Alright, folks...I am about to dispense the totality of my automotive care knowledge in bits and pieces over the next few weeks. I'm going to start off with the basics and get progressively more advanced from there.

Modern automotive paint (and all Hyundai paint) is an environmentally-friendly water based, dual-stage paint. Because of the eco-friendly qualities, the paint is soft and highly susceptible to scratching and swirling. If you're serious about keeping your car looking as close to factory fresh as possible, it requires dedication and not straying from a borderline religious technique. The payoff is you'll have one of the best looking cars in your neighborhood.

There is one very easy way to avoid swirl marks and deep scratches...DO NOT take your car through an automatic car wash...ever. Sure, the convenience factor may be very enticing but the damage it causes over time can eventually become irreparable and will negatively affect the resale value of your vehicle. This first write-up will show you how to wash your Hyundai properly in the comfort of your own driveway. Enjoy!



Use a decent-sized clean bucket; a mop bucket or one of those Home Depot all-purpose 5 gallon buckets is perfect for the job. Use only a specially formulated car wash soap! Dish soap will strip the wax or sealant from your finish and leave your car unprotected.

Avoid washing your vehicle in direct sunlight or if the surface is hot to the touch. Hose water is usually 'hard' water and if it dries, will leave water droplet shaped marks on your finish. If left unattended, these hard water spots will become permanent. If you have to wash in direct sunlight, keep the car as wet as possible and dry it as soon as you are done. Don't dilly-dally.

About an ounce or two of soap in your bucket is sufficient. Any more and you will get more foam than you know what to do with. Use more soap if you want to strip an old coat of wax.


If it's cool outside, use warm (not hot) water from your sink to fill the bucket about 3/4 of the way. Fill it the rest of the way using the hose head. This will help to agitate the soap that has settled at the bottom of the bucket.


This step is optional. If you have a dedicated automotive wheel cleaner or degreaser, spray this on the wheels while the bucket fills. One pump per spoke on the spray head's fan setting is a good rule of thumb. It is possible to use too much and you don't want to waste it. Allow the cleaner to settle (but not dry) on the wheel and it will loosen much of the brake dust and help to minimize the amount of work you have to do.


With your bucket full, rinse the vehicle from top to bottom. Don't hesitate to use the 'jet' setting on your hose head and concentrate the stream on heavily contaminated areas to loosen the dirt. This will help to minimize the chances of scratching as you wash.


By now your wheel cleaner will have done its job and you should see it working the brake dust loose. Rinse the wheels with the jet setting on your hose head.


Pick up a high-quality wash mitt made of either microfiber (shown here) or sheepskin. These mitts retain an amazing amount of water and provide lubricity over the surface of the car, minimizing friction and scratches from the washing process.


Saturate the mitt with water and soap and start from the top, working your way down. Work one panel at a time and only wash in horizontal lines. Do NOT wash in a circular motion! This is an express train to Swirl City.


Rinse the vehicle using either the shower setting or the open end of the hose without an attachment. If you choose to use the latter, turn the water low to almost a trickle. This will cause the water to sheet off.

To clean the wheels correctly, use a mitt only for wheels and the dirtiest areas of your car that reside closest to the road surface. I use this old style microfiber wash mitt although any style will do. Just make to differentiate which is which...you don't want to confuse your wheel and body mitts.


If your rocker panels are extremely dirty, you can use the wheel mitt on those surfaces. You can see here I used it on the splash guards, very bottom rocker panels and on the fender lip. The corner of the bumper that faces the wheels is frequently overlooked but can make all the difference between a clean and dirty car.


When picking a wheel wash mitt, try to find one that is fairly limber and can conform to the often extortionist shapes of some wheels. Make sure you rinse thoroughly after cleaning them. I usually empty and re-fill my bucket for the wheels.


To dry, use a waffle weave microfiber drying towel using very minimal pressure. In some cases, you can simply lead the towel along the horizontal surfaces. As before, start from the top and work your way down. I usually do glass surfaces first to prevent streaking.


This is only the beginning! Coming soon will be deep cleaning wheels, wheel wells, engine bays, claying, polishing, and waxing. Stay tuned!

i dont know about anyone else but i use the pocket on the drivers door for a good amount of storage. Because of my wedding band there are not scratched color marks in the door. I tried to clean it but they didnt go away. I know that the scratches arent DEEP but i wanted to see if anyone else has had this issue and if yes whatchadid to fix it. Products?
thanks in advance

Did a search and came up with a big goose egg. Was wondering if anyone has seen angel eyes for the 09 Sonata as I haven't. Anyone know??

Hi, I've got a 2004 Hyundai Sonata, and if I lean on the driver's door when turning right, the door chime goes off. Also, recently while stopped at a light, I pushed down on the door's arm rest to shift position, and the doors unlocked. Of course I thought this was mildly fascinating, so I tried to do it again, and succeeded. I'm an average size female, so it's not like there's an excess amount of weight straining the limits of the door. I was able to live with the door chime issue, but not the door locks, that could be a safety issue. Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks.

Hiii


I got 2004 Santa fe 2.4l 91000 mileage I got this Noise coming from the i think the door it's like plastic touch plastic while i drive any help please my door interior has some i think shiny plastic sorry it's my first post and my first Santa fe

thank you

HYUNDAI COUPE SE 2.0 '03

Hi folks,

I'm really stuck (quite literally!) with my passenger door......

It started not unlocking on a couple of occasions and now refuses to budge full stop. It turns fully to the lock side but refuses to budge on the unlocking side. I've tried unlocking from both doors manually and also from the inside but no joy (driver door locks/unlocks fine and elec windows work on both sides too). My friend said to pull then refit the battery or try giving the inner lock a little more force and sadly not only did neither work but now the inner lock moves back and forth but still doesnt open (have a horrible feeling this has only damaged a door cable??)

I'm a total novice when it comes to the car and its features so would really appreciate any layman help you could give.

Many thanks,

Gaz

In my area there are 2 types of automatic car washes, high-pressure soapy water jets & these spinning drum things with strips of foam rubber that beats the crud off. Doesn't seem like a good way to keep the paint looking good for years, I don't know. I plan on keeping this new Accent for many years & it will need it's first wash soon. I'm a sucker for convenience but my gut tells me I should wash, dry & wax it by hand. Your opinions? Thanks.

I was just wondering if there was any interest in carbon fibre hoods for the 2009 model?

I know of somewhere that can make them, they just need to make a mold.

Let me know.

Greetings,

Recently my mom was driving my 2001 Accent GL (4dr sedan), she got side-swiped pretty bad (damage from left fender through to left quarter panel). The damage is more extensive from the left fender through left rear door. The insurance company doesnt want to give us how much it would cost to fix it, however what they have offered us will easily pay for the parts if I buy them from a salvage yard.

My question is how difficult will it be for someone like me, with no prior experience to take off and attach a new fender, front door and rear door. Also, it's manual windows/locks so I wont have much electrical to deal with and the sound wires wont be a problem for me.

Also, can anyone explain to me what the difference between the 2000-2002 fender with and without molding is (not sure exactly what the "molding" is)?

Thanks,
Brandon

Has anyone installed the LED lights (turn signals, interior) that are listed on ebay? Are they quality?

Its almost a done deal, but monday Im getting a new exhaust installed by a local custom shop. They really dont have much for my car, cant seem to find a high flow cat anywhere. but Im getting a magnaflow muffler, new pipes, and a down turn tip. All for about $275.00 Including install.

When I was talking to the guy, I told him i wanted free flow, high flow. Most performace I can get with a good sound. I knowMagnaflow has XL mufflers, Racing mufflers, SS and what not. But the guy was insisting on a Universal muffler. I kept asking what the differences are, and he said there really wouldnt be any difference, they are all made straight through. So I ask myself then why would they have these different style of mufflers?

What do you guys think? Is he right? It just didnt seem to make alot of sense to me, but he seemed like an honest guy that knew his stuff.

Just looking for most performance, and to not get ripped off.

Please help me on this guys.

Hello all,

I recently purchased a new vehicle (2010 Hyundai Genesis). I purchased some of the protection packages: the 3M Protective Film and some kind of permanent, transparent coating that is applied on to the paint (they called it a "Platinum Finish" or something along those lines). They said it will prevent fading from sunlight and make it so I don't have to wax the vehicle at all. I paid $500 for this paint protection and $700 for the 3M. The 3M is great, you can see it, you can tell its there and you can tell it obviously took some time from qualified professionals to apply. but is it really worth $700

My question is: how can I tell they applied the other coating? There is no documentation included to show that the work was done. It sounds like something that can be done with minimal work and materials. Was I completely taken for a ride on this one? $500 bucks Maybe its not even there!! Any advice?

EDIT: prices were incorrect

We're gearing up to trade in our 06 Sonata V6 and taking care of some of the little things we've been neglecting for some time. One thing will be a serious cleaning effort inside and out, where I'm sure I'll be cursing at least once every six minutes over the inability to get a dark-colored interior at the time.

The top of the dash is black - or at least it used to be. Now it's faded pretty badly and I'd like to know if there are any products or techniques we can use to darken what is supposed to be dark.

I was wondering what to use to clean my dash and trim on my new 08 Elantra.
I know armor all will make it look like crap.

Hi all...My name is Richard Kim, a sales manager of SuperLUX. I would like to introduce our products to you. We have now distributor for North America. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

How do I remove the dash board of a 2005 Santa Fe

I did a topic search ande didn't see an answer for this, so please dont kill the n00b if it's been asked...

Is there any website handy that lists Hyundai Paint codes and color chips?

Thanks for any replies.

this may seem like a stupid question..lol but here it goes

i want to debadge my sonata....how would i go about doin it? is this something i do myself?

like i said, sorry if this is a stupid question!!! i am a 24 yr old female and this is my first car!! i picture myself out there with a scraper trying to pry the symbols off...someone please advise!!

jillian

I am sure this has been discussed before, but I was unable to find anything that works for me. I am looking for the product that remove old wax from the textured black trim. Does anyone have any tricks to do this task smoothly and easily.
Well, I am planning to visit Autobarn this weekend to find out some good products.

I own a 2006 Sante Fe (Early 2G), I am concerned about the wear on the outside eadge of the drivers seat, the leather seems to be getting thin and more pliable. I am concerned it will split. Has anyone experienced this and/or any advice. I have emailed Hyundai UK CS but so far no repsonse. Vehicle registered April 2006, 42,000 miles on clock.
Thanks

Hi all I am new to the forum.

I just got a 2001 Tiburon and the Front floor mat hooks are missing. Does anyone know were I can purchase these and what I need to do to install them?
Thanks

Hey I have an 04 sonata.... But I'm 18.... We bought it with our tax money... We had a baby coming and decided to think family... I absolutly love my car... It's so rich looking... For 5500 it's not to bad a car... We have a v6 gls with a viper 550 alarm and remote start intalled... We also have a nice stero system in our car... 1 12 sub in a slot potted box an eclipse deck and soon to have all 4 speakers powered.... Anyway... I love my car... But I want a new grill with out the Hyundai logo and I would love a spoiler to visually life the sagging rear end... Also I would like a body kit just to get my overall look of luxury/sporty!!! Any advice or good websites????!!!

Has anyone else been told by the Hyundai service department that ALL sunroofs leak & to be able to see the rain drip into your car, that this is completely normal? I've had the car in 5 times for this issue since I bought it in April - I'm getting quite frustrated.

The other issue I have is with the roof rack - the load limit is 110 pounds - but when I took my 43 pound kayak out on the highway, the first train track I went over (I slowed down to 60km), the roof rack shattered over the stress of the bumps. I was lucky the kayak didn't slip off & disintegrate on the highway. What a completely ridiculous design for a roof rack - it clasps onto the door frames, not the track on the roof.

I could go into a total rant about how I feel about this car because it's been in no less than 15 times for all of it's problems. I am not at all confident in this model of car.

I own a 2004 hyundai sonata. For the past 2 years, the paint on all four door handles (exterior) have started to chip. Has anyone experianced this to their vehicle. The dealership says they can't help me because the warrenty is up.

So, me being the genius I am. Went and bought car wash soap and left it in my trunk for the rest of the day and remembered it the next morning when I was going to wash my car. I went out to my car and the bottle was empty... and my trunk was nice and caked with soap. Close to an hour of high pressure spraying it with a hose and probably an extremely high water bill later... I have a really clean floor to my trunk and no soap.
Great job me.

Hi,

I bought a 09 Sonata last year. dumb me did not ask for Leather seats while buying. But now have a urge to get it installed.

Does any one here have installed a leather car seat after buying a car ? Did you use a Huyndai Dealer to do it ? What do you think about the upholster shops that rip the cloth of the seats and replace it with leather. Is the Dealer a good place or any body shop should be a good alternative.

What is the ball part cost i am looking at ?

Thank You for you answers.

BTW i live in Sunnyvale California.

I recently replaced one of the burned out tail lights. Then all of a sudden the interior dashboard lights, lighting on my shifter and brake lights do not light up unless I brake.

Explanations anyone?

So the wife kissed a pickup with a receiver hitch and ran the ball through the front bumper cover on her 07 Sonata. Does anyone have a good resource for online used parts? I would like to get a full front cover with the right factory paint code and just bolt it on. Otherwise I will have to get one and have a body shop paint it which will triple the cost.


Or maybe one of you guys out there that modded your car has a stock white front bumper cover with fog light holes for sell

Hi everyone,

Anyone know where I could purchase a snorkel for my galloper? Thanks

Ok guys i am getting chased around and around i really need someones help, i am trying to install a rpm tacho in i have got it wired in to my car it lights up now my only problem is the wire to hook up to my ecu or my coil people tell me to do that but to find the wire is another story can someone plzzz tell me wat colour the wire is i have been told white but where about in the million of wires that are there i can not quiet put my finger on it and its starting to get annoying so if some nice person out there would be able to point me in the right direction i would really love that,
hope u can help me out, thanks guys

I can't remove the transparent cover of the ceiling light, and there are no obvious clips or ways to remove it. Does anyone know how?

I've seen the clear plastic bras Honda has for their cars. Does anyone make a clear bra for the 09 sonata?

Need to replace cabin filter on 2007 Elantra Lmt. What's the trick to getting the glove box open to expose the filter??

I have a blcak 2005 accent and i am wondering what wax products do u guys/girls recomend usings to remove the swirls marks and bring out a nice shine.I am really lookin for products that come off quickly and don't leave unsightly residue.

Hello, I was trying to locate a factory chrome "i30" emblem. I work at a Hyundai Dealership in California but can not purchase or order the emblem through my parts department since it is not available in USA. I have even asked my Factory Rep. to see if he could get one through Hyundai and he had no luck. I have searched the internet time and time again and have not been able to find one. Please if anyone knows where I can order one let me know.

Thank You,

E.T.

I need help on how to remove the center trim where the radio-a/c controls are located. I have a 2005 Sante fe.
Thanks,

Hi all jetters out there.I'm not very sure whats wrong with my car but when i floor the accelerator pedal below 120kph the car engages into the second gear and drags it there.However, if i were to slowly accelerate pass the 120mark it would be able to go up to 160kph.Is there anyway that i can accelerate pass 120kph while flooring the pedal without the car engaging into the second gear? useful information would be very much appreciated.

The black paint on my 2009 Santa Fe front grill is chipping off. The chrome seems to be okay. Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this problem. I pointed it out to my dealer on the last service visit. He said that he would check with his manager but I never heard back. Anyone else?

Does anyone know how to remove the door panel from
Accent 2000? (Door lock sticking).

I have a 2001 XG300L...

The bulb on the passenger side of the interior courtesy lights has burned out.

I am picking up a new bulb but don't see any screws to let me open the cover and change the bulb..... Does anyone know how to open this up for bulb changing ??

I don't want to just try to pry it off with a screwdriver and possibly break or snap something plastic.........

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can give me.....

Does anyone know if the Sonata GLS is wired for fog lights?

I have a Hyundai Starex, and the automatic headlights are always on. Is there any way I can go manual?

I let my parents borrow the car when they were in town last week and they broke the rear (kid-proof) window by trying to push it down the rest of the way while pulling up on the power window button.

i took the door apart and found that the motor itself is fine, but the regulator (the pulley assembly that cranks the window up down) is all fubar and looks like a birds nest.

i called the junkyards and they dont have one...and the dealership wants 85 plus tax...

so i am thinking maybe i should just prop it up, but i dont know how to do it. anybody got some advice? i dont need to crank the window down ever, so a "permanent" fix will do fine.

oh, and by the way, now ive got an extra power window motor for sale that works fine!

I'm thinking of putting lights under my dash for a blue glow effect and am wondering if I should go with neon tubes ,led tubes, or led strips. I saw some at Auto Zone and i want to know What u guys think.
Thanks

hey guy,

I'm new to the forum but I have 2004 hyundai santa fe and I've noticed that the over head console has the over head lights and room for sunglasses. Anyways, is there one that I can swap it out with that has mpg and what not or is there even one of those for a santa fe? thanks


ps. I have tons of questions so expect to see me around here thanks

Hi my names mike and im new to this forum, i was given a 2000 Hyundai Excel X3 (which i also believe is classified as a Hyundai Accent in america) as my 1st car from my dad and have been working on the interior i have painted the middle and bottom console and now i need help with the vents i have no idea how to remove them or the main dash board.

if some one could please direct me to a website with step by step directions or would be kind enough to write one up or give me pointers i would be greatful for your time.

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance.

I want to buy this product what you think about it?

Anyone know how many miles the I20 1200cc does after the petrol warning light comes on please? No mention of it in the handbook .Just got the car three days ago brand new
Cheers everyone out there
Norman (new member)[color="#FF0000"][/color]

Hi,

Im just wondering if anyone knows where the rear wing (in the pic) can be purchased from.

And if so, what brand / name is the kit.

Thanks,
Aaron.