Accent wheel alignment impossible?

Discussion in 'Hyundai Accent' started by Christopher Wong, Nov 21, 2004.

  1. I (actually, my wife) just had new tires installed at Sears for my 2001
    Accent. I also requested alignment service there. The printout that they
    gave my wife puzzles me. It showed front camber, caster and SAI as out of
    specified range. But from the scribbling on the paper, it looks like they
    only set front and rear toes (which were within specified range). Other
    sheets printed in big letters "The manufacturer does not specify front
    CAMBER and CASTER adjustments" as well as a similar message for rear caster.
    Best I can tell is that Sears Auto decided they could not adjust camber nor
    caster, and only did unnecessary toe adjustments. That was a waste of $60.

    Can a mechanic actually do a proper alignment service on an Accent, or is
    Hyundai making this impossible?

    Chris
     
    Christopher Wong, Nov 21, 2004
    #1
  2. Christopher Wong

    Jody Guest

    sears is one of the worst places to go, i remeber their investigations yrs
    ago for fraudulant work etc..
    our accent had a full 4 wheel alignment b4... its a '99
     
    Jody, Nov 21, 2004
    #2
  3. Christopher Wong

    Patrick Guest

    To what model year Accent do you refer? Some allow neither caster nor
    camber adjustment. Hyundai's advice should these be found outside of
    allowed specifications?:"Replace bent or damaged parts"
    --Patrick
     
    Patrick, Nov 22, 2004
    #3
  4. You're right, this Accent (2001) does not allow camber/caster adjustments.
    Sears did the right thing in this case. I checked Hyundai's WebTech to
    verify this. Since the basic warranty is still in effect, I'm taking it in
    to my dealer for a look.

    Chris
     
    Christopher Wong, Nov 23, 2004
    #4
  5. I thought I'd follow up on my original post to bring closure to the subject.
    I brought the Accent in to my Hyundai dealer, explaining my experience with
    Sears. I had to pay for another wheel alignment so they could see the
    situation for themselves. They confirmed what Sears told me: that there was
    an issue with front camber/caster alignment, and that it cannot be adjusted.
    They then told me that the cure was to replace a bent front strut, and that
    the basic 5/60K warranty does not cover this as it is considered a road
    hazard damage (i.e., pot holes). Hmph. They could have told me this BEFORE
    insisting I paid for a wheel alignment. I have no idea how much a new strut
    costs, but it's probably way more than I want to spend right now.

    That was a waste of another $60.

    I'm quite certain the damage was not my doing, as I bought the car -- from
    this same dealer -- in July. I suppose this is one of the hazards of buying
    a used car: you also buy its pending repairs. And the other lesson is: no,
    you cannot for the most part do a wheel alignment on an Accent.

    Chris
     
    Christopher Wong, Dec 7, 2004
    #5
  6. I don't know what the OEM parts cost, but when I replaced the front
    struts on my Excel, a PAIR of KYB struts was ~$125, which was
    surprisingly cheap. Since the car is a few years old, you should
    probably replace both struts, especially if you're going with
    aftermarket parts.

    If you have to pay to have struts installed, figure it will take ~1/2
    hour each.

    If you're going to do the job yourself, you'll need to buy, rent or
    borrow a spring compressor. Some parts stores lend them at no charge if
    you buy the parts from them.
     
    Brian Nystrom, Dec 7, 2004
    #6
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