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Parts, parts, parts!

I finally took up Avto-Korea's offer and had them ship whatever parts had already arrived. The parts were shipped on 21st Mar '24. Ms Janna Kim from Avto-Korea is the most professional and helpful dealer I've come across - not only did she offer heavy discounts to begin with, eventually she even waived the USD 100 handling charge we had agreed to, at the time of placing the order!
Again the wait began, as I dreaded the worst from the Foreign Post Office (FPO Ahmedabad). Thankfully everything went well and I got a call on 8th Apr '24 from my local post office asking me to pick up the box as it was 15kgs heavy. I could've pushed for home delivery but I didn't want them to handle it if they didn't want to. Finally the parts are home. This shipment contained some really important goods such as the water pump, the engine mounts, many beedings, fuel filter, air filters (! they don't stock them in India so I ordered 5), and a lot of other stuff. Truly I felt like I hit the jackpot that day!

Some pictures...

Mannol India goofs up

The goods from Mannol arrived: 10L of AG11 blue coolant, 1L of DOT3 brake fluid, and 9L of SP-III Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF). That last bit as I discovered after opening the box was actually 9L of SP-IV grade ATF! I was dumbstruck as to how an MNC could make such a mistake and immediately called them up. Soorya from Mannol was very apologetic and said there was no "incentive to switch" as SP-IV is pricier than SP-III and said he would revert. He later said that the switch was a mistake, but they were out of SP-III (had only 3-4L in stock). He first tried to sell me the idea of multigrade ATF (rejected by me because a Motul distributor lives right down the street from me and I already didn't buy multigrade from them), then he tried to sell me the idea that SP-IV was compatible (it's not, they are different, SP-IV is used more for DCTs) and finally he offered me a refund (again not an option because the only alternative - OE Hyundai ATF - costs 3x, at ₹2,400/L). Finally he said the new shipment of oil had just reached the port and customs clearance could take anywhere between 10-30 days. Of course I've opted to wait.

"Control, Uday..."

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The Mobis India saga continues

Exactly 1 month after the follow up with the Mobis management, and after a lot of back-and-forth between me and the local dealer (I even wrote an e-mail to the management threatening to file a consumer court case for inadequate service) I finally got a call on 10th Apr '24 asking me to come and pick up the parts, and that all parts from all 3 orders were ready bar 3 parts that would take another 2 weeks to arrive. I was relieved and said I'd come on 13th Apr '24 to pick them up.

I went, and to my surprise, order #3, the last one, was still missing - no parts had arrived. He checked and said they were in the local warehouse and would reach them in 2-3 days. A bigger surprise was when many parts of which I'd ordered multiple quantities - 2pcs AT oil filter, 6pcs of some suspension bushes, etc - had only part quantities received by them. After asking they said that this happens only when Hyundai doesn't have stock (they only know that a part is "available", not qtys) and that this part would now be on backorder with them. Given that none of these parts are made in India, I surmised that I would probably get the parts when my children graduate from college (I have none). I was about to blow my lid but then the guy offered help and said he can check with some dealers in Delhi - OE, but not from the Mobis network. I'm not holding my breath, but I'll let him get back to me and see where this goes. Worst case I'll have to order those items (there are 4 part numbers with part qty) from Korea again - not so bad since I'm now confident.

That said, it's a relief to have 95+% of the parts with me... The build can now continue!

[superblover]

Originally Posted by ads295

Parts, parts, parts!

Mannol India goofs up

The build can now continue!

Thank you for the updates! That V6 growl continues to elude you with all these part unavailability. It's extremely helpful that you have documented all your trials and tribulations in an extensive manner so that anyone else attempting a similar endeavour can know exactly what they would have to deal with. Hope you get all the parts you need to get the beast up and running!

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Engine work begins:

The timing belt is changed. It's due at 96k km and the car has done 94+k so this is just in time. The old one is in good condition though.
I was informed earlier that the idler pulleys needn't be changed, but upon inspection they're worn out so we're swapping those out.
The water pump that was sourced with so much difficulty is going to be stored for now, as the current one is in good condition according to the mechanic and doesn't warrant a swap.

One hitch is that the engine mount and the bracket are interfering with the torque wrench. We'll torque as many bolts as we can, but the ones that aren't accessible to the wrench will be tightened manually - old school human "feel" FTW!

Before the timing belt + pulley swap:

After the swap (note the shiny new pulleys!):

The OE timing belt is made by Gates! I'd seen the brand on Boodmo but never knew they were OE suppliers.

The engine mounts replacement is now underway as I type this. Including a picture of an old one (top) and the new one (bottom). Looking at the gap, it's clear as day that the old one is way past its prime.



There are 4 such mounts - 3 for the engine and 1 for the transmission. The trans mount is gone, too, but at the time of placing parts order my mechanic had insisted it was in good condition and didn't need replacement. Now he's saying I should order one! Checking with Mobis and Avto-Korea for availability...

Meanwhile we've sourced a die grinder and I'm planning to buff out the rims such that the outer part remains a gloss finish while the inner is all black. The effect should be that you see a black rim surrounded by a shiny "ring", so to speak. Stay tuned for updates on this.

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Quick update

The belt swap is complete. The new drive belt is installed along with new auto tensioner, new drive belt pulleys, and the new engine mount on that side. You can see the shiny new tensioner in the picture below.



The problem is that all the engine mounts are accessible all at once so it doesn't make sense to the mechanic to swap just 3 and do the trans mount separately. Thanks to this oversight the project is delayed by 3 weeks as I wait for the mount to arrive.

That said, there is one piece of good news...

Mannol Makes Up - Big Time

2 weeks after I informed Mannol that they sent the wrong ATF, I got a call from them stating they only got a 20L pack of SP-III! I need only 8L in total - 1L for the power steering fluid replacement, and 7L for the trans itself. I was contemplating what to do when the Mannol rep - Mr Soorya Dhas - informed me that since I was waiting for this for a long time, they felt like "doing the right thing" and giving me the extra 11L for free! That's right, I get almost ₹10k worth of ATF extra for no extra payment!
I'm overjoyed by this and am utterly satisfied that all the waiting has paid off. The trans oil has probably never been swapped so doing 2 oil changes in shorter time spans to clean out the trans was already on my mind. I thought of doing a proper, proper trans flush but I've heard that it can worsen problems if the debris starts to float.

The correct ATF:

The last of the parts have reached Mobis bar the last-minute orders to the Delhi contact. Work is progressing at a snail's pace because of this.

I also ordered an ATF cleaner and injector cleaner from Rowe, linked below:

https://www.euroliquids.co.in/Produc...ection-cleaner

https://www.euroliquids.co.in/Produc...ec-atf-cleaner

It's crazy how many specialty products you can use today which clean out your car's fluid systems. We're going to be using radiator cleaner as well. All of these products just have to be added to their reservoirs and the car used for 10-15 minutes, followed by a fluid change (oil/coolant only). I sure hope they do their job. I'm aware of engine flushes being available but I don't want to use that since it's a mixed bag.

This is taking so long now that I've resorted to watching YouTube videos about the car just to get a feel of what it'll be like when it's ready. Haha.

Until next time...

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Hello all

Time for some minor updates again.

1. The tyres for the car have arrived.

I bought Yokohama Earth 1 after reading favourable reviews here. The BluEarth are more premium but they're imported so they cost significantly more, and I wasn't sure about the manufacturing date since import lead times can be very long, to put it mildly.
I bought them from TyreMarket.com which was an interesting experience, having never bought tyres online prior to this. You can read more about my experience here (Tyremarket.com Reviews? Buying tyres online).



2. Collected more parts from Hyundai-Mobis.

A small surprise awaited me - one of the spares (suspension link rod) I tried getting through the "Delhi route" worked out, and it was available for me to collect. I'm slowly gaining confidence that the Delhi route will help me get the last few critical parts as well - the transmission mount, the coolant elbow (mechanic said it's oxidised and will start leaking soon), a spare AT oil filter, and a couple other suspension parts. I'm now down to 10 parts in total that need to be supplied, and this will all be over.
The exec there is sympathetic to my concerns and said he's making efforts to source from parallel suppliers only because I've been so patient. I promised him a ride in the Sonata when it was ready and he went "But of course, I'm going to ask you for that anyway!"

3. Injector cleaner and AT cleaner arrive.

Minor stuff but I'm hoping the AT gets cleaned out by this... The AT cleaner can explicitly states that it should not be used in DCT/DSG/manual transmissions so its definitely the right one for my old slushbox.

[sagarpadaki]

Wow! The build is coming through nicely. Kudos to your perseverance.

And great gesture by Mannol. You can seal the remaining 11Litres for future use.

Also. Never do a flush on Torque converter transmission. The debris from the clutch pack floating in the oil act as friction material and allow the transmission to grip. If you flush the system, you will lose all the debris and the transmission can start to slip.

Just drain the old oil. Wipe the visible surfaces clean. Measure the quantity of old oil removed. Refill the same quantity as that was drained plus some to account for the new filter and that's it.

[RedPhobos]

Originally Posted by ads295

The BluEarth are more premium but they're imported so they cost significantly more, and I wasn't sure about the manufacturing date since import lead times can be very long, to put it mildly.

Hello ads295, your information on the Yokohama BluEarth GT being an import is incorrect. After our government’s tyre import ban, Yokohama stepped up their manufacturing in India and are producing these tyres locally. I know this because both my Suzuki Ritz and Honda Jazz are riding on “made in India” BluEarth GT tyres. Also, whenever you want to buy a Yokohama tyre, search for a “Yokohama Tyre Network” tyre dealer. They stock the whole of Yokohama tyres plus their prices are also better.

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All right, thanks for updating me on that, I didn't know.

[MotoBlip]

Hi ADS295,

The build is coming along beautifully. I would love to see this back on the roads soon. Could you please connect me with the Mannol distributor? I need to source SP3 fluid for my i20. I did a full flush with multi ATF previously, but there have been mild jerks here and there, and I'm not completely satisfied. I would like to revert to the original spec. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by MotoBlip

Hi ads295,
Could you please connect me with the Mannol distributor?

Hi

You can write an e-mail to info@mannol.in or contact them directly at +91-7558119911.

Both are equally responsive. However, be prepared for a wait of at least 1 month - I don't think they'll have stock.

Aditya

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I thought of listing down some trivia that came from the owner's manual of the Sonata:

1. Oil grade. I've mentioned this before but it bears repeating. So many people opt for 0W or 5W grades without any problems, but I've preferred to go with 10W-30 since it's rated for 38°C plus. The correct grades for Indian temp conditions is 10W30/40 and 20W30/40. I wanted 20W but it's available only in mineral while 10W is at least available in semi-synthetic.

2. Listed below in the manual, Hyundai has set down a list of "severe driving conditions" which affect oil change intervals amongst other things (even for the trans). Some of these might not seem "harsh" to a layman driver at all! e.g. driving less than 8km per trip, extensive idling, etc. Guess it's a machine and meant to be used like one. This would apply to modern cars too I think.





3. The Sonata is rated for E10 gasoline but with an advisory to go for pure petrol if fuel system components start to degrade. Here's hoping Indian E20 won't be a problem.

4. The tyres are meant to be kept at 30psi but the spare should be kept at 60psi as per the manual (!). Guess this is to compensate for losses during storage.

5. The V6 engined model comes with a different starter motor as well as a larger capacity battery. This might seen obvious but just putting it out there.

6. This Sonata is wider, longer yet lower than the Skoda Slavia and Kia Carens. Just to give you an idea about the size.

7. This car is surprisingly popular in Russia, of all places. It has a fan following of sorts there.

8. This Sonata ("EF-B" model) was sold in the US with a 2.4L I4 engine (India got the 2.0L, the 2.4L came to us on the "NF" Sonata after this one was discontinued) and a sunroof (we didn't, thankfully). Additionally it was possibly sold in Russia with a V6 + MT (manual trans) combo, which has not been sold elsewhere, not even Korea perhaps.

I'll share a big update tomorrow or day after.

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Hello all

Time for another update. Progress has been slow so I thought I'd let some content accrue before penning it down.

1. All but 2 suspension bushes have arrived.

The last 2 bushes were supposed to be supplied by Mobis India but they're nowhere to be seen. I'm really frustrated with Mobis' response. Everytime I send an e-mail they put the pressure on the local rep to solve the issue. Such poor management. What will the poor guy in Rajkot do when the goods are sitting in Chennai/Kolkata/Indore?

2. Mechanic asks for more parts:

This is quite frustrating, too. The tranmission mount I mentioned earlier was hell to procure. Locally it's impossible to get it, and even in Korea I could only find 1 source willing to sell me just the mount (with a hefty "handling charge" of $20; the part itself is $15!) The engine work has been delayed by an entire month because of this one mount (my mechanic thinks like a German and said he would do the engine and trans oil + filter change, the last engine mount, throttle body cleaning, replacement of the cracked intake hose and air filter etc only after the trans mount arrives so that it can all be done in 1 shot). It got dispatched from Korea just yesterday and will be here in 2 weeks.

3. The wheels are polished at the outer rim and painted.

I got the outer ring polished to a mirror-like finish. The rest of the wheel is painted and the whole thing covered with a thick clear coat protection. Pics for reference (although the real look will emerge once they're on the completed car and the wheel lug cover is installed):

4. I ordered backup spares from the scrap trader in Kerala.

I promise this is the last backup order because I'm just collecting parts without any malfunction on the car currently! Below are the spares I got for ₹20k including shipping:

AC compressor
Steering rack
Power steering pump
Ignition coil
Headlights x2
Taillights x2
AC condenser
Radiator

I tried to push down the price but they just wouldn't budge, saying the car has done only 60k km and the spares are in very good condition.

Mysteriously I found 2pcs of the original hood ornament on Boodmo for a paltry ₹1,500 (I paid ₹1,000 to the scrap dealer for a used one) but the Boodmo page says it isn't compatible with my Sonata! Upon checking part numbers with Mobis, I found that the V6 model has a different hood emblem part number which costs ₹4,500+! It's really odd why the I4 versions have a different/cheaper hood ornament. So I ordered 1 of the 2pcs in stock from Boodmo, and the mechanic says it will fit perfectly on the car. Obviously, I ordered the other one as well for backup (these aren't available even in Korea).

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Suspension saga

The suspension was opened up on approx 10th of June and more parts had to be ordered; the suspension travel bushes (called a "bumper" in Hyundai parlance) are worn, all the ball joints need replacing, and what's more, the rear struts/shock absorbers ("jumpers" LoL) are completely shot! I was prepared for this but I was quite irritated at being told this 6 months after getting the car! I found the rear 2 ball joints on Boodmo (Mobis brand) and bought them right away.

There was no way I could wait for Mobis to supply me the rest of the ball joints, so my mechanic enquired with a few local dealers and procured Korean-made ball joints of "Semyung" brand, specific to the Sonata. Apparently they're quite good and don't carry the hefty OE markup that comes with Mobis. I asked my Korean sources if they would recommend the brand, and - surprise, surprise - one didn't respond while the other said they'd "never heard of the brand". Of course they haven't, seeing as they're looking to sell their own wares. I checked high and low for reviews of this brand (their website was lasted updated in 2014) but couldn't find anything.

The story behind the strut/shock absorber purchase:

This was another adventure in itself. Owing to the rarity of the Sonata, mass market OEs like Gabriel never made an attempt to cater to these cars. Mobis was again out of the question owing to their impossible timelines (also, the shocks cost ₹5,500 apiece if purchased from them!). Importing from Korea was the last option owing to high costs and import duties (in fact it is because I didn't order the shocks that one of my sources refused to supply me the trans mount above).

So, Monroe, a sub-brand of Tenneco Automotive India, has supplied shock absorbers for the Sonata. Problem is (obviously) the parts have been out of production for a while.
My mechanic enquired with local dealers and, impossibly, found a set each for the front and rear (Monroe part numbers matched with the ones on the website!) I asked him to buy those ASAP and handed him the money that same evening. (Cost was ₹2,650 for the front ones and ₹3,200 for the rear shocks, apiece). He went to actually buy them and found that they were used, reworked struts which had been cut open, gas-filled, and put back together! That's when the actual search began.

I dropped a mail to Monroe India (their website is barely functional and none of the phone numbers worked). Meanwhile I enquired with 3-4 local dealers for these - no dice. One dealer informed me that he couldn't find them even from Mumbai but he said that he would place an order with the company if I paid full advance, and procure them in 15 days. The wait notwithstanding, I run a factory myself and was wondering how such a behemoth would take fresh production of these struts based on my one order. I just couldn't wrap my head around it and told him I'd call him back...

3-4 days later I got a call from someone at Monroe who informed me (yet again) that the company has no stock of these struts. He simply laughed when I mentioned the dealer who said the company would manufacture these if I paid 100% advance. He said these were imported from the US and never manufactured here in the first place! (I doubt that)

He gave me another number, whom I followed up with to get 3 more numbers of dealers. I followed up with them to get yet another number of a guy who had a full set in stock in Baroda. Eureka! I asked for pictures of the same just to confirm the condition. It took another 2 days to get the pictures. He informed me that one of the front struts was ever so slightly lower on gas compared to the others. He also said that I would get no warranty on them since they were manufactured in 2012!! I decided to take them anyway because I had zero options. These cost me ₹8,700 in total for all 4 at company MRP! The sly fellow charged me ₹150 for delivery to Rajkot and ₹1,300 for gas filling charges.

Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on the only shock absorbers for the Sonata in all of Gujarat and one of the last OE Monroe sets in the country:








Worth noting that Monroe has the numbers mixed up for the front and the rear, in the catalogue as well as the label.

Now, actually there's no indication that any gas has been filled at all! One of the front struts is still ever so slightly weaker than the other while the rear ones are OK. I've raised a dispute with the seller and will push for a refund of the gas filling cost. My mechanic has cleared these for installation on the car saying it's a negligible difference.

Now the suspension build can continue! Barring the last 2 bushes and the spring stoppers/bumpers from Korea, everything else can be put together.

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New order list from Korea:
Suspension bushes - the last 2 pending ones (mechanic says Scorpio bushes will work here, let's see, I've ordered OE already)
Spring stoppers/bumpers
New bootlid spoiler (FINALLY!)
Some pending Mobis spares that have little chance of arriving now (bits and bobs pertaining to the rear windshield)



An interesting observation:
One of the bushes I ordered for the rear wheel hub were 6 in quantity as shown in red in the parts diagram below.



However, the actual hub on the car has space for only 4 bushes, and provision for a ball joint! Check out the picture below:





I think this is due to the changes made on post-2003 models (there was a refresh at that time).

One of the arms with the bushes swapped with new ones:



Here's one of the suspension forks cleaned up and ready to go back on the car with the new shock absorber.



Finally, the car was started for the first time after the timing belt/pulley swap. The car put out almost a puddle of water out the exhaust - got a thumbs up from the mechanic as a sign of good engine health:



So close to the finish line, yet so far! I want to get the car up and running by 20th of July in time for a family member's engagement, fingers crossed I can make it!