Getz intermittent starting



My wife's 2008 Getz had this starting problem which required her to make many attempts first thing in the morning. It appeared to be an immobilizer problem.
After searching on this forum and others, it seems to be a common problem worldwide - and with other Hyundai models too. In some countries the dealers know of the problem and fix it under warranty.

The cause is poor contact in the connector bock for the immobilizer coil.

I took the details to the regional Hyundai dealer and asked them to fix it under warranty, especially as it a known problem as shown on my forum print-outs.

Basicly, they were unhelpful, said it was not a common fault, said they would need to do a fault scan etc and it would not be covered by warranty. I was disappointed that the people we spoke to seemed not to understand the details of how immobilizers work and, worst of all, the poorest customer care attitude of any main dealer I have encountered.

My wife took the car to a local independent garage with instructions to remove the immobilizer coil connector block and solder the connections permanently. The cost was a fraction of that required by the Hyundai dealer to make just a fault scan.

Six months on the car still starts first time every time.

As a qualified professional electronics engineer I was horrified to find that Hyundai had used a general purpose connector intended for a few amps in a situation that carried only a few milliamps. The correct connector should have gold plated contacts. The one fitted will go high resistance at low current due to atmospheric corrosion over time. This also explained why some people have had only a temporary fix after garages have disturbed the wiring.

SUMMARY
Car difficult to start when cold overnight (car 4 years old).
One of the dashboard light was not illuminating correctly (immobilizer) but not noticed until we started to investigate.
Cause is wrong type of connector used on the wiring of immobilizer coil.
Solution: Cut out the connector bock and solder the wires direct.

Sorry it's a long post but I hope the details will help other Hyundai owners, and not just the Getz. Thanks to other forum members for pointing me in the right direction.

 

My wife's 2008 Getz had this starting problem which required her to make many attempts first thing in the morning. It appeared to be an immobilizer problem.
After searching on this forum and others, it seems to be a common problem worldwide - and with other Hyundai models too. In some countries the dealers know of the problem and fix it under warranty.

The cause is poor contact in the connector bock for the immobilizer coil.

I took the details to the regional Hyundai dealer and asked them to fix it under warranty, especially as it a known problem as shown on my forum print-outs.

Basicly, they were unhelpful, said it was not a common fault, said they would need to do a fault scan etc and it would not be covered by warranty. I was disappointed that the people we spoke to seemed not to understand the details of how immobilizers work and, worst of all, the poorest customer care attitude of any main dealer I have encountered.

My wife took the car to a local independent garage with instructions to remove the immobilizer coil connector block and solder the connections permanently. The cost was a fraction of that required by the Hyundai dealer to make just a fault scan.

Six months on the car still starts first time every time.

As a qualified professional electronics engineer I was horrified to find that Hyundai had used a general purpose connector intended for a few amps in a situation that carried only a few milliamps. The correct connector should have gold plated contacts. The one fitted will go high resistance at low current due to atmospheric corrosion over time. This also explained why some people have had only a temporary fix after garages have disturbed the wiring.

SUMMARY
Car difficult to start when cold overnight (car 4 years old).
One of the dashboard light was not illuminating correctly (immobilizer) but not noticed until we started to investigate.
Cause is wrong type of connector used on the wiring of immobilizer coil.
Solution: Cut out the connector bock and solder the wires direct.

Sorry it's a long post but I hope the details will help other Hyundai owners, and not just the Getz. Thanks to other forum members for pointing me in the right direction.

One year on and my 09 Getz is having the same frustrating issue. More detailed explanation so I can attempt repair please?

 

Ah, that explains it then. I've never tried gliding. Well, I did once when the engine chucked it. I'm glad to report that neither plane nor pilot got bent in the landing

Cheers.

Scottie.

 

Barry,
I am not as familiar with the Hyundai systems as I am with other makes of car but a few points come to mind:

Diesel cars cannot usually be started by bump starting if the immobiliser is not seeing the correct key as it will shut off the fuel supply. So your immobiliser may in fact be working and you have something else not allowing normal starting. Does the immobiliser light on the dash come on?

The diagnostics reader may be inhibited by other things such as a blown fuse. For example, in some VAG cars, replacing the radio with an after-market unit will destroy the reader because the 12V supply and signal line are reversed compared with factory fit radios.

I suggest you need to go to another garage or perhaps a specialist.

 

I done a few experiments with my immobilizer today. The warning light on my 2006 CRDi model seems to behave different to the one mentioned at the start of this thread.

With a valid key in the ring antenna, my immob light comes on with the other ignition lights. It goes out during crank but just before the engine fires up.

With no key or an invalid key (key from another Getz) in the antenna, my immob light doesn't come on at all. The engine cranks but doesn't fire up.

I never thought to disconnect the ring antenna to see what effect that has on the light. I'll maybe try that tomorrow and see if that makes the light flash 5 times.

Below are some screen captures from my scope while attached to the data link wire between the immob unit and the engine PCM :

 

Sorry to bring up this old thread but I was wondering where I could pick up this Antenna coil for a 2010 Hyundai santa fe 3.5v6? I have been searching with no luck. Preferably a Canadian site.


Thank You So Much

 

No need to remove the steering wheel or the complete dash. You gain access to the ring antenna by remove the steering cowlings. Follow the wire coming off the antenna and it'll lead you to the connector.

 

Thanks for the image. I've got access to the ring antenna, but it seems my car has already been treated like you said in the previous post. There's no plugs and sockets around the antenna. Two wires are connected to it directly from somewhere I can't see, behind the dashboard I assume.

But the immobiliser goes wrong sometimes in spite of that. I think the next possible reason should be key battery, right?

 

Thanks for the image. I've got access to the ring antenna, but it seems my car has already been treated like you said in the previous post. There's no plugs and sockets around the antenna. Two wires are connected to it directly from somewhere I can't see, behind the dashboard I assume.

Follow the wiring coming out the antenna and you should come across a white connector. Following the wiring beyond the connector should lead you to the SMARTRA box.

I think the next possible reason should be key battery, right?

Wrong! The battery in the key is for the remote locking, not the immobilizer.

 

to reach the immobiliser antenna...

Hi guys ,I am ready to iron the cables. Can anyone help me how to quickly reach the antenna of immobiliser ? showing the video how to disassemble cover of steering wheel to reach would be very helpfull. Thanks from now... Cheers

 

I don't know of a video showing how to remove the cowlings but there may be one soon.

This happened to my car the other day. Immobilizer light wouldn't come on. I even tried the spare key and it still wouldn't come on so I grabbed the tools to remove the cowlings and my phone. I started making a video on my phone but when I put the key in to release the steering lock so I could gain access to the upper cowling screws the immobilizer light came on and the engine started. I had a job to go to so I had to abandon the idea. It's been behaving itself since but when it happens again I'll try and make a video of the repair.

 

I have got a Getz 1.4 GSI 2006 automatic. The same immobilizer intermittent fault came up as described previously by other users. I then got a car electrician solder the wires of the immobilizer antenna coil as Autospark suggested in his post. No problems after that. Obviously the connector is to blame for the problem. There were no error codes on EPC.
Thank you Autospark!

 

about 8 weeks back my 2004 1.6L Getz failed to start after a visit 30km to other side of Brisbane Australia.
Showed immobilizer light, No prior history of No Start/Immobilizer light.
Tried jump start , disconnect/reconnect battery, all failed.
Ordered a tilt tray transporter to get the vehicle home.
3 weeks later did the ring antenna sensor connector solder of wires. but no result,
Access to the connector required removal of the under dash panel ( note there is a non obvious securing bolt below the fuse array block under the fuse array cover- nominal force after removing the obvious retaining screws resulted in a broken plastic moulded bracket and subsequent need for fabrication of a metal replacement bracket)
Immobilizer light still on and no start.
Checked the clutch depressed switch ( its on the lower clutch pedal bracket next to firewall) which inhibits a start unless depressed-- it was "open circuit" probably from dust dirt over 15 years as its near floor level-
Removed saturated/ washed out with WD40 and operated-until my multimeter indicated it was reliable on /off operating again. reinstalled, adjusted for "on position" with clutch 95% depressed .
Car now starts normally. no further problems.
As an observation a squirt of WD40 on the open immobilizer ring antenna connectors before reconnecting/ disconnecting a few times might solve the dry/oxidized connector issue.
I notice no posts have addressed this simple solution and frequent posts say the soldering of the ring antenna connector didn't solve their immobilizer light / cant start problem.
Moral of the story- Some problems have a simple solution best tried first!!!

Remember the KISS principle !

 

frequent posts say the soldering of the ring antenna connector didn't solve their immobilizer light / cant start problem

There's more than one fault that can effect the immobilizer. Nobody said removing the ring antenna would fix them all. And the common symptoms of the ring antenna connector fault are a non start with no immobilizer light. That doesn't sound like what you were experiencing, so it's not surprising removing the connector didn't help in your case.

Great to hear your mobile again though.