Hello,

I'm just curious how often your Hyundai dealership recommends full-synthetic oil changes? The one that I'm currently going to keeps telling me that I NEED to change my full synthetic oil every 3k miles, or they will void my Hyundai warranty due to neglect. I've always been under the assumption that today's oil is far superior to the oil back in the day, and I'm figuring that I'm safe changing my full-sythetic oil every 5k miles. Am I totally wrong? Would Hyundai actually void my warranty doing this? I always thought that Hyundai recommended 7k intervals with synthetic, but this dick head service writer keeps arguing with me about it.

Also, which services do you all actually do? I'm approaching the 30k service, and I'm not sure if it's worth it or not. Most of the stuff is just inspection, which most of the tech's don't actually do anyway.

Well, I'd love to hear some opinions, especially on the oil change intervals.

Thanks again!

Jeff

 

Well, if your engine blows up, and you didn't follow the recommended schedule, and they void the warranty, then what are you going to do? If you give them an opportunity to void the warranty, then expect them to do so.

You don't have to use synthetic. You don't even have to have the maintainence performed at the dealer. But you do have to follow the maintenence schedule.

 

Well, after this past oil change experience, I won't go anywhere but Hyundai again for another oil change. This will also apply to all services.

As far as following the recommendation goes, it seems to vary from dealer to dealer. Some tell me that with the synthetic I can go 7k, while this one tells me 3k. I do oil changes religiously, and the furthest I go is 5k on full synthetic. I can't imagine with today's oils that my engine would actually blow up. Most of my driving is highway, and I almost never do stop and go, so I'd like to think 5k is ok.

Lastly, how often do you go (reply poster to me) between oil changes? Do you go to Hyundai for your oil changes? I'm seriously afraid to go anywhere else now, since the 3.3L V6 engine seems like a complex engine to do an oil change on (or so NTB thinks so anyway).

Thanks!

 

So which motor do you have? 2.7L or 3.3? The reason I ask is because the maintainence schedule for 2.7 is every 3k, but the 3.3 is every 7.5k. Refer to the owners manual.

 

Me personally, I change the oil when I think it looks dirty. Of course I always drive junk cars, so I don't have any warranty to worry about.

Engines do blow up, but it's not a know Hyundai problem. I'm thinking of the big block Ford w/aluminium heads that used to blow out spark plugs, and the Chrysler V6 2.7L that would throw the timing chain after 50K. Anything is possible, even my old Volvo had a manufacturing flaw with a valve that destroyed my engine once.

 

Hello!

Yeah, I saw that, but when I brought that up to the service advisor, he immediately started with that is for light duty, which NO one does. However, I don't see how my warranty could possibly be voided as long as I'm changing my oil every 5k with full synthetic, which is even better than standard oil.

Also, I have the 3.3L V6.

 

So, to the other poster, do you have a Santa Fe then? If so, which year and model?

Anyway, you seem pretty knowledgeable with the Hyundai's. Do you know of any KNOWN problem ares of the 3.3L V6?

Also, have you driven a Santa FE with both the 2.7L and the 3.3L? Is there a huge difference between the two? I've only driven the 3.3L, which I currently own, and I really like the power of the engine. Although, I was seriously thinking about trading it in for a new Acura RDX if this oil leak would have been something serious.

 

[align=left]Again, refer to the owners manual. There are specific definitions of "severe service". Sounds like he could be right, as "severe conditions" include driving on "salted" roads.

SEVERE DRIVING CONDITIONS
A - Repeatedly driving short distance of
less than 5miles(8km) in normal temperature
or less than 10miles(16km) in
freezing temperature
B - Extensive engine idling or low speed
driving for long distances
C - Driving on rough, dusty, muddy, unpaved,
graveled or salt-spread roads
D - Driving in areas using salt or other
corrosive materials or in very cold
weather
E - Driving in sandy areas
F - More than 50% driving in heavy city
traffic during hot weather above 32??C
(90??F)
G- Driving in mountainous areas
H - Towing a Trailer, or using a camper, or
roof rack
I - Driving as a patrol car, taxi, other commercial
use or vehicle towing
J - Driving over 100 MPH(170 Km/h)
K - Frequently driving in stop-and-go conditions
[/align]

 

There is a TSB on the 3.3 motor for the timing chain tensioner. Apparently there is some defect. On cold mornings when you first start the car there might be some abnormal noise/clanking from the engine, but it goes away after a few moments. If you have this symptom, they are supposed to change the timing belt tensioner under warranty, but only if they can duplicate the problem in the shop.

So don't void your warranty.

 

Does the Santa Fe come with full synthetic or a synthetic blend from the factory? I assumed it was conventional oil. If it's conventional oil then I would stick with that. If the engineers have designed the engine for synthetic then that is what it would come with. I strongly believe in keeping my vehicles 100% true to factory specs. I don't want them to have any excuses if I have a warranty claim. Regardless, if they are requiring you to change it at 3,000 or 5,000 mile intervals then that pretty much negates the advantage of using synthetic.

My BMW would go a full year (or 15,000 miles) on synthetic oil between changes. I hated driving it that far without an oil change but they even have an indicator that tells you how many more miles to go before an oil change.

The "severe service" thing is a joke, IMHO. Who doesn't drive under at least one of those conditions? They know this but this allows them to advertise 7,500 mile service intervals. I can't believe that these modern engines require the same service intervals as they did 30 years ago, but it's cheap insurance I guess.