Santa FE SM (2001-06) :: Oily Substance In Reservoir, But Not Radiator?
Sep 3, 2014
So a few days ago, I decided to check the anti-freeze for adequacy. It was just replaced with the timing belt / water pump job; but I'm a pilot, and I'm accustomed to checking things for myself. Lo and behold, the hydrometer didn't even register. I thought it was stuck, but then I noticed the oily film, and got scared. And then as I investigated further, I got puzzled.
The car had been driven maybe 500 miles since the timing belt / water pump job, had not overheated, and had not lost any coolant. The level in the radiator was up to the cap. Also, there was no oil at all in the radiator (at least that I could detect), and the concentration tested fine. But there was oil in the reservoir -- but it didn't look like crankcase oil. It was clear -- like water -- and felt a bit thinner than crankcase oil. Also, the outlet at the bottom of the reservoir was clogged.
There also was some sealant in the reservoir (it looked like the BarsLeak tablets), but none that I could detect in the radiator. That in itself doesn't bother me because a lot of people (including me) routinely toss a few tablets in the coolant -- Saturn used to do it from the factory -- but it does suggest at least the possibility of a previous coolant leak that someone treated with BarsLeak.
At the moment, there's no evidence of coolant loss, no water in the exhaust, no water in the oil, and no oil in the radiator. I haven't done a compression test. I did change the plugs, and there were no obvious coolant deposits on them. They were carbon-fouled, but considering that the PCV valve was clogged and the mileage on the plugs, that didn't surprise me.
So what I'm postulating is that the previous owner's son (who was the primary driver of the car) mistakenly poured some sort of engine oil additive, power steering additive, or something else intended for use elsewhere, into the reservoir; and the mechanic who did the timing belt and water pump didn't notice it (which also kind of bothers me).
The fact that the power steering pump had a bit of chatter would tend to reinforce that hypothesis. I've been doing a gradual replacement of the power steering fluid, which seems to have quieted things down. It was black as tar when I started, so I probably should completely replace it. I may do that this coming weekend. In any case, I removed, cleaned, and unclogged the coolant reservoir, replaced it, refilled it, and everything seems fine. It's kind of baffling, though.
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So I replaced my air filters today and my drivers side intake hose was wet with a brownish oily substance. I looked around for obvious culprit but found none. Looks like there is an aluminum brick there for brakes but it was shinny and clean the shock tower covers had what looked like built up of this substance. Doesn't leak onto the driveway and see no other signs anywhere else.
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I checked the coolant level on the reservoir and it was low.
I decided to add coolant by removing the radiator pressure cap, however, the coolant fluid is full under this cap.
So my question is where should I add coolant? through this cap or the reservoir?
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I noticed a 1'x2' square in the bottom passenger side corner of the radiator covered in green oily gunk. Ive had the 2008 for about 1000 miles (has 58k) so Im assuming its been there for a while. Seems like its impeding airflow. Its very green.
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I'm driving a 97 Accord SE and it's suffering from a few issues that have me worried to say the least. For one, when I filled the radiator with water I noticed that it was cloudy/oily. Something was definitely in there with the water.
Two, I foolishly drove it thinking it would be fine. After 50 feet or so however problems started happening. I couldn't accelerate past 20mph. If I tried by putting my foot down on the gas nothing would happen but the RPMs going up. Each time I started the car I could go a little ways before pushing on the gas did nothing. Then I would have to restart the car in order to get anywhere with it.
Some background, I got my oil changed today after going about 1000 miles over when it should have been changed. Also, when it was scanned in the past the error code 0420 showed up. That has something to do with either the catalytic converter running rich or the O2 sensors above and below it might be broken.
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I have bubbles in the ps reservoir, I changed the Power steering pump, the ps hose, the ps fluid... I dont know what else to do. when the power steering become hot, it begin to do a noise and to do bubbles in the reservoir. The car is a Hyundai santa fe 2003 v6 2.7l
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Strange problem. I've cleaned the reservoir as best I could but it continues to back up. I can find replacement parts everywhere for any amount of money. However, the reservoir is labeled 2001 to 2006. Mine is 2006 and I believe it's a GLS (don't know for sure). OK so far, however when I put my Santa Fe in and note that it has a 3.5 V6, all of them say that it is not compatible with this car! It looks like the one that is in there, but nowhere can I find a reservoir for the 3.5! Am I missing something really silly and stupid?
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I have a 2006 3.5L Sante Fe. and i noticed there were coolant drips under the car and that my coolant reservoir was empty. In the engine bay below what i assume is the water pump i noticed the coolant pooling (See Photos). I am not sure if the seal is bad where the top radiator house connects to the water pump (circled in red, or if the thin metal line (circled in Blue) sitting in the coolant pool would have anything to do with it, since it seems to trace back to the radiator.
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Notice a leak at the bottom of the Line coming out of the reservoir and turning under at the bottom of the radiator... Not sure at this point whether this is the suction return or supply , probably return, from the looks of the spring clamps used.
It appears that some steel line is used to make a 2 ft or so loop under the radiator before it goes back to the rack.... Cooling??
This line app. 3/8 " in diamater is supported by some rubber isolators, and no doubt there is some rust which has formed in there where the line passes through the rubber, small pinhole maybe??
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I have an issue with my 2004 GLS 3.5 L w/ 68000 miles. After the SUV warms up for a few minutes I can hear a whine or rattle on the passenger side. I noticed a little power steering fluid leaked out the top of the reservoir (a few little bubbles in the oil). Then reading on the HMA website it says the filter in the reservoir can get clogged and restrict the flow. I took the reservoir off and flushed it out then replaced with new oil.
Unfortunately this did not fix the issue the noise is still there. It's most prevalent when you turn but the noise also picks up a little when you hit the gas. I have checked for hose leaks but cannot find one. My next step is to have the steering pump changed out. While the mechanics in there I am going to have him check the hoses/pulleys really close and look around for another leaks anywhere. Noise is annoying but the steering works fine.
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2.7 Power Steering Fluid boiling/foaming leaking out a reservoir cap!
1) Recently had Timing Belt/Water Pump and spark plugs/wires replaced.
2) Issue started immediately after.
3) Removed most of old PS fluid, cleaned out reservoir w/brake cleaner. NOTE: nothing appeared to be clogging reservoir. Refilled with new PS fluid. Repeated these steps a second time. This appeared to immediately resolve the issues for several weeks.
4) Now the power steering is getting rough and noisy again. Also, the PS reservoir is leaking out of the cap worse than before. It looks like the fluid may be "boiling", but it is definitely foaming up pretty badly.
What my issue(s) may be?
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I have a 2006 2.7 gls awd santa fe ,the alternator bearing went bad and got stuck took the alternator to a repair shop to get fixed, put it back on the santa fe the alternator worked just fine now i have the radiator fan and ac fan not working, I turn the ac on and none of then work I wait for the car to heat up and nothing happens I check the radiator fan by connecting it directly to the battery and it works fine ,i have swap the horn relay with the radiator relay and it is working fine. I will check net the fuses, then the thermostat and later on the temperature sensor.
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My daughters radiator fan would not turn on, and I isolated it to this connector that connects the radiator fan to the wiring harness. The problem is that I've tried for a hour trying to unplug the darn thing, but it won't come apart. I've opened the two covers on each side and see the burnt wire, but I've been pinching the little pincher thingy and pulling and it won't come apart. I see Hyundai has a replacement connector (91200-26000-fff) but the dealers are now closed till Tuesday. Need to get it apart & is replacing with another connector from an auto parts store advised?
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I have a 2004 Santa Fe 3.5L with 85K miles. TB, WP and all belts changed at 75K. Have had this whine noise when I turn right, very high pitch noise. On top of this there is now Power Steering fluid leaking from the reservoir and base and brackets are full of fluid... Needless to say I assume it is the reservoir seals giving up but why the noise only when I turn right? No noise when I turn left.
What could it be? Also where can I find parts online that are cheaper than the stealership? I called them and they quoted me $72.00 for this piece of plastic!!
What else should I change? There is also some "oil/fluid" coming down a pressure hose but I believe this is due to the oil dripping from the reservoir...
Any manuals I could use to view this? I bought the Haynes manual and it's worthless!
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2005 Santa Fe (88K, 2.7 V6).
For a month or two, after the car got warmed up, I'd hear a whine/hum noise when I slowed to turn or reduced speed. The noise was much more noticeable when the car had been running at least 15-20 minutes, but I did occasionally hear it when the car was somewhat cool still. Never had a problem steering during this time, even with the noise... but I eventually figured out that slowing down and/or turning brought it on. So I took it to a mechanic.
They showed me bubbles coming from the power steering reservoir, and said I needed a new PS pump and pressure hose, along with a flush/new fluid. I paid for all of that.
Next day: The car would become hard to turn when I made a tight turn into a parking spot... again, not a constant thing, but only when turning to park and going slow. The noise APPEARED to be gone, but this new issue worried me so I took it back. They put a different pump on (no charge), thinking the other may have been defective.
Next Day: I hear the whine again on my way home from work. When I get home, I park, leave it running, and pop the hood. There's a fast drip bubbling from beneath the reservoir cap and running down to the pavement. First thing the next morning I return to mechanic. He says the first two pumps were the same brand and both "remanufactured" so he switches to a different brand -- this one brand new, not "remanufactured" -- and installs that one.
A half hour later, I get home. Hearing that same whine/hum, I lift the hood. Fluid is pouring out from beneath the cap in a steady, unbroken stream (not a drip, but a stream). So I took it back to the mechanic (who to his credit, has charged me nothing since the initial new pump installation). What could cause the power steering fluid to gush out from the reservoir cap when the car gets hot? I have a brand new pump and pressure hose. What could cause this condition..
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Today I noticed my 2003 santa fe was leaking coolant. I got under it and noticed it was coming from a small red cap under the radiator on the driver side. I figured it was the drain cap. It's kinda hidden so it will be hard to remove and replace so any tips on how to do this.
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I've noticed that my radiator hose doesn't have any pressure anymore, even after a long drive you can squeeze it nearly together, it is still hot like normal and the heater puts out hot air, the temperature gauge sits between half way between 1/4 and 1/2, would this be the radiator it's self, the thermostat or the water pump that may need replacing, there is no leaks that I can find or see...
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My 2005 Santa Fe, 2.7 liter, automatic, FWD. with 180K miles had a cracked radiator. The leak is in the front of the radiator about 6 inches right of the filler neck (as you stand looking at the front of the car).
I've found an OEM replacement radiator and looking to replace this weekend.
I can see I need to remove most of the front grill and support, drain the radiator, move some parts out of the way and disconnect to hoses and fan electrical leads. Is there anything else I'm missing? Is there a good write-up on a radiator change that I'm missing?
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As I fill my radiator it quickly leaks on top where the black plastic area is. Does that require a radiator replacement? 2005 Santa Fe ....
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2002 Santa Fe with 140K. Superbly well maintained.
I notice . Looked all around....then on the radiator toward the top where the metal meets the plastic. I noticed wetness across the entire radiator. Thought it may be coming from the upper hose and spreading across....Replaced the upper hose....Not the problem.
Still has anti freeze seeping across the radiator / plastic area. Does the mean the entire radiator needs replacing? I have searched the forums and seems like no one had replaced a radiator on the Santa.
Is the radiator breaking down. Oh, it's NOT the water pump.
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I have a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe with a 3.5L engine and 92,000 miles.
For the past week or so, I have noticed a very slight smell of antifreeze/radiator fluid every once in a while. I assumed that it is a radiator hose leak or possibly a leak in the heater core. But, the vehicle does not overheat, there is no steam or fog inside that would indicate a possible heater core leak, and the radiator fluid level seemed full or almost full (although the radiator overflow container was empty). I added a little water to the radiator and filled the overflow container to make sure there was plenty of radiator fluid in the system.
I haven't seen any radiator fluid on the ground around the vehicle at anytime. When I open the hood, I don't see any leaking hoses. I took off the engine cover to see better, and I don't see any leak around the water pump, or dripping from the pump, or dripping from any hoses, etc. But, BELOW the water pump is something made of cast metal that I am guessing is the automatic transmission(?) -- I really don't know what it is. And, sitting in some valleys or crevices in that part are small pools of green fluid that clearly looks and smells like radiator fluid with antifreeze.
I ran the vehicle for a long time while watching to see if I could create or see the leak or anything dripping etc. But I don't see anything other than
those pools of green liquid just sitting there. I tried moving or wiggling the hoses, and nothing changed. I also tried keeping it running with the heat on high, then later with the AC on high -- still no change. Then I tried using paper towels and sopping up what I could that was in these valleys/crevices, then I drove it again (but only for about 4 miles so far) and I don't see any new fluid in the crevices or anywhere else.
Here are 5 photos that I took with the engine cover off while the green fluid was still there. The photos go from a wider angle overall view down to a view of the green puddles from a slight angle and then down to a top view of the green puddles.
[URL] ....
Where you may see dark areas on the water hoses near the water pump, they are just shadows created by the flash or the sun or whatever. The hoses themselves are all one color and are not wet etc.
My questions:
Am I correct that where the small green puddles are is the automatic transmission?
Is it possible that there is some connection between that (the automatic transmission(?)) and the radiator cooling system?
Is it possible that the cooling system somehow also cools the automatic transmission (or whatever that is)?
If so, could the leak be right there -- maybe where that bolt or the other wire/connection piece is -- and the radiator fluid is coming UP from there? What this may be or where the leak is coming from?
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