Archive for the 'Hyundai' Category
Frank’s question:
2001 Hyundai Elantra. 184,000 miles. A/C is really cold, but a day ago I turned the fan switch and it didn’t turn on. The A/C compressor DID turn on but the fan did not. Then after turning it back off 2 or 3 times it came on. Two days go by and no problems, now today it does the same thing, but this time it takes a long time for it to come on. I turn the switch 2 or 3 times and nothing. I leave it in the on position and after driving for a while it just starts blowing. Any thoughts?”
Answer:
THE most common problem with those symptoms is simply a worn out fan blower motor. The brushes inside the motor just wear out over time. Installing a new fan motor assembly should fix it.
Helen’s question:
My 1998 Hyundai Accent is running poorly. It idles very bad, and the check engine light is on. I tried to have the computer scanned so I could mail you the code number, but it won’t scan. Have you seen this before? I’m hoping I’m not the only one this has happenned to.”
Answer:
Yes, it’s a pretty common problem in those Hyundais as they age. I fixed one about five months ago with the same exact symptoms. It had a bad mass airflow sensor. This sensor measures how much air goes into the engine, then the computer uses this information to send the correct amount of gas through the fuel injectors. They will often go bad and will not only make the engine idle poorly, they will knock out the computer’s code section and make it impossible to retrieve any trouble codes. So have that mass airflow sensor checked out and replaced if it’s bad. It’s a pretty simple job, you just unbolt the old unit and bolt in the new one. Most people can do it in about five minutes. And any good auto parts store could get you a rebuilt unit to save money.
Frank McKinney’s question:
have a 2001 Hyundai Elantra. With 180,000 miles. Runs great, with no problems. A few days ago the check engine light came on. I got it scanned and it came back emissions. Then I go to get gas and the pump keeps clicking off. It did that at several different stations. Any ideas.”
Answer:
OK, when the pump clicks off, you’re not getting correct venting in the gas tank. And the EVAP emissions system takes care of that, so odds are you’ve got a blockage somewhere in the Evap system. Sometimes the EVAP canister just gets plugged up and can’t vent vapors anymore (and those vapors then build up pressure in the gas tank and shut the gas pump off. Now if you can e mail me the actual code number you got when it was scanned, I can give you an even better analysis of what could be going wrong. The codes help quite a bit in pinpointing where the problem lies.
John’s question:
I e-mailed you yesterday about my wife’s ’99 Hyundai Sonata wheel hub bearing assembly replacement. Thanks for the quick reply. However, I’m still not clear on the whole brake caliper removal. The rear wheel does have ABS disc brakes. So when I remove the caliper, will the brake pads stay attached to the caliper? If they don’t, then would I need to bleed the brakes and attach the pads to the caliper?”
Answer:
No, you don’t have to worry about bleeding the brakes out. You just remove the callipers with the two bolts holding them on. Then slide the calliper assembly off. The pads will probably fall out, but as long as you don’t step on the brake pedal when the calliper is removed, the calliper piston will stay where it is and you just need to put it all back together again (as in, “Installation is reverse of removal.”) The system only needs bleeding if you open a line up and let air in. It’s a pretty simple job, once you do one side, the other is a breeze.
Dean Stewart’s question:
“My wife’s car is a 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe which has served us well. About three weeks ago she was running the A/C when she pulled into a parking spot, a large amount of “smoke” and hissing started coming from under the hood. She shut off the car, called me, when I asked if it was still smoking, she said it stopped immediately when she shut it off. I told her to look under the car for water, and she said it was dry. I told her to lift the hood and tell me what she saw, and she said it was damp on the side of the engine away from where the A/C is located. I cannot find a spot where “something” was leaking. I hooked up a simple A/C recharge kit to it yesterday, and the compressor is fully running and the level of the refrigerant shows full after only 1/4 can of 134a was added. The A/C is not blowing cold at all. It was nice and cold before this happened. What should I do now. What do you think the issue is??”
Answer:
Something definitely blew in the AC system, the hissing was the refrigerant leaking and the “smoke” was it evaporating into the atmosphere. Putting on one of those little cans is not an accurate way of measuring the refrigerant level (I assume the can tap had some sort of cheaper AC pressure gauge device built into it. You can only check AC pressures with accurate AC gauges hooked up to both the high side and the low side and see what both pressures are when both idling and runnning at say 2000 rpm or so. From where I’m sitting, I’d guess an AC hose or an ac seal blew in the area that was damp. So check that area closely, or inject some AC leak dye into the system and the dye will come out of the leaking area.
John’s question:
“One of my friends insist on buying a hyundai (accent). I know they are not that great but what specifically is bad about hyundai’s? I want to hear it from a real mechanic.”
Answer:
Well, their parts supply isn’t great and replacement parts are generally VERY expensive due to this. And, they just don’t hold up like a Toyota or a Honda in the long run. I personally don’t like working on them for that reason–I can be waiting days for parts that cost a lot,and often have no alternative place to find the parts. I’ve had customers who always bought Toyotas or Hondas, then they got a hyundai and were not happy. They all went back to Toyota and Honda the next car they purchased. That just about says it all. I’ve been working on cars the last forty plus years, so you might say I’ve seen just about everything.
