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Hyundai Elantra Maintenance and Repair

3260 messages,  Last post on Nov 23, 2009 at 8:34 AM

You are in the Hyundai Elantra Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Hyundai Elantra, Hatchback, Sedan


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#3058 of 3260
Re: Elantra clutch problems [bad_clutch] by stephen987
Nov 30, 2008 (7:41 pm)
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Replying to: bad_clutch (Nov 30, 2008 3:47 pm)

Well, if the first one lasted 85k miles, then I'd say it's not the design that's at fault. Nor is it the driver. So that leaves either the replacement parts, or the guy who replaced them. It may be that there's some oddity in the design that Hyundai service departments know about but your otherwise well-trained mechanic doesn't. Try using www.alldata.com to find out if there's been a TSB (technical service bulletin) on the subject.
#3059 of 3260
Re: Elantra clutch problems [stephen987] by jlflemmons
Dec 01, 2008 (8:09 am)
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Replying to: stephen987 (Nov 30, 2008 7:41 pm)

I have to agree with the above post. Most of the clutch problems in Hyundai were related to the Tiburon, not the Elantra. If the original clutch lasted 85K, and the others are not lasting weeks, either something is being installed wrong, or the parts being used are incorrect for the application. All manufacturers will occasionally make a design change during a production run. A clutch change would be unusual, but not impossible.
 
Just this weekend I did a brake job on a car where three different wheel cylinders were used in the same model year. So, it could be that the parts you are getting are not correct for your specific Elantra. If the first one went 85K, there is not a design problem.
#3060 of 3260
Re: Elantra clutch problems [bad_clutch] by kentavos22
Dec 01, 2008 (8:34 am)
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Replying to: bad_clutch (Nov 30, 2008 3:47 pm)

1. Why didn't you take it to a dealer? Should have still been covered by the warranty, I think.
 
2. Did he replace the clutch plate and the flywheel? Did he inspect the flywheel for damage?
 
I have trouble believing that a bad design allowed for a clutch to go 85k miles and then suddenly only a month or a couple of days. Something changed on your car that is causing you not to get another 85k. There are two possibilities as I see it.
 
1. After 85k, something wore out causing your clutch to wear out. It's something the mechanic hasn't recognized as causing the problem and still needs replaced or fixed. It's causing your clutch to burn out prematurely.
 
2. After 85k your clutch wore out (seems premature to me, but I'm not an expert) and your mechanic did a bad install or had a bad part.
 
Since you trust your mechanic, then I would guess it's option #1. Which means I would take it to the dealer. There could be something that is specific to Hyundais and the mechanic just doesn't know about it.
 
BTW, I have a 2002 Elantra and replaced the clutch and flywheel at 130k or so. I had the dealer do the work. It was costly, but I haven't had any issues since.
#3061 of 3260
Re: Elantra clutch problems [bad_clutch] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Dec 01, 2008 (9:08 am)
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Replying to: bad_clutch (Nov 30, 2008 3:47 pm)

I checked all the TSBs for this model and year and found no mention of any clutch issues.
 
I'll throw my hat into the ring here and say that the failure of the clutch is just not knowing the proper way to install it OR sourcing defective parts.
#3062 of 3260
Re: Elantra clutch problems [bad_clutch] by bad_clutch
Dec 01, 2008 (5:38 pm)
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Replying to: bad_clutch (Nov 30, 2008 3:47 pm)

Thanks for the replies. However, I have to say that if you are not Hyundai service managers you could be, they were almost verbatum as to what the service manager told me. That or there is a lot of kool aid being passed around. There seems to be some mis-information as well. One reply asked why wan't it covered under warranty. Hyundai only warranties their clutches for 12K miles. Yes on a 100K mile warranty only 12k on the clutch. And as I said before one only needs to Google and you can find countless hours of reading with the same story repeated over and over. The first clutch lasted a little while, then the second, third and so on went out relativley quickly with many of these being dealer serviced. Are all Hyundai clutches bad; no or there would be many more class actions, but where there appears to be as much smoke as I am finding something is going on. I even located an independent review of the 2004 Elantra where it said that at 2K miles they were already experiencing clutch issues and that the clutch was "most likely under designed".
#3063 of 3260
Re: Elantra clutch problems [bad_clutch] by stephen987
Dec 01, 2008 (6:12 pm)
Reply

Replying to: bad_clutch (Dec 01, 2008 5:38 pm)

Thanks for the replies. However, I have to say that if you are not Hyundai service managers you could be, they were almost verbatum as to what the service manager told me. That or there is a lot of kool aid being passed around.
 
Actually, bad_clutch, the reason that I said what I did is that (a) I'm trained as a mechanical engineer, (b) I have a lot of experience working in auto restoration with British and German cars, both of which have certain characteristics that only a specialist would be familiar with, and (c) I've also had otherwise very qualified mechanics thoroughly screw up two Mercedes and a BMW because they weren't familiar with the torque specs for certain critical fasteners. The last time it happened, it cost me $600 to undo the damage.
 
Another point: if the clutch is so poorly designed, why did the first one last 85k? Depending on driving conditions, that sounds about right to me, especially if there's a significant amount of stop-and-go driving in hilly surroundings. The original clutch on my '99 Civic is starting to go after 139k, which I figure is excellent, but it's had mostly highway miles. My '97 Civic's clutch was showing significant wear before 60k, mostly in town.
 
You'll find that almost any vehicle warranty will exclude "wear items," whose longevity is extremely dependent on the conditions of operation and the skill of the operator. Brake pads are one example of such wear items--clutches are another. Hyundai isn't unique here. Manufacturers differ as to what's considered a wear item.
 
So the real question is, assuming that the replacement parts were made by the same people, why didn't they last? Here again, there are some possible issues--were the parts the correct ones? Were they third-party aftermarket, or factory parts? And is there something about their installation that is different from that on other vehicles--something your mechanic may have missed?
 
Now, did you actually want help, or were you just baiting those of us who took the time to try to answer your question?
#3064 of 3260
Re: Elantra clutch problems [bad_clutch] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Dec 01, 2008 (6:20 pm)
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Replying to: bad_clutch (Dec 01, 2008 5:38 pm)

That's not really fair, bad clutch, with all due respect. Some of our members here know a lot about cars, and we did pour through the TSBs for you, line by line, looking for evidence. It's not like we are pulling things out of thin air.
 
Some car companies won't warranty a clutch PERIOD. It's quite common to see "clutch" specifically excluded. Check out the Chrysler "Lifetime" warranty and see what it says about clutches.
 
Don't know for sure, but so far I'm not inclined to condemn Hyundai.
 
With more or different evidence I might change my mind.
 
Why not give Hyundai a shot at putting in a clutch. If it holds up, you have your answer, and if it doesn't, you can harass Hyundai to warranty their repair work. Yeah, it costs more but at this point why keep doing the same thing that isn't working for you?
 
Visiting Host
#3065 of 3260
Re: Elantra clutch problems [Mr_Shiftright] by stephen987
Dec 01, 2008 (6:37 pm)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Dec 01, 2008 6:20 pm)

Why not give Hyundai a shot at putting in a clutch. If it holds up, you have your answer, and if it doesn't, you can harass Hyundai to warranty their repair work.
 
An excellent suggestion. I had a bad experience with a Honda carburetor being "rebuilt" by an independent mechanic who wasn't familiar with Honda's very odd design (a three-barrel Keihin carb that combined the worst features of a conventional carb and the worst features of an SU type) back in the early '80s. If I had gone to a dealership, I would have had more leverage when the problem recurred.
#3066 of 3260
Re: Elantra clutch problems [stephen987] by bhmr59
Dec 01, 2008 (7:05 pm)
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Replying to: stephen987 (Dec 01, 2008 6:37 pm)

If I had gone to a dealership, I would have had more leverage when the problem recurred.
 
Or, stephen, the problem may have never recurred.
#3067 of 3260
Re: Elantra clutch problems [bhmr59] by stephen987
Dec 01, 2008 (7:14 pm)
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Replying to: bhmr59 (Dec 01, 2008 7:05 pm)

Or, stephen, the problem may have never recurred
 
Fair enough. In any event, the point stands. I hope bad_clutch finds a solution, but I'm done trying to help. There's no point--his mind's made up already.
 
Over and out.

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