Malfunction Indicator

Find out what they have to say. There'll be a diagnostic trouble code in your engine or transmission computer telling them what type of trouble the computer saw.

From snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net I just got back from my Hyundai service rep and was told my problem was faulty spark plugs. And the plugs came from a competitor. Sometimes I took the car and had the maintenance done at Quikee Lube which is now out of business near me. My Hyundai rep said he checked the history and they never changed the plugs and they must be from somewhere else. I told him they probably were. He showed me one of the plugs and it looked burned and corroded. They replaced the plugs and now my little Hyundai Accent runs very smooth. They charged me $127.09. After that I treated my Accent to a BP carwash and got the bird poop removed. Always go to your Hyundai service department!! Bob

What kind of plugs did the other place put in? There are some junk plugs out there (Champion), but generally speaking plugs give an indication of problems. In short - they are a symptom, and not usually a problem in and of themselves. Like I said - there are some junk plugs out there that defy this generalization. How many miles were on the plugs the dealer took out? Anything less than the better part of 100,000 miles is cause for further investigation. To be even more conservative with that statement - anything less than 50,000 miles is cause to look other places than the plugs.

Glad you got your Accent back in good running order, but do pay attention to her. Other demons may yet be lurking.

Accent plugs are just standard copper plugs. The maintenance interval is

30k. Usually, they'll last 50% longer than that before misfiring, but every once in a while, I see an issue even within the maintenance interval period.

Usually, when an aftermarket plug is misfiring, I find it's one of the "junk" plugs you describe. That's one of the problems with places that lowball prices. Often times they're able to do that because the use low-priced junk. Despite the fact that I wouldn't ever recommend aftermarket plug wires (and many disagree with me on that), there's exactly nothing special about Hyundai plugs. In fact, you can probably purchase better for a lower price somewhere other than the dealer. Mostly, it's important to know that the place doing the maintenance and repair on your vehicle is using quality parts so problems like this won't continue to happen.