I have a 2011 sonata with the 2.4 liter 4 CYL motor and auto transmission. It has 61,600 miles on it. Just out of warranty…awesome.
In the last few days I’ve noticed it has had issues starting. For instance, when I got into the car and started it for the first time in the day, it starts up fine. Then a few hours later, I start it again but the engine will just spin slowly…I then turn the key back to off and then turn it again to start. It then will start up fine on the next try.
No check engine light or any sounds I can feel (I am Deaf so I cannot hear any sounds when it doesn’t start) new battery in August of 2015. When it doesn’t start, all of the dash lights come on.
@Rusty
Hyundai has a problem with some 2.4L Sonatas involving the starter motor lever. Sometimes the starter will only spin without engaging the engine to start it. A TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) 13-EE-001 published by Hyundai exists to help their technicians with this problem.
Since it is a known problem perhaps they’d help a customer slightly beyond warranty. I can’t pull up the TSB to see if the details show the bulletin pertaining to your specific vehicle (model, mode-year) and the issue you’re having, but having seen reference to it the problem described sounds like what you’re experiencing.
Have you had the car checked by a Hyundai technician or other mechanic?
Do you have a trusted mechanic or repair facility?
How difficult would it be to get the car to “act up” while starting so that a mechanic could experience the problem?
What about a car savvy friend that could hear the car failing to start and be able to tell if the problem sounds like the one described in the Hyundai TSB?
I don’t believe it be all that expensive to have the starter upgrade done even with the car out of warranty. CSA
@CSA I will have the car looked at as soon as I can. I’ve noticed it getting harder and harder to start. But all the dash lights still operate even tho it doesn’t start on the first try. Thanks for your link to the TSB. It sounds like the starter lever.
@CSA I finally got the car to the Hyundai dealership and they found the starter to be faulty. They tried to convince Hyundai corporate to do a good will warranty but they refused so I was stuck with the whole bill. Nevertheless the car is fixed and doing just fine. Thanks for your advice with the TSB.
@Rusty. Glad to hear that your problem has been solved.
I just wanted to point out something that you may misunderstand.
When you turn your key to the “Run Position” all the dash lights will come on. This is a way for you to monitor that all the lights work and you don’t have a burned out bulb.
While you turn the key to the “Start position” these lights are bypassed and they go off.
But if the engine does not start and you release the key back to the “Run Position” those lights will come back on.
If the engine does start, all of these lights will extinguish…some may take a second or three, but they should go off unless the engine computer reads a fault and keeps a light on to warn you of a potential problem.