Hyundai Reviews

This is the vehicle thinking that it’s being taken without the ignition key. In other words, stolen. The solution is to connect the negative terminal, then quickly put the key in the ignition and turn it on. This will let the car know that the key is present and there’s no threat of it being stolen.

Don’t be tempted to insert and turn the key to the on position and then connect the battery, as this could cause the battery terminal to throw a spark which is dangerous and could even send an electrical spike through the car’s computer.

You may also find that locking and unlocking with the key fob will also silence the alarm, but using the ignition key will be the quickest way to do this and minimise your neighbours’ wrath.

This is probably a case of a bad brake light switch inside the car (usually attached to the brake pedal mechanism itself). These switches can fail in the on or off position, leaving you with either no brake lights at all, or the problem you now have.

The good news is that it’s not a tough thing to fix, nor should it be expensive. The average mechanical workshop should be able to do it, and the new switch should be readily available from auto parts stores and online.

At more than 10 years old, your car is well and truly out of warranty, even though it hasn’t covered a huge distance. You could certainly contact Hyundai Australia’s customer service department and ask the question. In my experience, Hyundai has taken its customer complaints very seriously and has a good track record of putting things right.

Most of this series of Hyundai Accents had a conventional automatic transmission which seems pretty good on the reliability front. But if your car is a Series 2 Accent, then it might be fitted with the company’s CVT transmission. These have been known to give trouble due to input shaft failures, and this could certainly cause the death rattle you’re hearing. Again, though, you’re a long way out of the five-year warranty your car was sold new with.