Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

samberry · July 2006

Thank you guy so much for your advice! I actually just have one more question.. what is the best brand of oil to use for oil changes, especially for a car with high mileage? I've been told that the brand I've used in the past was "too thin" and now want to make sure I get it right.

snakeweasel · July 2006

Two questions, what type of environment do you drive in and what type of oil was used in the past?

doohickie · July 2006

I wouldn't worry about brand so much as viscosity. I think the owner's manual says to use 5W30 or 10W30. If you want to put the best possible oil in, go with a synthetic.

snakeweasel · July 2006

But he is buying a car that has over 100K miles on it, so if its been run all that time with dino squeezings switching to a synthetic might not be the best thing to do.

jlflemmons · July 2006

Unless the engine has had synthetic up until now, I would stay with regular oil. If the engine has had regular oil changes, stay with a "standard" grade of oil unless you start seeing excessive oil consumption.

As far as what to use, you cannot go wrong with Castrol GTX. Depending upon the temps in the area where you live you could use anything up to a 10W30. If you are in an area with cool summers and cold winters, you might want to look at 5W30 or even 5W20. If there is still an owners manual in the car it will show the preferred viscosity for the average ambient temperature.

Jim

jvenezia · July 2006

I put a full synthetic (Amsoil series 2000 0W30) in my '05 and change it and the filter every six months. I live in the Thumb of Michigan...humid and hot in the summer and frigid in the winter. I've lived in lots of places in this country and I've never experienced such extreme temperature swings. Anyway, my fuel mileage went up considerably after I put the synthetic in the car along with a freer-flowing air filter.

jlflemmons · July 2006

No argument here regarding synthetics. My only concern is switching to synthetics on an older, high mileage engine.

Then again, I have seen disasters happen when a high detergent oil was placed in an engine that hadn't had regular maintenance. The HD oil will break sludge loose and cause all kinds of problems.

I have stayed with Castrol GTX because of decades of very good results. I have pulled valve covers for gasket replacement on engines with 70K+ miles on them and found no varnish or sludge.

jvenezia · July 2006

Now let me think...what's next? Cold-air induction system? High-flow exhaust? Chop the chassis down a couple of inches? Spinner wheels? But then again, I'm a late-40's balding university professor who isn't supposed to get into things like that.

Yeah right.

jlflemmons · July 2006

Rear stabilizer bar from an '04 Tiburon GT. Makes an amazing difference in handling.

doohickie · July 2006

Yeah... if you haven't done it yet, do the Tibby Rear Sway Bar. Easy*, cheap, effective handling mod.

*Dreadfully easy if the car hasn't seen northern winters; can be a b!tch if the bolts are rusted on... but still do-able.

doohickie · July 2006

But then again, I'm a late-40's balding university professor who isn't supposed to get into things like that.

Yeah right.

jvenezia--- email through my profile...thanks.

nodule · July 2006

Hello,

I have a 2005 Elantra GLS sedan with 19,000 miles. I love
the car and it runs flawlessly! I have been doing 4000 mile
oil/filter changes with Castrol GTX start up and the engine
runs super smooth.
I plan on keep this can a very long time, probably close
to 160,000 miles or so. I have always babied my car and
always make sure all the scheduled maintanence is done on
time.
My question is would it be benifical for me to switch over
to a full synthetic oil like a Mobil 1 5W-30 at this stage
in the life of the car? Will gas mileage really improve,
or do most folks just exaggerate?

Thanks

snakeweasel · July 2006

I have one of the oldest Elantras on this forum and most likely the one with the most miles (pushing 140K) and I have used dinosaur juice all this time. SO far I have had no real issues with the engine. Just an exhaust manifold replaced free of charge (they were defective in the years just before and after mine was made) and a sensor replaced.

I also am a little rough on cars, tend to drive them hard at times and sometimes go a little long between the oil changes. So I think you should be ok with regular dino squeezins.

But if you want the man made stuff better start soon, never a good ideal to switch after a lot of miles.

nodule · July 2006

snake,

Thats encouraging news. What type of oil/filter have you been
using and at what intervals?
Can a switch to synthetic really improve my mileage?

snakeweasel · July 2006

I usually use either Pennzoil or Quaker state and I try to change every 5K miles (easier to tell when you need to change the oil

)

Can a switch to synthetic really improve my mileage?

It may, and if it does its going to be real slight.

doohickie · July 2006

Castrol is a good oil. As for filters, I use nothing but Hyundai OEM. I get them from my dealer for $6/filter, or if I get my oil changed done there it's $13.95 (including OEM filter).

Filters are a funny thing in that there is a bypass valve in the Hyundai OEM filter that opens up at times demanding high oil flow. Some aftermarket filters don't have the valve and/or the valve opens up at different flow rates, which can result in oil starvation and serious engine damage. I have no direct experience in this since I always use OEM, but I know there is a Hyundai Technical Service Bulletin that discusses engine noise and aftermarket filters. They don't name names, but I've heard that at least some Fram filters that fit the Elantra don't have the right valve. I've heard Purolator is supposed to be good, and lots of people swear by Amsoil filters.

My thought, though, is that to make sure it's the right filter, go with OEM. Yeah, you shouldn't have to, but they aren't *that* much more expensive and I like the peace of mind. If you get an oil-related problem down the road and he wrong filter happens to be on the car, the dealer may not want to cover repairs under warranty.

So far I've run dino oil when I've done oil changes, but two dealers who have serviced the car stated "Mobil super synth" or something like that, and I think I did see slightly better mileage (although it might have been just random variation).

1racefan · July 2006

"So far I've run dino oil when I've done oil changes, but two dealers who have serviced the car stated "Mobil super synth" or something like that, and I think I did see slightly better mileage (although it might have been just random variation)."

My buddy runs Mobil 1 synthetic in his full sized (extended cab) pick up and claims that his mileage has improved since switching over to synthetic - by a couple of mpg.

I switched over to synthetic in my '02 Elantra at 72K miles. It currently has 78K on it, and my mileage is the same as it was before going to synthetic. The main reason I switched was because my dealer does the synthetic oil change for less than twice the cost of a regular oil change, but he claims it is good for twice as long as regular oil.

I also switched my '03 AWD Mitsubishi Outlander over to synthetic at 35K miles. It now has 40K miles on it, and my mileage has stayed the same on it as well.

snakeweasel · July 2006

I think that what most people report as an increase in mileage comes from true believers syndrome. Either they only imagine an increase or unknowingly they drive more conservatively to archive it.

jlflemmons · July 2006

I also stick with OEM filters on whatever I am working on. AC Delco makes a filter for the Elantra that is a dead ringer for the original, right down to the internal valve. I just figure that for the slight difference in cost it will be hard for the factory to argue if you can show consistent oil changes using good oil and OEM filters. In central Texas the dealer recommends Castrol GTX 10W30 year round. We only saw about 10 days at freezing last winter. And lots of 100's during the spring and summer.

doohickie · July 2006

Yeah, I'm aware of true believers syndrome; that's why I said I wasn't sure if it wasn't just normal variation.

I *have* trained myself to drive more conservatively with my Elantra and it probably increases my mileage about 10% or so.

snakeweasel · July 2006

I *have* trained myself to drive more conservatively with my Elantra and it probably increases my mileage about 10% or so.

So have I, partially due to the price of gas and partially die to the number of miles on the car. I am able to get better than EPA estimates.

jlflemmons · July 2006

I do know for a fact that on my '05 GT I can see a 5mpg swing from driving "normally" and having fun.

1racefan · July 2006

One thing I have wondered is if the synthetic may make more of a difference in mileage if it is used in a "gas hog" (like my buddy's full size truck), vs an "economy car" like our Elantras? Hard to tell without some kind of controlled experiment being conducted.

I have also heard that synthetic oil does not break down like regular oil over time (don't know if this is true or not). Take my Outlander for example...It is currently spending most of its time sitting in my garage, and is mainly just being driven on highway trips. I would be suprised if we put 3,000 miles on it over the course of the next year. I have always heard in the past that you should change regular oil every 3,000 miles or every 3 months, whichever comes first. If all of this is true, I can probably get away with doing a synthetic oil change 1 time per year, vs 3-4 regular oil changes per year.

Just curious what you guys' thoughts are about synthetic vs regular holding up over time in a car that sits around a lot.

nodule · July 2006

Can any here recommend a good tire upgrade for my 05
ELantra GLS for the OEM Michelins??
I currently have 19,000 miles and although the tires are
wearing nice and evenly, I do not like the ride quality
and the way they hanlde in the rain. Also, the steering
always seems to feel very heavy in my hands.
Im looking for a tire that will provide a more smoother
ride and also better handling and wet traction.
Any recomendations would be greatly appreciated!

Im considering the Bridgestone LST, Kumho Solus KH16.

snakeweasel · July 2006

Hard to tell without some kind of controlled experiment being conducted.

My theory on this is yes they will increase your gas mileage but only very slightly (like taking you from 25 MPG to 25.2 MPG). Such a difference can be eliminated or exaggerated by many factors such as wind (do you have a tail wind or head wind and how strong), temperature and driving style. That being said I don't think the mileage increase would be outside the margin of error for a controlled experiment.

I have also heard that synthetic oil does not break down like regular oil over time (don't know if this is true or not).

My understanding is that the fake oils don't break down as fast as the dinosaur squeezins under driving conditions, I am not sure about time wise. I have a Caddy that I am putting about 5-6K a year on that has the man made stuff in it. I change that twice a year.

1racefan · July 2006

I have heard really good things about Bridgestone and Kumho tires. I think Backy has some experience (good) with the Kumhos???

I have Cooper Lifeliner SLE Touring tires on my Elantra, and I love them. Smooth, quiet, good in rain, etc...

I have a set of BFGoodrich Traction T/A on my other car, and they are nice also.

backy · July 2006

I really liked the Kumhos I got for my '01 GLS, but they were Ecsta HP4 716's, which I think has been discontinued? They were smooth and quiet, and good in the wet. And cheap!

doohickie · July 2006

A strong recommendation for Falken Ziex ZE512. They are affordable performance tires. I heard of them on other Elantra forums, and just put them on my wife's Taurus. They make the Taurus much tighter (tighter than I remember it feeling when it was new) and actually fun to drive (the car has 70,000 miles). There is a very slight penalty paid in terms of comfort, but my wife, who is more into comfort than performance, hasn't commented negatively. I really like the road feel they provide. The car feels like it is suction-cupped to the road.

I plan to replace my own OEM Michies with Falkens. They are relatively inexpensive performance tires. In 60 and 65 series sizes they have a 60,000 mile treadwear warranty. (If you go with a sportier 50 or 55 series series, the treadwear warranty drops to only 30,000 miles.)

On Edit: After reading backy's post about the Kumhos, they sounds a lot like the Falkens.

backy · July 2006

The Falkens sound like they are more performance-oriented than those Kumhos. The Kumhos ride pretty softly and quietly, moreso than the Michelins. No worse than the Michelins in handling though.

jvenezia · July 2006

Part of the research I put into buying a new car is looking at the OEM tires and possible replacements. I knew right off the bat that the Michelins that came with my 05 Elantra were junk...all I had to do was to check out Tirerack. So I went ahead and purchased a set of BFGoodrich Traction TA/H tires when I bought the car. That was in March of 05. The very day I had them put on the car, we had a spring snow storm here in Michigan and I wound up traveling an hour or so in snow and slush. The tires kept me on the road just fine and I'm convinced the Michelins would have had me in the ditch. A couple of months later, I went ahead and also bought a set of snow tires for the car (Winterforce by Firestone), downsizing by one size to get a narrower footprint but keeping the 15-inch diameter.

A drawback to the BFGoodrich tires, though, is much increased noise and a stiffer ride. They have incredibly stiff sidewalls and the place where I had them mounted thought at first they were run-flats.

I'm now looking at a set of Yokohama AVID H4S or (for a little less) Kumho ECSTA ASX for my three-season driving and I'll keep the oustanding Winterforce tires for winter.

I really recommend Tirerack. They're great.

jvenezia · July 2006

Hey guys, I'm just telling you what I saw. I switched to synthetic after getting 28-30 mpg in mixed highway/city (80/20) driving with mostly myself in the car. After driving a long trip in the same conditions in the same weather (even with AC on part of the way rather than just the vent), with a 200 lb. guy in the passenger seat next to me, I actually got 39 mpg on the next fill up. Both of us figured out the mileage using a calculator because we couldn't believe it.

Factors that contributed to the increase during the trip:
 Use of cruise control with steadier driving, although average speed was 75;
 Freshly changed oil, oil filter, and air filter.

Factors that should have worked against the increase:
 An extra 200 pounds of weight;
 Use of air conditioning for part of the trip, where I didn't use AC at all prior to that (wrong time of year).

Unfortunately, several months after changing out the oil again with the exact same synthetic, I get only about 32-34 mpg in mixed driving. I never got 39 again

However, I still realized a long-term significant gain and I'll stick with synthetic for the life of the car. It was an experiment (never used full synthetic before...just the "hybrids") that worked for me and I'm happy with the increase.

jlflemmons · July 2006

On some ECN controlled engines, the timing and dwell will adjust for octane variations. I know that the 3.8L GM V6 was really good at this. The engine would run just fine on 87 octane, but if you went with premium the performance was just a bit better, but the gas mileage would jump up a couple of MPG. It really showed on extended highway cruising as the ECN would advance the timing and dwell until ping detection and then back down a notch. It was also possible for the ECN to vary the firing pulse on the injectors based on feedback from the O2 sensor and MAP sensor. Note that the 3.8L of later generations did not use a distributor, but a coil pack fired by the ECN and feeding directly to the plugs. I experienced this with an '87 Cutlass Cierra running 75-80mph from Austin, Texas to Tulsa, OK in the middle of the summer with the AC running all the way. Got just over 30MPG on that trip.

It may be that the Elantra engine also will "adapt" to octane and the big bumps in mileage came from getting a tank of higher than advertised octane.

Just a thought.

Jim

jvenezia · July 2006

Could be. I filled at the same Mobil station I always do, but who knows how consistent the gas is from one tanker to another? The weather was a couple of degrees warmer during my trip than it was on previous days, but it was still in the 70's. Shouldn't have made too much of a difference in engine operation and tire pressure. I'm just still trying to get that 39 mpg back. I can probably get close if I drive like an old lady (no offense to those old ladies who are participating in this thread) and don't go over the speed limit. But here in Michigan, I'd get rear-ended in a heartbeat. It's not the best location to try to economize on fuel consumption.

Speaking of which, I'm constantly frustrated by big-a_ _ed pickups and SUVs that are now driving at 50-55 mph on our rural highways because of their 15 mpg mileage. A year ago, they were terrorizing the road. My little (comparatively speaking) Elantra is now running rings around them and enjoying twice the mileage. I'm seeing a huge load of pickups and SUVs for sale now on the side of the road...rusting out because no one's even looking at them.

5port · July 2006

Backy the Kuhmo HP4 716 have been officially discontinued and the Kuhmo Solus HP16 are the replacement for it. Sears was the first one to stop selling the 716. My purchase exp at Sears was funny. The saleman said "You want to go from Michelin to Kuhmo?" I said "oh yeah happily".

backy · July 2006

OK thanks. I couldn't find the HP4 716 in March when I needed to get new tires on my '04 GT due to an accident that ruined one of the Michelins. I got some Cooper tires instead--they're OK (good price), quieter and smoother than the Michelins, but I liked the Kumhos better.

I suppose if you wanted to be really sarcastic, you could have told the guy at Sears, "No, I'd rather pay three times as much for a tire that is harsher, noisier, has poor wet traction, and is faster-wearing than the Kumhos."

nodule · July 2006

Dear Backy,

You have stated that the Cooper tires you had(im assuming
they were the Lifeliner SLE?) were more quiet and smoother
than the OEM Michelins....but you said the Kumhos were even
better?
Do you feel the Kumhos are ever quieter and smoother than
the Coopers? Im wondering which tire, Cooper or Kumho will
prove be to the better wearing tire over a 50,000 mile
period.
What are your thoughts??

backy · July 2006

It's hard to tell but I think the Kumhos handled a little better than the Coopers. These are Road Hugger Radial GT-A--I think made by Cooper for Discount Tire. I only had the Kumhos for 12,000 miles before selling the car but they were holding up well. Too early to tell on the Coopers--only 3,000 miles on them so far.

nodule · July 2006

Thanks Backy!
So when you had the Coopers install, you immediately noticed
an improvement in ride qality and smoothness than the OEM
Michelins?
After much research, im debating between the Kumho Solus
KH16 or the Yokohama TRZ.

Thanks

1racefan · July 2006

I have a set of Cooper Lifeliner SLE on my Elantra. I have about 10K on them so far and love them. They are much quiter than the OEM Michelins were (IMO). In terms of handling, they seem to do fine - although I don't really push my Elantra too much anyway.

I have my Elantra on synthetic oil now, and every 5-6K, I am getting the oil changed, and having the tires rotated. I bought the tires from my dealer, and they rotate them for free. I think they are listed as a 60K tire, but I am not sure without going back to the Cooper website.

I'm not saying that the Kumhos may not be better, but I have been thoroughly impressed with the Cooper Lifeliners.

backy · July 2006

Yes, noticeable improvement in ride quality and smoothness (and noise) compared to OEM.

nodule · July 2006

backy and 1racefan,

Are the Coopers you have the H or T rated version??
The Lifeliner SLE is available in both speed rating for
the 195/60/15 size. As you know, the OEM Michelins on our
Elantras are H rated.

jvenezia · July 2006

I had a set of Cooper Lifeliners put on my Windstar minivan a few years ago and they lasted for two years before I replaced them with Yokohama Avid Touring tires. The Coopers (rated at 45,000 or 50,000) wore out prematurely in my opinion and I damaged one beyond repair, so I had them replaced. The Avids lasted three years (40,000 miles or so) before wearing down too far. I had them replaced last month with Kumho Touring A/S 795s. They were cheap, but rated well. So far, they're great. Very quiet. My wife now drives the van and she never drives aggressively, so I don't know how the Kumhos react at the limit.

As soon as I got my '05 Elantra I replaced the Michelin garbage with BFGoodrich Traction T/A H tires. Far superior tire, but much noisier and stiffer. You'll give up comfort for a much safer ride.

nodule · July 2006

Im wondering if one of you folks, perhaps Backy, can explain
to me exactly what this so called shimmy problem is with the
Elantras??
What exactly is it, what is the course of action to correct
this and is this a warranty repair?

I was out on the interstate today for the first time in
quite a while. I have a 2005 GLS which I love with 19,000
miles. I noticed when I hit 65-70mph, the steering wheel
was dancing in my hands slighty, but not too much. Is this
a part of the shimmy problem?
I drive very conservatively, never hit a pothole or a
curb and the car tracks completely straight and has never
pulled to either side.

Thanks!

nj2pa2nc · July 2006

We had the same thing happen on both our 2003 and 2005 gts. The tires were slightly out of balance.

cjgt · July 2006

Hi everyone. Ive been visiting for a while but this is my 1st time posting. Glad to be part of the family.

I noticed you talking about Sears and tires so I wanted to put my 2-cent in. Sears and other stores Ive been to dont like selling Kumhos for some strange reason. Maybe they cant make the same profit margins like they can with Michelins or Goodyears but to me Kumhos are good tires regardless of what they say. My last set were the Kumho HP4 716 I got from Sears and I got 40,000 miles out of them even with some alignment issues I had with my 01 Elantra GT. The guy at Sears told me they wont ride as good as Michelins. Youll feel the difference. I did. The Kumhos rode better!

Sears was able to price match the Tire Rack internet price but they were still more expensive then Tire Rack after tax, their mounting charge, and their internet shipping fee :mad: but still less then the Sears sale price.
The set I have now are the Kumho ASX and these are great!

Quite, handles well and good in wet conditions. Their rated at 420-tread life so Im expecting at least 40,000 miles out of them. I had TR drop ship them to a local tire shop and had them mounted there for something like $63 per tire. Sears wanted over $100 for the tire alone! They couldnt drop their price that low. The only good thing about Sears is their tire protection program. Free rotations and wheel balances for the life of the tire but whats the point if your paying a lot more for the tire?
I never had Coopers but I heard they were better then the stock Michelins as well.

cjgt · July 2006

Meant to say the price of the tire along with the mounting was around $63 per tire.

jvenezia · July 2006

I felt the same thing recently after switching my winter tires for regular tires. I drove a couple hundred miles on mostly interstate and noticed that I had a small vibration mostly on concrete rather than asphault. It felt like my right front tire. I took the car back into the tire shop I use and had the front tires rebalanced. Sure enough, the right front was a little off. The left front was fine. The vibration is gone now.

backy · July 2006

As noted the "shimmy" problem is most often traced to out-of-balance tires. The Elantra seems more sensitive to that condition than other cars I've owned. The solution in most cases is a good balancing on a Hunter machine--not all machines are created equal. My local Discount Tire shop has one. After installing new tires on my '04 GT I noticed a little "shimmy" at over 65 mph. I took the car in, had them rebalance the tires, and no more shimmy. I have a feeling there is a problem with one of the tires because there are two HUGE weights on one side, and another shop where I went in to check regarding alignment problems (had a front-end accident this winter requiring re-alignment), they said one of the tires was way out of balance.

jvenezia · July 2006

Well, you know how it is with these ultra-high performance racing machines like our Elantras. They get pretty picky with their suspension setups and tires

nodule · July 2006

Im wondering since the shimmy problem with 04, 05 elantra
may be possbile, if I should always request to have my
tires balanced with every rotation?
Typically a standard rotation does not include balancing.
Im taking my O5 GLS into the dealer tomorrow for them
to look at the slight steering wheel shaking at 65-75mph.
Hopefully, a good balance willl solve the problem.

Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

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