Hi Everyone!

I happen to the new owner of a (now) well maintained 1998 Elantra. Here is what I have done so far:

Rebuilt Transmission (Pro's did it not me)
New Timing Chain
New Water Pump
New Shocks
New Thermostat
New Brakes
New Tires
New Battery
New Battery Cables
New Throttle Position Sensor
New Platinum Plugs
New Plug Wires
New Belt

...and a new compact disc player player with new front speakers. Nothing fancy in the radio department, just a Kenwood from BestBuy for under $100. The car has 107,100 miles on it.

Quick explanation on WHY i replaced all that, my daughter picked it out, it was originally her car (at the time i had an old VW bug, yes the Herbie ones) and the Hyundai had left her stranded twice. She had picked it out online, from a San Antonio car dealership (used) and had to have it.


Twice I went to go get her out of town in the bug and bring her home. Finally she lost all confidence in the car and was wanting to practically give it away since with all the issues it had, no one would buy it.

I asked her to give it to me instead and started to join forum after forum on the car, asked a mess of questions, and slowly but surely had the car running like the top she does now. I offered it back to my daughter, but she wants nothing to do with it. I sold the bug and now I drive the Elantra.

 

Did you do all that yourself?

 

Hi there Nova, nope I had the big stuff like the tranny and pump and timing chain done by certified mechanics who knew what they were doing and they gave me warranties as well with the repairs.

The smaller stuff I did myself likes tires, suspension, cables, wires, plugs, sensor. etc. If the car had to be off the floor to fix, chances are I had it done since I dont have THAT big a garage (and what space I do have, the wife has alot of her crap in it (i mean keepsakes).

 

Nice. I hope it bring you more luck than it did your daughter. You make your own luck when you maintain a car properly. I'm guessing your daughter was a little lackadaisical on the maintenance.

 

Not so much that she was lackadaisical in the maintenance dept. But rather my wife thinks the car may have been an auction job from the Houston area which may have suffered from flood damage and the dealership was less than forthcoming at time of purchase about issues.

Honestly I really don't know why the car had all these problems, but what are you gonna do right? Try to give your kids a car they want, though not new, you try to make it as safe as possible.

In the end, regardless of issues it had previously, she now runs great and the A/C is like ICE! I mean I can literally fog up ALL the windows in 10 minutes flat, I timed it. That's saying quite a bit considering we live in South Texas and the average temperature here now time of year is about 110 degrees.

If I can get another 50-75 thousand miles from it the way she sits, then I for one am glad. I average about 26 miles per gallon or so. She is a 12 year old car and a 4 cylinder at that, so I am hoping to make her last.