Hyundai Problems

The good thing about modern stereo systems is that they’re (mostly) a universal size so that you can literally take your pick of the unit you decide to fit. So it will come down to your budget and your requirements.

A good upgrade is a unit with Bluetooth connectivity so you can wirelessly connect your phone to access navigation, music and other apps. But don’t forget that the head unit is just part of the stereo system, and you may need to upgrade the car’s speakers to take full advantage of the new stereo.

Various systems randomly turning themselves on or staying powered up when the car is otherwise turned off often point to a fault with the body computer which controls literally hundreds of functions. Obviously, the power steering should shut down with the rest of the car so, as the master control unit, the body computer is where many mechanics would start looking.

Whether the same fault is also causing the ESP light to come on is another matter, but it’s possible both problems are connected. Again, the body computer is a likely culprit. Have the car scanned to see what and how many individual fault codes are thrown up. That’s the best way to proceed in this case.

Taking your car to a Hyundai dealer is a fabulous idea because you might just find that this will turn into a warranty claim where Hyundai foots the bill and not you. Theoretically, your car could still be covered by its original five-year warranty (depending on what date it was sold new) but some Hyundai cars were also covered by extra warranty and extended drivetrain warranties. This is what you need to establish, but a Hyundai dealer will be able to give you the answer.

If you’ve just bought a new car, it’s very important to discover what recalls have been issued for it over the years and whether those fixes have been attended to.

My list of recalls for this model Hyundai iX35 includes one for a seat-belt tensioner cable that was not attached properly, one for an air-bag retention nut that was incorrectly torqued and could cause the air-bag to deploy incorrectly, one for a transmission cooler hose problem on automatic versions, one for a potential fuel hose leak and a fifth recall for a potential engine oil leak on the 2.4-litre petrol variant.

When an engine blows thick white (or bluish-white) smoke, it’s often a sign of internal engine wear. Some Hyundai engines have had problems with major engine components developing premature wear and causing similar problems to the ones you’ve experienced. But some Hyundai engines of this era also suffered problems with the EGR valve (exhaust gas regulation, part of the emissions control system) and that could lead to similar problems.

The best advice is to have the vehicle inspected for internal wear or any other problems that could be causing the smoking under load situation. This is pretty back to basics stuff and would include a compression test and leak-down test and should be well within the capabilities of any decent workshop. From there, you can make a more informed decision on whether to spend the money to have the car fixed, or cut your losses and move on.

It's also worth mentioning that Hyundai has been very pro-active in helping out owners who have experienced premature engine-wear problems, but the age of your car plays against this. It would be worth contacting Hyundai’s customer service division, however.

The Grandeur was Hyundai’s first serious crack at a large luxury car. The V6 engine and automatic transmission seem pretty sound over time, but the kilometres on this example are right up there. Any car with this many kilometres could be a candidate for new suspension, new brakes and who knows what else. So, what may seem on the surface like a bargain (the average price is closer to $6000 or $7000) might not be the case if you have to scrap the car in a year or so because it needs too many repairs.

Then again, at the price, you’re not throwing away the national debt, are you? So perhaps, if you trust your mate, it’s worth a punt, but only if you can comfortably afford to walk away from it if it goes wrong.

Hyundai actually issued a recall for some Konas with the dual-clutch transmission on precisely this basis. At the time, the reason given was that electrical gremlins within the computer-control of the driveline could cause the transmission to lose drive. Obviously, if you’re merging into fast moving traffic or crossing an uncontrolled intersection at the time, a sudden loss of drive could be very dangerous.

To find out if a particular car was affected and whether or not it’s been fixed, you can quote the VIN to a Hyundai dealer who should be able to give you the good or bad news.

The fuel tank on your car has a capacity of 75 litres. With an official combined fuel economy number of 10.3 litres per 100km, that should give you a range of around 700km before you need to start looking for a service station.

The Santa Fe may well have a fuel filter below the rear seat, but it’s almost certainly located on the outside of the car (as in, under the floor) rather than inside under the seat cushion. I’d be very surprised if any of the car’s fuel system or lines ran inside the passenger compartment.

Which means it’s still possible that some fuel was spilled under the car during the filter change or that there’s even a fuel leak as a result of the change. Either could lead to a smell inside the car, but it shouldn’t persist. If it does, there’s a problem. Take it back to the dealership and ask for the problem to be fixed. If the dealership somehow spilled petrol on the seat trim or allowed fuel to enter the cabin in some other way, they are responsible for fixing it. Driving around in a car with petrol fumes inside is an obvious health and safety issue.