2001 XG300 Spark Plugs and the dealer

Discussion in 'Hyundai Grandeur / Azera / XG' started by Alan, Apr 24, 2009.

  1. Alan

    Alan Guest

    Recently my battery died and I had to replace it. Costco or BJs
    didn't have one so I spent $150 in Sears. Then I brought it into the
    dealer (big mistake) to check or change the transmission fluid. The
    service manager called me and told me I needed to replace the fluid
    and also replace the spark plugs and wires and that would cost $510. I
    had just replaced the air sensor assembly for $450 with this dealer
    and I was a little pissed to say the least. I told the service
    manager that I am taking the car somewhere else and they charged me
    for $100 for the diagnosis fee. I told the service manager that I
    wasn't an idiot and the car's performance could not have deterioated
    in one night, since the battery was changed. Unless the computer
    needed to readjust itself. It was fine before except for the needing
    the transmission fluid.

    When I got the car back the check engine light was on and I don't
    believe it was on before I brought it there but now I don't remember.
    The engine sounded lousy, it smelled and it stalled or almost did at
    stops. I believe the dealer did something to the car or maybe messed
    around with the spark plug wires. I feel that this dealer is a thief
    and whatever I do, in three months, something else will happen. The
    car has only 47k miles, Hyundai replaced the transmission back in
    July of 03, so when i ultimatey changed the ATF, at Aamco, with the
    Diamond SP3, it was within the prescribed maintenance time

    I wonder how hard it is to change the plugs and ignition wires. I
    would also like to change the belts, except for the timing belt. I
    used to do that simple stuff when I was a kid and I understand the
    problem now is where the plugs are. I found this one the net:
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    How do you change the spark plugs on a 2001 xg300?
    In: Hyundai XG300

    The Nightmare of Changing Plugs

    First assemble your tools, socket wrench etc and gapped sparkplugs.
    if the sparkplugs are deep in the engine and you pull on the wires to
    get the terminal off the plugs you will gasp in horror as the wires
    pull in half. When the screaming stops pull all the wires off, at
    least half will have pulled into two parts. then go to auto parts
    store and get new wires. Using new wires change plugs in the usuall
    manner. this is a true story. here's the real answer. Follow closely.

    1. Remove the six 10mm bolts and remove the engine cover.
    2. Unplug the air flow sensor connector and take the wiring loose from
    the air bellows.
    3. Remove the pcv breather hose from the air bellows.
    4. Undo the clips holding the air box together.
    5. Loosen the clamp holding the air bellows on the throttle body.
    6. Remove the top of the air box, the airflow sensor, and the air
    bellows as an assembly.
    7. Undo any electrical connectors attaching to items on the plenum and
    throttle body.
    8. Move the harness out of the way enough that it'll allow you to lift
    the plenum off. This may involve unplugging connectors in other places
    and unclipping the harness from ties in order to get the necessary
    slack.
    9. Remove the vacuum line from the EGR valve and the fuel pressure
    regulator (if you have one).
    10. Remove the hose that goes toward the rear of the car from the
    purge control valve.
    11. Remove the four 12mm bolts attaching the support brackets to the
    rear of the plenum and throttle body.
    12. Remove the 12mm bolt attaching the EGR pipe bracket to the rear of
    the plenum.
    13. Remove the two 12mm bolts attaching the EGR valve to the plenum.
    Take care to not lose the EGR gasket.
    14. Remove the 12mm bolts and nuts (7 I think) attaching the plenum to
    the lower manifold.
    15. Lift the plenum off the manifold and tilt up the side opposite the
    throttle body until it's standing close to vertical near the bottom
    half of the air box. (There are still coolant hoses attached to the
    throttle body, so you won't be able to lift that side very far). You
    can use a bungee or other tie to hold the plenum so it can't fall back
    down.
    16. Cover the openings in the manifold with rags or something similar
    to prevent anything from falling inside the engine.
    17. Remove the spark plug wires.
    18. Remove the rear spark plugs.
    19. Install new spark plugs in the rear bank.
    20. Remove the ignition coils (two 10mm bolts each).
    21. Remove the front spark plugs.
    22. Install new spark plugs in the front bank.
    23. Reinstall the coils.
    24. Install the new wires (connecting cylinders as described above).
    25. Remove the rags from the intake manifold and remove the plenum
    gasket.
    26. Install the new plenum gasket.
    27. Lower the plenum back onto the lower manifold.
    28. Start the bolts and nuts attaching the plenum to the manifold, but
    do not tighten them.
    29. Start the bolts attaching the support brackets, the EGR pipe
    bracket, and the EGR valve, being sure to properly align the EGR
    gasket and reinstall the wire holder on the lower EGR valve bolt.
    30. Tighten the bolts and nuts attaching the plenum to the manifold.
    31. Tighten the bolts attaching the items on the rear of the plenum.
    32. Reconnect your vacuum and purge hoses.
    33. Reconnect your electrical connectors and return the harness to its
    original configuration.
    34. Reinstall the top of the air box, airflow sensor, and air bellows
    and secure.
    35. Reconnect the PCV breather hose.
    36. Reconnect the airflow sensor connector and return the wiring to
    its original holders and configuration.
    37. Reinstall the engine cover and tighten the 6 bolts holding it in
    place.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------
    Just as a comparison, the Chilton/DIY online guide says:

    1. Remove the engine cover

    2. Disconnect the Variable Intake System (VIS) actuator and
    connectors and the fuel injector connectors

    3. Remove accelerator cables

    4. Remove surge tank sub assembly

    that's it compared to all the steps above...then it says renmove spark
    plug cables and plus...check electrode gap of new plugs. To install,
    reverse the removal procedures and tighten the plugs to 11 ft lbs
    (15Nm)
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I could either do all this myself or perhaps bring it to a mechanic
    who could give me a better price to do the plugs, wires, belts and
    timing belt in one shot. The question is where to bring it.

    Alan
     
    Alan, Apr 24, 2009
    #1
  2. Alan

    Partner Guest

    Partner, Apr 24, 2009
    #2
  3. Alan

    Alan Guest

    Partner, Wow, those are great pictures and I believe the 2001 xg300
    is similar. I couldn't find them on the Web because I was searching
    for XG300 Thank you so much.

    I am saving this car for my daughter to drive because it's a good
    heavy and safe car and letting the dealer go wild with repairs could
    cost $5,000 with everything they could make happen. I don't know what
    I would get for a trade but add that to all the repairs and you have a
    substantial down payment on a brand new car. Plus, it brings me back
    to the days of my 6 year old 1960 Olds 98 my cousin gave me when I was
    in high school. I think the pictures are like the instructions I have
    but nothing like what Chilton/diy had.

    I am going to check for videos now but what a tremendous advantage
    that pictures are. Without them I don't think I would have attempted
    the spark plug change. Any suggestion for plus and wires? I believe
    you have to stick with a specific Champion plug to maintain the
    warranty but what about the wires and the plenum gasket> ...another
    thing Chilton/diy doesn't tell you/

    Alan
     
    Alan, Apr 24, 2009
    #3
  4. Alan

    hyundaitech Guest

    It seems like part of the story is missing here, Alan. You took your
    car to the dealer after the battery replacement only for a replacement
    of the transmission fluid?? If that's the case, I don't understand
    why there would be a diagnostic fee at all-- you'd have been quoted
    the price of the job up front. And I don't understand why you refer
    to a performance issue. Was there a peformance issue after the
    battery replacement that you asked the dealer to diagnose? If so,
    what was this issue?

    As for the actual job of changing the spark plugs, the long list of
    instructions above is rather complete. Don't expect a price break on
    doing the spark plugs and timing belt at the same time. There's so
    little overlap between these two jobs as to be negligible.
    Recommended plug replacement is at 60k miles.
     
    hyundaitech, Apr 25, 2009
    #4
  5. Alan

    Alan Guest

    Hyundaimech,

    Yep, yep, it's been a few weeks since I did it and I forgot. The
    check engine light came on and the car began to react the same way it
    did when I replaced the air sensor assembly 2 months earlier for $450.
    It began to stall at stops. Previous to the battery change the car
    was riding smoothly and the only problem I was having was a little
    kick when backing down the drive way and switching into forward in the
    very cold weather. That stopped totally after the fluid change, which
    was after I took the car back from Hyundai and went to Aamco.

    So, to summarize, right after the battery was replaced at Sears, the
    performance and the"almost stalling" began again just like it had done
    when the air sensor assembly was replaced less than 90 days earlier. I
    got the feeling that the new air sensor assembly was bad and they
    would have to replace it for free, so why not invent something like
    the plugs needing to be replaced and charge me $510 more. It there
    was deteriorating performance before the battery died, then I'd have
    to believe the service manager but since the car was riding so well,
    with great pickup, I thought he was lying and I told him that I am not
    stupid and I wouldn't fall for a story like that. Which pissed him
    off. Could the bad battery have killed the plugs? If not, the guy
    was lying and he thought he saw that this car would bring the
    dealership an annuity, as sooner or later they would have to replace
    almost everything that is not in the power train guaranty.
     
    Alan, Apr 25, 2009
    #5
  6. Alan

    hyundaitech Guest

    I'm in no position to decide whether the dealer was lying to you, but
    here's what I can say:

    You were charged a diagnostic fee because the dealer diagnosed your
    vehicle and you elected to not have the repairs done.
    If Sears did not reinitialize the throttle, then that could
    potentially cause a stalling (or near stall) issue.
    Defective spark plugs can also cause a near-stall issue.
    The fact that the check engine lamp illuminated indicates that the ECM
    detected some sort of problem.
    A defective battery cannot cause failure of the spark plugs. This
    does not imply that the spark plugs cannot fail at the same time (or
    nearly the same time) as the battery.
    If your car is now running properly, the check engine lamp is off and
    is staying off, and the plugs have not yet been replaced, it's a safe
    bet that the plugs are not the cause of the problem.
    If your engine is misfiring, you can damage your catalytic converter.
     
    hyundaitech, Apr 27, 2009
    #6
  7. Alan

    Alan Guest

    What do you mean by re-initialize the throttle....whatever that is, I
    am sure they didn't do it.

    Now, the car is not running properly at all. It lacks power and
    almost stalls at stops. I wouldn't be surprised if the dealer did
    something to make sure that would happen because the car was running
    great, except for the battery and after the battery was replaced it
    started to run badly and the check engine light came on and is still
    on. Maybe all that had to be done is to re-initialize the throttle
    but that's not a big enough job.

    How do you re-initialize the throttle? Is that like raising the idle
    speed? Perhaps the throttle needed to be reinitialized and when the
    dealer got it they decided to go for a shot at me falling for having
    the plugs replaced. I hate to be so cynical but none of this makes
    sense to me...the car was running too well before the battery was
    replaced.

    Then what happens if the car is still not right after they replaced
    the plugs and wires, after my spending $554, or I do it myself, and
    after the air sensor was just replaced for $450? What would they try
    next.

    I need to order the plugs, the wires and the plenum gasket. Any
    suggestions where to get that? I know for the plugs I need Champion
    RC10PYP4 but what kind of wires and gasket?

    Also, I want to get one of the diagnostic computers. I think they are
    about $50. Which are the best to get?
     
    Alan, Apr 27, 2009
    #7
  8. Alan

    Mike Marlow Guest

    You've got to give up on your conspriacy theories. Yeah - dealers all over
    the place sabatoge customer's cars so they can get the service money out of
    the customer. You just stated that the car ran badly after the batter
    replacement, which was done before you went to the dealer. For the love of
    Pete - are you really serious with this stuff?
    You don't seem to have a grasp on how cars work, so it's not surprising that
    none of this makes any sense to you. You need to read hyundaitech's reply
    to you again - he gave you answers in that reply.
    They'd problably stick a hidden camera in the A-pillar so that they could
    capture your ATM PIN and steal all of your money out of your bank account.
    It's much faster that way - no need to have you come in for service.
     
    Mike Marlow, Apr 27, 2009
    #8
  9. Alan

    hyundaitech Guest

    This means to have the ECM relearn the throttle position at idle both
    without loads on and again with A/C on. Without this information, the
    ECM may allow the idle to dip too low and the engine can stall.
    This is the thing that makes me think the dealer had nothing to do
    with this. You say the vehicle was running poorly prior to even
    taking the car to the dealer. Why would you think they did something
    to it if it was not running well prior to it ever arriving at the
    dealer? Doesn't seem logical.
    First, you'd need to do a throttle sweep so the ECM can calibrate
    throttle plate position to TPS reading. Then, you'd need to have the
    car idle for a significant period of time at operating temperature,
    once with the A/C off, and then again with the A/C on.
    You'd need to ask the dealer. If they're sure the plugs/wires are the
    problem, they're not likely to have any issue guaranteeing that'll fix
    your issue (but not that some other problem causing the same or
    similar symptoms won't occur at a later time). Ask the dealer
    straight up. If replacing the plugs/wires doesn't fix it, will they
    still charge you?
    I know Mike disagrees with me on this, but I'm sold on factory wires.
    You should be able to find the Champion (or equivalent NGK, which I
    prefer) plugs at your local auto parts store. As for the plenum
    gasket, it's pretty basic. Just needs to seal. Anyone's plenum
    gasket should do that.
    For $50, the most you'll get is a code reader. Based on your
    posting, I'd say this would be of minimal value to you. I don't
    intend to be critical of your knowledge, and I've certainly not met
    you in person to get a better idea, but so far I think I have to agree
    with Mike that it seems you lack a basic understanding of how the
    systems of the car operate, and in this specific case, what's
    occurring and what a misfire feels like. Even knowing the trouble
    code, you still need to know how to examine the components and wiring
    to find the source of the problem reported by the ECM.

    I know auto repairs are expensive, but it can be even more expensive
    guessing at what the problem may be. If you look through my posts,
    you'll see several replies to the generic "I have code Pxxxx. What's
    wrong with my car?" What you'll find is that in some cases I'll tell
    the poster to make a particular repair, and in other cases, I'll tell
    the poster which things need to be checked to find the problem. In
    both cases, my reply is based on my experience and knowledge of common
    failures.
     
    hyundaitech, Apr 28, 2009
    #9
  10. Alan

    ceragem Guest

    Dear Alan,

    I have a 2001 XG 300 with 190K kms on it. The dealer usually give customers
    discount on their repair service. I let them to replace the timing belt, had
    a full tune up included replace all spark plugs and wires, replaced and
    flush all fluids, and check and overhaul all brakes. The total cost was
    $1800.- It worth it for the XG is a heavy but a safe car. I got around 15%
    off from the total bill. They even provide me a few car wash coupons as
    their compliments. I know auto repairs are expensive, however I would trust
    the fellows that trained by the manufacturer that would keep the vehicles
    back to their standards.

    Parousia
    "hyundaitech" <>
    ???????:...
    This means to have the ECM relearn the throttle position at idle both
    without loads on and again with A/C on. Without this information, the
    ECM may allow the idle to dip too low and the engine can stall.
    This is the thing that makes me think the dealer had nothing to do
    with this. You say the vehicle was running poorly prior to even
    taking the car to the dealer. Why would you think they did something
    to it if it was not running well prior to it ever arriving at the
    dealer? Doesn't seem logical.
    First, you'd need to do a throttle sweep so the ECM can calibrate
    throttle plate position to TPS reading. Then, you'd need to have the
    car idle for a significant period of time at operating temperature,
    once with the A/C off, and then again with the A/C on.
    You'd need to ask the dealer. If they're sure the plugs/wires are the
    problem, they're not likely to have any issue guaranteeing that'll fix
    your issue (but not that some other problem causing the same or
    similar symptoms won't occur at a later time). Ask the dealer
    straight up. If replacing the plugs/wires doesn't fix it, will they
    still charge you?
    I know Mike disagrees with me on this, but I'm sold on factory wires.
    You should be able to find the Champion (or equivalent NGK, which I
    prefer) plugs at your local auto parts store. As for the plenum
    gasket, it's pretty basic. Just needs to seal. Anyone's plenum
    gasket should do that.
    For $50, the most you'll get is a code reader. Based on your
    posting, I'd say this would be of minimal value to you. I don't
    intend to be critical of your knowledge, and I've certainly not met
    you in person to get a better idea, but so far I think I have to agree
    with Mike that it seems you lack a basic understanding of how the
    systems of the car operate, and in this specific case, what's
    occurring and what a misfire feels like. Even knowing the trouble
    code, you still need to know how to examine the components and wiring
    to find the source of the problem reported by the ECM.

    I know auto repairs are expensive, but it can be even more expensive
    guessing at what the problem may be. If you look through my posts,
    you'll see several replies to the generic "I have code Pxxxx. What's
    wrong with my car?" What you'll find is that in some cases I'll tell
    the poster to make a particular repair, and in other cases, I'll tell
    the poster which things need to be checked to find the problem. In
    both cases, my reply is based on my experience and knowledge of common
    failures.
     
    ceragem, Apr 28, 2009
    #10
  11. Do exactly as I am going to do when mine runs out of warranty and mine is a
    2002 XG350..... with 37,000 miles on it. In 2012 when the warranty expires,
    I will drive it until the check engine soon light comes on. At that point
    it will not be worth spending the ridiculous prices charged for repairs and
    I will either drive it to or have it towed to a salvage yard for whatever I
    can get out of it for scrap.
     
    Elmo Finsterwald, Apr 30, 2009
    #11
  12. Alan

    Alan Guest

    Mike,

    As far as conspiracy theories, I have seen more incompetence in every
    facet of life than I care to believe. Why should Car Dealers be any
    different, especially at a time when their income is not what they
    expected.

    As far as the performance of the car, let me restate it. The car was
    running great after the air sensor was replaced in Jan or Feb 09.
    Pickup was good and the engine sounded smooth. That continued up and
    until the battery was replaced. On the way home from Sears, the car
    was trying like hell to stall at every stop. Before thinking that I
    am Oliver Stone, perhaps **not re-initializing the throttle** was THAT
    problem. Maybe if that was done, there would not have been any more
    problems. But I didn't know that and Sears should have.

    So, the car was almost stalling when I brought it in to the dealer and
    the check engine light was on. Perhaps that was the throttle problem.
    The stalling was the problem but before the dealer got his hands on
    the car BUT there was no problem with the smoothness of the engine or
    the smell of gas when I stopped the car. That all happened AFTER I
    picked up the car from the dealer and after his so called diagnostic
    test that said the car was misfiring. The car was not misfiring, as
    far as I could tell before the dealer got it and afterward the car
    sounded like it had Bronchitis. I know the difference.

    The other possibility is that the when they did their diagnostic test
    and I told him I did not want him to change the plugs, he said he'd
    have to put everything back. I don't know what that meant. I am not
    sure what his $99 diagnostic test involved. I'd bet it was just that
    little computer that you can buy for $50 and I'm pretty confident he
    didn't take the plugs and wires out to look them. However, if he
    wanted to, I am sure he could do something to either the plugs and the
    wires that are easy to get to that would cause misfires.

    So, I am no mechanic, we know that, but I am also not an idiot. After
    seeing bankers, stock brokers, doctors, mechanics, lawyers, judges,
    newspaper people and politicians do things that make you want to shoot
    them, why would I not think a dealer is not just as prone to doing for
    himself even if it means screwing the customers, clients or patients.
    I know the car was fine, except for the stalling before the dealer got
    it and after the dealer gave me the car back it sounded congested and
    smelled.

    Maybe I don't want to get taken for one thing after another and
    something like changing the plugs is something I can do. If it
    doesn't fix the problem, I am giving a different dealer the car with
    new wires and plugs and I will check the computer codes myself. So
    for less than $200 I get the plugs, the wires, the gasket and the
    computer and go into the next phase a little better prepared.
     
    Alan, May 1, 2009
    #12
  13. Alan

    Alan Guest

    So, is it possible I never should have brought the car in and instead
    run it for awhile as the ECM relearns the car?
    But then as he once told me when the air sensor was replaced, the bad
    air sensor could cause something else to go wrong. Maybe that's true
    but I am so disbelieving because plugs and wires cannot go in a day
    and the car was smooth but stalling before the dealer got it and
    afterward it was still stalling AND the car sounded like it had
    Bronchitis and smelled of gas after I stopped.

    One other thing happened occasionally, when I was driving on the
    highway for any length of time and got off at a short exit, the car
    would sometimes shake a little when I had to come to a quick stop.
    That was before anything happened. It rarely happened but did
    sometimes, can that mean anything?
    NGK will not void the guarantee on the drive train?
    Minimal value is correct but if I get reading that says it's a P9999
    and the dealer says it was a P5555, something is wrong someplace. I
    want to go in a little bit armed with some knowledge.

    As far as basic knowledge, it might not hurt to learn how to take car
    of your own car or at least know some of its idiosyncrasies because
    dealerships will be closing all over. I don't know about Hyundai but
    certainly Chrysler and GM will be closing many.
    I can understand that but before I started this ex cerise, I had no
    idea what made my car tick. I still haven't learned that much yet and
    there are still many many more things that I cannot do than I can do.
    I think changing the plugs and the wires and the air filter are about
    it. But it's fun to learn from great people like you and the either
    people here like Mike, etc and it makes us feel less vulnerable.
     
    Alan, May 1, 2009
    #13
  14. Alan

    Alan Guest

    You are absolutely right but when you start off not trusting them,
    that's not a good sign. I agree there is something safe about using a
    dealer. Years ago we had a Maxima that we took to our local mechanic
    who we liked very. He placed the alternator and it continued to
    fail. Then he sent the car to a place called Flushing Electric and
    they traced shorts etc that could be killing the alternator. We
    brought the car back to them 3 times and then we went to a Nissan
    dealer and told them what was happening and they said that they had a
    bulliten from Nissan that said whenever you replace the alternator to
    you always have to replace the electrical harness with it. Bingo,
    that did it.

    However, I'd be willing to bet that changing these plugs and wires was
    not the problem, it may be now, but it wasn't before the dealer got
    it. When I do replace them soon, I will look for gap errors, junk on
    the plugs and/or cut or loose wires and if I find them I will...well I
    am not sure what I will do but the dealer will not be happy.

    Alan
     
    Alan, May 1, 2009
    #14
  15. Alan

    Alan Guest

    Well Elmo,

    I am not sure that I would do what you would do but you are right,
    after the 10 years is up, you have to be a little nuts to put big
    money into these cars because a new transmission (I already had one
    replaced) or engine (I once had to replace an engine on a Mitsubishi
    Galant at 26,000 miles and it cost $2,500) is not worth the residual
    value. What bugs me about the car is that you can see how Hyundai
    chinced out on the leather and didn't put enough on the seats. I
    noticed the driver's side left air vent is popping out and even the
    dash bumper seems to be separating.

    I do love the way the car handles on wet bridges and it's heavy and
    safe. I have a new Maxima and the XG300 was never that good a car
    even though the sales people said, back in 2001, it was not competing
    against the Camry, the Avalon (which I had before the Hyundai) or the
    Maxima but against the higher end Lexus 350 and the Infinity. Yeah
    right. In retrospect the three or four thousand I saved by buying the
    XG300 over the Maxima was certainly lost in residual value but the
    guaranty makes up for that. In my next car, I would want a long power
    train guaranty from a stable company.

    The question is, with the economy such as it is, what do you buy or
    lease? Leasing looks a lot better than buying these days unless you
    get an incredible bargain. I wonder which car is the easiest to fix
    or have fixed if there are no dealers and no extended warranties.

    Alan
     
    Alan, May 1, 2009
    #15
  16. Alan

    hyundaitech Guest

    I don't think I'd say "should have." Perhaps "could have." In any
    case, you shouldn't be expected to. Sears should have done this, and
    they should have known to do it.
    This is BS. This one statement makes me think maybe they didn't know
    if the air flow sensor was the actual problem and were opening the
    door to be able to charge you for more repairs later. A faulty air
    flow sensor can make your car run poorly, but it cannot damage other
    components.
    It sounds like maybe you had a misfire problem developing or perhaps
    an EGR solenoid sticking open. If it were the misfire and you had a
    misfire code stored in the PCM, that would explain the dealer checking
    the plugs and surmising the plugs were potentially the issue,
    especially if by the time the car got to them, the throttle had
    already self-learned.

    Not unless they cause a powertrain failure. Note that the plugs are
    not considered powertrain components. Furthermore, either the factory
    originals or replacements (can't remember which) are NGK.

    That's something, but I seriously doubt most dealers would
    misrepresent this. The vast majority of misrepairs I see are from
    poor diagnosis or technicians being uneducated about proper repair
    procedures. Very rarely do I see a car sabotaged or misrepaired with
    any sort of malicious intent. Nearly all technicians are at least
    attempting to do a good repair job. I can guarantee you that the
    dealer did not use a $50 code reader to diagnose your car. The dealer
    is required by Hyundai to have a $3000 scan tool and a separate
    diagnostic laptop which costs about $9000. The use of the equipement
    is part of the reason you're charged a diagnostic fee.
    Having some knowledge of your car is a great idea under nearly any
    circumstance.
     
    hyundaitech, May 5, 2009
    #16
  17. Alan

    Alan Guest

    I just priced the parts and the plugs, the wires and the plenum gasket
    were $152.42 from the dealer where I bought the car (another one
    opened closer, and that is the one I took the car to because I could
    get a ride back). That is before I buy the computer and the torque
    wrench. I already spent that $100 which I believe that would apply to
    this job (but maybe not), so I am at $252.42 plus the computer and the
    wrench...another $75 so that is $325. If I go back to the dealer it
    will cost me $510 plus tax or about $550. I'll save $225, learn
    something about the car, walk away with a computer and a torque wrench
    and the a chance to have something fall into the intake manifold and
    blow the engine! Just kidding about the last one. It's not a lot of
    money but it is the principle of it all and the fact that it might be
    fun to do this. If worse come to worse, I can call the AAA and ask
    them to tow the car to a gas station or a dealer.

    I am going to get all the parts from the dealer since the prices were
    fairly good $11.22 for the plenum gasket, 50.88 for the wires and
    $13.19 for the plugs plus tax. Or I can get the better NGK PFR5N-11
    plugs and the NGK KRX009 Wires and the gasket for a little more from
    Amazon.

    Alan
     
    Alan, May 6, 2009
    #17
  18. Alan

    Mike Marlow Guest

    Way to go Alan. No better way to learn than to grenade a car of two.
    Joking, of course... Do yourself a favor and get yourself a free account on
    the Hyundai web site. You'll need IE since it does not recognize Firefox.
    Complete service information at your fingertips (well - with a little
    searching...) and all for free.
     
    Mike Marlow, May 7, 2009
    #18
  19. Alan

    Ed Pawlowski Guest

    Mike forgot the link. www.hmaservice.com not the regular Hyundai site.
     
    Ed Pawlowski, May 7, 2009
    #19
  20. Alan

    Alan Calan Guest

    I bought the plugs, wires and the gasket for Hyundai. One thing
    suprised me and that was that there were only 3 wires. They guy in
    parts said that the other three are connected to three coils and the
    three wires are connected to those three coils too.

    When looking on Amazon.com for the parts there was a set of NGK wires
    forthe XG300 that were $80 plus dollars while the some of the other
    NGK sets were about $50 for 6 wires.

    It seems as though the NGK wires are only three also that are
    connected to the three coils that are connected to the other three
    plugs They look like good wires:
    http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/products/wire_sets/wiresets.asp

    So, I also realize now that these three coils have to come off to get
    to the three plugs under them. Don't these coils go bad. They guy at
    Hyundai said they rarely go bad and they are very expensive to
    replace. God help that other dealer if he did something to the coils.

    Just as a little aside about supidity and incompetence, I had a new
    pool heater installed the other day and no I never thought of doing it
    myself. However, this new heater has the wires coming in higher than
    the original one. The wires were long enough but the flexible pvc
    tubing was too short. The installer tells me I have to call an
    electrician for that. I said to you him, "You must be kidding. I
    have to pay $300 for an electrcian to come here look at the job and
    then get his assisstant to paste up an extension? I learned how to
    paste things in first grade."

    I was pissed off they didn't carry the tubing, connectors and pvc glue
    with them. So for $2.11, I got 2 ft of tubing and two connectors and
    for $4.50 I got the pvc glue. One of the owners of the pool company
    said they would rewire the heater if I got the tubing because he went
    to Home Depot and said they have nothing there that would help. Duh!
    Well, they have a 25 ft roll for $9.00 and they had the connecters and
    the glue. But what is so bad about the underlying story is, they
    should have told us 11 years ago to add calcium to the water. That
    probably would have kept the heater alive for at least a few more
    years and would have prevented the $3,600 "marble dusting" (white
    cement) of the spa and the pool main drain.

    Alan
     
    Alan Calan, May 7, 2009
    #20
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