Hyundai Santa Fe (2006 and earlier)

jboz29 · January 2004

I am trying to find out how the TCS works on these Santa Fe's. I went to a hill on my property with snow on it, to try and see how it would do. IF I would get right on the base of the hill and try to go up it, the TCS light would come on and I would hear this clicking sound under the front end. I am wondering if this is normal or not. I got out while trying this and I can only see the front left tire spinning(left side tires only). It never made it up the hill either. Just need a little info on this topic. Thnx Jay

bigkahunafl · January 2004

Thanks for the response. Sorry took me so long to get back to you - been in Thailand for 3 weeks. My wife is too tall for the sunroof - your right, it takes up a lot of head-room. Did you add the anti-lock brakes? I also want to get the trailer hitch - got a bike rack for it.

skuuter · January 2004

Completely normal sound. The TCS operates using your brakes to prevent wheel spin. It probably would've made it up the hill if you'd been a bit more agressive and gave it a good running start and had the patience to let the TCS do it's job. Besides that, the stock tires aren't all that great for snow traction. The emphasis is on tire wear, not traction, I'm afraid.

waynesan1 · February 2004

I have a 2001 Santa Fe with 38,000 miles on it and just yesterday, much to my horror, I noticed the driver side seat is fading at about the area where my back pockets make contact. Does anyone know of a good seat cover that fits well and stays in place that can be purchased? Brand and store would be greatly appreciated.

cjb2486 · February 2004

Thailand sounds like a great trip. I'm envious. Anyhow, yes, my Santa Fe came with package 10 (I think that's what it's called), so it came with ABS and traction control among other things.

I added a trailer hitch myself. After I bought the car I called the dealer and got a quote of $650 to put on a hitch. Instead I went to etrailer.com and ordered one for around $130. The wiring harness cost a couple of bucks more. The hitch itself was a piece of cake to install, just bolt it into existing nuts that are welded to the frame. The harness that came from etrailer required me to take apart the interior of the Santa Fe, so I returned it and bought a harness from Pep Boys and spliced it into the rear lights. Everything works great. Yesterday, etrailer sent me an email giving me a discount code of x25y. Supposedly, it's good for a 10% discount. Perhaps it will work for you, too.
Hope this helps.

jboz29 · February 2004

My Santa Fe says 4WD drive on the back, not AWD. Doesn't this mean that all wheel should be spinning when i am trying to go up a hill in the snow instead of one? How can i make i up with one wheel? Still trying to figure out my vehicle.

thnx

docknow · February 2004

We purchased a 2003 Santa Fe GLS AWD in October 2002 and now have 32000 mile on it. My wife drives 52 miles one way every night to St Paul MN.
This vehicle has the 2.7 V6 and has plenty of power and very good acceleration. The only problem we have had is two days ago the check engine light came on and the error code was that one of the cooling fans on the radiator did not come on. It is going into the dealer this afternoon to find out if it is the fan motor or a sensor of some kind.

Based on the last fifteen months of ownership we would buy another Santa Fe AWD with no questions asked.

skuuter · February 2004

Jboz29,

If TCS is working, you shouldn't have any significant wheel spin. That's what TCS is supposed to prevent. When a wheel begins to lose traction, TCS is supposed to kick in and stop the wheel spin. If you are experiencing wheel spin like you would without TCS, then maybe it's not working. Are you sure you have TCS? Does the TCS light come on and do you hear a grinding noise when it lights up?

bigkahunafl · February 2004

Please let us know what the resolution was on your Santy.

dfrandin · February 2004

Hi;
My '01 Santa Fe is coming up for its 30K mile service and I plan to do the oil change and antifreeze change myself. I've had the transmission service done by a local garage, as I've never done a n autotrans fluid/filter change. I've done many antifreeze changes on previous cars, and expected to find a drain tap on the SF -somewhere- near the bottom of the radiator.. Nothing found! Has anyone done an antifreeze drain/flush/fill on an SF who can tell me -where- the drain's at??

Thanks in advance,
Dave Frandin
daveATfrandinDOTorg

jboz29 · February 2004

Yes, the TCS light comes on. I hear the clicking sound and the 1 tire is spinning thats it. So I am wrong in thinking i have a 4wd when it says it on the back or what it is going on? Is it AWD. Confused.

skuuter · February 2004

Are you saying someone is outside the vehicle observing this, i.e., that only one wheel is spinning?

If that is the case, then I'd be suspecting you have a FWD vehicle, not a 4WD, and need to get that resolved, or, your limited slip differential is not operating properly. This should work hand-in-hand with the viscuous coupling for the rear wheels. The possibility of both these not working seems remote to me, so definitely get it checked out. I could be talking out the wrong end here, but this certainly doesn't sound like 4WD/AWD to me, either.

jaserb · February 2004

As I recall, there's a great big plastic phillips head plug in the very bottom of the radiator - there's a hole in the bottom mounting brace you can get to it through. I scratched my head for a while, too. Just get the biggest phillips head screwdriver you can find and it should come right out.
I also did the tranny fluid change myself, mostly because the dealership wanted a mint and I didn't really trust Iffy Lube to do it with the correct fluid. From what I understand, you actually need to use genuine Hyundai ATF, and the stuff that says its compatible may not actually be. Not to induce widespread panic or anything, but you may want to have a friendly chat with your shop and make sure it really says "GENUINE DIAMOND ATF SP-II M" or whatever on the bottle. If not I'd try to get them to change it out with the correct stuff, as Hyundai definitely has justification to deny a warranty claim on a tranny using the wrong fluid.

It was actually pretty easy. Hyundai has a great resource out on the web for us do-it-yourselfers at www.hmaservice.com. Click on WebTech and you can get tech documents for every Hyundai ever sold in the US. It's better than a Chilton's book because you get the actual factory procedures, etc, for doing the maintenance work - oh, and because it's free! I even used it to swap out my spark plugs at 30k. Probably NOT recommended if you have a V6, as it's quite involved. I was glad my wife never saw how much of her car I had to tear apart to replace those plugs...

Anyway, this was probably TMI, but if you need any more info let me know.

Good Luck,
Jason

jaserb · February 2004

I completely forgot - the owner's manual also has a good section on DIY maintenance. Everything up to and including the coolant change is in there, as well as changing the spark plugs (on the 4 banger only.) The book walks you through a simple coolant change, not a full flush, but I figured as long as I keep doing it every 30k it will meet the warranty requirements.

-Jason

dfrandin · February 2004

Thanks for the tips.. if you think it's a major problem, I'll go to the Hyundai dealer and buy their ATF and change it out again since I just went by the shop I had change the juice and they "assured" me that the ATF they used was correct for the car.. I'm not sure I want to believe them, based on your tips.. I've yet to find it but does the webtech pages give the procedure for ATF change? I found the quantity of ATF needed, but I've never changed out ATF (always had a manual tranny, but my wife wanted automatic, and the SF's hers!) ..

jaserb · February 2004

I looked around, and I could not find ANY ATF that seemed to meet the specs other than the (overpriced) stuff at the Hyundai dealer. It was still way cheaper than having them do it. It was really pretty easy. There's tons of great info on the WebTech site. Among other things, I learned that there's a TSB to fix the problem where cruise control will disengage when going uphill at 75+ rather than downshifting (I thought that was just the way things worked!) and that there is no longer an external tranny oil filter to change, just an internal one that only needs changing if you rebuild the transmission - ie, no dropping the pan. Lemme look for a minute...

Okay, here it is. Go to www.hmaservice.com and click on Service Information then WebTech. Select your year, model, and engine from the drop downs and then click on the Shop tab. The trans fluid change procedure is under Transaxle/Transmission | Automatic Transaxle System | General | Basic inspection items. Don't be surprised if you don't end up refilling with the full amount specified in the book, since that amount is for a bone dry tranny - pretty much impossible to get without pulling the tranny. I'd dig a little deeper to see what kind of fluid your shop used, since you have a 100k mile powertrain warranty on the line and the right stuff is something like 3-4$ a quart.

Good luck,
Jason

skuuter · February 2004

I'd have to agree with JaserB. Have your local garage show you what brand and type of fluid they used.

From everything I've heard and read, Mitsubishi makes the Diamond Type fluid. There are shops that use the tranny flush equipment and use special additives for each job, depending on the fluid requirements.

My local Jiffy Lube did my tranny flush at 30K after I verified that the additive bottle label said it was Diamond Type SPII and suitable for Hyundai vehicles. Plus, I did this for my own anally retentive peace of mind. I figure if there's any issues, I won't mention the flush. At worst, I can sue Jiffy Lube and/or the additive manufacturer if it causes a warranty repair issue . I've got 16K on that first flush and have noticed no changes in the way the shifts work, fluid use or slippage. Next change, though, I'm having the dealer do it at 60K.

You do realize that the tranny flush is not required until 100K under the normal maintenance schedule?

jaserb · February 2004

Okay, just to ensure that we've bored everyone to tears. Skutter is right, the Hyundai and Mitsu specs are the same - Diamond SP-II/SP-III. I have yet to see a Quaker State, Pennzoil, etc. product that claims to meet these specs. Only really high $$$ fluids like Amsoil do. I wouldn't be as concerned if the shop actually used an additive like skutter's used. It makes sense to me that shops would prefer to use a product that converts a mainstream fluid like Dextron / Mercon to the proper specs, and as long as it's a big enough shop to stand behind its work that's fine. My main concern is that I have heard anecdotal evidence that some shops are using Chrysler ATF+3 as a direct crossreference to SP-III without any modifiers. This is VERY BAD.

From TSB 03-40-019 on the HMAService site:

USE OF NON-APPROVED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUIDS:

Only Hyundai SPIII is approved for use in Hyundai vehicles beginning with the 1996 model year. Use of aftermarket additives or other types of ATF, such as Chrysler/Mopar ATF+3, Dexron and Mercon, are not approved for use in Hyundai vehicles and may affect driveability or damage the transaxle. Damage caused by a non-specified fluid is not covered by your new vehicle limited warranty.

Pretty cut and dried, if you ask me. Use the stuff from the dealership.

-Jason

dfrandin · February 2004

Thanks for the advice.. God! What a can of worms.. I'll go back and bug the shop again, this time armed with the Hyundai TSB and make their day.. Now I -KNOW- why I've always bought manual tranny cars since I was a kid... You're right about the good docs on the hmaservice site.. That radiator drain plug is a joke.. As far as I can tell it's impossible to drain the radiator without making a mess, as the coolant exiting the plug won't go thru the access hole and into your drain pan, but goes all over the place.. Made a hell of a mess doing -that- job.. Based on your tips, I suspect the shop put the wrong stuff in, I think I may go buy the right stuff at Hyundai and get the shop to put it in under their "warantee"...

Dave

harry31 · February 2004

Looking at my '02 SF (V-6), I think it would be easier/cleaner to pull a radiator hose to drain the system.

docknow · February 2004

The problem with the cooling fan turned out to be a bad/loose connection in the engine compartment, which there was also a service bulletin, that cold weather would cause it to possibly loosen up. The week that this occurred the outside temperatures were a -26 below zero. Have not had any more problems since the connection was tightened up.

Docknow

jlitterer · February 2004

Going in tomorrow to probably purchase 2004 Hyundai GLS 3.5 4WD. Hope I'm making the right decision to purchase a Hyundai product. Have been reading these boards for a while now. Any words of encouragement would be gladly accepted! Jeff

skuuter · February 2004

Jeff,

I personally have no experience with the 3.5 or the 5 speed auto. The majority of the people owning these seem to be very happy with them. However, do keep in mind that almost all the transmission shift issues are occuring with this combo. I have owned a 2003 LX/4WD with the 2.7 and 4 speed auto since September of last year. We've put 8900+ miles on it and have had no problems other than a bad vent valve in the gas tank early on. That was covered under warranty and caused no inconvenience other than a "check engine" light. My wife and I have been very pleased with the reliability of our current and previous Hyundais. We've been buying Hyundais exclusively since 2000. My wife, for the first time since I've known her, is not reluctant to drive the Santa Fe when we're on longer trips.

Best of luck! I think you'll be very pleased.

andrelaplume · February 2004

We are thinking of purchasing a Sante Fe. Is there a gimmic with that year bumper to bumper warranty? Is it similar to the other brands 3 year bumper to bumper? Does Hyndai offer an extended warramty...say to 7/100K. What do they charge? Is the back seat roomy enough for 3? Whats the real story on gas mileage..pure city and city / highway mix?

(I know, I ask a lot of questions but I figure I'll get less biassed info here!)

avidmarc · February 2004

Hi all. My 99 Olds Alero died yesterday, and depending on how much it costs to repair it, I may be in the market to buy a new car. I drove a SF in July for about a week in Nova Scotia while on vacation. I really liked the car. It drove well, seemed solid in the construction and had plenty of power for me.

What I need to know for some of you SF owners is, what did you like/not like about your SF? How has it held up since you bought it? Are you happy and would recommend me buying one as well? Any opinions you could offer would be of great service to me. Thanks you in advance.

Avidmarc

skuuter · February 2004

Here's the details from Hyundai USA:

10-year/100,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty that covers most engine and transaxle components.
(* doesn't cover things like gaskets, belts, hoses or items covered under the B2B)

5-year/60,000-mile "Bumper-to-Bumper" New Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverage that covers nearly every new vehicle component with limited coverage of normal wear items like windshield wiper blades, oil filters, and engine fluids. Tires are covered by the tire manyfacturer's warranty exclusively. (* Light bulbs and AC recharging are covered for 12 months/12,000-miles.)

5-year/unlimited-mile 24-Hour Roadside Assistance that covers towing (including accidents), lock-out, flat tire, and jump-starting

5-year/100,000-mile Anti-Perforation Limited Warranty that covers corrosion-related rust-through of body sheet metal from inside to out

8-year/80,000-mile Federal Emissions Design and Defect and Emission Performance Warranty that includes the catalytic converter, engine control module and onboard emission diagnostic device

7-year/70,000-mile California Vehicle Emission Control Systems Warranty that includes 7-year/70,000-mile coverage on selected parts

3-year/36,000-mile Paint Limited Warranty

* my notes

    As for whether 3 people can fit in the back seat, I'd give a conditional "yes". The middle of the seat is not as comfortable as the outboard ends, but seems to be okay for kids. As an adult, I wouldn't want to sit there for a long time, though.

    Gas mileage depends on the configuration you buy, FWD or 4WD, 2.0 liter, 2.7 liter or 3.5 liter engines, and on the 2.0 liter base, whether you get a manual or auto transmission. For myself, with a 4WD 2.7, we average 20 mpg commuting 40 miles a day, mostly highway. In town driving results in closer to 18 mpg and trips can sometimes produce 24 mpg.

    Does Hyundai sell an extended warranty? They do, but only through dealers and (I believe) within 30 days of the sale. I don't see the point myself, as it seems rather redundant. Were you aware that you can purchase extended warranties as late as 50,000 miles as long as the vehicle is less than 10 years old? I.e., I'd only buy one when the factory warranty was about to expire and I had had problems I expected to recur or anticipated having problems with something in particular.

    Hope this helps!

jaserb · February 2004

The 5/60 bumper to bumper is just like the bumper to bumper on other brands. Your dealer will probably offer an extended warranty but I don't know if Hyundai has an official one or not. I guess my opinion is that most non-powertrain stuff that would be covered in the bumper to bumper would happen in the first 60k. Plus extended warranties don't generally cover stuff like brakes and front end alignments, so I'd probably pass on an extended bumper to bumper and save your money.

Back seat is really pretty roomy - wide enough for 2 adults plus a toddler seat, and enough legroom so my 6' father in law can sit behind my 5'11" self with no knee smashing.

We have a FWD with the 2.7 V6 and it gets around 20 in town, with as high as 24-25 on extended road trips. Only once or twice have we failed to break 20 on a tank. I understand the 3.5 engine and AWD don't do nearly as well.

Ours has held up really well so far, coming up on 3 years and about 43k miles. We really like the smooth ride and the back hatch design is fantastic - really easy to open and close, even for my tiny little wife with a handful of groceries and a screaming toddler. Oh, and we LOVE the heated seats, especially days like today when it won't hit 20 degrees. I'd like a little more power and a couple more inches of adjustment on the driver's seat. Maybe a third row jump seat like the Highlander, which is about the same size.

Bottom line, if we wrecked it today and needed another car we'd look hard at another Santa Fe. Unless we outgrow it quicker than we're planning we'll probably keep it for at least another 3-4 years.

-Jason

skuuter · February 2004

The only things I don't like about our 2003 LX 4WD w/2.7 liter are these few items:

1. No padding on the door arm rests

2. Backup lights are marginally useful

3. The transmission likes to stay in third gear too long sometimes when you're coming from a stop and going up any kind of grade

Otherwise, I find the Santy to be great for our purposes, which includes daily commuting and long trips with lots of stuff packed onboard.
The only thing I really would like to have is a passthrough in the middle of the back seat. It's been a very dependable vehicle for us.

tsberkey4 · February 2004

Sorry to hear about your car. I can tell you that my experience with my first Hyundai SF (2002.5 GLS FWD w/TC) has been overwhelmingly positive. I also drive a Mercedes C-class, so I guess you can say I expect a bit from my cars. We bought ours in May of 2002 and have driven 30K since then, including a trip to NYC in summer of 2002. Rather than bore you with everything we like about it, I'll tell you the few issues we have about it. One, it's just a little loud on the highway. Again, I am probably spoiled by my other car! Two, there are times I wish the rear seats reclined further back, but we knew about that before we bought it. (Actually, it's my son who has this concern!) Three, it really only seats 4 comfortably for any length. This doesn't affect us too often as we only have one child left at home since our daughter went off to college. Finally, the gas mileage is just a bit lower than we had expected. This seems to be a common complaint on most SF message boards that I have read. It seems to be that the AC really decreases your mileage, but on the other hand, if I am THAT concerned about gas mileage, I shouldn't be driving an SUV, eh?

As you can tell, the issues I have are very minor. We have had things that have gone wrong, but so has my MB. We happen to have bought both cars from dealers who have great reputations for service and have bent over backwards to please us. We live about 25 miles from the town where these dealers are and they have both made sure that we are on our way as soon as possible. This is the one variable that I can't stress enough. Make sure you check with other Hyundai owners in your area for their experiences.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Tim

andrelaplume · February 2004

I am going to drive one this week...

Anyone reccomend the 2.7 engine over the 3.5 or visa versa....what kind of city mileage can I expect from either?

jaserb · February 2004

If gas mileage is a big concern get the 2.7. If you're more worried about off-the-line power get the 3.5. The 2.7 is a little sluggish at first but has plenty of power for passing or going up hills.

-Jason

jlitterer · February 2004

Picked up our 2004 Santa Fe 3.5 GLS AWD yesterday. Pretty impressive for the limited time we've had it. I have 2 quick questions. There is a Hyundai Protection Plan that extends the Bumper to Bumper Warranty from 5/60 to 10/100. Did this have to be purchased at time of delivery (received "high pressure" tactics from the dealer finance guy!) or do I have time to purchase it during the basic warranty like other manufacturers? Can I buy it from Hyundai direct and at what cost? Thanks!
Jeff

andrelaplume · February 2004

what is the warranty cost to extend to 10/100K bumper to bumper...

ms350 · February 2004

According to Hyundai Customer Service, the extended warranty can be purchased up to one year from date of purchase. It can only be bought through a dealer, and there is no set price, it is determined by the dealer. You can call Hyundai CS at 800-633-5151 or go to their website for some info also. Good luck with your car!!

andrelaplume · February 2004

anybody bought a warranty......how much?

docknow · February 2004

We purchased the extended warranty in October 2002 on our 2003 GLS AWD. We now have 34000 miles on it and have only had it to the dealer once for a warranty repair. We purchased the extended warranty because it covered for the most part everything between 50000 and 100000. When I buy a vehicle I expect to drive it for a long time and as I stated we already have 34000 miles on it. Every car that I have purchased in the last ten years without extended warranty, I have had trouble and it has always been expensive, since I have been purchasing extended warranties I have not experienced any trouble. The cost from my dealer was $1100.00 for the extended warranty.

Even with the extended warranty I am hoping that I never have to use it.

bigkahunafl · February 2004

I am looking to buy a 2.7 GLS FWD with the following:
accessory group 4 (ABS)
tow hitch
front and rear mudguards
cargo trays

The local dealer is quoting me a price $20,100 before taxes and title.

Sounds like a good deal. Any comments?

jlitterer · February 2004

Just picked up my Santa Fe GLS this weekend. Noticed that the fog lamps work only when the headlamps are on (low beam) Other vehicles I've had (GM & Ford) allow the fog lamps to operate when either the parking lamps or the head lamps are on. Any easy way I can get my Santa Fe to do this as well?

harry31 · February 2004

jlitterer:

What do you consider easy? =;-)

This link <http://www.geocities.com/elusor/install/foglightmod.htm> should give you some ideas.

richsap · February 2004

Though I haven't bought the electrical manual to my '03 Lx yet, I can tell you that it will involve changing either the ground for the foglamp switch (it may currently get it through the headlamp relay) or changing the source wire in the same manner. If it is just the ground wire, it would be simple enough to ground it at some point once you know which wire it is. As posted earlier, it depends upon what you define simple as.

gemini56 · February 2004

What problems the Santa Fe seems to have usually centers around the automatic transmission. Any of you own a 5 speed stick shift Santa Fe? If so, how do you like it? Do you recommend it? The 2.4 engine seems to be about a decade old and should have the bugs worked out of it.

jlitterer · February 2004

Thanks Harry31 & Richsap for the info! I was hoping to find that under the hood, at the fuse block or at the fog lamp relay there might have been a way to "jumper" a particular wire. Don't really feel it's worth disassembling the entire dash to get them to function with just the parking lamps. Just installed mudflaps this weekend and am looking to install the rear hatch wind deflector. Any body put one on themselves?
PS: 1st tank was 21.5mpg and 2nd tank was 23.3mpg!
(3.5 V/6 AWD 5sp auto)

richardk · February 2004

I bought a 5-speed Santa Fe earlier this month, and I love it! It's much more responsive and fun to drive than an automatic. I'd recommend it without any reservation whatsoever. The problem was finding one. I sent a "request for quote" to ten dealers within 200 miles of my home. Collectively, those dealers probably had 150-200 Santa Fes in stock -- and four of them were 5-speeds. Three were in colors I couldn't live with, and the other one sold before I completed price negotiations. Ultimately, the sales manager at a dealership 200 miles away decided he was going to make the sale whatever it took. He offered me the best price of any of the ten dealers I contacted, offered to deliver the vehicle, and traded for a manual transmission Santa Fe at a dealership 200 miles in the opposite direction. Then he sent two guys to drive six hours to pick it up, another 3 1/2 hours to deliver it to my home, and four hours to go home. Beyond the call of duty, I'd say. If you have trouble finding a 5-speed, call Hyundai's consumer line, 800-633-5151. They will connect you with the regional sales manager for your area, and he can search all dealer inventories. Good luck!

bigkahunafl · February 2004

Does anyone know where I can get a .pdf file of the owners manual on-line?

I always like to have a manual available to me without going out to the vehicle to get it.

skuuter · February 2004

There's a couple of 2001 model copies on EBay right now.

jlitterer · March 2004

Anyone installed the rear window deflector on their Santa Fe themselves? Is it difficult? Thanks! Jeff

bigkahunafl · March 2004

No one has found a pdf for the Santy?

jason86 · March 2004

If somebody has a copy of it and scans it, I can write it to a pdf and I'm sure we can post it somewhere for everybody.

rscott · March 2004

So what do we think being offered this

2004 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 4wd

· 3.5L

· Merlot

· Cargo Tray

· Cross Rails

· $21,808 After the rebate, plus tax and fees

bmcadoo · March 2004

I have an 2003 LX and the gear shift makes a noise that I can't get rid of. I believe the chrome surrounding the Shifttronic is rubbing on the plastic casing around the whole thing. Sometimes the humidity affects if it is worse that normal.

Basically, any turn or bump I make, it makes a squeaking noise. It is annoying.

Anyone else have this problem and if so, were you able to fix it??
Thanks

Hyundai Santa Fe (2006 and earlier)

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