Ping Hyundaitech

I posted previously regarding a water pump leak and warranty coverage.

I had the car towed to the dealer ship. After day one they called to
tell me that the water pump was not leaking but there was a leak and
they were looking to see where. Today they called and said they found
the leak and it was a freeze plug. I asked about the coverage under
the power train warranty and they told me it was covered only under
the b to b coverage which has now expired

The car is a 2000 Sonata GLS v6 with 62,000 miles. I am the original
owner. Do you know why it was not covered under the 10year 100000
mile power train. The service manager simply told me that he looked
it up by part number in the computer and the computer said it was not
covered under the power train warranty.

Old_Timer

 

I left out an important factor. I am in Sunny Southern California
and this car has never been exposed to freezing weather and the
scheduled radiator service has always been accomplished on schedule.

I have not yet picked the car up but am considering having them mark
the bill "Paid under protest"

Old_Timer

 

That falls under the "shit happens" category. They can go even if it does
not freeze.

You can do that, but they will still take your money.

Since it is part of the engine, and the engine is part of the drivetrain,
you'd think it would have been covered. I've never seen a list of what is
not covered though.

 

Very Strange ---- My initial post under this subject title has
disappeared from my news reader since being there earlier today.
I wonder why?

That initial posts stated that the dealer shop originally said my
water pump was OK but the car was leaking coolant due to a faulty
freeze plug. Then they called back and told me that after replacing
the freeze plug they discovered that the water pump is in fact leaking
and they are replacing it.

They stated that the water pump replacement is covered under the 10
year/100000 mile power train warranty but that the freeze plug is not.
I questioned that. I am the original owner of the 2000 Sonata that has
62000 miles.

I explained to the repair shop that the freeze plug and the water pump
problem are both of the same incident and cannot understand how the
freeze plug a part of the engine block would not be covered. The
freeze plug would not have failed fn the water pump had not lost
coolant which resulted in overheating. The Service Manager says that
he simply puts the part # in the computer and it comes back to tell
him that it is covered only by the bumper to bumper that has expired.

Old_Timer

 

I think you need a more competent shop. What are the chances of both
starting to leak at the same time? I'd certainly protest this and ask for
some proof of the plug leaking. My guess is it was not. If you get no
satisfaction, go to Hyundai with your complaint.

I took my car into a Mercedes dealer for repair of the electric cooling fan.
They said both the fan and the thermostat that controls it on were bad. I
said it sound highly unlikely and I want to see the parts and check them
out. Of course, they just scrapped the parts and they could not be found.
They cut the bill in half. Same dealer, different trip. Cruise control
was not working correctly and would drop out. They told me it was a $400
part. Two miles from the dealer, it cut out again. I went back, drew a
diagram of how the cruise control circuit works and explained why they were
wrong. The then fixed it properly (a cheap switch in the brake light
circuit) and credited my for the first repair. There are some great shops
and mechanics out there, but there are a bunch of incompetent profiteers
amongst them.

 

I call them "part changers". They take the path of least time and
resistance.

Tech's have my sympathy, however. It can be hell diagnosing a problem
in modern "advanced" automobiles.

"Advanced" my eye. If automobiles were really advanced, they wouldn't
be so difficult and expensive to diagnose and repair. I'm ready to go
back to the future.

Happy New Year
-

Bob

 

While I've never seen a freeze plug leak on this engine, anything is
possible. I wouldn't be surpirsed, however if an inexperienced tech made
an error. The first time I witnessed a water pump leak on this engine, it
took some effort to find the source. The water pump weep hole connects to
a hole in the block which drains out behind the a/c compressor.

As for the warrantability, I don't see how an integral part of the engine
block isn't covered by the 10/100 warranty.

I ran the number for the only thing that appears to be a freeze plug in
the parts catalog cylinder block picture. I have part# 15732-25001,
"cap-sealing." Per Hyundai, warranty coverage is powertrain, 120 months,
100k miles. What part number did they use for repair?

If the dealership continues to deny powertrain coverage for this repair,
call Hyundai consumer affairs immediately at 1-800-633-5151.