03 Sonata Timing Belt Replacement

Well, changing the water pump at 60K is entirely optional. Odds are you'll make it to 120K or will have traded the car before the water pump gives you any trouble.

$625 for a tune up seems a more than a bit excessive. Are you sure some other repairs aren't folded into that cost?

Jon

Are you the original owner? If so, don't replace the water pump. It's warranted for 10 years/100k miles.

If you're the original owner, you do have some incentive to install a factory belt. Hyundai will continue to cover it for the 10 year/100k mile period as long as you replace the belt with a Hyundai part. There's nothing wrong with calling Midas (or anywhere else) and asking them if they'd do the work using a factory belt (or all factory parts). Understand they'll probably charge more due to their higher cost, but if everything else is reasonable, it may be a good alternative. But also consider whether they are competent to do the job. I wouldn't think the guys at Midas do a lot of timing belts. This one isn't particularly tricky, so someone who's competent and reasonably knowledgeable should be able to do a good job. I would also have the timing belt tensioner replaced with the timing belt. It's only covered by the 5/60 warranty and its failure can cause the same consequences as a failed timing belt.

Replacing the spark plugs on your car will require removing the plenum. Again, you'll want to make sure you have someone competent and knowledgeable doing the work. You'll also want to make sure they use quality parts, because you don't want to have to pay to have the plugs replaced again in a relatively short period of time. You may also want to consider having the plug wires replaced (with preferably OEM parts) while the plenum is off.

Do you own any basic tools? Even if you don't, you can do the tune up work yourself (plugs, wires, oil change, air filter change, etc.) and save more than the cost of buying a few tools. Once you own them, tools are like money in the bank, as they'll save you more every time you use them. As long as you document what you've done in the maintenance log that came with the car, you're covered under warranty. The log also tells you everything that needs to be done @ 60K miles. If money is tight, you can put off the timing belt change for a little while if necessary. It's unlikely to fail and as long as you get it done within a few K's of 60K miles, Hyundai will be happy. I wouldn't bother with the water pump unless there is an obvious problem with it.

For instructions, part numbers and other info about your car, go to:

You need to register first (it's free), then you can access Hyundai service manuals and check parts prices online. You can even order parts and accessories online though your local dealer. BTW, the site only works with Internet Explorer.

I would hesitate to have the service done at any of the larger chains, as the quality of the work you'll receive is anyone's guess. Those places typically have high employee turnover and good mechanics don't want to work at them. Better to check with friends to find a smaller, reputable shop that's well established. Tell them you want them to use Hyundai parts (a good shop will understand why) or buy the parts yourself and drop them off with the car.

What your dealer told you about parts is not entirely true. Only the timing belt and water pump (if you decide to do it) need to be Hyundai parts to keep your warranty in effect. Plugs, wires, filters, etc. can be aftermarket parts without have ANY effect on your warranty (that's federal law). Just use good filters like Purolator and stay away from junk like Fram. NGK plugs and wires are always a good bet.

Now sounds like an ideal time for you to learn some DIY skills. Best of luck!

Regarding the problem with starting the car, could be anything, even a weak battery.

As far as the tires, go to a reputable tire store near you and explain to them you'd like some inexpensive tires of reasonable quality. Most tire stores have house brand tires, that while not Michelins, compete well on quality with major tire brands for a fraction of the price.

Echo this. I have had really good luck with PepBoys Futura tires. They're made by Cooper and they are a fraction of the price of the major brands. I've always gotten at least the advertised mileage out of them and have been very satisfied with the tire performance in rain and snow. I'm in upstate NY and we get snow! A tire that will handle long winters, hard pack snow, etc. is very important to me. They run quite and they hold up very well - no history of broken cords, sidewall failures, etc. Half the price of Michelin.

If that's the case, why don't you get snow tires for the winter? The difference in performance in snow and ice vs. ANY "all season" tire is dramatic.

Fair question. The reason is that I don't need them. Good radials do the job just fine. I haven't had a snow tire on a car in over 30 years.

You don't know what you're missing.

I have a buddy that is in his car all day as an insurance appraiser and the company pays for him to put snows on his fleet car. He loves them. I suppose there have been a few times where they've been very beneficial to him when he's had to plow his way in and out of driveways that hadn't been cleared, but we do a lot of driving to and from the same places (often at the same time) and there's been absolutely no difference in the way our vehicles have handled normal winter road conditions. By normal, I mean loose snow, hardpack, ice, etc. The stuff we normally encounter in a winter around here. He swears by his snows though. Guess I can't argue with the folks who like them, but like I said - I have just never had the need. I suppose he could prove that he can get going better than I can with the more aggressive tread, and does not have to be quite as gentle taking off as me, but those types of benefits just don't matter that much to me. The difference in performance with his Grand Prix with snows and my Regal with all seasons is just pretty trivial. Now - my plow truck, that's a different story. Lugs. Deep lugs. Lots deep lugs...

Have you actually driven these vehicles back to back under the same conditions? If not, how do you know what the difference is?

Yeah - that's what I was trying to point out above. Besides that, I have had snows many years ago. Many years ago. For my style of driving and the cars I drive, I just don't see enough benefit to me. That's not a statement that those who like them shouldn't, it's just a statement that I've been there, done that and I'm fine with my all season radials.

That's fair - and I'm only stating mine as well. I live in Central NY where we get approximately 300" of snow per year. I know well what driving in snow is all about. Yes - we get snow up to our knees also. And... I have driven through it as well. I don't try to convince people that they don't need snow tires, I simply state that I don't use them and I have no problems. I don't get stuck, I don't run off the road and I don't lose control of my car. My '98 Regal has 150,000 miles on it so I don't sit at home and not put on any miles either. We have 5 vehicles registered in my family. Only my truck, which plows snow, has anything more than all season radials in good condition. All four of the vehicles with ASR's navigate the winters here just fine. Like you, I know from experience.

If you actually tried snows on one of them, you'd be amazed at the difference in traction, control and ease of driving in slippery conditions. There is absolutely no comparison. You may not think you need them, but when you do and you don't have them, you'll regret it. Living where you do, it's mind boggling to me that you won't even consider snow tires. Getting by is not the same as being confident, comfortable and in control.

That's the whole point Bryan - most people around here do not use snows. ASR's work so well that snows aren't really needed. Like I said - we drive through harsh winter conditions. And like I said - I've used snows before so I do appreciate what they do. The last set of snows I put on a car had to have been somewhere around 20 years ago or so, so I have a pretty good handle on how much confidence to put in my ASR's in the winter. As do most of the cars around here.

One thing I should probably be a little more clear about that came to mind last night. A lot of cars today have low profile, wide tires and many of those up until very recently did not have aggressive tread and sipe configurations. It wasn't stylish or something. Around here we refer to those as skis. Absolutely useless in the snow and little better on wet roads. All of my cars have a more conventional 70 or 75 series tire on them. In the case of my daughter's '98 Malibu I took a full inch off of the width of the tire by changing the series, and still maintained the proper tire height. It was completely undriveable in the snow before I put the

70's on it. Now it cuts through and bites the way you want a tire to. I used her car the other day to go deer hunting because my truck wasn't available. Actually - I snuck out of the house with it before she was even awake and had it back before she ever woke up, so she technically does not know I "borrowed" it - but that's a side story. Anyway - I drove out into a farmer's field a distance of 1/8 of a mile or so in snow that I was plowing with the bumper. Never spun a tire. Parked the car in the snow, went out into the woods, froze my butt off for the sake of seeing nothing, and then got back in the car and proceeded to turn it around in the field and head right back out. Not a single problem in doing so.

No - we don't just get by with our tires here - they perform as a tire should. If I were on the edge or just getting by, I'd go the route of snows. But - I've had snows and they just never offered any significant margin over what I get with good ASR's. After 20-ish years to test the theory, I have that confidence, comfort and control that you speak of. And like I say - this is snow country and you don't often see a snow tire on cars.

Good tires is the secret. No ultra wide, low profile, "cool" tires. Good sipe design in the tread. Tread in good condition.

BTW Bryan - what part of the world are you in?

Sorry - please substitute "Brian" for each occurrence of "Bryan" in my previous posts.

New Hampshire.

No problem, happens all the time.