant returning to the radiator cannot flow through fast enoungh when the pump is turning faster, so it will bypass over to the overflow tank, sometimes to the point of overflowing the tank.

5port · October 2006

This can also be caused by a collapsing radiator hose. They key is when you are at idle it works OK. As the revs rise the hose collapses due to suction. Have someone watch the hoses as you rev the engine.

emlo · October 2006

My coworker drove a 2000 Elantra wagon, until--without warning--smoke/steam was emanating from the hood, she suddenly lost power, and was forced to pull off a busy highway w/ children in tow. The car was towed to the dealer from where she purchased it, where the mechanic declared the engine was blown.

It is now Day 5 1/2; the dealer wanted ALL service records, which she provided. TOday, she was informed for 1st time that a warranty rep needed to review docs, AND that she needed to cough up $300 so that their mechanic could fully inspect the vehicle(!!). The car had 74k on it; for routine stuff (oil changes, brakes) she took elsewhere but major stuff it went to dealer to fix.

She is renting a car and wants resolution immediately. She is convinced Hyundai must replace engine b/c it's under warranty. Dealer is obviously stalling--and, to rub salt in wound, dealer wouldn't even give her a loaner car even though they had available.....

Has anyone had experience w/ trying to enforce warranty w/ this behemoth wealthy Korean car company???? Any advice?? Getting another car is not an option.....

Thanks!!

snakeweasel · October 2006

Well I hope she has all her service records and had the oil changed in a timely manner.

I have a 2000 wagon and the only warranty work I had done was replacement of the exhaust manifold at 120+K miles (they were defective so Hyundai extended the warranty to 10 years unlimited miles on them). They did it no questions asked, just fixed it called me and told me to pick it up.

doohickie · October 2006

When was the car put into service? If it was first put into service prior to October 2001, or if she is not the orignal owner, there is no warranty.

Contact Hyundai corporate directly and advise them what is happening. Phone numbers are in the owners manual or you can find them at HyundaiUSA.com.

jlflemmons · October 2006

"When was the car put into service? If it was first put into service prior to October 2001, or if she is not the orignal owner, there is no warranty."

Did Hyundai not have a 10 year/100K warranty prior to 10/01? I know the second and subsequent owners only got 5 years, 60K, but I didn't know when the 10year/100k warranty was put into place for original owners.

backy · October 2006

Yes, the 10-year warranty started in the 1999 MY.

doohickie · October 2006

Duh. Good point.

camoore15 · October 2006

I have a 2003 Hyundai Elantra. I have 80,000 miles on it and ever since I had 50,000 on it I have speedometer and surge problems. When I am on the highway on cruise control my speedometer will just quit working and then after a short time it will just start working again. Also, sometimes for no reason the RPM's will surge to about 4,500 or 5,000. I have repeatedly asked the service dept about this and they say there is nothing they can do unless I can bring it in when it is doing this. This does not happen every day and by the time I can get it to them it is not dong it anymore. Has anyone had any problems like this?

snakeweasel · October 2006

A couple of questions.

When the speedometer quits working is the odometer still working?

Also these RPM surges are they only when you have the cruise control on? And if so does it happen when you start going up a hill? If so thats normal as the engine starts to work harder to keep you speed.

backy · October 2006

I'm at a loss how they expect you to "bring it in" while you are driving down the highway on cruise. Your description of the problem should be sufficient for them to investigate likely causes, e.g. the cruise control. They could at minimum run the diagnostics and see if any codes are stored. The engine can surge briefly while going up a steep hill if it has to down-shift to maintain speed (assuming you have an automatic transmission), but the speedometer should not "cut out" in any case. One thing you could try is tell them that the speedometer cutting out and the engine surging are safety issues, thus you must report the problem to the NHTSA so they will investigate the potential for a recall. Maybe that will light a fire under them. You could also try talking with the regional Hyundai Customer Service rep if you haven't already done that.

Hopefully you have kept your service records back from 50k miles so there is a record of the problem while the bumper-to-bumper warranty was in effect.

jlflemmons · October 2006

Another question: Is the engine actually reving up, or is it just the tachometer jumping up? If the tach and the speedometer are both going off at the same time, there is probably a simple ground or power issue with the cluster. Since the cruise control on these newer cars work off an electrical signal from the speedometer, if there is a power/ground problem in the cluster the cruise will change the throttle to compensate for the fluctuation.

Simple explanation on how the cruise works: You press the set button on the stalk and the controller reads and remembers the voltage coming from the speedometer. Then, as you go up and down hills the controller compares the real-time reading from speedometer to the stored value and sends a plus or minus adjustment to the throttle control servo to adjust the vehicle speed.

This is an instance where technology has made a major improvement over the old style vacuum servo systems.

doohickie · October 2006

If it's not a simple ground issue, I would look into either a wheel speed sensor (it's mounted on the right front wheel) or a tranny speed sensor.

Apparently the wheel speed sensor in particular is subject to damage if the mechanic does not take proper precautions when changing out brake pads; also the wire going to it might wear on the tire, especially with oversized aftermarket rims or if the suspension was dropped.

bjc2 · October 2006

i've been thinking about putting a kn air filter in my 01
elantra.are these filters as good as they say they are.

carfax · October 2006

If you want to save money on replacing the air filter all the time, and have the time to clean and re-oil the k/n at the right mileage, then go for it. If you are going by the fact it will give you a lot more horsepower as advertised, then wrong. It will let your car run longer at it's best performance, because it won't get dirty as fast as the paper ones do. If you have a new paper filter in your car then there will not be a difference in the operation of the vehicle. You have to do a lot more then put a k/n filter in to get 10 or more HP. out of today's vehicles. I don't think if i remove my air filter completely from my car, then i have 20 more HP. I use them in my car and truck, because it is cheaper in the long run, not for performance.

rebelpirate · October 2006

I have a 5 spd 2000 elantra and recently have had problems changing gears. Feels very rough especially getting into reverse. Any Advice?

bjc2 · October 2006

thanks carfax for replying to my post.i'll just stay with
the paper filters.

doohickie · October 2006

Here is a link to how to remove and replace the transmission speed sensor, in case you still need it. This guy did and awesome job and took lots of pics (if you have dialup, sorry!)

andopi · November 2006

I don't have a solution but just wanted to second your post. I bought a 2006 5-spd hatch earlier this summer and have been having trouble shifting into reverse pretty much from the start. Sometimes it goes in but pops out after driving a few feet. I've been reading around and hear folks talk about these tricks, like shifting into 1st and then into reverse. That's all helpful and practical. Still, I can't shake the feeling that it's not right to have these problems on a brand new car! Reverse is clearly the worst of the gears but sometimes it also feels not quite "stable" when I put it in first or even second. It feels like it's just about to pop out again, and it basically does once I press the clutch as I am getting ready to shift again. Has anyone taken in their Elantra to have this particular problem fixed or attended to? Thanks.

jlflemmons · November 2006

Sounds like a shift cable slightly out of adjustment. Doesn't have to be off by much to cause this sort of problem. My '84 Fiero used a multicable linkage to the tranny and it had to be set juuusssst right or the sort of problems you discribe would occur.

mf15 · November 2006

Hi all,

I test drove an '04 automatic GLS Elantra today and really liked the car ... except for one problem. We started noticing a consistent rattle in the back when braking. Wondering if anyone experienced that and had any ideas what it could be?
Also noticed the brakes felt a little "loose" vs. tight when I applied pressure though some Elantra owners have told me that's how the brakes normally feel so I'm not sure if that is a concern or not.

Finally, does anyone know how strict Hyundai is with warranty information? The car has low miles so I think all that would be required is a couple oil changes or so (the owner wasn't sure he knew where the receipt was -- would that be a problem?) but a service receipt the owner showed me also noted he had declined reccommended maintenance and repairs and such a decision could void the warranty. It said he declined "coolant" and the owner said it was a power flush they wanted and that it was't required for the warranty and knowing how dealerships can be, I probably lean toward believing him but I was wondering if there was a place I could find out about warranty details on the web.
Thanks a lot in advance.

jlflemmons · November 2006

Brake rattle is caused by brake dust accumulating in the auto adjuster and the linkage in the drum getting a little loose. Not a safety issue, but all it takes is pulling the wheel and drum, spray out the dust with cleaner, tighten up the auto adjuster and you are good to go. Very common problem with Elantra's, there is a TSB issued on it, and it usually only happens once, when the new shoes are breaking in they drop a lot of dust into the linkage.

Coolant "power flush" is not required for warranty, but coolant replacement ever 30K miles is.

hellie1 · November 2006

I have a 2005 Elantra (19, 000 miles) that has had a bad heater "smell" for the past 2 days. Didn't need to use the heater today but wanted to check on it, when I turned it on it made a rattle, sounded like it was coming from the floor. Anyone know what that could be (hopefully something simple) and I'm noting some issue with warranty replacement in previous posts. I've had the usual oil changes consistently but no major work done, will that be a problem with dealer service?

TIA

nyer10 · November 2006

Thanks for the reply. So basically you don't think this should keep me from buying the car.
I think my plan will be to see if he can take it to his local Hyundai dealer in front of me or if we can take it to a mechanic and have it inspected just to be sure.
What do you think?

nyer10 · November 2006

OK, weird. Never saw that before ... I just noticed my original post was attributed to "mf15" -- whoever that is, but that's not me. I'm nyer10 but I posted that original message about the rattle when braking. Very bizarre.

Anyway ... can you also tell me what other warranty requirements would be if the car only has 7,500 miles on it? Amazingly enough, there's only about 7700 miles on it and it's an '04. Thanks.

backy · November 2006

1-2 oil changes, depending on whether the car has been driven under conditions that qualify for "severe service" in the owner's manual.

nyer10 · November 2006

Thanks, backy. Do you have any thoughts on the brake issue as well and whether this car seems like a viable option? It's priced very nicely so part of me is almost afraid of the too good to be true deal ...

backy · November 2006

I would have the owner fix the brake problem (since it's probably minor, but you never know...) before you buy it, if I were you. My own sister asked me to have the brakes checked on my '01 Elantra before she bought it last spring! Fortunately, after 45k miles of mostly in-town driving the fronts were still at 80% and the rears at 90%.

jlflemmons · November 2006

If the Hyundai dealer is worth his salt, he will know about the TSB and take care of it. It is something like a 15 minute repair and does not require the replacement of any parts, just a good cleaning.

butterflyjones · November 2006

First I want to say I know this post is over a month old but thought maybe you could help me with a similar issue with my 1986 Nissan PU that has an erratic tach. Only the tach bounces then dies after a few miles and the warmer the weather the quicker it dies. Could this be an issue with the coil?? BTW, this truck has 2 coils and I'm not sure which one would need changing. I've already posted a long time ago on the Nissan PU forums about this but didn't get any helpful info. sorry for getting off topic but need help. Power remains constant no issue with power it's just a bouncy then dead tach.

:sick:

jlflemmons · November 2006

I believe the '86 used a pick-up sensor in the coil firing the number one cylinder, number one plug. If you check the connections to the coils you should see that one has an extra wire going to it. That is the tach wire. Check to make sure it is clean and tight.

You may also just have a bad tach.

dekorai · December 2006

Hey all,

I bought a used 04 Elantra GT 3 days back with 60K miles (a lot I know, but I got a good deal pricewise for it). I got new Kumho tires put in at Sears. While coasting at 15-20 mph, there is a vibration and the whole car shakes. There is no vibration at higher speeds up to 80 mph. Any specific questions I should ask the guys at Sears when I take the car back to them? That's where I got the new Kumhos installed.

jlflemmons · December 2006

A vibration at that speed is not going to be tires. What may have happened is they improperly torqued down the wheel and warped the disc rotor. That will put a very distinctive virbration in the front end, and you can feel it when you use the brakes.

5port · December 2006

I had Sears install Kuhmo Ecsta 716 tires on my 01 GT a year ago. Just yesterday when I went to rotate the tires I snapped a T handle wrench trying to loosen the lugs! Sears has a tendency to way,way overtighten the lug nuts.

dekorai · December 2006

I'll tell the guys to take it easy with the lugs when I take it in this Saturday.....

lightfootfl · December 2006

Some places even know how to use (correctly) a torq wrench set to the proper requirements of the vehicles. However many places just use "super muscles" to tighten the lugs.

w9cw · December 2006

Wheel lugs should always be torqued to spec. Otherwise, you risk a real chance of warping the rotors and/or hubs on any car. Stay as far away as you can from tire shops who use an impact tool for installing wheels. Any good tire shop will always torque lugs using a micrometer torque wrench.

lightfootfl · December 2006

My point exactly.

dekorai · December 2006

I've had my used 04 Elantra GT the past 2 weeks and enjoy it for my 100 mile daily commute (didn't want to put too many miles on my 'still-new' 05 Honda CRV!). There is a weird smell that comes from the vents - almost a sweet kinda smell, but not burnt. Any idea what this could be? Initially, I thought it was a smell of a car sitting on the dealer for a month and would go away as I drove it, but the smell is noticeable especially when I am making a turn.

Will changing the cabin air filter help? I have no idea what service was done on this car before I bought it from the dealer with 61K miles on it.

backy · December 2006

You could try changing the cabin air filter (if it has one installed--I don't think they were standard for '04). But coolant can have a sweet smell. Have you checked under the hood?

Do you know if the 60k servicing was done? It is THE major service interval for the car--also at 120k etc. If not, you should have it done soon. It includes changing the timing belt, I think also coolant flush/fill and AT fluid (if it's an AT). The owner's manual has all the details.

jlflemmons · December 2006

Also make sure the drain for the vent system is not stopped up. If crud has gotten into it and the car sat for a while collecting leaves, etc, you may be smelling the automotive equivelent of a compost pile.

:surprise:

doohickie · December 2006

Yep, all good advice. When "sweet" is mentioned, I always think coolant. Check your coolant level; if it's low, pull up the front end of your carpet and see if there is any coolant under there. If so, heater core.

dekorai · December 2006

Thanks for all the advice! The car is in Sears getting a tire rebalancing. I asked them to see if the heater core is busted, which I am guessing is.

dekorai · December 2006

I was reading the manual for 04 Elantra and noticed I need to get the timing belt changed at the 60K mark. Can a Pepboys or Sears do it? I called the dealerships - one quoted $1,000 and the other quoted $500. What eclectic crack are they smoking?

Also, I notice the car hesitates (almost a knocking sound) at low revs in 4th gear (its an auto). Is this common with the Elantra's with auto?

backy · December 2006

Any mechanic who knows how to do the job can do it.

What are the RPMs when you hear this sound in 4th? If it's really low, the engine could be lugging. I find if I am cruising on level ground or downhill, I can get the revs down to about 1350-1400 before the engine starts to lug--or more likely down-shifts.

jlflemmons · December 2006

$500 is a little high, but in the ballpark. No, I would not let pep-boys or Sears touch the job. This is an area where a small mis-alignment in the timing belt can at best affect engine performance, and at worst bust the valves into the pistons, a very expensive mistake. A good mechanic can do the job, but I have never met a highly skilled mechanic in Sears or Pep Boys. Not saying there may not be one out there, but they would be the exception, not the rule.

Hyundai Elantra Maintenance and Repair

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