Hyundai Problems

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.

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.

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.

Just for starters, I really need to know what year the car is and what engine it has before even knowing where to start looking for the problem. But in most cases like yours, the solution will be to do with either the fuel or spark in the engine and/or the computer that controls these functions.

You could have something like a poor earth connection, which sounds simple but can be a real trial to locate. But equally, there could be a glitch in the fuel system such as a lazy pump with an intermittent fault, or something in the ignition that is momentarily dropping the ball. A faulty sensor can also throw up problems just like this one.

The best advice is to have the car scanned for fault codes as this will put you a long way towards homing in on the actual cause.

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.

Depending on the amount of fumes visible (it’s not actually steam) this could be a small or large problem. Here’s how that works: A small amount of white fumes from the oil filler cap is not so bad, but what you don’t want to see are gales of the stuff blowing out when you remove the cap.

These fumes are caused by pressure from the combustion process in the cylinders finding their way into the crankcase. As an engine wears, more and more pressure can find its way into the crankcase, increasing the fumes. When the fumes increase, this is a clue that your piston rings (among other things) are becoming worn over time and kilometres.

But you could also be looking at a car with a faulty PCV valve. This valve has the job of removing the fumes and sending them back through the engine to be burnt a second time. But if the valve is faulty, the engine won’t be vented sufficiently and the fumes suddenly become visible again. So, have the car checked out at a workshop who will be able to perform a compression test to tell whether the engine is in good internal condition or not, as well as check the PCV valve for correct operation, If the problem is the latter, it’s an easy, cheap fix.

Because you’ve already logged the problem with your dealer, it should be on file as a pre-existing condition. Now that it has become worse, you need to take it back to the dealer and have it checked again. If the dealer won’t look at it for you, you need to do two things. First, have the vehicle independently assessed by a transmission specialist. Secondly, you should take the matter to Hyundai’s Australian customer service division.

The symptoms you’ve described are consistent with problems far too commonly found in dual-clutch transmissions. Shuddering and slow gear selection are far from unknown in this make and model, and Hyundai even had a software update to try to alleviate these problems. At the very least, the dealer could try the new software, but if left unchecked you could end up with a dead transmission that could cost many thousands to replace. So it’s crucial to keep the dealer and Hyundai Australia in the loop to maintain your warranty cover.

What you need to do is work backwards and check every connection and wiring plug that is anywhere near where you were working. A single unplugged (or even loose) sensor, connection or fitting can absolutely sideline a modern, electronically controlled engine.

You may also find you’ve damaged a sensor in the process of cleaning it (they’re pretty sensitive things) so a scan of the car may reveal that.

Also, was the cleaning process initiated by an existing problem that made you think the sensors needed cleaning? Cleaning an already dud sensor rarely brings it back to life.

You haven’t actually told me what the shock absorber issue is. Is it a vibration, a lack of damping, a clunk? Either way, if there’s an issue with the shock absorber, then it should definitely be replaced, whether it’s linked to the strut-top bearing problem or not.

Best practice is to always replace things like shock absorbers in pairs. The same goes for suspension bushes, ball-joints, brake components, tyres and more. If they work as a pair, they should be replaced together.

My information suggests the crank-angle sensor for this engine is located on the rear of the cylinder block (near where the engine joins the transmission) near the oil filter housing. It’s usually hidden by a small heat shield and requires that and a 10mm bolt to be removed to remove the sensor.

Access to the wiring harness is usually from above, but the sensor itself is most easily removed from underneath the car after removing any relevant plastic shielding.