2007 Sonata sitting dead at dealer all week.

This past Monday, I got in my '07 Sonata with 8,000 miles on it. I started
driving in to the office (yeah, I know it was Memorial day, but....) about 5
miles from the house it started backfiring.... First one was really loud - I
would have thought I hit something if I wasn't paying attention. Check
engine light came on. I stopped and looked under the hood. Nothing bad
visible, no smoke, smells, etc. I started driving it again, and after a
couple of miles, it started backfiring again, and the check engine light
started flashing. I pulled into a parking lot. I called the dealer, and the
sales dept. was open, service was not. They told me to call the roadside
assistance number. That actually worked out pretty well - tow truck about 45
minutes later, and I didn't have to pay him after the car was dragged to the
dealer.

Hyundai roadside assistance doesn't do anything about getting you a loaner /
rental car - you're on your own there.

I've been making daily phone calls to the dealer. Tuesday they were busy,
and said it got too late to order anything. Wednesday they told that the
ordered a fuel injector. Thursday they told me they were waiting for tech.
support because they only had like 60 pounds of pressure in a cylinder. This
afternoon, they told me they were still waiting for tech support.

This is a 3.3 V6. Anyone - Hyundaitech especially... Is this common? Either
the sudden failure, or the forever wait for Hyundai tech support?

 

Bill, I feel your pain.

My 2002 Sonata died July 4th, 2003 in 125 degree weather. MAF Sensor was the
culprit, 12k miles.

As for the Roadside Assistance, yup, no loaner. However, my dealership
provided me one. They always do if your car is dead or needs to stay in the
car hospital overnight. I would kindly ask the dealership (not sure what
type of relationship you have with them or their concern of Customer
Service) for a loaner while all this is going on.

Being an ex-mechanic, 60 lbs in a cylinder is not acceptable. HT might
agree/disagree with me, but it sounds to me like a fuel injector would not
be the cause of 60 psi or a backfire.

I'd look a little deeper, like timing chain, head gasket, etc. in addition
to asking what codes it showed. I recall backfires on older vehicles where
timing chain was stretched and the cam jumped a tooth. Not likely these
days with chain tensioners.

As far as the new Sonatas ( I traded up to an 06 3.3) I have yet to
experience anything abnormal, except for some idiot who's door got away from
him on a windy day and dented my rear passenger door. Paintless dent guy did
a remarkable job! I did recently rent a Sonata on a business trip with the 4
cyl and noted the ECS light coming on and off sporadically...

Steve, AZ

 

I do have a loaner from the dealer. I'm really just wondering if this is a
one in a million problem, or if it's something that's been seen before. What
about the waiting for tech support? Can't they just figure out what's wrong
with it, and fix it? Or, is it such an unusual problem that it's never been
seen before?

 

I can't vouch for much, but if they have to call in Tech Support....

HT will have the answer...

 

Haven't heard of this issue on this engine before (but it's a relatively
new engine, so that doesn't really mean much).

Typically waiting for tech support means one of two things:
1. The technician didn't wish to hold for the next available tech support
staffperson and left a message. Returning messages is very spotty. For
this reason, I always hold.
2. Tech support needed to contact engineering for some reason. This is
rare, and an answer is usually forthcoming within 24 hours.

 

ESC lamp is usually due to malfunctioning brake switch. Been a big problem
on many models on 2006 and 2007. According to Hyundai, most problems can
be resolved by adjusting the switch. I suppose that's why when I put my
head under the dash, I can see the plunger stuck in despite nothing
apparent holding it there. That's probably also why the switch has
already been redesigned, right?

 

I would think that 60PSI wouldn't require a call to tech assistance. At
that point, they should be able to inspect and figure out whether there's
a leak (and where it is) or the timing is off. Maybe a broken valve
spring or something. Sure seems like diagnosis should be straightforward.

 

Well? Did you ever get thid repaired?

Rob

 

Yup.... They listed three parts on the invoice:

1 21101-3CK00 ENGINE ASSY-SUB
1 ANTIF ANTIFREEZE
5 GTX1030 10W30 OIL

Apparently something went wrong in the area of the #2 cylinder exhaust
valve. They said ""Checked compression and found that it had 60 PSI.
Performed leak down test and found 90% leakage through exhaust. Replaced
engine for code P0302. Case #xxxxxx OP codes 21101R1C 13.2 21101RA1 1.0 and
21101R40 3.0 FPN HY21101-3CK00 (N15 C06)"

I'd still like to know if this is at all common. When I picked the car up,
it made it about a mile, and started running like crap, and flashing the
check engine light. I drove it back, and the tech. hooked up the scanner. He
removed the coil for the front left plug (facing the engine from the front)
and put it back in. He said that it was because they had washed the engine.
There was water all over the top, and the ribs of the transmission. It's run
OK since then, but the check ensign light has come on a few times. When he
was messing around with the coil, I observed that he lost the four cap nuts
on the plastic cover over the engine. He said he ordered them. I've also
since noticed that he left a wiring harness floating between the engine and
the firewall - a couple more bolts.

 

It may be fixed, but they sure did a sloppy job of it. Hard to imagine they
don't have a few cap nuts around as I'm sure one gets droppon on occasion
doing normal service.

 

I have the V6...Absolutely love it. 30,000 miles with not one problem.
(except washer pump) Strange they put 10w30 in it though. I thought 5w20 was
the recommended oil.

 

With all due respect to Hyundaitech as he has helped me a number of
times, some techs do a sloppy job in putting things back together. I
recently took my daughter's car - not a Hyundai - in for a Power
Steering pump replacement. You wouldn't have believed how it was
delivered back to me. Bolts missing everywhere . . . I still do most
of the work on my cars, but since this was a warranty repair, I let
the dealer take care of it. It really makes me wonder sometimes. The
flat rate book, and trying to squeeze in as many jobs as possible is
part of this problem.

On the 10W-30 oil, I concur - they should have used 5W-20, or at least
5W-30. Frankly, I'm getting to the point where I shudder each time I
think about taking my Hyundai is for preventive service. So far, each
time that I have, it comes back with something that it didn't have
before going in!

 

Not to mention the 6 cyl. takes 6 qts of oil, not 5.

 

The saga continues.... I live in NC. I had to take my '07 in for an
inspection - I bought it in December, but it must have sat on the dealer's
lot since June '06, because it had a June sticker on it. The state
inspection involves hooking a machine up to the OBD II port to read the
readiness indicators. It's what they call an emissions inspection. It
failed! Apparently, even though the check engine light was off when I went
in for the inspection, something that machine does during it's test caused
the light to come back on, and it read - of all things - a P0302 - Cylinder
2 misfire. The light went back off when I left the inspection station.

This is the same code as what was in the car prior to the engine
replacement. It's the same code that came up when I picked the car up, and
they said it was because they washed the new engine. I am wondering if -
since it has a completely new engine - the P0302 is a symptom of what killed
the original engine, rather than it being the result of the valve failure.
BTW, the car seems to run OK, but the gas mileage is terrible - about 18
MPG, rather than the 23 - 24 MPG around town I used to get. I figured that
this was just because the new engine was "tight". Now I'm not sure. They
still haven't called me to say the cap nuts have come in. BTW.... Speaking
of sloppy job.... I noticed a dent / gouge on the right side shock tower
where they must have had problems fitting the engine back in / out.