Hyundai SUV Range

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.

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.