Hyundai Reviews

This is an increasingly common question as car makers take the decision to delete the conventional transmission dipstick from their cars. It’s probably down to the fact that modern transmissions claim to be sealed for life (many mechanics disagree with this) but the move probably also has something to do with preventing owner tinkering as well as the cost saving in not including a dipstick.

But for car owners like yourself who like to keep an eye on what’s happening under the bonnet, the way to check the transmission fluid all takes place underneath the car. Once you have access to the car’s nether regions, you’ll find an inspection plug on the transmission. If you remove this plug, you should find the level of the transmission just touching the lip of the plug-hole. If any drains out, the transmission is too full. If the level is too low (below the lip) you can add flid through this inspection hole.

The catch is that sometimes (follow the instructions in the owner’s manual for the detailed method) you need to have the car running and the transmission at normal operating temperature. Obviously, there are safety implications involved here, especially if you don’t have access to a workshop with a hoist.

With all that said, some Hyundais are, in fact, fitted with a conventional dipstick, making this check much easier. Again, your owner’s manual should reveal all.

The short answer is yes, provided you have the 'right' Sante Fe. In a nutshell, while all Sante Fes of this vintage were rated to tow at least 1650kg, the reality is that one does it better than the others.

You can forget the hybrid version which, although capable of towing, is not the best variant for that task. The same goes for the 3.5-litre V6 Santa Fe which had plenty of power but was front-drive only. Which leaves the turbo-diesel version with its 440Nm of torque, 2500kg towing capacity and all-wheel-drive grip as the one to go for.

The turbo-diesel engine piles on the grunt better than the petrol engines, will be more frugal with a caravan hitched up, and the grip from the AWD set-up means it’ll be a safer, more capable tow rig.

This could be something really simple such as low transmission fluid level, or it could suggest a major internal failure of the transmission. In between those extremes are things like a problem with the transmission’s valve body, or even something mechanically wrong with the shifter mechanism that pokes through the floor into the cabin.

A transmission specialist is your best bet, as chances are they’ve seen this exact problem on the same make and model many times over, and will be able to pinpoint the problem quickly.