Humming / Pulsating Sound - '07 Santa Fe

Hello,

I'm the original owner of an '07 Santa Fe GLS (2.7 L).

Shortly after purchasing, I noticed a humming / pulsating sound that
seemed to be coming from the engine compartment. This occurs when
traveling in the 50 to 60 MPH range. Lately, it seems to be getting
louder.

Has anyone encountered something similar with their Santa Fe? Ideas as
to what may be causing it? I've read about front-end alignment
problems causing tire cupping. If so, would this be something covered
under the Hyundai warranty? Or would it be considered more of a
maintenance item?

Thanks in advance!
Ryan

 

Alignment is covered for 1 year/12,000 miles only.

 

I've read the Bridgestone Dueler tires that come on the Santa Fe are
not the greatest, but isn't 27,000 miles a little soon to have to
replace? I keep them inflated (33-36 psi range) and rotate them every
summer.

 

Over the weekend, I took our Santa Fe to NTB to have the tires rotated/
balanced. I also had them check for cupping, but they didn't notice
any. They did a free alignment check, as well. The items that were out
of spec for me:

Front Left: Toe -0.15 (Specified range is -0.08 to 0.08)
Front Right: Toe -0.17
Total Toe: -0.32 (Specified range is -0.16 to 0.16)

Rear Left: Camber -1.9 (Spec range is -1.5 to -0.5)
Rear Right: Camber -1.7

Are any of these considered seriously out of alignment? Could it be
the reason for my humming noise?

Also, since my Santa Fe is still under warranty (~27,000 miles),
should I take it to the dealer and have them check it out? There
wouldn't be any cost to do so, would there?

 

They're likely to charge you the cost of an alignment since that would
be their preliminary inspection for proper alignment and primary
method of determining the issue with the alignment. The toe is
significant. The camber is not, but does indicate something has been
belt a little. Not sure about the rear, but the front camber is not
adjustable, meaning you're likely to be in for major expense if you
wish to repair. Additionally, I see you didn't report any caster
readings. If you're looking to assess how badly the suspension has
been bent, these numbers are important. Since an extra procedure is
required to obtain these readings, I suspect it wasn't done on a free
alignment check.

In regard to the noise, the dealer may ask you to authorize a fee to
investigate the cause. Especially considering that the alignment is
out, the potential is there that a hub bearing could have been damaged
from wheel to curb or pothole impact. If the cause of the noise is
due to a factory defect, the dealer will charge you for the fee and,
if you approve it, the cost of repairs. If due to a factory defect
(i.e. faulty part or assembly), the dealer will repair for free and
not charge you for the inspection.