2002 Sonata battery died?! What next?

[Rich Heimlich]

My 2002 Sonata, which I have been VERY happy with, just had its first hiccup.

We had been driving around with it all Friday evening. On Saturday we got up to snow (I live in NJ outside Philly and we got quite a bit of the white stuff). The car seemed okay but just wouldn't start.

I had to jump it from the other car and now it seems to be fine.

I can guess that perhaps we left a door open but I didn't think so.

The key question is, are the standard batteries not that great? Should I take the car in for service now? Should I just get a better grade battery and forego the warranty?

Finally, anyone know how to get the climate control system back from Celsius settings to Farenheit?

 

[theta00k]

My 2002 Sonata, which I have been VERY happy with, just had its first hiccup.

We had been driving around with it all Friday evening. On Saturday we got up to snow (I live in NJ outside Philly and we got quite a bit of the white stuff). The car seemed okay but just wouldn't start.

I had to jump it from the other car and now it seems to be fine.

I can guess that perhaps we left a door open but I didn't think so.

The key question is, are the standard batteries not that great? Should I take the car in for service now? Should I just get a better grade battery and forego the warranty?

You should take it in for overall system checkup. It could be something else.

The replacement batteries are sourced in the U.S. and qualitywise they are pretty much the same as the OE batteries.

Finally, anyone know how to get the climate control system back from Celsius settings to Farenheit?

Did you look in the owner's manual?

 

[Jason (archive)]

I believe that you hold down the "Ambient" button along with the "Temperature Down" button to change between Degrees C/F.

As long as your battery is still working fine don't do anything. If it isn't charging correctly then skip the OE battery replacement and shell out the cash for an Optima Red Top battery. They are the best batteries I've ever used. Your car will start easier, you can mount them in almost any orientation, and they still function even if you puncture a cell. If you need a heavy-duty battery (for example, you have a +500W stereo system) then pick up the Optima Yellow Top.

 

[Guy Constantineau]

I had my Sonata boosted 2 times last winter. This battery did not have 2 years. CAA took it to the garage and after a recharge they said it was fine.

This summer, I also had problems with it. While having my 36000 kilometers checkup the garage finally changed the battery cause they said it was not keeping his charge.

Now I have another problem.

The heating-air conditioning system is closing some traps after 30-60 minutes. The garage dont know what is the problem. But when you drive and these traps close it gets cold in winter or very hot in summer. Anyone has a solution .

Thanks
Guy

a écrit :

 

[Rich Heimlich]

I believe that you hold down the "Ambient" button along with the "Temperature Down" button to change between Degrees C/F.

Thanks. I could look it up in the manual but really don't want to drag it out.

As long as your battery is still working fine don't do anything. If it isn't charging correctly then skip the OE battery replacement and shell out the cash for an Optima Red Top battery. They are the best

Who sells those and what price is in the ballpark?

 

[Jason (archive)]

Thanks. I could look it up in the manual but really don't want to drag it out.

Who sells those and what price is in the ballpark?

Any major autoparts store will sell Optima batteries. They're not cheap, most stores will sell them for $115-$125 w/o an exchange. You're going to want the 800S or 800U. There is a 24 month free replacement and another 48 months of prorated replacement.

 

[Jason (archive)]

Any major autoparts store will sell Optima batteries. They're not cheap, most stores will sell them for $115-$125 w/o an exchange. You're going to want the 800S or 800U. There is a 24 month free replacement and another 48 months of prorated replacement.

Sorry, the warranty info may be incorrect. It seems that the waranty is dependant on which battery you buy. Also, the model numbers seem to have changed.