2004 elantra GT revving itself and stalling

OK, about 80k on this car, and other than the notorius elantra
headlight issues, this is the first problem i've had... It will rev
itself, especially when I come to a complete stop, sometimes
intermittently when at rest, anywhere from 1100 rpm all the way to 3000
rpm-- a tap of the accelerator usually straightens it out...

what does everyone think? O2 sensor? If so, how do I change it? I'm not
an automotive idiot, just don't get under the hood of newer vehicles
often (I have 3 ice cream trucks, all 70's era chevy panel trucks)---
but I need to get the Hyundai running right, and want to do it as
cheaply as possible...

Thanks in advance folks.

 

It seems more likely that it's the throttle position sensor. It may also
be a stickly throttle plate. Have you opened the throttle body and
looked to see if there's any accumulation of oil on/around it? This can
be caused by the crankcase gases coming from the PCV. If it's dirty, a
little carburetor cleaner should take care of it.

 

It was the throttle plate... i made the mistake of not changing my own
oil about 30k miles ago, went to a 15 min place, and the air filter was
due for replacement, and pretty dirty, so I just let them throw it in
(I know, overpaying for the easy stuff is fun sometimes though)--- but
anyway, the genius didn't have the housing back on properly, so there
was about a 1/4 in gap in the back, which I am assuming helped my
throttle plate grow itself a nice black ring around the edges...

a little throttle body cleaner and an old toothbrush later, it's
running right again.

Thanks for the suggestion.

now my second question is why in gods name does my elantra blow
headlights like that's its job? (no moisture, etc... it just seems to
burn one out like clockwork about every 6 months)--- i've heard that my
problem is not uncommon...just wondering if there was an easy fix...

 

The stock bulbs are not very durable and neither are standard
replacement bulbs. I'm using Silverstars currently (ordered from an Ebay
store for $25/pair) and they last a year or more. When my old Excel
burned out bulbs regularly, I switched to PIAA bulbs that cost me
~$75/pair locally, but are probably available for less online. They
lasted for several years and I eventually took them out before I sold
the car. Unfortunately, they don't fit my Elantra. When my current set
of Silverstars burns out, I'll be installing PIAA bulbs.

 

Belated thanks, been swamped with work... I almost sprung for
silverstars, but I went with the mid grad sylvania bulbs instead...
I'll go for the silver stars on my next (and sure to be soon) burn out.