QuestionI have a 2000 Hyundai Accent with a little over 47,000 miles. I have been having difficulty with this vehicle starting periodically (primarily in the morning). I have taken it to the Hyundai Dealership where they gave me a glorified tune-up for $973.00. The car started fine the first week after the tune-up then it began to have the same problem. I took it back to the dealers' to have it looked at again and they say it's starts up fine in the morning and periodically throughout the day. The engine sounds as if it wants to turn over, it does not appear to have a battery problem. The Dealership has done absolutely NOTHING because they claim they are unable to find the problem since the vehicle starts up everytime for them. I have had no problems with the vehicle prior to this. What might the problem be? What should the dealership clowns be looking into - since they are not looking at all?
AnswerHi, Leslie. There are many possibilities for such a problem. I understand you're frustrated after having spent so much money (and for $973 there'd better be a lot of glorifying to that tune up) and continuing to have the problem, but it can be nearly impossible to pinpoint the cause without making the problem occur. This is because while the problem is not occurring, all tests run will show good results. I'm less than impressed they've sold you $973 of work without addressing your issue, but by the same token, I also understand why they've been unable to solve the issue.
There is a technical service bulletin, TSB 01-36-014, which describes a situation where the engine cranks but does not start. It lists the following symptoms:
"-Very intermittent crank-no-start (in some cases, months between incidences).
-The Check Engine Light does not light up when the ignition key is turned to the on position (normally it does).
-The Hi-Scan Pro cannot communicate with the Engine Control Module (ECM).
-Disrupting power to the ECM and reapplying (for example, by disconnecting the negative terminal on the battery or disconnecting and reconnecting the EC01 connector) fixes the car temporarily (the engine starts)."
It then states that if all these circumstances are met, and the car was produced between 6/14/00 and 7/11/00, that replacing the engine control module should correct the issue.
Keep in mind that this does not indicate, even if the car was produced in the date range in question, that the ECM should be replaced without verification. Again, this is because there are many possibilities that could cause your condition. On the brighter side, there are a couple things you could check yourself. You can make a note of whether the check engine lamp illuminates when the key is turned to the "on" position when you next experience the problem. And you could probably also disconnect and reconnect the battery and recheck. I'd say that if you've met these two symptoms and the car was produced in the date range in question that you almost certainly need the ECM replaced.
Other potential issues:
-- Faulty crank sensor
-- Faulty ECM relay
-- Faulty fuel pump
-- Any issue with the wiring to any of these components
