My daughter bought a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe in December. It has engine rattle on cold start. My read research leads my to believe it is the hydraulic timing chain tensioner. The Chevrolet dealership where I purchased it says it the timing chain and everything needs to be replaced. Quoted me $5700! Ones the timing chain need replaced or just the tensioner? Is that an accurate repair quote?
2016 Hyundai Santa Fe timing chain question
- Thread starter otis24
- Start date
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2025
I can't speak to price, but if you are in there you are replacing the chain and the rest of the components if it has rattle.
If you're in there, you might as well replace everything. I would NOT recommend taking it to the Chevy dealership to have it replaced. I'd find an independent shop to do the work. It will be cheaper and likely done with higher quality work. Hyundais are pretty straight forward, any independent shop should be able to do the work.
As an aside, I don't know if this is a Sport model or the three row, so I'm not sure if it's the 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder, but issues with the timing chains or tensioners is not common. While I don't know the mileage either, I think there may have been a few missed oil changes in this car's past. It sucks that it needs this much work so soon after purchase, but I'd do a couple of short OCIs after repair just to try to clean stuff out as much as possible.
As an aside, I don't know if this is a Sport model or the three row, so I'm not sure if it's the 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder, but issues with the timing chains or tensioners is not common. While I don't know the mileage either, I think there may have been a few missed oil changes in this car's past. It sucks that it needs this much work so soon after purchase, but I'd do a couple of short OCIs after repair just to try to clean stuff out as much as possible.
How many miles? It has a warranty (at a Hyundai dealer) to 60,000 miles for the second and subsequent owners.
Use some 5w40 Mobil 1 in the engine. Someone on here here used it in a Hyundai with the 3.3 engine. It took a week or two but gradually the cold start rattle went away.
Which Santa Fe?
Santa Fe Sport (5 seater) or Santa Fe (6/7 seater)?
If it is the Santa Fe with the 3.3, it can be noisy at startup, but is from the high pressure direct injection system.
It is much more noticeable if the engine cover is off.
Not sure what it could be if it is the Santa Fe Sport, never dealt with that year.
Santa Fe Sport (5 seater) or Santa Fe (6/7 seater)?
If it is the Santa Fe with the 3.3, it can be noisy at startup, but is from the high pressure direct injection system.
It is much more noticeable if the engine cover is off.
Not sure what it could be if it is the Santa Fe Sport, never dealt with that year.
I'm pretty close to doing timing chains on my daily driver. Tensioners wear out and then the lose chain on startup chews through the plastic guides. General consensus with my particular engine (4.6 2 valve) is that the chains are fine and pretty much everyone only replaces the tensioners / guides / arms.
If it was something with DI or known chain issues, I'd do the whole chain.
If it was something with DI or known chain issues, I'd do the whole chain.
have you ruled out oil filter drainback issues first?
Try an OEM hyundai filter and see if it still rattles.
Try an OEM hyundai filter and see if it still rattles.
If it is the 3.3, it is a cartridge filter, so changing filter will not make a difference.
Not sure what filter the 2.0T and 2.4 use (pretty sure they are both canister filters).
How many miles on the hyundai?
wemay
Site Donor 2023
Canister spin-on for the 2.4 and 2.0T. One OEM replacement being the FRAM 9688
Last edited:
130k miles, V6 engine (3.3?)
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2020
- Messages
- 2,095
Despite what's been said on this thread, timing chain (and/or associated hardware) replacment is quite common on vehicles these days.
It seems to be more apparent on vehicles that followed (by the manufacturer) extended oil change intervals.
As a comparison, on the Honda forums folks with CRV's and the last generation of FIT have multiple similar complaints.
All addressed with new chains and/or tensioners etc.
It seems to be more apparent on vehicles that followed (by the manufacturer) extended oil change intervals.
As a comparison, on the Honda forums folks with CRV's and the last generation of FIT have multiple similar complaints.
All addressed with new chains and/or tensioners etc.
Last edited:
Yes go this route. I have a 2017 and have had bad rattle using non oem Hyundai filters. Hyundai filter fully resolved my problem.
This is a gross generalization. Replacement of timing components at 130k miles is not common on most cars. Also, the manufacturer (Hyundai) does not recommend extended OCIs. They still recommend 3,750 miles severe/7,500 non-severe.
wemay
Site Donor 2023
I had to replace the chain on my 2L turbo at 100k. No wear on the guides or sprockets. They just used a off the shelf chain from the 2.4L and it not up the higher rpms. Since then they have reconfigured the chain to make it stronger.
Usually you can take the valve covers off to see how much slack there is between the cams on one of the heads.
Usually you can take the valve covers off to see how much slack there is between the cams on one of the heads.
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2020
- Messages
- 2,095
Oh, really?
A short internet search says otherwise.
https://www.cargurus.ca/Cars/Discussion-c24169_ds781393
https://www.crvownersclub.com/threads/timing-chain.201322/
https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-cr-v-element-156/timing-chain-clicking-3358714/
Does following a severe-service schedule tend to mitigate premature timing-chain wear?
Apparently clean oil that has maintained the required film strength is a big factor.
Similar threads
