Hyundai Problems

MOST mechanics would be able to do the job for you, and you would certainly find a Hyundai dealer prepared to do the work. You could also ask a panel beater, but I would look for a mechanic who works on Hyundais and I'm sure they would happily do it for you.

IF POSSIBLE, find the original master key so you can program your new one. If you can't,, if you lose the key you'll have to buy a full set of new keys and locks, including the boot and ignition locks, and replace the immobiliser. This costs about $1000 plus fitting. Hyundai has dropped this system because of such problems.

THE X3 Excel is a good little car that is popular with young drivers. Yours has done relatively few kilometres and, with auto and air, should be popular and easy to sell. A dealership would give you about $4200 as a trade-in and expect to get about $6500 when it sells it through its yard. I would aim for the latter if you sell it privately.

Paint on the early Hyundais wasn't great and it's not unusual to see bumpers and rear-view mirrors minus paint. That sort of thing can happen when you buy a cheap and cheerful car.

I'M NOT surprised Hyundai wasn't interested. To change a speedo face is a big job. Unless it has received a flood of complaints, the company is hardly likely to do anything. You should have checked it during the test drive. You signed on the dotted line. You should have made sure the car was what you wanted before you bought it.

THE recommended service interval for the belt is 100,000km, but remember that it is set at a conservative figure to cover the whole population. A belt might run without a problem for the sort of distance yours has, but chances are it won't and the consequences of it breaking are too dire to think about. Even if your belt has stretched just a little, that can lead to it jumping teeth, which can also be a disaster.

IT DOESN'T sound as if your Hyundai is burning oil, so I would be looking for a leak that is allowing oil to connect with the exhaust manifold or part of the exhaust system. If you can't see any leak, perhaps have the engine steam cleaned and then watch carefully for a few days to see if you can identify the leak source.

ABSOLUTELY yes. Take it up with Hyundai directly. It seems you have been given the run-around by the dealer and the company needs to know. The clutch would probably need to be replaced when the flywheel was changed as they are most likely to be different, but Hyundai should cop the cost. It sounds like a design problem. And it could be a cause of your belt failures and your ignition problems.

Find another mechanic. The X3 Excel is a tough car that is generally reliable. I have seen models that have done more than 200,000km without any trouble. The gearboxes are reliable and parts are readily available to rebuild them. And second-hand units are easy to find if it needs replacing. But before you replace the gearbox check the clutch. I reckon a worn-out clutch is probably causing your problem.