Recently new owner of an '07 Elantra. [sm=bling.gif]Absolutely love it. Im wanting to customize it you know..make it have a few more horses, little more sound, maybe better looks.( lower it , rims, exhaust, all that good stuff) but im a bit new to cars ( not to mention to the elantra ) so if i could have some advice on what to do/not to do and get/not to get etc., that would be awesome .
thanks.

 

The good news is you're on the cutting edge! The bad news is there will be little out there to guide you. The 07 Elantra has a Body Control Unit (BCU) that monitors and controls many functions on the Elantra. For instace, a lot of the switches that directly switched the 12 voltbattery voltage now feed into the BCU and only use 5 volts. The alternator works differently as well. The car is much more automated, but the problem that comes from this is the car is more sensitive to mods. For instance, you have to be really careful how to hook up a subwoofer because if the radio circuit senses too much current being used it will think something is wrong and shut down that circuit.

All is not lost but you just have to be more careful how you mod. You can't, for instance, mix up the 5 volt and 12 volt wires without frying that BCU which is very expensive to replace.

I'm sure as people get to know the cars, all the little tricks will be worked out, but until then, be careful.

 

One other thing: A couple of maintenance items-

1. If you bought an Elantra with automatic transmission, be aware the the ONLY transmission fluid approved for the Elatnra AT is SP-III. This is not generally available at auto parts stores, but can be purchased at dealers that sell cars that use the stuff (Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi and maybe Chrysler). I think every Elantra I've heard of that had transmission problems either had not had the fluid changed prior to 40-50,000 miles, or used the wrong fluid. (The service interval is 60,000 miles for normal use or 30,000 miles for severe use, but almost all normal driving includes some severe useage, so I plan on changing my fluid at 30,000 miles.)

2. Be careful when getting your oil changed. I would recommend getting it done at the dealer (or, if you do it yourself, buying an OEM filter at the dealer). There are some filters that, even though the fit the Elantra, do not have the right specs and cause oil starvation. One brand I have heard to avoid is Fram; Purolator is supposed to be okay.

Hyundai has a great warranty, especially the drivetrain, but using an inadequate filter or the wrong transmission fluid can give the dealer a validreason to refuse major warranty repairs on theengine or transmission.

Properly maintained Hyundais are very durable though.