My old Accord's A/C never operated in the winter time. A Honda mechanic told me the was not normal but I never did anything about it. Today it is -10°C where I live (approx 10 F?)and I noticed I couldn't defog the windows. I put the A/C to manual and looked under the hood and noticed neither fan was running. This is a 2008. Can anyone else confirm this? I found this strange since the A/C is hard wired into the defrost buttons (which I have since learned to override).

On my 2009 Santa Fe the tire size is 235/70R/16, what if i use 235/65R/16 or 235/60R/16 or 235/60R/15 as snow tires..does dat effect the ride quality and fuel economy as the right size tires are expensive and not easily available. Your advice is relle helpful and thanx for all the comments and suggestions.

thanx.

Well we went in drove the Limited again, and realized it was the vehicle we were looking for.

Used Car Cost Canada and got it for $700 over factory invoice all fees included. They didn't make much on this car...but have a new customer.

We picked up the Dark Red with the Beige leather interior...we take delivery next Saturday, and that's per our request due to horrible schedules this week. Had a factory trailer hitch, tonneau cover and tray added on.

I'm still in a bit of shock I not only liked a Hyundai, I liked it enough to slap down this kind of money for it...but seriously thanks to all that responded with their comments...this vehicle was miles ahead of the Rav4, CRV, Compass, or Murano we looked at...it wasn't at the BMW level, but more comfortable, more features, and more affordable.

I'm at over 42Kmi on my 2008 GLS AWD 2.7L and it saw rental service early in it's life so I figured it was a good idea to get this done. Having already done the transmission drain/fill and transfer case, this was by far the simplest and quickest. I used a 21mm socket for the drain & fill plugs and dropped the spare tire to make for an easier fill, right out of a quart sized gear oil bottle directly into the fill hole. The factory 70w90 definitely came out darker than the T-case oil did with some gray streaks in it, plus there were a few tiny, shiny shavings on the drain plug magnet, where I didn't notice visible shavings on the T-case or trans plug magnets, just black goo. In went a quart of Walmart Supertech 75w90 synthetic blend gear oil. Just shy of a qt came out. It was a good chance to clean up the dirt/stones crusted up on the spare tire and grease the cable winch for the spare. My "compact" spare is a Kumho! I never noticed spares with name brands on them before.




Joel

Hi, I have some debris clogging my washer fluid lines. I know I can take it to the dealer but I just don't have time right now. Does anyone know if the nozzles just snap off and on? If so I can just flush the lines and not waste time going to the dealer for something so small. Thanks.

What is the Santa Fe Fuel Tank Reserve capacity?

Just wondering if anyone has had the following TSB done on their Santa Fe and can describe the sound they heard.

TSB #06-50-011 prescribes the insertion of a plastic washer on the front axle to eliminate a clicking sound when shifting between Reverse and Drive. My 2008 is making such a noise, in fact I also hear it sometimes when pulling away from a stop. (I'm speculating that this washer might have been lost or damaged during a recent replacement of a stabilizer link, because that's when the noise started, although I don't know whether or not the hub would have been removed for that repair.) Anyway, the TSB applies to 2007 models only, so I'm hoping to compare notes with other Santa Fe owners before going back to the dealer.

Our Santa Fe is otherwise running great, and I'm secretly hoping for a monster snowfall soon!

Don

Right now Hyundai is offering a $2000 rebate in the Northeast. I know Hyundai is offering a huge amount of dealer cash because I've been getting lower then usual quotes this month. Let's say Hyundai increases the manufacturer's rebate in November to $2500. Am I correct that chances are that the dealer cash will be diminished if the rebate goes up? Is that a safe bet?

I am thinking about getting a santa fe in Buffalo, NY, USA and importing it but have heard rumors that Canadian dealers will not do warranty work on US models? true/false??
anyway to check this before buying...

Hi All.
Just about to start my first winter here in the UK with my Santa and used the Front windscreen wiper de-icer this morning for the first time. Just wonder how effective they are? My last car had a heated front screen which was brilliant. Not expecting this to be as good, but wondered if it is of any use.

Hi,

As a new owner of an 09 Santa FE SE, I found another interesting but frustrating tidbit. Apparently, you cannot turn on your headlights without having the key in the ignition? I know this is probably a precaution to prevent your battery from draining but is there a way around this? I really would like to be able to turn on the headlights without having to leave my keys in the car whenever I need to make a quick dash somewhere. Thanks....

I'm one who ordered a Draw-Tite hitch for my SF from etrailer.com. Installation went well, including the plug-in adapter, but the bleeping thing is just too low to the ground.

First off is it's lower than the hitch on my previous Explorer so my trailer isn't quite level any more. I haven't dragged the hitch yet but have had some problems getting the trailer dolly wheel on/off. I know I can fix this with a higher rise hitch bar but haven't gotten around to it yet.

This weekend I had reason to take a service road into a park for an event. Getting in was no problem but on the way out the hitch dragged at one point. Of course I had 4 more people on the way out. I wasn't too concerned until later when I saw that the bracket holding the trailer connector was bent up at a 45 degree angle. Luckily the connector itself and wiring look OK.

Sure makes the Firestone air spring helpers look mighty attractive.

Rather than add to the post I already wrote, so that these pix would appear at the bottom where some non-net savvy people might not wade down to, here's a new post.


Received the HiddenHitch from eHitch.com today. Not the fastest shipping. I couldn't believe the packaging. They simply wrapped it in plastic and tapped it up. I can't believe UPS accepted it. Very shoddy; Hence it got scratched on the edges. This will not be a big deal since the paint is crap. They actually use a paint can sprayer. You can see it oversprayed right over their own logo in the photo.


Please read everything before making judgement!

Now since the Hyundai OEM hitch is just under $400 bones, I can live with this since this one is after all, only $127 and is UNDER the bumper. So annoyances aside, I proceeded to bolt er' on.
[url=http://64.158.167.75/ebay/hiddenhitch/0b.jpg][/IMG]

This mother is heavy. It's not pleasant to crawl under, hold it up to the truck frame, Bench-Press-Style, and then try to get the bolts in by one's self. I did it though, so it is possible. Screaming the “F” word several times as I tried to get my medium sized hands up above the mufflers (to get to the bolt holes,) whilst holding the rest of the bar up with my knees, I finally smart and got a dolly and some wood to hold it nearly flush. Better. All in all it took about 1/2 hour. Most of that was trying to get the socket wrench lengths right (you'll see why) and screaming the “F” word as the bolt drops out (as you try to thread it,) falls behind your head and rolls out of sight. Now, this is while your holding about 60lbs of steel up to the frame with both hands and both knees... Try to get the lost bolt without dropping the entire mess to start all over…. NOT FUN. Have no small children around. Ears will suffer.

Bolted up, aligned right. Done. Actually it makes the vehicle look slightly beefier and more like it means business than before. I was afraid it would make it look off kilter and interrupt the design of the rear. The frame of the unit has two muffler protectors made out of thick steel so they wrap around and underneath the mufflers to add strength. They look really nice. Same shape as the mufflers. From the rear it looks OEM, as if the entire rear were designed for it.
The lame part is the chain attachment plate that juts out. You could saw or weld it off if you're so inclined and seek another arraignment. That would look a LOT better. Worth the $40 it would take a machine shop to remove it and repaint. Don’t stress about the paint, it’s going to get banged up anyway.

I added a lot of pix, some just to show off the tint and overall look of white w/ blacked out windows. (Limo all around the back, 30% in front, non-metallic.) Tint was $160.

Hey everyone, new to the forum but not to Hyundai. Recently (5000kms ago) I bought a 2009 Santa Fe Limited 3.3L. So far I havent been all that impressed with it. Deffintely not as impressed as i was with my Veracruz GLS in the 35,000 kms it has on it. Anyway, i was looking into aftermarket accessories for the Santa Fe, they seem limited to Korean Auto Imports mostly, and I am debating how to go about improving the fuel mileage out of this under achiever. I am trying to decide between a Cold Air Intake, like a F.I.P.Kit from K&N to improve the mileage or possibly a programmer or chip. I have had excellent results with chips/modules in the past on trucks, diesels especially.

Has anyone had any experience with a cold air intake or programmer or chip on a 3.3L? Any thoughts which is better? I dont exactly trust the Ebay chips for the Santa Fe, but i found THIS one on a website, the chip and the O2 sensor mod.
http://www.engineperformancechip.com/hyund...sor-control-p-6

There are also these 2, i believe they were the generation before the first link i posted. http://www.engineperformancechip.com/hyund...nce-chip-x2-p-8
http://www.engineperformancechip.com/hyund...ance-module-p-7


And while i was writing this i found this one lol
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NGRS3M/ref=as...ASIN=B001NGRS3M

Any Thoughts or even better anyone with experience with something like this?

Hi All, well my wife and I are actually contemplating buying a 2009 Santa Fe Limited...we started our SUV search months ago...initially we wanted a BMW X3 turned out too pricey for what you got and it was tough to justify that cash to drive around with two dogs in the back stinking it up, than a RAV4 I hated it's driveability, we both said no way not a Hyundai...so we looked at a Ford Escape, a bad past with Ford puts it out for me, tried a Murano felt like I was captaining the SS Nissan, just way too big.

As a just to see, but no intention of liking it, we tried a new Santa Fe yesterday afternoon...they dealer was very easy to talk to, offered top dollar for my trade (2005 Honda Civic) and a 0% rate...all that aside we truly like the vehicle. Not sold on it's exterior, but the interior was comfortable with a slight classy note, and it had all the features we wanted.

I know I'm rambling, but my question is are you happy you bought a Santa Fe, and would you go back to another one vs say a Toyota. I guess I'm hoping for any feedback (positive/negative)...I tried the search but it kept telling me about Sonatas

i have a 56 model santafe with 18 inch rims one rim is loosing 3 lbs aday tyre has been resealed 3 times i suspect a porous wheel anyone outthere had same problems many thanks

After lots of research, I purchased a 2009 Santa Fe Limited with 'radiant silver' w/dk grey interior last week! It's beautiful and I want to keep it that way. I have a few questions and am hoping all of you experienced owners will be able to guide me.
1. Is there some sort of exterior finish you can add to the paint that makes it shine like crazy? I was parked next to another '09 Santa Fe Limited in a parking lot yesterday and the other car looked like it had a wet shine all over it. My car looked good, but didn't have that wet, brand new look. The other car was a tan color. Could a good wax make it look that good? If so, what do you suggest?
2. I have more tire noise than I thought I would, but I guess that's because they're bigger tires? (I'm coming from a '97 Odyssey, so maybe that's part of it.)
Thanks!
Joan

Hi Everyone,

I've tried searching on this but couldn't find anything. Here in Ontario canada they just made handsfree phone accessories mandatory. I would like to be able to charge things when I'm not in the car, but all 3 cigarette lighters (accessory plugs) turn off when the key is removed. Is there a way around this (ie have at least one socket always alive)?

I have a 2007 Santy SE 3.3. Does anyone have a diagram on how to change the cabin air filter or if it is very easy just some directions? also I was thinking about getting the new charcol air filters. They are supposed to be the best. Has anyone heard of those kinds of filters? Thanx

Anyone notice a frequent popping/creaking sound from the center console? Especially evident when cornering. Mine is being caused by the "plastic wood" trim around the shifter. It's really annoying me. Haven't taken it to the dealer yet - I'm expecting the usual "it's normal" response.

08 Limited AWD. Touring pkg with RES.

Hello fellow Hyundai Santa Fe owners!

I am new to the boards, as i have just purchased a 2009 Santa Fe Ltd/Navi.

Can someone advise if there is an option to remove the ashtray and retrofit with anything else...

I was wondering if anybody would mind if an 07/08 Santy owner would measure something for me...

I'm looking for the measurement for the trim piece directly above the rear licence plate. I want to get an accent trim piece like

This from Putco

but it only shows the 07/08 models. I of course have the 09 It seems a lot of aftermarket accessories don't include the 09's in their lineup.

My numbers are 32" wide x 3" high x 2-5/8" deep. The dealership was useless for me..

Thanks

JW

My service guy at Hyundai told me today that all 4 tires are cupped thus making road noise. How can all tire have that? What best value tires can I get for my car that can be used with the tpms ?

For some unknown reason both the turn signal switch lights and the multifunction switch lights went out. Can't find a blown fuse for them but did find a blown center power port fuse. I was charging a cell phone from that power port but why and how could that take out both switch lights? Am I going to have to replace both of those switchs to get the lights back on in them? Thanks for any help!

Hi everyone

I am new member to this fourm and I have Hyundai Santa Fe 09 GLS 2.7 AT.

Well, some of the subjects in this fourm were very helpfull to me which makes me realy buy my new SF 09 .

In our country Saudi Arabia, the GLS 2.7 AT comes with less oprtions than outside, which makes me add somethings like :

- Xenon light system for headlights.
- Rear parking sensors ( same color of my car ).
- Rear Spoiler ( same color ).
- Chrome set ( front and rear lights ).
- Corners body kit ( plastic )
- DVD, GPS, BLUETOOTH system ( From China ).

and I am planning to order LED TAIL LAMP from China

I realy want to thank all of you for the great fourm and members becasue most ideas I got it from your kind fourm

[attachment=13192:Santa002.jpg]

[attachment=13193:Santa001.jpg]

Regards

There's probably a thread on this but I couldn't find it--and I'm curious about how my mileage stacks up against others. On this my second tank I used 53.76 litres over 552 km or for my U.S. friends, 14.1 usg over 343 miles. Which means 9.7 litres per 100 km (and an exact match to trip computer, which is reassuring) or about 24 miles per usg.

Probably 90% highway and at between 55 and 60 mph (during break-in period). Reasonable performance?

I noticed some moisture on my floor mat on the front passenger side (up under the dash) which would usually indicates a plugged condensate drain. I haven't been under the vehicle yet, but wanted to ask if anyone knows the approximate location (to save me from hunting!). I plan on blowing it out to be sure it's clear.

Thanks, in advance!

Mark

Just wanted to share if anyone wanted to paint there calipers. A friend did this for me, i just brought all the paint etc..

3M Painters tape
brakleen brake cleaner
Rust-oleum: Chrysler Red (2 Coats)
Rust-oleum: Clear coat (3 coats)
Rust-oleum: Primer (1 Coat)
Hyundai Sticker

The Paint is all heat proof up to 500 degrees

My friend didn't get a chance to do the rear because of the weather here in NJ, **** rain..

Some pics..

Hi guys,

With all ur help and advice finally got my new 2009 Santa Fe GLS FWD...infact today!!!
All's great but however i noticed that the blower knob does not turn off completely it is always running at its least...is that normal..probably for circulation??

Also if anybody has a privacy cover installed....then is there a way to check that the one that was installed in my santy is OEM??

Thanks

To all,

I just purchased a new 2009 Santa Fe GLS about 2.5 weeks ago and have a few questions to throw out there.

1. When should my first oil change be done? The manual says 6000 km's, normally I would of assumed 2000 km's? Is it a waste of money to go a bit ealier?

2. There is a caution symbol on the side of the dash drivers side saying not to use seat covers for safety reasons? The material of the seats seem cheapily made and going in and out will eventually wear through the fabric. Is this their way of telling you to buy their brand of seat covers?

3. The car was manufactured July 28th and I bought it Oct 3rd, since I keep it in a heated garage over winter I was thinking about getting a Krown treatment done on it and a professional wax before winter. Any comments or would I be better off waiting til spring or Summer for Krown. I have read numerous posts on this and the concensus seems to be spring but keeping a car in eastern Canada in a heated garage during winter I am told will accelerate rust. Also I know Krown offers some form of rust warranty if applied within 6 months of manufacturing, it may not be worth anything I have not dealt with them much.

4. Do you guy's apply any form of treatment to your rubber seals around doors and hatch over winter?

Any other suggestions on the break-in period of a new Hyundai?

I have an 09 GLS and I notice that it has red courtesy-light lenses at the bottom of the front driver and passenger doors, but they don't light up. I'm assuming that at the GLS trim level, that's normal. How difficult is it to get those lights working? Any chance there's already a wired up recepticle in the door, waiting for a bulb or does it require wiring in a whole light fixture?

Thanks.

Someone cracked my passenger mirror shell...the mirror itself is a-ok, but the outer shell is cracked. Whoever did it obviously didn't leave their name in the parking lot...really **** at that.

When I called our dealer, they told me the entire mirror including shell would have to be replaced. This basically would cost $800, parts, paint and labor in.

Well - what are my options here folks? Live with it? Any cheaper options? My car is black if that matters.

My beautiful 2008 is now scared for life, and I'm never parking beside anyone AGAIN!

I just bought a 2009 santa fe last week. It came with the PA710s head unit and a USB connection. The USB connection was one of the reasons I got it because I wanted to be able to have my entire music collection (which is just under 150 GB) in the car with me. So I got a Portable external 250gb hard drive which is powered by the USB and formatted it to FAT32, cluster size 512mb as the manual suggested and then copied all my music to it. When I plug it in to the USB connection the head unit only will display 4999 songs even though there is over 33,000 songs on the external hard drive. I've read the manual and done a google search, but have not been able to find very much information regarding the USB port on this head unit. Does anybody know if there is a way for the PA710s to display more than 4999 files? or if there is anything I can do to get it to play my entire music collection through the USB?

Hi all,
I'm considering buying a 2009 Santa Fe Limited 2wd and was reading about how they should be driven during the break-in period. How long is the break-in period? We are considering a drive for Thanksgiving of about 7 hours - mostly interstate highway. Would that be too much of the same type of driving to properly break-in the car? How many miles should be on it (of varied driving) before a long trip is taken? Thanks for your advice!
Joan

was on imotorroom.com. i checked out all the crazy accessories they have for the santa fe.the guys in korea are so lucky.i wish some company woulld start importing those for the american market. makes me wish i was still in the army and station in korea

I have a 2007 Santa Fe with stock 18" rims. With winter getting close, I would like to get a set of cheaper steel rims to mount winter tires - I'd like to find some 16 or 17" rims to reduce the cost of both the rim & tire set. Where could I find the rim specification for my Santa Fe (bolt pattern and offset)?

I bought my Santa Fe 5 months ago, now it leaks oil.

what should I do now?

THX for any suggestion.

Just wondering if anyone here has removed rear badges, Hyundai and Santa Fe ect. being a detail freak i removed my previous ride VW golfs badges, and it was a lot easier to wash/wax ect. Wonder if its just double sided tape like VW, or does it have holes exposed if you remove it? anyone know, maybe a ? for the dealer

I was thinking about installing a reverse parking sensor on my new Santa Fe Limited. It seems like the electromagnetic version is a better option, but the antenna is installed behind the bumper. Does anyone have any experience in removing the bumper?

Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

My father just got a Viper remote start for his 2009 Limited and the store told him they would have to hide his spare key under the dash as part of the install in order to bypass the security system. Is this legit? Has anyone had an after-market security or remote start system installed? Did you have to do something like that? Thanks!

UPDATE: This post kind of hints at this sort of situation. My dad's starter is after-market though so they want to use his second key, which my mom needs. I doubt the dealer is going to give him a third key so he can get an after-market starter installed, heh. Maybe he can buy a key. Probably expensive though...

I recently bought 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe GL 2.7, it has the tire size of 235/70/16R. Can sombdy help me in suggesting which tire size would give me more miles than the suggested miles per gallon ie., 24 m/gal.

thanx for all the suggestions.

Got another question....Ah...Make that two!!

The Immobilizer System....("if installed")....how do you know if you have it? I have not seen it avertised and the dealership did not know anything about it.

Keys...Do they have chips? I asked the dealer and they said no and they don't make keys....said just go to the hardware store!!

k, have the 3.3l version. I removed the cover then saw 3 in a row which was pretty simple to do. The 4th one is in the middle right under the 3 main ones looking towards the radiator fans. Its not covered with the cabling and small box as the others but a rubber tube that wraps it...how to I remove this one?


Help! Thnx!

What is the difference bettween ON DEMAND AWD and AWD??

Also have heard that AWD does not work under 35km/hr....if true then does it become FWD over 35km/hr???

I might me wrong on all this but want to know how it works on 2009 santa fe 3.3

thanks

Just bought a used 07 Santa Fe SE. I traded in an 06 Sonata and had auto locks that locked at about 15mph. I had this feature turned on in my Sonata. I was wondering if this can be done in the Santa Fe too?

I recently bought ventvisor deflector part #94253 made by Lund International for my 07 Santa Fe. The ventvisor is black, stylish, and functional as it allows you to keep your windows down an inch or two in the rain or while parked in the summer heat. I have used these on several cars and have always been very pleased with Ventvisor. Unfortunately, these are a TERRIBLE fit. You should NOT buy them. I should have guessed as my dealer told me they were no longer carrying them or ordering them in because of the terrible fit. He told me to consider looking at after market dealers. As I have used the ventvisors made by Lund in the past and they cost $69 from Pep Boys vs $90+ from the dealer I thought I was going to do OK. Turns out that I would bet that Hyundai contracts Lund to make the ventvisor for them. I would definitely discuss this with your dealer to be certain that the ventvisor you purchase has been redesigned. Good luck

Hi all,

Proud new owner of a 2009 Santa Fe SE. Got it for $24, 300 out the door with the floor mats and bluetooth accessory. In fact, this is my first EVER Hyundai and even 3 months ago I don't think I would have even considered a Hyundai. But after doing a lot of online research, I came to realize they improved a lot since their Excel days and took a leap of faith. So far, it is a great mid size SUV but I have one little beef.

So it seems that the driver and passenger door can be opened from the inside even if the door knob is locked. Is there any way the dealer can fix this to prevent it from opening? Seems like a really bad design flaw and I'm surprised there hasn't been any injuries or deaths. Anyone else feel that this can be unsettling?

I have a 2009 Santa Fe and I need to get two rims. What years if any will fit it. The current rims are the basic steel 16" rims
Any help would be great. thanks

I think the original poster got it in the phillipines?
Anyone aware of where or seen a kit with the brushed trim like in this picture for a double DIN deck?
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