Maintaining Your Hyundai Elantra

Featuring "class above" space, the Hyundai Elantra is a stylish, economical compact car with Hyundai's famous 10-year/100,000 mile warranty. Designed to provid e years and miles of great reliable service, it can't do it alone. It needs the help of you, its owner and the service advisors and mechanics at Hyundai of Hazelwood. By following the prescribed service schedule by Hyundai Motor America, as laid out in the Elantra Owner's Manual, you can keep your Hyundai working as well as the day you first took it home.

The Elantra service schedule is a simple to follow list of requirements that need taking care of through the life of your new vehicle. Starting with servicing when the vehicle is new, it will carry you all the way through to the 150,000 mile mark. The service schedule for your Hyundai Elantra revolves around planned 7,500 mile intervals that will change the oil at every visit. A series of other scheduled maintenance tasks will be performed in between, including a tire rotation, a replacement of the climate control air filter, inspections of the air conditioning refrigerant, the brake hoses and lines, the rotors, and the brake pads and calipers. At the same time, the mechanics will examine the engine's air filter, the exhaust pipe and muffler, steering gear box and linkages, and finally, the suspension mounting bolts.

This is a schedule that will be repeated at 7,500, 15,000, 22,500, 30,000, 37,500, and so on.

Oil changes, tire rotations and more. Every one of these 7,500 mile services begins with an oil and filter change, followed by a tire rotation and replacement of the climate control air filter. In talking about oil, we can't forget to discuss the importance of using a high-quality synthetic motor oil. Sure, your Elantra will run just fine with conventional oil but it is far better to use synthetic which can stand up to extremely high temperatures and combat thermal breakdown, especially in the age of the extremely high temperatures we have been facing lately.  The new filter that will be replaced by the Hyundai Mechanic will be trapping dirt and dust  before it has a chance to get inside the engine.

refrigerant, brake fluid, brake hoses and lines, driveshafts and boots, exhaust pipe and muffler, fuel lines, hoses and connecters, the fuel tank air filter, parking brake, front and rear brake pads, and various other hoses and fittings. Their purpose is to keep your Hyundai of Hazelwood Elantra running like new.

Getting Straight:  All-wheel-alignment is a fine-tuning adjustment that will have your Hyundai Elantra driving straight without drifting left or right on a highway. We have all felt times where the car feels it's wanting to gently move out of its lane. That's why your service technicians at Hyundai of Hazelwood recommend an alignment procedure once a year, or more as needed. But you get our drift. (Yes, we said that.) Please remember to ask for a tire balancing and rotation first, before getting aligned.

Stop Words: Those would be words like Brakes, Brake Pads, Rotors, Calipers and more. We know about brakes! Good brakes are made to stop when and where you want them too, all other variables aside. Critical to the safety and well-being of your Hazelwood Hyundai Elantra, they deserve to be looked at every time you come in for an oil change. A giveaway that they may need changing is if they ever take to squeaking when you apply pressure to the brake pedals. At the first sign of squeaks, get into your Hyundai of Hazelwood service department to have them checked. DO NOT WAIT for the next oil change to take them in!Our expert technicians can examine their conditions to make sure they are well within standards for safety and to provide the ability to stop. It's always better to take a proactive lead on such inspection rather than be caught when it's too late to do anything about it. Such attention to details saves you money before the problem can really get out of hand, and expensive.

Tires: Your Hyundai Elantra gets its grip from properly matched tires that are designed to work correctly with your new Hyundai. A choice not to be taken lightly, they need to be inflated, balanced, rotated and aligned in order to get the longest life possible from them. We suggest a monthly check to determine tread depth and how much of it remains before you need to replace your set of tires. Best of all, it only costs you a penny. Grab a fresh Lincoln head penny from your pocket. That's all that's needed and with it you might get a few minutes of face time with our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, at the same time! Just place a Lincoln penny into the tire treads of your Hyundai Elantra. If Honest Abe takes a header up to his ears, you've got plenty of tread to go. Conversely, if an air gap exists above his hairline, head to the Hazelwood Hyundai Parts and Service department, right now for replacements! They'll have exactly what your Elantra needs. President Abraham Lincoln wasn't bald. Your tires shouldn't be either.

Windshield Wipers: Wipers are enigmatic in that they may wear out despite not having been used that much. It's strange because they can wear out from overuse as well as underuse. Blame it on extreme heat or extreme cold. Too much exposure to high heat can cause them to powder or get too soft and streaky, while extreme cold can make them brittle and hard. And that doesn't even include exposure to UV rays. That's why it's a good idea to have an extra set in the garage. But in case there aren't any handy, take a spin down to the Hazelwood Hyundai parts and service department to replenish your stock today. If you need to locate us, Google "Mechanics near us," and there we will be!

Automatic and Manual Transmissions, etc.: The transmission in your Hyundai Elantra is a sealed unit that should be checked periodically for proper fluid levels. Whether an automatic or manual gearbox, both transmissions are sealed units only requiring service in the form of a transmission fluid and filter change at the 120,000 mile mark. If you subject your Elantra to extreme driving, such as at high speeds or along mountainous grades, we would suggest changing the transmission fluid and filter sooner. For best results, bring it by the service department at Hazelwood Hyundai, for a quick check today.

These service schedules and maintenance tips from your Hazelwood Hyundai service advisors and technicians will help provide you with many years and thousands of miles of driving enjoyment from behind the wheel of your Hyundai. Be sure to contact your Hazelwood Parts and Service department for all your Hyundai car care needs.