Hyundai Sonata Maintenance and Repair

albanybuddy · August 2003

Well the dealership felt it was a little unusual as well. I was made an offer to pay 1/4th the repair costs. After investigating I did find the warrenty does cover only to 12000 miles but under New York State Lemon law its covered two years or 18000 miles so I was still over the milage. I think I was lucky that they paid the majority of it. Rotors and all. I also realized that I have not had the tires rotated or brakes inspected at 6000 mile intervals. NOW I know. I thought it was part of the regular service> I was wrong. So make sure you know what is exactly being done during service. Have those brakes checked before it costs $$$$. Thanks Town Hall

mkoko · August 2003

I too have an 02 Sonata with the electrical problem. My car recently had problems starting (like a dead battery), but when I took it to the dealer, they told me nothing was wrong with the battery or charging system. Then the vehicle constantly cranked slow when starting, and at times when idleing everything would dim (lights, ac blower). A few times the power level got so low that the ABS and TCS warning lights started to malfunction. I had the charge system tested at autozone, and they told me the alternator was going bad. I confirmed this by running a voltage meter to the inside of the car and monitoring the voltage of the electrical system. After the car is running for a good 15 - 30 minutes, when at idle, the voltage would drop to 10-11 volts, and at times even lower than that. I also notice that after the car warms up a bit the voltage the alternator puts out while the car is driving drops form around 13.9 - 14.2 down to around 13.0 - 13.5. There is definately something wrong with the alternator, but the dealer would not replace it for the life of me. The advisor even went as far as telling me that voltage has nothing to do with the alternator. They replaced the battery, and told me everything is great now. But my voltage meter still shows the voltage drops down to around 12.0 - 12.4 volts at idle (because the battery is new and keeps the electrical running when the alternator stops putting out the proper power.

Some of you posted that you talked to your regional rep, and had the problem resolved. How do I go about doing this? I really want a different alternator in this car. I don't want to have to change my battery yearly, and the fact that the car isn't working properly really bothers me. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

ray_h71 · August 2003

1> Tell the dealer you want a conference between you, him, and a Hyundai rep. or,

2> Write or call Hyundai Customer Customer Care (The contact address and phone number are in your "Hyundai {whatever year} Owner's Handbook & Warranty Information" pamphlet.) to set up the meeting yourself. Expect the meeting to be at their convenience, not yours, since the reps like to schedule them with dealers to allow a number of issues to be dealt with every once or twice a month for efficiency.

jimsider · August 2003

Gentlemen:
Did anyone change the transm. fluid and filter on a 2002 Sonata GLS? My car dealer is about 30 miles away and I would like to do the job my self.
This is my first foreign car. I have been doing my own maintenance (on American cars) for 30 years.
Your input would be greatly appreciated!
Jim

noodtles · September 2003

My friend borrowed my car and drove it in 3rd at120 mph off and on for about 4 hrs. And the check engine light came on. The engine still runs good and only for like 30 mins at one time did the belt slip and wouldn't go past 80 in 3rd. I was wondering if this means he screwed up my trans or does it just mean that it needs a tuneup? And I was wondering why doesn't the sonata have overdrive?

jimbeaumi · September 2003

The Sonata DOES have overdrive, as most cars today do. It's the fourth gear on your selector. Even GM and Chrysler finally retired the last of their 3-speed transmissions. Your post is either a bad joke or you need to stop loaning out your car.

ray_h71 · September 2003

jimsider, like Honda automatics, the Sonata trannie does not have a user serviceable filter. There's no bottom "pan" as such, but there is a drain plug mounted on the bottom of the transmission. The Hyundai "new generation" trannie has a valve body "pan" visible from the top front of the car. Do NOT attempt to remove it. There's no filter there. I don't know the size of the drain plug, but it's a big'un and you'll probably have to buy the socket - I doubt you'll have one in your kit unless you're really well equipped. (I'd appreciate your posting back what socket size this plug takes since I'll be doing my first fluid change-out at about the 12,000 mile mark, myself.) The latest fluid "recommendation" is for a proprietary fluid, Genuine Hyundai SP-III, Diamond (Mitsubishi) SP-III, or SK SP-III (Korean, other Asian markets, and maybe Australia/New Zealand only, I believe). Kia (owned by Hyundai) also has its own SP-III spec fluid (curiously with exactly the same catalog number as the "Hyundai" brand fluid). In my area the Kia SP-III fluid is nearly a dollar cheaper at $3.99/qt., so check around if you're within driving distance of both makes. The Mitsubishi fluid was priced highest. To my knowledge there are NO aftermarket or major oil company suppliers of SP-III AT fluids, so forget hitting the Autozone, Pep Boys, K-mart, Wal-Mart trail. SP-III fluid is mandated for 2002 and newer Hyundai automatics and "strongly" recommended for earlier boxes when SP-II is specified. (It does improve shift-quality considerably.) Whatever you do, do NOT use good ol' G.M. "Dexron" I, II, or III spec. "universal" AT fluid. You'll get harsh shifts and torque convertor lockup "judder" within a few hundred miles. Type "F" AT fluids would be even worse. Left in long enough, Dexron will cause damage to the proprietary clutch and brake friction facings internally. At that point you'd be looking at an expensive trannie rebuild. These boxes take 8.2 quarts of fluid. The Sonata shop manual recommends removing the return line from the transmission cooler at the transmission, starting the engine, and directing the fluid flow into a suitably sized container. This will remove just about all the fluid and flush the cooler simultaneously. You'd need someone to watch to let you know when fluid stops flowing so you can shut the engine off before the trannie runs more than a few seconds dry (not good). The shop manual recommends two flushes this way, minimum - additional if there's evidence of burnt fluid on the original drain (smokey odor and the loss of the expected bright red color). Personally, I don't plan to follow this proecedure. For one thing I don't like the notion of molesting the transmission's return port any more than necessary. (Overtorqueing the line connection to the point of stripping the soft aluminum threads can leave you with a real bad day.) I also don't like the notion of potentially damaging the trannie with ANY dry running, regardless how briefly. There is an alternative. Honda recommends in their Accord owners' manuals to simply drain the trannie through the drain plug, refilling, driving several miles to mix the new and remaining fluid, and then repeating the procedure two more times. Honda claims those three drain-refill cycles will flush all the old fluid out very effectively, but I plan a fourth cycle on my Sonata just to be certain. (I did just that on my old '96 Accord, and it all worked like a charm.) Have a new drainplug washer handy, but you probably won't really need it. Use the old washer during your drain/refill cycles and wipe the case down dry. Unless you see evidence of leakage on your return home each time, the old one is good to go. However, if you DON'T have a new one handy, you KNOW what'll happen...

tapany · September 2003

I don't see that anyone else has reported this problem, but the last time I had my car washed I noticed that there were small rust spots, ranging in size of a pin head to 1/8 inch all over the car. Our Sonata is silver and we've only had it for about 6 months.

Is anyone else experiencing this problem (better go check!) and if so, what are you/have you done? I'm going to call our salesman, but I'm already anticipating a drawn-out process of getting the problem taken care of.

ray_h71 · September 2003

The salesman? Get real - he's not gonna fix your car. Take your car to your, or another, Hyundai dealershop's -SERVICE DEPARTMENT-. By the way, if you dig your "Hyundai 2003 Owner's Handbook & Warranty Information" booklet out of the glovebox (it's packed in with all the other Hyundai crap that no one but me bothers to read in that cheesy vinyl foldout pouch), you'll discover on page 16 that general paint repairs are covered for 3 years/36,000 miles, and cosmetic imperfections visible at delivery are covered for 1 year/12,000 miles. Another thing to consider: those spots might not really be rust. Insect droppings look for all the world like rust, too.

notveryhappy · September 2003

I bought a new 4 cyl. Sonata on Aug. 8, within 3 weeks I was having the brake pedal suddenly "drop" at lights intermittently, the car pulled to the right, and seemed to be losing some of it's pep. I noticed the gas gauge never went to full either. I took it in and all they did was add some brake fluid.

The following week I had to take it in as the belt was squeaking, and they adjusted the belt, gave it an alignment and said all was well.

The following week, I had to have it towed in as the knocking noise from the engine scared me half to death, I didn't know what was wrong. They said they needed to replace the belt as adjusting it hadn't fixed the problem. Driving it home after this it seemed to have regained some of it's pep and the air conditioner ran cooler.

Has anyone else experienced any of these problem? Isn't it unusual for a belt to be bad at only 300 miles?

I need to take it in again this week in order to have the gas gauge fixed as it still never goes all the way to full. It goes to 7/8 if you fill it and then within 50 or so miles it is down to 1/4 of a tank. They told me to bring it in at at a 1/4 of a tank, and I asked which 1/4 the real one, or the one it says, as I wouldn't know when it is really at 1/4.

Is anyone having any of these problems?

jimsider · September 2003

Ray thanks so much for your informative response.
I plan to follow your advice in a few months.
The socket size for the drain plug is 15/16 of an inch (or 24mm). I used the 15/16 because that is what I have available. If you are willing to buy it it costs around $4.00
Many thanks again.
Take good care!

Karen_S · September 2003

Someone over in Elantra Owners is having a similar problem. One suggestion is that it could be due to "rail dust".

Elantra Owners: Problems & Solutions.

ray_h71 · September 2003

If the serpentine belt failed at 300 miles or 600 miles (which was it?), it may have been installed incorrectly at the factory or just been a bad belt. If just one rib of a serpentine belt hangs over the edge of just one pulley, the belt will be chewed up very quickly. The gas gauge on my '03 Sonata does go to "full" upon fillup. (My last car, a '96 Honda Accord, had a gas gauge that went "ABOVE" full. Go figure.) I've now got 7,500 miles on my Sonata and the needle doesn't drop to the 3/4 mark until 110 miles have lapsed since fillup. But, when the car was bright-shiny brand new, it hit the 3/4 mark at about 75 miles. Why would this be? The engine was still breaking in. As to why your gas gauge never reads above the 7/8 point, the two most likely causes that cross my mind are either a faulty gauge or a faulty tank-mounted sending unit. Either will be covered under your basic 3 year/36,000 mile warranty, so don't get too alarmed yet. These really are pretty well designed and built cars, but Hyundai, like all other car manufacturers, is subject to the whims of suppliers' QC and Hyundai happy-merry worker bad hair days.

ray_h71 · September 2003

THANK you, Jim! You saved me some time and now I know exactly what I need and what I should expect to pay. Inch and metric, no less!

msdott · September 2003

I have an '03 Sonata and had to make 4 trips during one week to dealer because "ck eng" kept coming on. I have only had this car 90 days and ever since I've had it the blower speed flucuates as though it is in "AUTO". I spoke to serv tech about it and they told me they could not duplicate the problem. It continues sporadically, so I called and I am told the same thing. Has anyone else had this problem and have you found corp office (Hyundai National Consumer Affairs) to be very rude? In essence, I'm being told there is nothing they can do about this unless it can be duplicated. They have not offered to keep my car for an extended time to do this. During the last visit for the "ck eng light" I had to force the issue for them to keep it until it was fixed and demand alternate transportation.

ray_h71 · September 2003

I'm unsure what your current complaint is - the "Check Engine" light or the fluctuating HVAC blower speed.

If you're still having the light come on, take your car to a different Hyundai dealer. Any Hyundai tech worth his salt would know to hook up the diagnostics scan tool and read the malfunction code(s) that are stored from an initial "Check Engine" light event to have a reference from which to further diagnose the problem(s). The onboard diagnostic code generators common to all current cars are a great idea, but it still takes good ol' fashioned sleuthing skill to come up with the final diagnosis.

If your complaint currently is the fluctuating HVAC blower speed, you may or may not really have a problem. Some fluctuation is to be expected in heavy stop-and-go traffic with the blower on high and the air conditioning operating. These are high electrical load devices and can tax both battery and alternator at crawl speeds. However, if the starter motor sounds like it's laboring to start the engine, you may have an undercharged or defective battery. If the battery is undercharged, there could be numerous causes including poorly tightened cables at the battery, the alternator, and/or the starter motor. But, it could also be more complicated including a faulty alternator, or even the starter motor - which would put higher demand on the battery to crank the engine at startup. All of these devices CAN be tested on the car, and Hyundai's shop manual details the individual procedures how to do it. Doesn't sound like your dealer's electrical tech(?) wants to bother which is why I initially advised seeking out another Hyundai dealer for help.

And, if there's a constant under-voltage in the electrical system, THAT could also be responsible for (wait for it) a "Check Engine" light event in some cases.

rattfink111 · October 2003

Hi, my AC recently burned out and i got a new compressor installed, but it keeps burning out! Whenever it burns out, the AC belt keeps breaking and falling off... is there a problem with my engine? Now the ck engine light keeps coming on and my engine idles at around 2000rpm.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

ray_h71 · October 2003

The entire A/C compressor "burns out"? Or the clutch? If the clutch keeps failing, I'd wonder whether the installer(?) is tightening too much tension into the belt. That could cause A/C compressor clutch bearing failure and maybe A/C compressor bearing failure, too. However, if the A/C compressor, itself, keeps failing internally, I'd have to wonder if the installer(?) is bothering to add the required amount of -synthetic- refrigerant oil in... (1994 and later A/Cs on all U.S. and Canadian cars use arctic ozone layer-friendly R-134 refrigerant and this stuff requires a special, rather pricey, synthetic refrigerant oil. Not all the pressurized refrigerant oils-in-'o-can comply.) If the A/C compressor seizes up from lack of lubrication (or -proper- lubrication), the belt would shriek like a banshee before shearing. I have no idea whether your "Check Engine" indicator light is somehow related to your A/C compressor problem or not. But, it does sound like you need to have the stored error codes read and the mechanical malfunctions attended to by a Hyundai dealer service department. Diagnosing computerized car engine problems has pretty much gone beyond the capababilities of shadetree mechanics these days.

difrancesco · October 2003

My battery light has come on on 3 different occassions. The last time it came on, my car began to have a burning smell and the rear defroster would not work. I called the mechanic I usually use, and he said it sounded like the alternator. He told me to stop after work, and he would take a quick glance at it. I did, and he also noted the smell and checked the battery. He said I was "running on juice" and not to run anything (radio, lights, etc.). He said to take it to the dealership for the warrenty. I did, and the dealer told me "nothing is wrong with the car". Now, the rear defrost is working, the battery light is off, and it is not smelling. However, I still question whether this could be the alternator. Obviously, something is wrong with the car, or I would not have had these problems. However, since it didn't do it for the dealer, they are saying it is fine. I just picked it up tonight and am frustrated, fearing that is surely going to happen again (hopefully not on my way to work one morning!). I've read a lot about alternator problems from other people. Did you also experience the burning smell? Has anyone else experienced the burning smell, battery problem,and/or rear defrost problem? Please help me!

ray_h71 · October 2003

If it were my car, I'd take it to a different dealer, pronto. Doesn't sound like your selling dealer's service department want to bother running some basic electrical system diagnoses. You may have an intemittant overcharge condition that could end up damaging the battery or the car's wiring harness. Your temporary loss of the rear window defroster sounds like a circuit breaker was saving your bacon.

notveryhappy · October 2003

The belt started squeaking at 300 miles and they adjusted it. At 600 miles the belt came off or broke or something and they replaced it.

The issue with the gas gauge turned out to be the sending unit. The gauge would read 7/8 when full and then drop down quickly, it would show empty when it really had over 1/2 a tank left. They assure me that my gas mileage will improve since this fix. I was getting 17 mpg. then and about 18 mpg now. They also told me it needs to be broke in before the gas mileage gets better.

Since these issues, the dealership has replaced a "dryer" for the air conditioner which was recalled.

Now I have to take it in for the door handle. The inside door handle on the drivers side has started to peel apart. I noticed it when I cut my fingers on something sharp when opening the door. Apparently the door handles are made of plastic and have a coating of metal or thin heavy plastic to make it look like metal. Whatever it is, it is very sharp and sliced my fingers when I opened the door. When I looked at the handle I could see that it is white plastic underneath this chrome coating which is peeling off.

These may be nice cars and I certainly hope so, I'm going to be driving and paying for it for a very long time.

droe77 · October 2003

I have an 2002 Base Sonata with a V6.

I bought it brand new in June of 2002 and have put about 32K miles on it since then. No major complaints, but one annoyance I was wondering if anyone had any insight on.

I received a recall this past Spring that had to do with an O2 sensor and the need for it to be re wired. I had this work done, and about 3 months later (This past June), my Check Engine light came on. It was quickly fixed by the dealer and the service tech mentioned something about the original re wiring job being incorrect.

About 2 weeks ago, the check engine came on again. As a side note, this happened 1 day after having the car at the dealer for its 30,000 mile service (Had it done at about 29,500, if that info helps). Upon taking it to the dealer, I had expressed my concern about this happening multiple times. He mentioned the fact that the car has 4 O2 sensors and I'm curious if they're malfuntioning one by one, or if there's something going on with the O2s that I'm not aware of?

Anyone else had this experience? If so, was it resolved?

droe77 · October 2003

One more post! I'm a new member.

Also had one other small problem. The last time I rotated my tires, the person doing said that he couldn't, because on the right front wheel, one of the nuts was on in such a manner that the lug etiher was already, or was about to snap. I took it to a tire specialist, who had to break the lug off and replace it. He mentioned that this was a common problem with Hyundias. Anyone else experienced it?

Thanks!

ray_h71 · October 2003

First of all, regardless what the dealer's tech told you, replacing the fuel tank sending unit (a float-activated variable electrical resistor that "drives" the fuel gauge) WON'T increase your gas mileage at all. It'll (hopefully) resolve the fuel gauge's erratic operation. Your gas mileage never really suffered since, by your own statement, when your gauge read near empty, you really had half a tank of fuel remaining. The advice that mileage would continue to improve as the engine breaks in was correct though. While most break-in occurs during the first 600 - 1,000 miles, it won't be completed until after 10,000 miles. I'm at 7,800 miles on my V-6 and am getting 24+ mpg combined town/highway and 31+ mpg on the highway. I imagine as you pile more miles, you'll do at least as well unless you routinely lead-foot the accelerator pedal.

The door handles are plastic with a three-layer metal coating - nickel is bonded directly to the plastic, then copper, and finally aluminum, for final appearance, are successively electroplated to the nickel base. Copper is used because it has a much stronger affinity for nickel than aluminum does, but has a very strong affinity for aluminum, too. Done right, this technique is very durable, but if the plastic was not properly prepped squeaky clean prior to the base nickel overlay, the overlay (and successive metal electroplatings) won't remain bonded to the plastic. Hopefully your experience was a fluke and neither the replacement handles nor any of the remaining original handles will suffer the same defect. But DO keep the service receipt for the warranty replacement so that if there's further metal plating peeling, you'll have proof that it happened previously.

vik_sonata · October 2003

Hello all, I see that some of you have minor problems. But all of us mostly are the owners of Sonata 2002 and newer. I got 02 V6 since Dec 2001. So far only had fuel sensor re-placed. And one pair of Michellin almost worn out - 32000Km. I did rotation every 10000Km though. My concern is about Sonata's life span. As you probably know that engine and transmission on Hondas, Nissans, Toyotas, BMWs and some other cars can go more than 300-400K. ( I am talking about V6). There is opinion that Hyundais go just 100K. And after that they start falling apart. At this point I'd like to ask all of you if you have any statistics or experience on it. I am leasing my car and thinking about to buy it after. Thank you in advance.

747pilot · October 2003

My 2004 Sonata has 680 miles on the odemeter. Tonight When I was driving home the check engine light came on. I was stopped at a light waiting to turn left. The Second I hit the gas pedal the light came on. The car ran fine before and continued to run fine after the light came on. I can't feel any difference. When I got home I checked the gas cap. It was as tight as it can get. I heard several clicks.

My experience with check engine lights is they are emissions related. Something must have tripped the computer when I excelerated. Since the car runs okay I will give it 50 miles to reset. If it does not reset I will take it to the dealer for repair.

redac99 · October 2003

Went to the showroom they have 2003 Sonata on sale, I wonder if this car is as realiable as it looks, they offered $16000 after rebate, is it a good deal? And 100,000 miles/7 yr power tran warrente I wonder what kind of problems have you folks encountered????

safetyred · October 2003

the powertrain warranty is not 7 yr./100,000. it is 10 yr./100,000 miles. just for your info.

747pilot · October 2003

As a follow up for my check engine light problem it has not reset. Today I noticed excessive sulfer smell coming out of the heat vents and outside the car.

I am a little concerned about whats going on. I called the dealer today and will be taking it in on Wednesday morning.

747pilot · October 2003

I took my 04 Sonata into the dealership today so they can fix the check engine light. It turned out to be a bad 02 Sensor replaced under warrantee.

The dealership did a pretty good job. It was fixed within 1 hour and the gave a free car wash coupon and a complimentary newspaper. Not many dealerships do that. Even ones that sell much more expensive cars.

mblake1 · October 2003

I have a 2000 Sonata, automatic-great condition. Got into car to go to work--wouldn't start. Starter made the same noise you hear when you try to start a car that already is running. Took it to the dealer (who kept it for 3 days) He charged me for an oil change. Said the problem was caused by oil getting into the gasoline. What the @!#%?? Starter does work fine now. What does one have to do with the other and I thought if oil was in your gasoline it was time for a ring job. Anyone out there figure this one out? Thanks for your input.

ray_h71 · October 2003

Sounds like your dealer's service writer or tech was playing head games with you or didn't know his derrier orifice from a hole in the ground. Gas can get into the oil (for the reason you mentioned, among others), but I can't imagine how the reverse would be true. Fuel pumps are no longer driven by the engine since fuel injection systems use an electric fuel pump immersed in the fuel tank. There might be an avenue available for oil to get into the fuel system with a whacko fuel vapor recovery system, but if that were the case, your invoice would've indicated repair work to such under the emmision's warranty provisions. Even at that, it would be a stretch. And, even if there were, a draggy starter would not likely be among the symptoms.

What I'm more concerned about from the symptoms you described is COOLANT getting into the oil. If you have a blown head or intake manifold gasket, water could be drawn into the intake manifold and enter one or more combustion chambers. (Bad News) It would be unnoticeable with the engine running since the vaporized moisture would mostly exit through the exhaust, with some blowby accumulating in the sump. (Bad News, too, but not immediately catastrophic*) But, once shut down, residual liquid would condense in one or more cylinders and would then act as a hydro-lock when you tried to restart.

*Coolant is not a good lubricant and will eventually cause main and rod bearing failure if present in the sump and being constantly replenished because of a leaking gasket. If your radiator coolant level is decreasing, and/or you got a milky, mayonnaise consistency glop on the underside of your oil fill cap, you got problems. Problems that are Hyundai's problems if your car is still under warranty and if you've followed your owner's manual's maintenance schedule religiously. Even if things seem OK, I'd suggest you submit an oil sample for analysis at your next change. An analysis will unequivocally indicate the presence or absence of water and antifreeze in the used oil. Well worth the $20.00 cost if it saves your engine or puts the kabosh on stupid dealer tricks. You can get a free sample submission kit by request from:

Blackstone Laboratories
4929 South Lafayette Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46806-2211

The kit allows legally mailing the sample for analysis. Their turn-around time is 48 hours from receipt and they email the results and forward a hard copy via snail mail.

(By the way, I'm not an employee, dealer, or stockholder for/of Blackstone, but I have used their services during the break-in period of my '03 Sonata.)

doobie4 · November 2003

I bought a 2002 base sonata in January '03 and really like it except for the locks. They will automatically relock at random times. For instance I may unlock the door and open it and a second later they will lock and then the kids can't get in. Or I will unlock the doors and we will all get in and I'll drive for a few feet and they'll lock. Or they may stay unlocked and lock after driving for a few minutes. Once I even put my window down (and I did not also touch the lock button) and they locked. If I press the unlock button of course they will unlock but they may or may not lock themselves immediately again. I find this not only annoying but dangerous as once the doors are locked you cannot manually pull on the interior door handle and open the door. You have to press the button on the door. What if there is an accident and the electrical system goes and I'm stuck in the car? I took the car to the dealer and they reset my remote for me. That solved the problem for a day but then it started right up again. I took it to another dealer and he "couldn't duplicate" the problem and I was told to bring it back when it does it again. My husband said he works with a woman who has an Elantra that does the same thing and she also could not get it fixed. Is this a common problem with Hyundai? Does anyone know what is wrong? Thanks!!

747pilot · November 2003

Twice now I have noticed that my low fuel light has not come on. First time I ran it down to empty it took 13.7 gallons and last night it took 14.3 gallons. Both times my gas gauge displays empty but no low fuel light. At what point should the low fuel light come on?

ray_h71 · November 2003

Your Sonata has a 17.2 gallon fuel tank. The "low fuel" warning light's sending unit is calibrated to come on when the fuel level in the tank falls to between 1.5 - 2 gallons (varies with individual sending unit tolerances). However, in neither case you cited did you really have fewer than 2.9 gallons left in your tank. Your fuel gauge is "off" a bit, but I'd rather have a gauge that registers empty, though the tank still actually has several gallons, than one that registers above empty when the pickup tube starts sucking air.

ray_h71 · November 2003

I've had two such incidences myself. In one case it turned out that my key fob transmitter was jammed in my trouser pockets in such a way that the "Lock" button was intermittantly depressed. In the other case, I'm not sure, but I suspect that I was near enough a radio interferrence operated automatic door that was transmitting on or about the same frequency of my alarm system that it tripped it - not supposed to happen with rotating digital codes, but... Like so many systems in cars these days, the alarm system is more related to computer technology as not. There IS a way YOU can reset your alarm system when it gets "confused": use the transmitter to disarm the system. If the transmitter is NOT available, the system WILL disarm on its own after 30 seconds. One other possibility comes to mind with your difficulties. Could someone - yourself or one of your children - have unlocked a door or the trunk with the KEY prior to disarming the system with the transmitter? If that were the case, the still armed alarm would go off unexpectedly at some point after opening any door, the trunk lid, or the hood. Finally, if all else fails to disarm the alarm system, put the key into the ignition and and turn it to the "On" position (without starting the engine, though). After 30 seconds of the alarm sounding, the system will reset to the disarmed state. You can read all about this in your owner's manual on pages 1-6 through 1-8.

doobie4 · November 2003

Thanks for answering! I know about the disarm state but the car is never really armed. My husband doesn't have the remote on his keyring so I always lock the doors with the button in the car. That way when he unlocks the door with the key the alarm doesn't go off(and then he has to find my keys to get the remote, etc!!) It's not the alarm that goes off it's just that the locks will lock all by themselves. Also I'm positive that neither myself nor the kids are hitting the locks as sometimes I barely take my thumb off the unlock button on the remote when I hear them lock again. I must say however, that since I took it to the second dealer to have it fixed it hasn't been happening too frequently. Of course the car wouldn't do it while the mechanic was looking at it so he couldn't really fix it but he must have played with the lock/unlock buttons so much that maybe it kind of fixed itself. Thanks for trying to help -- if it starts up a lot again I'll have to take it back in and see what they can do.

charlie616 · December 2003

I bought my 2003 Sonata GLS-V6 WITH ABS option for $15,800. I know this was a great deal.
My sticker price was $18,900.. or very close to $19,000.

I think Sonata is a great car.
If you want a bit firm ride, have your tire pressure at 33 psi or 35psi. I think the mfg recommendation is 30psi, but it's way~~ too~~ soft.

flameout00 · December 2003

Not sure if this is normal, as my past few cars didn't do this. When I start my cold engine, the idle seems to be quite high for about 30-45 seconds, then it returns to normal. The temps have been cold here in western PA recently, but don't know if that is the reason.

I'm also a little concerned about my transmission shifting pattern. It seems to really wind out when I am going up a hill before it will finally shift. BTW, this is a 2004 Sonata GLS V6 with about 500 miles on it

ray_h71 · December 2003

The fast idle is set by the ECM (engine control module - a computer). When cold, the engine is fed a slightly richer fuel mixture and the idle speed is set higher to compensate for poor low temperature fuel atomization and evaporation - even -with- fuel injection. This has been true even all the way back to carburetor equipped engines. ECM equipped cars allow for the fast idle and leaner mixture to take place sooner, though, than the more primitive carberetor equipped engines ever could. Just HOW quickly, though, is a function of the ambient temperature.

Your transmission shift patterns are also set by the ECM. Not only that, but the ECM uses adaptive learning algorithms to tailor the shift patterns and shift quality according to -your- driving style. Pulling a hill would logically result in delayed upshifts since the engine's under higher load.

From the descriptions you provided, it sounds to me like your new car is behaving normally. I drive a 2003 Sonata with the 2.7 liter V-6, too, and it mimics the behavior you've noted. These "Delta" engines have proved reliable if not temperamental exotic powerhouses. At 500 miles your engine and transmission are by no means fully broken-in and won't be until after 20,000 miles. Most will have ocurred by around 10,000 - 12,000 miles, though. If you plan to keep your Sonata long term, then, with 500 miles on the engine, I'd suggest an early oil and filter change, by the way. The owner's manual does not advise it, but most break-in wear occurs during the first 500 miles and there are factory leftovers that are better elliminated than trusted to the oil filter for the duration of a normal oil change interval. Subsequent break-in occurs at a much slower pace. Your second oil and filter change should then be performed at the mileage advised in your owner's manual according to severity of service. Hyundai DOES recommend in the owner's manual to maintain speed no higher than 55 mph during the first 1,200 miles and alter the speed frequently to help seat the piston rings. (I suspect these days I'm about the only driver who bothers to follow THAT advice, though, but I firmly believe it pays off in lower fuel and oil consumption during the engine's service life, and also results in longer service. 300,000+ miles is not at all unreasonable to expect if the engine is maintained properly even when conventional motor oils of the minimal specified quality are used. I've settled in with Chevron Supreme "ISOSYN" 10W-30. Pennzoil with "PureBase", Mobil Drive Clean, and Castrol GTX are also excellent choices and are generally more widely available than the Chevron oil. All are "conventional" motor oils and all are purported to include molybdenum as an extreme pressure/anti-wear additive as well as zinc dialkyldithiophosphate [ZDDP] used in the same capacity.) Best of luck with your new car!

flameout00 · December 2003

Ray, thank you for that informative reply. Glad to know that what I am experiencing is normal behavior. I have almost 700 miles now. Guess I should get that oil changed. Sounds like a good idea changing it at 500. I remember when I bought a new Harley, they had a 500 mile checkup which included an oil change.

I have taken it well above the 55 mph range though, but never for more than a few minutes. I'm on my third tank of gas, and checking my mileage on my last fill up, I was getting right about 16 mpg. Hopefully it will get better

airbrush · December 2003

Hi, I have a 2003 Sonata with only 19000 km. I have an unusual problem with it. When driving on the highway at crusing speed (100-120 km/h) the car occationally jurks or bucks. That is the best way I can describe it. It almost feels like the transmission changes from 4th to 3ed and back again in a split second. There is no indication of the RPM changing when this happens and it happen in about ½ a second. There is no noise, when it happens and the car continues down the highway otherwise unaffected. I drive on the highway every day comuting back and forth to work and this happens about once a month. I have described this to the dealer but they say if they cant reproduce the symtom, then they cant diagnose it. The dealer suggested I change my gas to primium, which I did and it did not correct the problem. Also the dealer said he never heard of anything like this.

Has anyone out there experienced this problem? If you have did you solve the problem and what was the solution?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

ray_h71 · December 2003

If you're absolutely certain the engine speed does not change, even for a split second, it doesn't sound like a powertrain issue. If you do happen at some point to notice a brief waver of the tach needle associated with what you describe, I would venture that engine load in certain situations might result in brief disengagement and re-engagement of the transaxle's torque convertor lock. ALL automatic transmissions in passenger cars use a torque convertor locking clutch to achieve a mechanical lock between engine and driven wheels to maximize efficiency. However, during some situations - negotiating hills or accelerating, the lock my be intentionally disengaged briefly or even longer depending on how long the extra load is applied to the engine. You haven't had the transmission fluid changed to other than Hyundai's recommended "SP-III" type have you?

allodia · December 2003

allodia · December 2003

I have a 2001 Hyundai Sonata. I was driving home form work one day, and I pressed the gas to get up a hill, and the car just dropped all RMPs, and I thought maybe I had cut the car off some how, so I tried to put it in neutral and tried to start it and it would not start. I got my step dad to look at it, and he said that I had no oil in the car and my computer system shut the car off, so it would noy blow the motor but now it will not start, or even spark. It turns over, but will not start up. I was wondering if I need to have the computer system reset or if there is a secret reset buttom in my car. Please if anyone can help me let me know what to do, or what is wrong.

airbrush · December 2003

Thanks for your reply.
Yes I thought that it might be the torque converter. However, the slight change you mention is noticeable when negotiating hills. But the buck I am experiencing is much more abrupt, and it has only happened on straight flat highway? The engine RPM does stay steady when this happens. I have not changed the factory transmission fluid either. I read somewhere that a faulty O2 sensor or mass flow sensor could cause this symptom. Any ideas?

ray_h71 · December 2003

Well, if it were my car, I'd take it into my dealer's service department rather than knock myself out trying to diagnose the trouble. I'm not trying to dismiss your complaint, but it's really Hyundai's problem under the basic or emissions warranty. I can't imagine that Hyundai Canada has appreciably different warranty provisions than Hyundai U.S.A.

airbrush · December 2003

Yes, and there lies my problem. The service center said they could not reproduce it therefore they can"t do anything about it. I discussed this at length with the service manager but that was their stance. I am hoping someone in cyberspace will recognize the problem and know of a fix. So I can tell the dealer what to do! I know I shouldn't have to do that but it doesn't seem like I have any other choice.

ray_h71 · December 2003

Time to call Hyundai Customer Care and demand their intervention. Be assertive, but not hostile.

cmsummary · December 2003

I bought a 2003 Sonata, 4 cylinder and automatic transmission. When I'm in my driveway and in D gear, if I take my foot off the brake the car rolls back all the way, unless I put on my brake or give it gas, I had automatics before and they might roll back and stop immediately but this one doesn't, Is this a problem? or this is how Hyundai makes their transmissions.

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