[Sangwan]

How it all started

Being an international student in Canada, one of the things which a "student" does is buy a used car and it is usually the one like Honda Civic or Accord, or Toyota Corolla or Camry or something cheaper, reliable and easy on gas but whoever have went overseas knows what I mean. With this post I am trying to help out my fellow overseas readers if they are in the same dilemma as I was and might reduce the headache which one goes through when buying a used car and hope it will surely help if you go in for a Hyundai Santa Fe.

The curious case of Credit History and Sales Tax

One thing which I feel is one should take his/her own decision and just go with a gut feeling and be done with it. Will save a lot of time; but we are humans and this isn't possible we have to double check and in order to make the best informed decision you ask for advice and then it is just tons of confusion with little useable advice.

I have great friends and I believe I am very lucky to have them even here with me. My original plan was to just buy a used car all in cash and just enjoy the ride but some of my friends suggested I should apply for financing and buy used but low on kms and with "today's" features. Being used to the cars back home, there wasn't much heart in buying something like 15-20 years old as that's what fitted in my budget (more on that later). Got in touch with various used car dealerships and the regular dealerships, wasted many days trying to find something nice which won't be high on EMIs, will be reliable and the result was the following:

1. 2012 Honda Civic costing about $12,000+fees+taxes (tax is at 12%) : Low kms for its age, clean, silver in color. Loved it but couldn't get it financed as it was more than 8 years old. And here in Canada, a car which is more than 8 years old doesn't get financed.

2. 2017 Kia Forte about $17,000+fees+taxes(tax is at 12%) : Absolutely mint. Only 45,xxx Kms on the odometer and just loaded with all the gadgets for example, TCS, Blind spot monitoring, heated seats, heated steering wheels you name it, it was a really nice car.

3. 2016 Toyota Camry about $19,000+fees+taxes(tax is at 12%): 122,xxx Kms on odo. Clean, SE trim so the regular features but not as much as the Kia.

4. 2019 Mazda 3 about $23,000+fees+taxes(tax is at 12%): 23,xxx Kms on odo. Clean, all the regular features but again not as much as the Kia.

There was a 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer AWD too it was with a used car dealership. really nice, drove well and I loved it right in first sight but $15,000 for the car with fees and taxes extra.

The reason for going to the finance way was to make a credit history but you need a credit score to get financed and you can make credit score only when you finance something. Go figure!

I already had a feeling being a banker that I won't get through but still tried thinking may be someone can charge me higher interest rate and I can start making some credit score. So, tried at some places not like a lot but enough where I had chance but that didn't happen as I had no financial record here in Canada. So, finally cash option it was going to be. And now since I was not financing anything I already had made up a list about must haves in my first used car:

• It should be either a 4WD or AWD

• Should be of a reliable nature i.e. not high maintenance bills

• Should have clean interiors as I saw a fare share of dirty cars. I still keep on thinking how can people keep cars in such bad shape.

• Shouldn't be 15-20 years old. No matter how well a car was kept and what brand it is, if it is that low there are pretty high chances that some major repair might pop up.

• Must have at least Bluetooth functionality.

• Must be less than 200,000 Kms. Ideally should be around 150,000 Kms. With the kind of budget I had and how hot the car market was, there was no way I would have found something less than 100,000 Kms.

• Should be a clean looking vehicle from outside/inside with clean title and it can have regular scratches but not some major eyesore.

• Would be really nice if it was in black color.

So, with the above criteria I went to all the usual websites such as FB Marketplace, Autotrader, Kijiji and started making lists. The first hurdle I faced was there wasn't much cars to look at because of my criteria and also the ridiculous prices of used cars. So, I made an adjustment that I will let go the odometer readings and then start looking at the options I have. This move paid off and I made a list of 30 cars which were all located in the Vancouver region either with the dealerships/private sellers. Sent that list to family and everybody gave their opinion on it. My list had the following cars:

• 2006-2008 Ford Escape

• 2007-2011 Hyundai Santa Fe

• 2003-2004 Nissan Pathfinder (Yes its almost 20 years old but more on it later)

• 20010-2012 Dodge Journey

• 2005-2007 Subaru Imprezza

There were other options too like Nissan Morena or Kia Sportage but they never fancied me. The vehicle in the majority was Ford Escape and I loved its boxy design (the newer ones are not nice in looks IMHO) and talked to many people who were the current owners and they were happy with the Escape and I read about it over the internet about the common issues and found out that the 2008 model had cost cutting done, like the rear brakes were not Discs anymore. And when I was looking owing to the market conditions, the listings were coming and going so soon that it was kind of hard to decide which vehicle to see first because all the Escapes in my list were more than 200,000 kms and were almost the same price.

I would like to specially talk about one vehicle although it was rejected by my family owing to being really old and having high mileage; the vehicle was Nissan Pathfinder. Everyone has a liking to a car that you just like and no matter how wrong it might be to others but you just feel that this is the car and for me like in India it is the Fortuner and here when there is a ton of options to choose from but with the budget I had set I felt really happy whenever I saw a Nissan Pathfinder especially the 2003-04 model. In my list was a 2003 white Pathfinder. Below is the google image to show you which model I am talking about

Source: Google Images




Read everything about it and turned out it is a super reliable vehicle too. There really wasn't anything wrong going to happen with this one but it was just really old. Its 2022 and so it was a 19 years old vehicle. But if it just up to me would have bought this one.

So, after discussing with my folks and reading about all the cars on the list I zeroed in on a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. It was with a private seller. Looked clean and had only 168,129 Kms on the odometer. Also with the private seller there are both pros and cons. Pros being that I won't be paying dealership fees, the tax on purchase can be saved but the biggest con is that you have to really make sure the car is ok I mean you can go to the mechanic shop get it inspected but then for that too owing to Covid you need to get appointment and what not. But I had a gut feeling and with my interaction with the owner that it was a good car. I thought this is the car which I will check first and if its not what it seems then I will move to cars which are near to me. But fortunately I didn't had to go anywhere else after seeing the Santa Fe.

So, lets talk about my 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe.



Price: $9620 or approximately INR 5,77,000 (After paying taxes).
Engine: 3.3L V6 (Yay!)
Odometer: 168,129 Kms
Drivetrain: AWD
Transmission: Auto
Bluetooth Functionality: Yes
Clean Interiors: Yes
Clean Exteriors: Yes
Extra Features: Nice sound system, heated front seats, huge space with and without rear seats folded and full size spare wheel.
Fuel Efficiency: getting 9-10 Kmpl till date.

Some more pics!



Initial Impressions

After driving around for almost 800 kms these are my observations and it can be totally different for everyone and also I am not an expert so its just how I feel:

1. The gas pedal is very sensitive. I don't know if its just mine or its the same with the rest of the Santa Fe's as well but it is really sensitive. If I press it really hard then it just jumps and then that will affect the fuel efficiency as well but on the plus side it is super-duper fun and I mean it. When you really press it then you feel this thrust, you're pushed back into your seat and the sound; oh man the sound which comes is just awesome!

2. Excellent Visibility all around. Well it is not as commanding as the jacked up pick up trucks and also the manually adjustable height also helps.

3. Ride is on the firmer side. The Canadian road structure is definitely better than our Indian roads so I wonder how will it feel back home but here I definitely felt its not soft but on the firm side.

4. Average is really great considering its a V6 and have that super sensitive throttle. My friend owns a 2019 Camry and we are seeing just 6.8-9 KMPL on the MID so compared to him I am really happy with my purchase. But more accurate figures will go once I use the car more.

5. It is really easy to work on I read few forums and watched videos on the maintenance and I feel it can be a great car to learn things and also the engine bay is having enough space so it doesn't feel cumbersome and you're at ease with your tools.

6. It definitely needs some detailing. The previous owner kept it in a good shape but I still feel much more can be done. I am hopeful that I will bring this car very close to its original glory.

7. The steering feels heavier and there is just a bit of body roll but nothing of concern.

8. This car feels so big inside! With the middle row seats folded two people can easily sleep together. There is storage compartment in the boot area. I have already bought a big tv, a tv stand, all of my luggage in this car so I feel really happy that it can haul big things easily.



9. For a 2010 year car, the Bluetooth functionality, sound system, connectivity to phone, heated front seats having controls on the steering etc. It feels really loaded but I really miss the rear view camera and will probably add it in the coming months.

Clean Interiors


Wooden Trim for the first time in any car I have owned.


Heated seats!


10. It is safe. It is having all disc brakes, traction control and airbags everywhere.

Now the Bad Stuff

Like I mentioned earlier it needs a bit of detailing to get rid of small scratches all over the surface which is expected from a 12 year old car. But there are some other things which needs a little bit attention.

1. This is a weird one. So all the four doors have these rubber beadings all over them and I have seen them on other Santa Fes as well which is good as it prevents the doors from getting their paints chipped but it has also taken out the paint from the body of vehicle. These pics will show you what I mean.




2. The previous owner told me how the left outer tail light is a having a leak and water seeps in and its really easy to take out the light and throw out the accumulated water.



3. There is a dent below the outer left tail light. So, will need to take care of that as well.



4. A small crack on the front right side of the bumper.



5. The rear right door on the inside have a small cut on the interior. What can be done about it?



6. The wiper blades including the rear one needed to be changed (which I already did).

Upgrades planned for the future and help from fellow Bhpians

I am no expert and I still have tons of stuff to learn so I have already started reading about the maintenance and changes to the audio system, but the following are things I need/want for my Santa Fe:

1. Tools for servicing it at home. I would like to know what budget friendly jacks I can use in order to make sure I am safe when I am under the car and it can easily do its job. The next service is due at 170,500 kms.

2. Upgrade the infotainment system to the current standards. I still have a lot to learn about it, I am particularly concerned about the Bluetooth functionality. Also, would love your thoughts on connecting the wires and stuff; like what would I need to keep them together using other methods instead of using manual connections and taping them. Soldering?

3. Putting a rear and front dashcam and also a rear view camera. Is it possible to add parking sensors as well?

4. Replace that leaking tail light. It really spoils the look of the car at night. And I also felt the inner left tail light needs replacement too. It looks fine during the day but at night there is a difference in the clarity of the lamps when left and right sides are compared.

5. The brake pads needs to be replaced. Will get those done at the next service.

6. The right license plate bulb wasn't working so I replaced it but I need this clip/rubber washer so that the other screw can be in its place. Any ideas where can I get one? Home Depot? Canadian Tire?



7. The rear license plate holder on the left side is kind of free. Like it needs a rubber washer at the bottom so that it doesn't rotate when I put the screw in. Where can I get this washer? and should I take this whole thing out and put a new one on the left side? I am a bit confused about what should be the right course.



8. The previous owner had toddlers and so do I and which has led to some spills inside the car and the rest of the area is clean but there are stains on the fabric of the seats. It doesn't smell or anything but it is an eyesore to me so any idea what can be used on them to get these stain out?





What's next?

At least till now I am really happy with my purchase. I plan to keep this thread alive and a document everything important so that anyone who plans to get one can be at ease and can work on his/her own as we all know how costly the labor is. I am going to try to do work on it as much as I can and also try to keep this for longer period as long as it doesn't keep on asking for repairs on regular basis.



I thank you for taking your time and going through this thread and will make sure I keep on added more data to this thread. Signing off with more pics of the Santa Fe.

Vancouver from Lionsgate bridge


Friend having a go at it on the first day of purchase


I just love how it looks, wish I had found it in black color but this one is growing on me



With my friend's 2019 Toyota Camry




Cheers,
Sangwan

[Sangwan]

Service Updates

Date: May 9, 2022
Cost: CA$ 44.80
Odometer Reading: 1,70,670 KMs

It was a regular oil change and not even the air filter was replaced as it was fine. The brake pads needed replacement but the mechanic said they will do till next service.

Date: July 4, 2022
Cost: CA$ 800.00
Odometer Reading: 1,74,250 KMs

This service's bill was the second most expensive bill I had in my life. The first one was of my Triumph Street Twin but it was all covered under insurance unfortunately that wasn't the case this time. As mentioned earlier the brake pads had to be changed and lately the braking wasn't really confidence inspiring. I was planning to use these old pads till the next service but couldn't wait any longer as with everyday the urge to get them replaced grew. Bought few service items from Canadian Tire:

Front Brake Pads Part Number: #MMX1432
Rear Brake Pads Part Number: #MMX1439
Cabin Air Filter Part Number: #CF11664
Air Filter Part Number: #CA10881
Oil Filter Part Number: #CH10855

On arrival at the service station, after my turn came the chief mechanic told me that the rotors need to be replaced too as fitting new brake pads won't suffice and vehicle might shake a bit on braking. Like I said earlier I am not that knowledgeable with all mechanical bits so took his word and he showed me the new rotors and there was indeed a difference between the conditions. So, he got the rotors and I provided him with the rest of the service items. I am just curious how long in general the rotors last? or seeing the mileage on this car they have lasted enough?

We both smiled when I asked him about the bill and he told me the final amount, although there were different reasons behind our smiles

I had my son in my arms so couldn't take any pics during the service. Next time if I am alone I will try to take as many pics as possible. Next service is now due at 182,000 Kms.

Take on Santa Fe after more than 3 months of ownership

• It is spacious, feels very roomy and I am not finding it really comfortable to drive.

• Excellent visibility but I sorely do miss reverse parking camera or at least parking sensors would be nice.

• Excellent space management by Hyundai. I have hauled my best friends TV, suitcases, bags with my son and him with me and the Santa Fe just took everything in without any issue. Also have been to few tourist spots with other friends and even with child seat in place, two healthy adults can sit comfortably in the back seat.

• Fuel consumption is now between 8.5-9.0 KMPL and I hope it will stay there because you just want to keep on pressing the gas pedal, the feeling is so special.

• I haven't been able to visit any distant places with the Santa Fe owing to my studies and my son being small. Once he grows a little bit more I will try to pen down my experience with Santa Fe on long distance drives.

• This color is growing on me with each passing day and it looks best when it is almost evening, then the car looks smashing.

• Brakes now feel solid and at least for now everything is working as they are meant to be.

• Santa Fe is being used by my wife and my best friend for getting their Canadian Driving License. It is covering a distance of around 260-320 Kms every week.

• When it comes to headlights, the low beam throw is adequate but high beam throw is fantastic.

• It is having Kumho Tires for now and they are new tires, the previous owner bought them and they have a lot of life left and they do their job but it is not confidence inspiring. They do spin sometimes when I am still and accelerate all of a sudden, don't know if it is the power of the car or the tires aren't that grippy. Lets see how they hold up in winters.

• Purchased this Black Decker wireless vacuum cleaner for the interiors

• I haven't been able to do any changes which I wanted to do as mentioned in the previous post owing to other commitments but in the coming months I will surely change that leaking light and get the car's infotainment unit updated.

After spending couple of months and having covered some distance one might think do I still think it was the best decision in the given circumstances? I have to say Yes not because it is my decision but because overall it is a great vehicle and I see more Santa Fes here compared to Tucson. If I had gotten it for a lesser amount then it would have been truly VFM but it is still a great buy. But and there is always a BUT, the 2003-04 Nissan Pathfinder still keeps on attracting me towards it. What a nice looking car!

Question for the reader

Now as the car will be serviced at 182,000 Kms. Do I need to get something particularly checked? Because everything feels fine, its not leaking from anywhere and all the fluid levels are normal. Experts please let me know if I need to keep an eye on anything and I will make sure it get checked/done.

Parting with few more pics of the Santa Fe.





Cheers,
Sangwan

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[turbowhistle]

Congratulations Sangwan, it's a solid car and should be good for few more years. Looks great in black and I'm also surprised by the fuel economy, I had a 1.2L i20 and it never gave above 10kmpl so that's that For the stains on the interior, you can give the car for a detailing where they use wet extractors.

Upgrades planned for the future and help from fellow Bhpians

1. Tools for servicing it at home. I would like to know what budget friendly jacks I can use in order to make sure I am safe when I am under the car and it can easily do its job. The next service is due at 170,500 kms.

2. Upgrade the infotainment system to the current standards. I still have a lot to learn about it, I am particularly concerned about the Bluetooth functionality. Also, would love your thoughts on connecting the wires and stuff; like what would I need to keep them together using other methods instead of using manual connections and taping them. Soldering?

3. Putting a rear and front dashcam and also a rear view camera. Is it possible to add parking sensors as well?

4. Replace that leaking tail light. It really spoils the look of the car at night. And I also felt the inner left tail light needs replacement too. It looks fine during the day but at night there is a difference in the clarity of the lamps when left and right sides are compared.

Unless you are planning to keep the car for next 3-4 years and not gonna upgrade it sooner, I would not suggest tinkering a lot with it. This comes from a personal experience, most of my tools are lying unused once I got a new car.

Try to find the tail light in the junkyards for cheap and just replace it out.
The car is already depreciated and the things you improve will not help much with the resale ( just my opinion though)

Also there should be plenty of infotainment units for this car which can bring it to 2022 standard but it won't be cheap if you want some quality ( Expect around $500-600 easily).

Is the service interval just 10-12000km for oil change? I have seen 20-30k usually.

[summerisland]

Originally Posted by Sangwan

Service Updates

I am just curious how long in general the rotors last? or seeing the mileage on this car they have lasted enough?

I am sure they have been replaced at least twice before on your car. My experience is only with Renault Duster where rotors are changed every 60K Kms.

[Sangwan]

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

Congratulations Sangwan, it's a solid car and should be good for few more years. Looks great in black

Thank you! It is not black unfortunately it is Dark Blue but in some pics it looks like Black. With the budget and what I was looking for, finding a color of my choice wasn't possible but I am happy its a Darker shade

I'm also surprised by the fuel economy, I had a 1.2L i20 and it never gave above 10kmpl so that's that

You have to be really light with the gas pedal, and to be honest I was getting in the very beginning, now I am just flooring it because the way it starts picking up pace is relentless and you feel it more if you sitting in the middle row. Now I am more on the lines of 8.67/8.89/9.1 KMPL

For the stains on the interior, you can give the car for a detailing where they use wet extractors.

Thanks again I will try that.

Unless you are planning to keep the car for next 3-4 years and not gonna upgrade it sooner, I would not suggest tinkering a lot with it. This comes from a personal experience, most of my tools are lying unused once I got a new car.

That is a great advice. Thank you. Although I will keep the car for long, there is nothing wrong in it and I have read over the internet that people have used it till 3-3.5 Lakhs KMs so there is still a lot of life left.

Try to find the tail light in the junkyards for cheap and just replace it out.

Yes I will do that in month of August when I will be done with my program. I am short of time nowadays.

Also there should be plenty of infotainment units for this car which can bring it to 2022 standard but it won't be cheap if you want some quality ( Expect around $500-600 easily).

Yes it will be expensive. I saw some videos where people are installing themselves and it worked flawlessly but I don't have that much expertise as of now. If I find a new car then may be will take the risk of doing it myself. It is a "want" as of now not a "need" as I am able to park it safely everywhere.

Is the service interval just 10-12000km for oil change? I have seen 20-30k usually.

Oh yes! The previous owner was getting it replaced at every 5000 Kms and it was due the time when I purchased it. The latest oil change I had because already so many things were happening why not an oil change too. But the actual interval is 12,000 KMs which I will start following now as it is given in the maintenance schedule. I wonder why the mechanic suggested 7,500 KMs to do so?

[Sangwan]

Originally Posted by summerisland

I am sure they have been replaced at least twice before on your car. My experience is only with Renault Duster where rotors are changed every 60K Kms.

Thank You! Then I guess taking in view the car's mileage it was already due.

[Sangwan]

Update after completing 10,000 Kms in 5 Months.

Here’s my thoughts on Santa Fe after having it for this long:

• The Santa Fe’s economy has settled down to 8.6-9.2 KMPL because it is hard not to press the gas on this thing.

• Apart from the major expense of rotors and pads, it is a smooth sailing and is going well except for one developing issue.

• Not the best handler for its size and isn’t confidence inspiring when you’re doing high speeds. Till 120-140 KM/HR is okay but not more than that.

• It is a mile muncher, take it for longer road trips and you’ll love every moment.

• On low speeds, when I turn the wheels towards left side then there is a creaking side, like when we open creaking doors slowly. This vanishes when the vehicle isn’t slow anymore. I read over the internet; it might be related to suspension/wheel bearing?

• It is a beautiful car and makes me happy every time I see it. I really wonder why it wasn’t a hit in India.

• We have taken it to some parts of British Columbia and have thoroughly enjoyed the car.

• AC is a chiller, and the rear vents really help.
Some pics of my Santa Fe:

















Another major update to this thread.

From now onwards, there will be review of not one but two Santa Fes. Yes! because I brought another one. Let’s get over the stats of this one:

Make: Hyundai
Model: Santa Fe
Model Year: 2010
Color: Black (Yay!)
Status: Clean/Normal
Odometer: 190,886
Price (including taxes): $7400 or roughly INR 4.51 Lakhs

Why another Santa Fe?

My wife got her class 5 DL (Full privileges license) and I was starting another job there was a need of two car. Due to my status in the country and being short of cash we were again planning to buy a car in cash and that too preferably somewhere around $5000. Let me tell you folks, this budget isn’t good at all at least with how car prices are nowadays. You’ll not find anything.

I started looking way earlier for a nice car within our preferred budget but never actually got to the driving part because I would, or my wife or friend would find something while checking out the car and we would walk away. Rust/sorry state of interior or exterior/very high mileage on cars were majority of the reasons as to why we would turn down the cars. So, what are the options if you have a budget limited to $5000 +/- $500? Well, not many.
Let’s look:

• 2001-2005 Ford Escape
• 2007-08 Santa Fes with odometer reading around 300,000 Kms.
• 2002-04 Mazda Tribute with odometer around 250,000 Kms and prices around $4000.
• 1998-2004 Nissan Pathfinder (The beauty) with odometer hovering around 250K-300+K Kms.
• 1990-1995 Toyota 4Runner, odometer around 4 Lakhs Kms.
• 2001-04 Honda CR-V with odometer around 3 Lakhs Kms.

It was less than a month since I was looking car for my friend but now when my turn came, there were really not many fresh listings. Although I found one 1998 Nissan Pathfinder with just 139,XXX Kms on odometer and with Manual Transmission. The dealer was asking around $8000 but I told him it was $5000 because nobody will take it and considering it is the manual but how wrong was I. Somebody took it at actual asking price. Another point regarding the Nissan Pathfinder, so the older ones had 4 speed automatic transmission and that gave extremely low fuel economy numbers and that’s why people were selling them, but it wasn’t the fuel efficiency it was the rust these Pathfinders had on them. Dodge and Nissan are plagued with rust as they get older which you see also with other manufacturers but the above stated are leagues ahead.

Mazda Tribute is also a clean looking and cheap car, but it was way too old for everyone, so it was rejected. The Toyotas on sale were old, had a lot of mileage and rust was starting to develop at least on the bumpers, so they were rejected as well.

I was even looking for manual transmission thinking something cheap and nice can be had but that too wasn’t happening. And toying around FB marketplace I found this awesome car 2004 Infiniti FX35. It had new wheels, tires and had only 155,XXX Kms. It was fully loaded and didn’t look like an 18-year-old car. The owner wanted $10,500 I requested $8,500 which was way over my budget and we agreed to meet but the owner got busy that evening and the meeting was cancelled and the rush in my head settled down and decided not to buy this car because at the end of the day it was 18 year old.

Then I found a 2008 Jeep Liberty, looked clean in pictures, Manual Transmission, 200,XXX kms on the odometer and black in color. When I checked this car in person, it had rust everywhere and the smell inside the car wasn’t pleasing, it was like wet clothes have started to rot. But one thing which stood out was that how solid the Jeep felt, the doors were super heavy and when ever I shut the gates it gave me the feeling of a Tank. Politely declined the owner’s offer for test drive or any further discussion.
I found the same listing of a Santa Fe when I was looking for car for my friend A and this car had some nasty marks but it drove well just like my Santa Fe and was kept well from the inside. The car was listed as $8000 but I remembered that the owner was willing to let it go for even $7200 (The owner wasn’t money hungry and knew the current state will not hold forever and should be realistic). Actually, what the owner was doing was that he paid $7200 when he bought the car so was just trying to even out. I texted him and told him that I am willing to buy it but for $6500. He replied and we decided to buy for $6800. And so, I bought another Santa Fe.

I won’t go in depths about reviewing this Santa Fe because I already have written in detail about the other one but would like to share the things which need to be sorted:

• There is a crack on outer right tail light, so now I will buy both left and right outer tail light as now both my Santa Fe have covered both the sides



• This is the worst bit, the owner’s father lost consciousness while driving and the car rammed into a small pole or something and left this mark.



• There is this ugly dent around the fuel cover.



• The Right OVRM is missing the plastic covering.



• There are these lines underneath the right-side tail lamp.



• The rear bumper has the paint peeling off at some places.





• At the mechanic's shop the very next day.



Overall, cosmetically things are bad, but they can be sorted out for cheap too, just need to have some patience. Mechanically, the driver’s side CV Axle need to be replaced as per the previous owner, but my mechanic checked it thoroughly and said its fine but still I have asked him to procure this part. The rotors and brake pads were changed yesterday. The tires are all season and are having enough tread on them, the owner serviced the car and the next one is at 195,000 Kms.

This brings us to the end of this post. I ended up going way over my desired budget, but I am happy because now both my cars are reliable and fun at the same time and will be good to handle all types of roads and weather. Signing off with some pics.













Cheers,
Sangwan

[Sangwan]

Black Hyundai Santa Fe Update:

Odometer Reading: 193,XXX Kms

When I bought the car, the previous owner told me that the driver's side (left) CV axle needs to be changed, he already took care of the passenger side but due to unavailability of part he wasn't able to do the other one. I found that when the car is being driver under 100 KMPH there isn't any issue, its only after you cross the 100 you feel this jumping feeling, as if the car isn't stable and is making small jumps. I finally found the part and got one year warranty on it. In the next 1900 KMs the oil change was also going to happen but I figured I should get that done as well. The final bill came $400. I changed to synthetic oil and so I am okay for next 8,000 KMs and next oil change will be around 201,XXX KMs.

There was a lot going on in my life in the last two months and I found this job which I left after I got another offer but I was working with a Franchise (Jiffy Lube) and they provide service such as oil change, brake fluid flush, power steering etc. Overall, this shop was a general maintenance shop, we didn't carried repairs but helped in maintaining the vehicle. So, I got to inspect both my Santa Fes and it doesn't look good. The pressing issues are many:

Brake fluid, power steering fluid, transmission oil etc., basically all the fluids need to be changed and I am planning to tackle one at a time, will get the brake fluid done first.


I also changed, the wiper blades as its raining and snowing here in Vancouver.

Today, I drove the car to office after getting the CV axle changed and its very stable. No more unstable feeling at high speeds. Like I mentioned in my earlier posts, there is so much I want to take care off but I don't have the time or money right now, so I am taking small steps in fixing things. It will take time but I will get there. Leaving you folks with some random pictures of the Black Santa Fe.

Both Santa Fes with Friend's Escape at his place


Random Pic at Street where I live


Another one


At my office


Another one at Office


Random street


In a shopping complex's parking


Snow!


MORE Snow!


The last Saturday's morning


Another one


Young Sangwan helping me out after thorough wash at Car Wash


All clean now


Both the Santa Fes


Will update you with Blue Santa Fe next week probably. See you next time.

Cheers!
Sangwan

[Sangwan]

Blue Santa Fe update

Current Odometer reading: 182,XXX Kms

So, it was the time for the Blue Santa Fe to have the oil change. Also, I checked the air filters and cabin/AC filters of both the cars, The cabin filters needed a change and black Santa Fe required the air filter change as well. No issues reported in the blue one. It was a regular visit to the same mechanic and I was out in no time, the next oil change is at 190K.

On Nov 29th, the Vancouver area was hit by snow and people were not prepared, everyone had a hard time and there were many on the road that night who stayed in their cars. I am mentioning about this because it made me glad we bought these AWD cars, I could have also brought some Civic or Corolla or Altima but I wanted something sturdy and both Santa Fes performed very well that night, my wife made it to home without any hiccup and so did I. It is fun to drive these things in snow. I also bought snow remover brushes for both the cars from Canadian Tires. Will start sorting small things out in both the cars in coming months. Leaving you folks with some pics taken during the time:

At the mechanic



Blue at wife's office on 29th Nov (The snow had started at that time)





Black at my office throughout the day on 29th Nov




















Blue on Nov 30th around 7 in the morning ( I wiped off as much snow as I can)





Until next time



Cheers,
Sangwan

[Sangwan]

Hello Everyone,

It has been months since I last updated the blog. At this moment, Blue is standing at 187, XXX Kms and Black at 199, XXX Kms. They are both being run 37 Kms and 52 Kms respectively on weekdays and Blue takes the weekend errands duties.

So, the last update was around the time when the first snow came here in Vancouver and that was not the last, it snowed few more time in the coming weeks. Around Dec 18th, it snowed again, and it was a lot of snow but again buying an AWD car helped and I was able to complete my errands without any issue.

Blue on 18th Dec



Black on 18th Dec



On 20th Dec, my landlord’s Honda Civic



On my way to Blue on 20th Dec







And before and after pic of Black on the 21st Dec













Finally, in the month of February, on 11th, I took both the cars to the local car wash and gave them the much-needed cleaning.







On March 1st, I had my first accident in Canada. I was on a multi-lane bridge and there was a black Bentley in front of me, it slammed the brakes hard and so did I, I was able to save myself from hitting it but the car beneath me didn’t and it rammed into my car, and two more cars rammed into us. My speed at that time would be around 50 Kmph. The following are the pics of the accident:

My car (First car in wreck)



Second Car



Third Car



Fourth Car



For those of you who are curious about the procedure that follows if an accident happens in Canada, then following are the steps you take.

1. If it is a minor wreck then just exchange information like phone number, driver’s license number and license plate/insurance details of the car involved in direct contact with you. In my case, I had to just take the details of the car which rammed into me, and not the other two. Police or paramedics are called only if it is a major wreck and ours was a major one, as the airbags went into action in the white Civic. A police report number is given to you right at the scene and later a police report copy is sent via post as well.

2. You call ICBC (if you are in British Columbia) and inform them about the incident giving as many details as possible. After hearing your side of the story, they give you a case number.

3. This case number is shared with autobody shops which then make repairs to your car.

4. If you are found guilty then your insurance premium goes up otherwise if it's not your fault, you are not even charged the deductible (file charges) while repairs are happening to your car.

I wasn’t found liable for the wreck and soon got my car fixed for free. I was given a Corolla while my car was being repaired. It was nothing to write about. Black all pretty after coming from shop.



On 28h March, I got the dreaded Check Engine Light on Black’s dash. At that point, I was thinking that Black is having tough days. So, it turned out that this module was making the light come. It controls the evaporation valve and if not fixed, it will eventually lead to rough idle, improper mixture of air and fuel, over all had to get that fixed.

CEL (Sorry for the dusty dash)



The Culprit module



I asked the mechanic to take a drive of Black as I felt Blue to be more enjoyable and didn’t feel the same way for Black, turns out the shocks are giving up. So, there are couple of things coming up on reaching 2 Lakhs KMs. Sharing a few other pics with you. See you at the time of the next oil change.











Cheers,
Sangwan

[Sangwan]

Updates:

Life has been busy with settling in a new country, and that is why I have not updated the thread regularly. This post will not have many pictures (I might add some at the end, depending on when I post this update). Since my last update, things have been on the expensive side. Let us have a look at each Santa Fe:

Black

It finally crossed the 2,00,000 Kms mark, although I have not been part of it since the start, but it felt good to be part of something, which would turn to be an expensive milestone. So, crossing 200K was great but then I had a puncture and that led my attention to the front tires, I noticed that they were wearing out from the inner side and one of the tires developed a bump on the side wall, these were old tires, so I got them replaced with Goodyear All weather tires, these costed me $1330. Right after getting the tires fixed and the alignment done ($100 extra), I noticed that the steering wheel makes this weird small movement in right direction and comes back to its original position, this happened randomly and was a little bit frightening when I am doing close to a 100 on a highway. So, I went to the tire shop to let them have a look and then they did their thorough long drive and informed me that I am facing “torque steer” and needs to replace the mounts on my car and the control arms too, I did not believe them a bit and went for a second opinion, so this shop said the whole steering rack needs to be replaced and the control arms too, so at least the control arm is definitely an issue.

There are two great guys in my office, they are older than me and are very much into DIY when it comes to cars, so I told them my ordeal and how every shop seems to be trying to rip off the customer, then they suggested me a garage and I went there, they checked the car thoroughly and pointed out the following needs to change:

CV Axle on the right, I had already gotten the left changed few months ago.

Link rods at the rear.

Control arm on the right, but it is recommended to get both changed at the same time.

Alignment needs to be done again.

And the oil pan seal needs to be replaced as it was leaking.

Overall, it was going to be almost $1000 job, so I went to Rock Auto, it is this great auto part website, the layout is simple and the cost of parts is way cheaper than the prices in Canada, I saved almost $250 on the parts when I got everything from here and then went to my mechanic and got those things fixed including.

At present, the odometer stands at 205,xxx Kms and seems like I will make it to next oil change without any more expense.

Blue:

Blue is racking up miles (odo at 193,xxx Kms) quickly as it is used on the weekends too when we travel just for leisure, it's time for an oil change was also approaching. Also, it was more than 20,000 Kms and I thought I should get the tires rotated and alignment done too. Another issue was that on slow bumps whenever I used to make turns, it felt that something is not right but also it was not a very pressing issue, so I left it to be handled at the time of service, turns out, it too needed control arms and front link kits were needed as well. At that time, I was mad at myself, for not getting this car checked earlier, I would have saved on the shipping cost as again I went to Rock Auto to get the parts. I got the parts, got the service done and the tires were rotated and aligned.

Overall, it has been costly recently but at least everting is in control, and hopefully both cars will keep on chugging along trouble-free.

PS: Blue's horns went kaput and now it has new horns but the high beam light on the driver's side doesn't work. Fall has officially begun and in the coming weeks I will get that out sorted or if things work out may be an ownership review of a new ride. Fingers crossed!

Near home.



From office.



Near a kid's park.



Cheers,
Sangwan

[Sangwan]

Updates:

My phone's storage was full, so I don’t have all the pics anymore. Let’s look at each Santa Fe.

Blue:

Blue has been a headache overall but like I said earlier, its cleaner inside out and there is no creaking sound when it drives. In the last post, I mentioned about the horns and the headlights issue.

Horn:

There are two horns on each side, they are located at a very weird position, below the headlights and either you must move the headlights from their place or remove the front bumper. I removed the bumper to check them out, overall, an easy process but what I found out was the bumper holding brackets on right side are broken. So, there was this ugly gap when I fixed it back.

As you already know, I want to fix cars myself but sometimes I don’t have the confidence when it comes to wiring and electricals. I checked the wiring; it seemed fine and then decided to just check prices/shapes of horn available for Santa Fe. I found out that Canadian Tire (it’s a retail store chain) has a different set, so the whole setup would need to change, and the OEM horn would be coming from US, and I would be paying for shipping too. In order to avoid all this, I went to a shop, but this time went to a different one, on recommendation of a colleague of mine and turns out it wasn’t the best decision. I was on the phone attending a call and when I came back, instead of a simple plug and plaything, this shop’s worker had chopped off the wiring and is making his own connection. I wasn’t happy but the damage was done and at least the horn was working. Damage to pocket $100.

Also, gave a temporary fix to bumper, by applying this plastic paste on the inside. It holds it well.

Lights:

While the horn was worked on, I asked them to have a look at the light issue too. The high beam headlight on left side was not working, they looked but said more diagnosis was needed and I was running short of time. So, paid the bill and went out my way. Not coming back here.

I went to my original mechanic on a weekend and showed him the issue, after trying few things, he said the projector lamp bulb holder (don’t know if it’s the right word or not) needs to be changed as he and I didn’t believe it was a wiring issue, as there were no cuts or any other issue. But the problem was they didn’t have it with them, and I need to buy it from Hyundai. I wasn’t sure about the overall assessment and decided if I am going to Hyundai, might as well get it fixed from them.

I fixed an appointment, and the dealership was charging me $160/180 (not exactly sure which one was it) as “diagnosis” fee and I will be charged later for the actual issue. Turns out, it was the wiring which was short circuiting and blowing up fuses. Damage to pocket was $570. Ouch!

Battery:

This was unexpected. My wife goes to office at 7 in the morning and I start at 1 PM, so one car is always free if incase the other has an issue. Blue would not start, and my wife just called me. It was a cold December morning and I asked her to take the Black Santa Fe and I will deal with this one. I called my friend, he and I took the battery out and got it tested, as that probably was the reason according to me. Turns out, I was right. The battery was done, and a new battery was needed. I found out that my car was having wrong size battery in it, so I got the correct one this time. Also, while getting the battery out, the positive terminal holding bracket got damaged, it was already rusted and when I was getting out, it developed a crack.
I fixed the new battery in place, but this bracket was not holding the position, it became loose and as a result car would not start. Somehow, wife and I managed for the rest of the week and on weekend I got it fixed. Total Damage to pocket was $217+20.

The broken terminal (Sorry for the filthy engine bay)




You might think we’re done for now, but unfortunately, we are not, there is more.

Brakes:

So, when I bought Blue, I got the rotor and brake pads replaced. Note that it has been 30,000 Kms and besides few incidents I or my wife were not hard on brakes, and I casually asked the guy who was changing the oil as it was due, and he said that the rear ones are okay, but the front ones need replacement. He said that if I don’t do it now then it might affect the rotors and so I said yes because it costed me $800 when I had to change all 4 rotors and brake pads. I will attach pic for you guys, please let me know if it was really done or I was taken for a ride. I did check the new pads, they surely looked far-far better than the ones I had on my car now. Damage to pocket: $160.

Overall, Blue is giving us trouble here and there, but we haven’t been left stranded on the road and it still drives fabulous. There is a minor leakage somewhere, its not draining out the oil or anything but it has to fixed too, but the mechanic said that I can carry on using the car, and don’t really need to worry. I am keeping a close eye on the level of oil every now and then and will get it fixed somewhere in the future.

The old brake pads







The current reading is 198,XXX KMs. We are getting close to 200K milestone.

Black:

There is really no real update besides the unfortunate incident which happened on last Saturday. The current odometer reading is 213,XXX KMs. I got the oil changed at 210K and during this whole time from the last to
current oil change, there were no issues.

Wipers:

The wipers were not changed since I bought this car from the previous owner, and it has been more than a year now. They were making this awful noise and I understood that it was time. I replaced all three of them, front and back. When I was replacing the wiper blade on right side of the car, my son was helping me (he is just 4 years old) and so I was not being conscious and didn’t take the wiper all the way to the lock position, it was somewhere in the middle, and it went down on windshield. I checked right away, and everything felt fine but in the next 2 hours, I had this awful crack in the windshield, and it has stopped finally but it’s there and somewhere in the future I will either get it fixed or it will make me loose some more bucks when its time to sell.

New Ride?

In the last post I mentioned that I might start writing an ownership review of a new ride, but I didn’t go for it. In the last post you can see I spend so much on Black, so I was not happy and thought well we already have one car for my wife, so maybe I should buy something else, and get myself a Manual car. I really want a manual car, I hate automatics! No matter how convenient they are, they are boring and once I get the housing situation sorted, I will go after a manual for sure.

Well, this was the update till now. I really don’t hope to update this thread with more expenses but with only good things to say. Sometimes, I have this strong feeling to go for a nice car but then when these two Santa Fes run without an issue, then they make me so happy as I am not paying EMIs which would also affect our borrowing capacity when we go for a housing loan. Some pics for you guys:


On a snowy evening


At Tsawwassen mills (its a mall) parking lot


Snow pics










Blue at a bank's parking lot



Blue getting the oil change and brake pads fixed





This is how the windshield is for my wife on most of the winter mornings



Come to the dark side!


Cheers,
Sangwan