Forking out 450 for two tie rods and an alignment. :-\ They are average labor price but markup on parts is insane. Wish I had the time to do it myself.

They also said I am "almost at the metal for front pads". I replaced pads and rotors in June of 2015. So pads have about 35Kish on em. Will pull tire tomorrow to see really how "bad" they are.... Pads are EBC Greenstuffs with EBC blank rotors. Seems like a sell job to me.

Just can't find decent shops anymore.

 

EBC's go fast like that, the ones on my car didn't even last a year.

I had my EBC rotors turned basically to get the outer lip off, then replaced the pads with R1 Concepts pads. Very little brake dust and good stopping power.

 

As for my recent events with the YF I tried to install the transcooler and 3000k led fogs this weekend.

The bumper came off without any real issues (one of the body panel pins was stripped but I forced it off) and I was able to easily replace the cheap led bulbs with the high powered ones.

The transcooler was pretty easy as well, I pushed the special zip ties through the condenser and snipped off the back of the zip ties. Then I ran the lines up and through the hole where the stock intercooler is. I remounted the bumper, went to put the small panel back on the bottom and then saw it....

Transmission fluid up and down the bottom splash guard, it was lightly pooling on the rear transmission mount.

So I stopped at that point and left the transcooler disconnected.

I dropped the car off at the dealer this morning, they're thinking it's the rear seal but they haven't confirmed anything yet. Should be covered under my CPO warranty.

As for the trans it's acting normal and the temperature is fluctuating like normal. Reached about 208F this morning on my way to work, about 203F at stoplights. The trans cooler holds about 14oz and will be ran in line after the stock trans cooler.

I'll keep you guys updated, after the trans cooler comes the 65mm throttle body and fmic.

 

Got the car back. Man, what a different two tire rods make! Clunking is gone, tracks almost straight and the "wallow" in the steering wheel (between left and right rotations) is back to being tight.

And I questions the parts cost and got a discount and got out the door at 393...happy about that. Now I will check the pads and see what they look like tomorrow.

 

So quick update on the car, looks to be the oil drain plug gasket. It only leaks when hot so they changed it out, added fluid and it's ready for pickup. I'll clean up the bottom panel and keep an eye on it for leaks but I'm very relieved to hear it's something simple like a plug gasket.

 

So it was just the crush washer? If so..thats a simple and painless.

 

I just added some OEM Hyundai door visors to my Sonata. Been looking for these for a while so I finally had the time and resources to find them and order them. I really like the way they look on my car. I saved about $46 for the front and rear set too on these genuine accessories. These are the door visors https://www.hyundaipartsdeal.com/genuine/hyundai-visor-set-door~c2022-adu00.html

 

Quick update for you guys...

Flashed the car back to stock, went to get the car inspected.

They told me the emissions monitors weren't ready and that the car needed more miles on it. It wiped out the data when I flashed it (I wasn't thinking). So I drove the car around a bit, got to the point where I had only one monitor unready (EVAP). I asked on Facebook for some help and apparently in my state they allow one of the monitors to be unready.

So I took the car to get inspected Monday and it passed without an issue.

I have a full 3" turboback exhaust with a catted midpipe with a pcv delete catch can routed to the low vac source on the intake tube and didn't have any cel's on the stock tune.

Since I had to drive the car to work I monitored the IAT's, AAT's and Boost Pressure. Saw a boost spike in the cold weather due to the midpipe but nothing too crazy or harmful. The car seems gutless without the tune...

Also picked up a new throttle body gasket from the dealer and will attempt to install the 65mm throttle body and hook up the trans cooler this weekend, well that is if nobody else has plans for me.

 

Today I replaced my plugs for 45K service with ebay special from Korea(took 3-weeks to show up, but only cost $27). I adjusted my EWG back to 4V at ready and then had some fun removing the return and 5-layer duct tape on the intake to have the cheap BOVish thing. The pshhh it makes was fun, but will need to invest in a plate or real BOV some day. I reverted it back to stock after a quick drive testing that I didn't screw up the EWG and that the plugs were all good.

I also attempted to replace the passenger side wheel bearing. After MANY annoying hours of busting my hands up and breaker bar breaking... I pressed in the new bearing, pressed in a new hub(didn't want to cut the inner race of the old one, too tired). However, somewhere down the line I broke the new bearing... inner race was sticking out after the hub went in. Must have used the wrong size plate on the Hub press tool. Good thing I bought 2 bearings. Tomorrow I will remove the new hub and bearing and try again.

 

New coilovers this week. Went with D2 coils. no complaints yet.

side note: cxracing coils are **** and i wouldn't want my worst enemy to buy them. Had a set break after being installed less than a year. since the purchase date was one year and 2 weeks, warranty was denied (one year warranty). I understand the need for warranties, so I expected to get nothing from them. When i contacted them about the breakage, I didn't even get an apology for them selling me a ****** product, just offered to see me another set for $600...I paid $601 for the original set that broke.

 

Had a couple hours free so I did the third tail light mod, everything is soldered and shrink wrapped. Clean and tidy.

 

What is this mod? Removing the third brake light?

 

Had the air compressor out today to fill up my mother in law's tires so I took a little time to blow out the dirt and dust out of the engine bay.

Also emptied the catch can and realized I caught quite a bit since we've been having colder weather here in NC.

This is the Lap 3 Saikou Michi 3 port catch can with a pcv delete at 1828 miles. This is by far the most I have caught with the Lap 3 can.

 

I seem to fill up my ADD2 every 2 weeks in the MN cool-cold weather. So I check the catch can every Sunday morning. In the summer there is a lot less "goup".

And I just happen to have a NIB Mishimoto catch can for sale. See classifieds.

ominousone

 

Installed the OPT-7 Bolt Cyclone HID kit. I will snap pic of the install when there's more light but here's the open kit without the bulbs. Also added video of them firing up. The flicker when they're warming up is from switching headlight to auto mode. I installed with relay harness and no anti-flicker harnesses.


https://youtu.be/r1pmsj5ZVGc

 

Additional Pics

 

Seeing as it's been a little over a half a year how do you like these? Any complaints? Also, did you do any upgrades to your fog lights?

 

Replaced my OEM battery after 136,000++ kms.

 

Installed Morimoto XB35 H7 HIDs

I took our Sonata over from my wife and quickly realized what it was like to drive a car without HIDs.
Installed the Morimoto XB35, 5500K, H7s, and tomorrow is the same for the driving lights; Morimoto XB35, 5500K, H11B.

Picture may seem a little weird. I was backed into a parking space, on a decline, and facing a mountain. I took a drive up to Cloudcroft, New Mexico...not far from where I stationed.

 

Washed and vacuumed the car, also ordered a new magnetic drain plug.

The oil change place I go to charges about $20 to do a drain and fill if I bring my own filter (about $26 for Pennzoil Platinum 0W40 oil and oem filter). This has been fine for me since my driveway is gravel and the jackstands tend to sink in. Well about a week ago I went to get my oil changed and they told me the plug is stripped and it being near closing time they don't want to mess with it (it took them an hour for them to tell me this). Since they are the ones that installed the plug and nobody has touched it other than them, I bought it back to them to give them a chance to make it right.

I talked to them about 10 minutes before I decided to bring the car back the next morning. I also did some research that night looking at oil pans and hoping that all they did was strip out the plug and left the threads in the pan unharmed. The Mishimoto plug I use is made from a billet 6061 aluminum, which is a little weaker than mild steel.

So I bought the car back, they got the plug out and gave it to me, had me come down in the pit and show me that the threads on the pan were fine. They ran a half quart of oil through the pan to flush out any remaining debris. I still had my stock plug and a extra crush washer so everything is back to normal now.

Here's the mangled plug...

I suspect the plug is made out of aluminum as a fail safe so it will strip out before the threads on the pan do. I think I'm going to be doing my own oil changes now, though I might prepare an area off my driveway so I feel safer when the car is on jackstands.

Just figured I would share this with you guys...

 

The Mishimoto plug I use is made from a billet 6061 aluminum, which is a little weaker than mild steel.

When they test the strength of each, it has little to do with how well the thread will hold-up under torque (different ratings). Oil change folks like to over-torque and they don't differentiate between the two materials. I will stick with steel and do my own changes.

 

You do everything else,may as well do an easy oil change and you will know it is done right. I drive the front wheels of our car onto two by eights,two on each side eliminating jack stands and a jack.Edges are cut on 45 degree angles so the car rolls easily onto the second plank. Easy peezy....:smile:

 

Yeah I moved from MI where I had a lift and a full service garage (neighbor built race cars for a living), now I rent a house on a gravel/dirt road and the driveway is on a slight hill. Will probably buy a house in the next couple years, but until that I will just have to rough it and be careful.

 

Replaced the interior failed LEDs (cant remember where I got em) with PrecisionLEDs. Got the 6K. Guess I had something higher in there Kelvin wise before as these, while having a blue tint, are a smidge more yellow. Guess I should have gotten the 8K..oh well. They all light up again and she can see in the car at night. Ill say this...LED versus Halogen is like welding torch against a candle...

 

Replaced the turn signal on the driver side. Yes there is an access door but geez...I had to loosen it with long nose needles from the engine side then wiggle my hand in there to get it. Wasn't made for huge hands/arms but better than taking the whole bumper off and removing the cabinet like my Fusion requires....

 

Pro tip...

cut the wheel all the way to the right (driver side bulb).... remove retainer clips for fender well liner(2 or 3) pry liner and snake whole hand in there between liner and bumper... much easier...

 

For my did a trany cooler install, add k&n air filter, and replacement of both front & rear rotors and brake pads. Photos of rotors.

 

...it sat in the garage for the whole day waiting for me to drive it...I never did! :grin2:

 

Did an oil change on Saturday, had to drop the passenger side bottom splash guard because I couldn't get the filter to budge and couldn't get the filter wrench up in there (I'm going to buy a 80mm filter socket). Noticed the dealer must have switched the bolts (long bolts in short holes and vise versa). Cleaned up the cover a bit and put it all back together. Using the Wix 51334 filter and Pennzoil 0W40 oil. Everything went perfect after I broke the filter loose.

I also found gum mashed into my front passenger rug so I tried to remove as much of it as possible and used a cleaner that actually dissolved the rest of it. Vacuumed the whole car and then jacked up the back to work on the exhaust tips.

I replaced the worn out exhaust hangers with new ones (pn#287623K100) and realligned the exhaust. It looks 100% better now, the drivers side doesn't vibrate the bumper at low rpms anymore. Will probably give it a good wash today when I get out of work.

I ordered some bumper reflectors that have turn, brake, and parking light functionality. They're coming from Korea so it will probably take awhile.

As for the car she has 103,850 miles now and still running perfect. I'm going to dump a bottle of chem tool in it tomorrow when I get gas just to see how well it will clean some of the carbon off the top of the pistons. I bought a 2.0mp borescope and plan to take before and after pics of them.

I think that's all for now, though the next few weekends are going to be busy. I will be installing retrofitted headlights, KSR fmic and finally the Shark Racing 65mm throttle body (that's been sitting in my storage shed for over a year). Then it's on to Lap 3 Stage 2 to see what numbers i'll be putting down. Shooting for 320-330whp with full bolt ons and no meth...

 

Those reflector lights look like they'll be nice. Haven't found any I liked yet for my '14.

 

Bought a used turbo from Craigslist for $160 that included a good EWGA, hot side bellmouth with O2 sensor, steel bellmouth gasket, oil return line and of course the turbo itself. The turbo has a bit of oil in the hot side but it's going out to get rebuilt and stuffed with a 10 blade billet compressor wheel. I only bought it for preventative maintenance, but the upgraded compressor wheel should help flow a bit more up top.

Just thought I'd share with you guys.

 

Always nice to find consumables in advance and have them ready to go. Saves on the pocket book!

 

Sonata

Certainly I would agree a pride of ownership...and taking care of an investment, but we pay too much attention to our cars in money and time. They are a piece of engineering. Sure, keep it maintained, but there are rewarding things to spend time with...our loved ones...possibly our spiritual needs.
A car is only a car. :nerd:

(a little Lenten reality, I hope)

 

Certainly I would agree a pride of ownership...and taking care of an investment, but we pay too much attention to our cars in money and time. They are a piece of engineering. Sure, keep it maintained, but there are rewarding things to spend time with...our loved ones...possibly our spiritual needs.
A car is only a car. :nerd:

(a little Lenten reality, I hope)

Eh I don't agree with that, sure it's a car but I'm a car guy (look at my previous car). I don't just think of it like that. My family first and foremost gets my attention, but they don't need my attention every second that I'm not working. It's a hobby as are other things in my life and I find it just as rewarding as everything else I do.

As for the car, I'm trying to replace a 450whp 2 door rocket that I gave up for this 4 door family sedan. It's a little difficult to say the least..... The car has good power (probably teetering on 285whp) but it can still use a bit more.

Regardless, all my time and money isn't going into the car, so I hope that somehow clears up your misconceived perception of my time and money... As for spiritual needs, I have none... nor do I care about religion...

As for a quick car related update so this post isn't pointless, I finally got around to hooking up the trans cooler on the car. I ran the lines, cut them then filled the cooler with fluid enough to have it run out the other side. I added about 1/2 quart of Hyundai SP4-M. I used 3/8" hose and it fit a little tight but it seems like a perfect fit. I used the hose retention clamps instead of worm gear clamps because it fit so tight. It took about an hour because I took my time and made sure I didn't have any kinks or sharp bends in the lines.

The trans temps didn't exceed 150F yesterday (it was snowing) and today I got up to about 160F then it went back down in the low 150's. The trans cooler is working well. Before I would see it stay around 180-190 and then it would rise and cause my coolant temp to rise with it. Then the trans temp would run rampant in the 210-240F range. I'm sure this isn't limited to my car, this is the reason Hyundai went with the SP4-M synthetic transmission fluid. Awesome design there Hyundai, I'm surprised more transmissions aren't failing due to the extreme heat.

Can't wait until it warms up so I can see how well it does in the 100F summer days we have here in NC.

Pics below for reference