Where to find info on a 2004 Hyundai Sonata

[frau kaleun]

Bear with me, oh fellow Subsimmers, cuz I am not a car person.

My mother left me her 2004 Hyundai Sonata when she died, the car is in great shape - only about 10k miles on it and it's virtually spotless as far as looks having been kept in a garage and (obviously) not driven very much or very far. This is, quite literally, the car you've heard about that was only taken out by a little old lady when she went to church on Sundays.

I still need to get it checked out mechanically but in order to do that I need to drive it to the shop. The tags on it are good til the end of next month and the title should be transferred in plenty of time (I hope) for me to get that switched over so there's no lapse in the registration, but the insurance on it lapsed a few months ago so I need to make sure it's covered.

But when I started to take care of that online one of the first questions asked was about anti-lock brakes and I have no clue about that so that's where I stopped the process. There may be other questions of that nature that I won't have a ready answer for either.

I want to get this thing added to my policy so I can pick it up this weekend and get it checked out next week, also because it needs to be driven having sat idle for almost eight months now. And also because there is no doubt work that needs to be done on my current POS vehicle that I don't want to pay for since I won't be driving it that much longer. I have a bunch of the documentation for the Sonata but I can't find anything in there about AL brakes yes or no. My sister found more info at mom's house but I won't be able to look at it until I get out there, at which point I won't be able to get the insurance sorted out in order to bring it home that day.

I looked here

http://www.edmunds.com/hyundai/sonata/2004/

and I didn't see anything that said it has AL brakes, OTOH I really don't know enough not to have missed it if it's there. If it doesn't say it specifically, does that mean it doesn't have them? Would answering one way or the other and getting it wrong (temporarily) make that much of a difference with the insurance? If this site isn't answering the question, where else would I find the answer if it's something I should do my best to answer correctly?

If anybody has or has had one of these critters and just knows the answer, that would be awesome. As would any additional info regarding quirks of the car or other potential issues to look out for.

It's either the GLS or LX model, I can't remember which offhand but I know it was one of those cuz I compared with some of paperwork I have.

Any and all help/info much appreciated!

[Betonov]

If I'm not mistaken anti-lock brakes are another term for ABS breaks. They don't lock at sudden stops.

Find a nice empty stretch of road, pick up some speed and slam the brakes. If you dont hear a squeel you got ABS :03:

[CaptainMattJ.]

it looks like it does have anti lock brakes. Like betonov said, you can always test it, and if you hear the squeal, then you dont have anti lock. but it does seem like a 2004 sonata GLS has Anti lock.

[frau kaleun]

it looks like it does have anti lock brakes. Like betonov said, you can always test it, and if you hear the squeal, then you dont have anti lock. but it does seem like a 2004 sonata GLS has Anti lock.

Where are you seeing that? Somewhere on the Edmunds site? The closest I could figure was "traction control" which looks like optional but not standard. Altho knowing my mom, if it was available she got it. My male relatives seem to think the car was "loaded" with everything available. :hmmm:

[danasan]

Hi FK,

it seems to be a question of which generation the car is. There was a shift in 2004...

Have a look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Sonata#Fifth_generation_.28NF.2C_2004.E2.8 0.932010.29

scroll down to 2004

From generation 5 on, the anti lock breaks are standard in the U.S.

Edit: To be honest. If it was mine, with only 10k miles on it, I would not sell it - it could serve me well for a couple of years.

Edit II: On the other hand, here is a review http://cars.about.com/cs/newcarprofiles/p/04_Hyunda_Sonat.htm which states it was not standard. So it really depends on the generation.

It is easy to find out while driving in a parking lot...

[Falkirion]

Do what Benetov suggested. Pick up some speed on an empty road and slam the brakes on to find out if you've got ABS in the thing or not. The brake pedal will vibrate a bit but thats normal so don't freak out when it happens.

Sounds like a good deal you've got there, 10k miles done on an 04' is a pretty good car to be selling if you do decide to sell that is. I'd keep it as the low mileage is a good thing.

[frau kaleun]

The problem with that suggestion is that I only want the answer to fill in the form required to get the car insured, and until the car is insured I can't take it out on the road somewhere to test the brakes as that would be illegal here. :DL

I have considered the possibility of trading the car in on something else eventually, but that will depend on how it goes with settling the rest of the estate, primarily the sale of the house. If there is enough money to take care of several other things first and still be able to consider a nice trade-in, it's something I will think about as I've never in my life had a car that *I* picked out for myself, by myself. But paying off any outstanding debts and then looking for a condo or at least a bigger apartment will definitely come first.

OTOH I'm not much of a car person, so it's not like I have a burning desire to drive some particular make/model of vehicle, and the ones I would *really* want in that instance would be out of my price range anyway as well as extremely impractical.

Plus I've never even driven the Sonata, it's possible I will do so and then really like it. There is no doubt that it will be a vast improvement on what I've been used to... the car I'm driving now is 22 years old and I've been driving it for almost all of that. Apparently the engine in this thing is one of the last of Chevy's "Wolverine" models because it simply WILL NOT DIE. Since it's paid for and insuring it is so cheap I finally just resolved to drive it until it fell apart and/or repairs and maintenance became more expensive per year than making payments on something else. Now I won't have to do that... I'll just need to find a nice cliff somewhere to push it off of. :O:

[kiwi_2005]

the car I'm driving now is 22 years old ... I'll just need to find a nice cliff somewhere to push it off of. :O:

If you keep your car for another 3yrs it will be classed as a classic. A collector might be interested in it one day. Don't push it off the cliff!

[frau kaleun]

If you keep your car for another 3yrs it will be classed as a classic. A collector might be interested in it one day. Don't push it off the cliff!

:har:

Sorry, can't help myself.

Yes the engine may be indestructible but unfortunately that's not the case for the rest of the car. It's an '89 Celebrity and just about done for in every other sense. What's under the hood has lasted but the only way the rest of this car can not be described as "crap" would be in tribute to the fact that it hasn't yet fallen apart given how much of it is currently rusting away. If someone t-boned it tomorrow it could only be considered a mercy killing. :O:

I had work done on it years ago to remove what rust/wear there was and got the paint job back up to spec, as the car was still in decent shape then and I was in no position to buy anything else and had a windfall of just the right amount of cash for some private "consulting" work that I did. But everybody I know who has this car remarks on how bad a job Chevy did with the body, paint, etc. in terms of durability. My brother-in-law had one just like it which sat in a fully enclosed, dry garage most of the time and the finish and paint still started coming off after a couple years with rust taking its place.

Mine, OTOH, has spent almost its entire life sitting outdoors 24/7, so you can just imagine. When it started looking bad the second time around I gave up. When everything is sorted out with the Sonata as far as insurance/title/registration, the Chevy will either be junked or donated to Goodwill (if they'll take it) so they can junk it and get whatever it's worth in parts and scrap metal.

[yubba]

Enjoy the new car, the sonata is a nice car their all over the place here in florida, AL is anti lock brakes, now you don't have an excuse too show up to a subsim meet, you got a new car that will take you any where, and it should be real good on gas.:D

[Madox58]

Look at the rear wheels.
If it has disk brakes, it has ABS.
If it has drum brakes it does not have ABS.

You'll also have an ABS Service Reminder 'Idiot' light somewhere on the instrument panel if you have ABS.
Turn the key on and it should come on for a few seconds then go off.

If you don't have the Owners Manual,
http://www.scribd.com/doc/14219380/2004-Hyundai-Sonata-Owners-Manual

[Sailor Steve]

I had a car with 4-wheel discs and it did not have anti-lock brakes. The advice about the idiot light makes sense though.

I looked at several sites and not one of them mentioned it, which leads me to believe it does not. But they all say it comes standard with four disc brakes, so if Privateer is right then it would be yes. I'm still looking for a comment one way or the other.

[edit] This site says ABS is available, which implies it's not standard, even with 4 discs. On the other hand, that doesn't mean your new car doesn't have them.

[Onkel Neal]

I think you can safely check No ABS and go forward with the insurance. It's not like they check it, even if an accident is involved.

[frau kaleun]

Look at the rear wheels.
If it has disk brakes, it has ABS.
If it has drum brakes it does not have ABS.

You'll also have an ABS Service Reminder 'Idiot' light somewhere on the instrument panel if you have ABS.
Turn the key on and it should come on for a few seconds then go off.

If you don't have the Owners Manual,
http://www.scribd.com/doc/14219380/2004-Hyundai-Sonata-Owners-Manual

I've looked at the rear wheels. They are surrounded by big black inflated rubber things and have a shiny round hubcap in the middle. :haha:

Checking the dashboard is a good idea, altho I won't be able to look at it until I get out there to pick the car up, at which point I need to have the insurance already taken care of. But it might have a diagram in the owner's manual, which I'm pretty sure I brought home with me. When I went through what I have I was looking for the phrase "anti lock brakes" and not "ABS" or something else so I may have missed it.

[edit] This site says ABS is available, which implies it's not standard, even with 4 discs. On the other hand, that doesn't mean your new car doesn't have them.

Yeah, it seems to have been optional. I'm guessing if it was an option, my mom got it. I hadn't thought about it but I should probably call my brother-in-law, he may know one way or the other.

I think you can safely check No ABS and go forward with the insurance. It's not like they check it, even if an accident is involved.

Yeah, I'm just gonna make a guess and check a box and get the damn thing on my policy so I can drive it. I'll only be adding it to the current term which runs out on 8/31, and the car's tags are only good til 8/28. If we don't get the title transferred I can't do anything about updating the registration; if we do the Chevy is history. So one way or the other I'll be in there redoing my policy between now and the end of next month, either to drop the Chevy or remove the Sonata if something happens and I don't get the title/registration sorted out before the tags expire and I have to drive the Chevy again temporarily.

By the time I'm sorting out which car needs to be insured starting 9/1, I'll have whatever info there is and can edit things accordingly. I may be switching insurance companies anyway if I shop around and find a better deal.

Thanks for all your help guys!

[Osmium Steele]

You could always call your local dealer who used to handle Hyundai. They are required to service the the vehicles for 5 years? 10 years? Something like that.

Anyway, call them with the VIN number and they should be able to tell you every option on that car at the time of sale.

[VipertheSniper]

If you bought a new car in Europe in 2004 you wouldn't even have to worry about antilock brakes, those were standard on probably all cars by then, apart from a few exotics.

[frau kaleun]

Well I got the car added to my policy for the remainder of the term, until the end of August, for a little over $50. So I am good to drive it until at least 8/28 when the tags expire, here's hoping we get the title and registration sorted out before then. :yeah:

[Osmium Steele]

GL Frau

[danasan]

I guess a good air condition is more important than ABS at the moment over there...

[frau kaleun]

I guess a good air condition is more important than ABS at the moment over there...

You got that right. I think I have a couple cans of coolant around here, I keep it on hand when I need to "recharge" the AC on the Chevy, but I am taking them along just in case the Sonata's AC needs some topping off. I am going to have to spend a little time driving it around the back roads and the parking lot across the street so I'm comfortable with where everything is before I drive it in any traffic. And I am NOT doing that unless the AC is pumping out some seriously cold air.

[frau kaleun]

Well, I got the car today. :woot:

We had to jump it to get it started but once I drove it around a while it seems to be fine, I've restarted it several times since the jump with no problems.

Still getting used to all the stuff I never had to do before, like engage/disengage a parking brake. Okay to be fair there is what appears to be a parking brake in the Chevy but I was told it was an "emergency" brake and I never had an emergency where pulling the lever seemed to be the proper response. :O:

Plus I've always had the shifter thingy (you know, from Park to Reverse to Neutral to Drive) on the steering column and now it's down to my right. Everytime I get in it and think I'm putting it into reverse to back out of a parking spot I end up giving the windshield a good rinse instead. :haha:

But OMG I have power windows and a CD player and I can lock and unlock it and open the trunk by pushing a button on the keychain just like a real live 21st century human! And it has an alarm that will go off and annoy my neighbors! I hope that only happens when the dude with the big SUV who thinks he needs two parking spaces is trying to take a nap.

Had a little panic attack when my sis got here to run me out and pick it up, I *know* I had the current registration card because I had to refer to it for the VIN when I was sorting out the insurance and I read it several times over to make absolutely sure the registration was current. But then when I double-checked to make sure I had everything on me today when we left I couldn't find it. All I could find was the previous year's card which I had tucked away with all the other outdated stuff. I don't know if the current card got swept up in some other papers I had on the desk, or fell down behind something... but I was able to print out something from the BMV website showing the reg is good for another month. I hope that's good enough for the time being, at least I won't get pulled over for reg issues since the sticker's on the plate.

And the AC blows nice and cold. :yeah: Nevertheless I still had a good hour total outside this afternoon cleaning out the Chevy and moving some things over to the Sonata, BRUTAL. Tried to wait until the sun got a little lower but it didn't help much. Two hours after I came back inside where the AC is running full blast, the neck of my tee shirt was still soaking wet. Ugh.

Now I will get it into the shop on Monday I hope, to have them check it over and change the oil. According to the service log - looks like mom was taking it to the dealer - it hadn't been in for routine maintenance since June 2009. No, that's not a typo. Granted it was only driven about 1000 miles between then and now, but still. :o

[Onkel Neal]

Sounds like it is a good running car, congrats.

[frau kaleun]

Sounds like it is a good running car, congrats.

Thanks.

And my karate teacher asked me this morning if I was going to sell the Chevy and I told him I would be embarrassed, honestly, to put a "for sale" sign on it. :haha: But believe it or not he said he has another student (nice guy, I know him from class) who might be interested in it since he needs a car that runs okay just to get around in and doesn't really care about how it looks. And he has actually SEEN it, lol. But I'm not holding my breath.

[danasan]

So, did you find out if it has Anti Lock / ABS or not?

We all still stay tuned...

[AVGWarhawk]

Nothing wrong with the Sonota. Hyundai has been making quality cars for years. I would buy one in a heartbeat. I have been watching KIA that is now owned by Hyundai. KIA is a quality car and has been for years. So much so I purchased a 2010 Optima. It shares many parts with the Sonota. I love the thing. I joined the KIA forums for odd ball questions and to follow the track record for the newly designed KIA Optima. I'm interested in the longevity of the 2011 new design from ground up. First year redesignes usually are for beta testing if you get my drift. The 2.0T 274 hp four cylinder has my interest.

Anyway, join the Hyundai forums:

http://www.hyundai-forums.com/

Also:

https://www.myhyundai.com/

I'm certain you will get good service from the 2004 Sonota. :up:

[frau kaleun]

So, did you find out if it has Anti Lock / ABS or not?

We all still stay tuned...

Well my sister looked in the window when I was still sitting in the driveway at the house and apparently saw a light on the dashboard and said "Oh you have anti-lock brakes, be careful until you get used to them." So, you know I was very careful driving home. But now I think what she was looking at was the light saying the parking brake was engaged. But I could be wrong. I'll have to check the manual to see if there *is* something on the dash or not.


Anyway, join the Hyundai forums:

http://www.hyundai-forums.com/

Also:

https://www.myhyundai.com/

I'm certain you will get good service from the 2004 Sonota. :up:

Thanks for the links! :DL

[danasan]

There should be a ABS Service Reminder Indicator on the Instrument Panel

http://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/4z4qvm3ji89sz5o/images/11-e8f6d9436c.jpg

[frau kaleun]

There should be a ABS Service Reminder Indicator on the Instrument Panel

http://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/4z4qvm3ji89sz5o/images/11-e8f6d9436c.jpg


Cool, thanks!

[frau kaleun]

Okay, where the ((ABS)) light should be if appropriate, nothing flashes when I start the car. Plus I found the original dealer sticker for the car and it doesn't list ABS under the optional features. So - no anti-lock brakes.

Also I dropped it off this morning to have the oil changed and everything checked out and my mechanic told me to come up with a price for the Chevy when I'm ready to dump it and let him know, as he is definitely interested in buying it.

Seems like the perfect buyer as he has been working on it for several years and there's nothing about it that he doesn't already know. So we'll see.

But a price? I got no clue. The blue book value probably has a minus sign in front of it. :haha:

[AVGWarhawk]

What year/model Chevy?

[frau kaleun]

1989 Celebrity, well over 100k miles on it. Runs well and has been incredibly reliable altho keeping it that way has involved major repairs 1-2 times a year. Body/interior in really bad shape though.

[AVGWarhawk]

Oh my...a Celebrity....

Ask your mechanic what he would like to pay for it. It is only worth as much as he is willing to pay.

[frau kaleun]

Oh my...a Celebrity....

:rotfl2:

Yes. Which is why just driving it off a cliff seemed like the most sensible option.

Ask your mechanic what he would like to pay for it. It is only worth as much as he is willing to pay.

Well, the mechanic is telling me to think about what I want for it. Problem is, I didn't really want anything for it, other than to get rid of it as quickly and inexpensively as possible. I was prepared to call Goodwill and have them come take it away since supposedly they handle all the paperwork.

[AVGWarhawk]

Give it to the mechanic. Sounds like he is doing you a favor. :DL Sign over the title. Have him sign the title. Make a copy of signed title for your records. Wash your hands of it. Enjoy the Hyundai.

[frau kaleun]

Give it to the mechanic. Sounds like he is doing you a favor. :DL Sign over the title. Have him sign the title. Make a copy of signed title for your records. Wash your hands of it. Enjoy the Hyundai.

When I picked the Sonata up yesterday, they told me they'd had six mechanics in the shop that day and they all wanted to know when/if I was gonna be selling the Chevy. I dunno, I'm worried about their ventilation system, sounds like the gas fumes may be getting to them. :haha:

[Madox58]

Years ago, when I made a living as a Mechanic, I had several customers
of the Female infliction.
There were more then a few that I WISHED would get a new Car so I'd never have to deal with them again.
:haha:

Are you one of THOSE?
:hmmm:
:D
(I'm running off now!)

[AVGWarhawk]

As odd ball as this sounds (Privateer not withstandiing) your Celebrity just might be a money maker for you. Brief look on the internet there is a fan club of the Celebrity. Probably the Euro version but all shared the same parts.

Take a look here:

http://www.carsonlinefree.com/searchCars/details.cfm?vehicleID=110611

Same year as yours. Looks kind of beat. Interior kind of beat. 170k on the ticker. $2950.00????

:hmmm:

Perhaps looking around the internet getting a few quotes for these old beaters then taking the average asking price as what you tell the mechanics you want for it. Worst they can say is no.

[AVGWarhawk]

Post the old goat here:

Yahoo Groups Celebrity Fan Club.

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/chevycelebrityclubofamerica/

[Madox58]

I know that car well!
I had 2 of them in the early 90's and I really liked them.
Great Gas mileage, could haul all my Tools or go camping with it at a whim..

Now I kind of miss those old Beasties.
:cry:

[Castout]

I haven't read the whole thread but

:-? Some people here actually suggested Frau to test the ABS by braking hard which if the car didn't have ABS she would flip over if she turned the wheel a bit :dead:.


http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Spec_Glance.aspx?year=2004&make=Hyundai&model=Sonata&trimid=97940

it doesn't have ABS brake.

[frau kaleun]

I haven't read the whole thread but

:-? Some people here actually suggested Frau to test the ABS by braking hard which if the car didn't have ABS she would flip over if she turned the wheel a bit :dead:.


http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Spec_Glance.aspx?year=2004&make=Hyundai&model=Sonata&trimid=97940

it doesn't have ABS brake.

Mine doesn't, they were optional and the option wasn't included. I found the dealer sticker plus verified that there's no ABS light on the dash when I start her up. Which is fine, it's one less new thing to get used to.

Same year as yours. Looks kind of beat. Interior kind of beat. 170k on the ticker. $2950.00????


:o

Well yeah it would be great to make some $$ off the thing, but I never dreamed it would be anything like that. But you know, back when gas prices started really going up, I remember my karate instructor saying that suddenly cars like ours - he still has a beatup old something that he keeps as a backup - were garnering a lot of interest because the mileage was so good on them. With just usual driving to work and back and the places I go normally every week, I could probably go 5-6 weeks on one tank of gas. I know I got over 4 weeks on a tank once years ago, and I was driving 3 times the distance to work and back then.

Thanks for the links, I'll have a look around and see if I can get some idea of what price would be reasonable. At this point, ANYTHING I make on that car is a total windfall.

Had my first glitch with the Sonata today, was down below half a tank and figured I'd better see how to release the little door so I could fill 'er up. Not wanting to look like a moron while sitting at the pump I thought I'd figure it out before I got there. There's a little button on the driver's door/armrest to release the hatch, but when I pushed it the thing just pushed all the way in and dropped inside the armrest. My guess is the thing wasn't working right or else mom couldn't figure it out and just kept pushing on it too hard and something snapped. It released the fuel filler door but it ain't gonna do it again until it's been fixed.

I can open the thing with the little pull handle inside the trunk but it ain't easy which makes me wonder if that's a problem as well. It's hanging down with about 6" of the cable showing and of course I don't know if that's how it's supposed to be or not - the pic in the manual doesn't really help either. So I don't know if that got pulled all out of whack, it sure does seem like the latch ought to release a little more easily.

Anyway I got a full tank of gas in there so I've got a little time to figure out what to do. I may stop by or call the dealer, I know I won't have the paperwork proving that I own the car but I doubt this would still be covered by warranty anyway. :hmmm:

Years ago, when I made a living as a Mechanic, I had several customers
of the Female infliction.
There were more then a few that I WISHED would get a new Car so I'd never have to deal with them again.
:haha:

Are you one of THOSE?


Lol, I don't know what's said after I walk out of there but they are all very nice and the one older mechanic who first offered to buy the Chevy always used to seem very enthusiastic about working on it. I think maybe he enjoyed the challenge. I know one time something on there broke and he was the only guy who knew what to do because no one else there was old enough to have done that particular job on a car that old. He was all animated and excited when I picked it up telling me how he'd had to show them how to do it because most "cars today" aren't made like that any more.

[Castout]

Glad to know it's sorted out. :)

I'm not sure how much cars are going in UK but judging from the internet Americans are lucky people when it comes to car prices.

To give you an idea what would cost in US 45,000 bucks is sold here for 200,000.

An entry level Ferrari as another example would set you back 500,000 and that much only for a F430 which I think is going for 120,000 in US.

This is true for any other car. Here we are buying the prestige more than buying the car. So when you look at the car you bought if you're even somewhat intelligent you'll be asking where the hell did my money go to? The painful thing is this is true even for small or medium cars and SUVs.

[AVGWarhawk]

Anyway I got a full tank of gas in there so I've got a little time to figure out what to do. I may stop by or call the dealer, I know I won't have the paperwork proving that I own the car but I doubt this would still be covered by warranty anyway.


This South Korean automaker's basic warranty is among the industry's longest: 5-years/60,000-mi. bumper-to-bumper, 10/100,000 powertrain. Sonota shares its mechanical components with the Kia Optima.

Worth a stop at the dealer.

[frau kaleun]

This South Korean automaker's basic warranty is among the industry's longest: 5-years/60,000-mi. bumper-to-bumper, 10/100,000 powertrain. Sonota shares its mechanical components with the Kia Optima.

Worth a stop at the dealer.

Somebody at kenpo class mentioned that one of his kids has a Sonata and that he can never get either latch release to work unless ALL the doors are unlocked. Which seems odd to me, especially with all the notices in the manual recommending that you keep all doors locked while driving, particularly if you have children in the car, why would they then require you to unlock *all* the doors if you needed to stop for gas? Makes no sense.

Anyway when I was fooling with it all the doors would've been unlocked because I popped the locks with the transmitter and that unlocks everything. So that shouldn't have been an issue anyway.

I can feel the wiring and button and stuff inside the armrest but the hole where the button goes is too small to get two fingers inside to grasp anything. I may see if I can use something else to pull whatever's in there back out the hole and at least see what happened, maybe there's something I can still use there to pop that latch when I need to fill up again. If I can get one or the other release working reliably then there's no rush to hit the dealer, I may be able to wait until I've got the change
of ownership sorted out.

At any rate the 5 yr bumper-to-bumper warranty will have already run out, so no hurry for that reason.

[AVGWarhawk]

My Optima is a 2010. When the car is put in park all the doors unlock. I have seen complaints on some boards concerning that function. Mostly folks want their doors staying locked until they are ready to exit the car. The owners feel more secure when the car is put in park and doors stay locked until ready to exit the vehicle. I can not say my fuel door button does not function when the doors are locked. Reason being, I put the car in park and my doors unlock automatically. Might be a good time to look in the owners manual concerning the fuel door button. Trunk lid button as well if yours is equipped.

Yes, your basic bumper to bumper is up but the powertrain warranty is still good.

As a note for you concerning this car, check the manual for timing belt recommended replacement. The 2.7 V6 and 2.5 I4 are both belted for timing. My 2010 recommends replacement at 5 years or 60k miles. This is not covered under warranty. This belt, if breakage occurs, will destroy the valve train. Big $$. Might ask your mechanic to take a look at the belt. It is a plastic cover on the top gear that is secured by a few bolts to access the belt for inspection.

Just an idea for you, if your mechanic thinks it should be changed barter your Celebrity for the parts and labor. Just a thought. :DL

[frau kaleun]

I will double check what was done on Monday but they were supposed to inspect and check out everything. I would assume that includes all belts/hoses/etc. and the only thing they recommended doing under the hood was a new battery and then new wiper blades, both of which I expected, and a 10,000 mile fuel system check-up and service since the car had not been seen at all since hitting the 10k mile mark.

I did find a whole bunch of service invoices/receipts from the dealer from 2004-2009 but I haven't looked through them all yet, it's possible they changed the belt there if it was due for it.

[AVGWarhawk]

I suspect the belt is original. No worries. If the belt looks good then roll with it. :yeah:

[frau kaleun]

Well one thing I got sorted is that I was able to renew the registration online, the new card and sticker will be mailed to mom's address but should be forwarded to my uncle. Just have to notify him that he should be looking for it in a couple of weeks and that I need to get it from him ASAP once he receives it.

At least once I have the new sticker on the tags I won't have to worry so much about getting the title sorted out, as long as the reg is good I can keep driving it and have plenty of time to go get the tags switched over once that's possible. I called the lawyer Monday and he said he would check on it and call me back Tuesday which of course he didn't. :stare:

[AVGWarhawk]

I called the lawyer Monday and he said he would check on it and call me back Tuesday which of course he didn't. :stare:

I bet you were charged for the call. Lawyers start the clock as soon as they say, "Hello." :doh:

[frau kaleun]

I bet you were charged for the call. Lawyers start the clock as soon as they say, "Hello." :doh:

Well mom's estate will be charged I'm sure but in the long run it all boils down to the same thing. Except the extra cost will end up being divided amongst three heirs so I got a 2/3 discount on the deal. :O:

One reason I went ahead and renewed the tags online, according to my sister when they met with him almost a month ago he said transferring the title should just take "a couple weeks" and he would see that it got done right away as my uncle was convinced that I needed a car ASAP. (Not quite true, but let him think that if it makes things go faster.)

But now it's been a month and I haven't heard anything, I call and he says he'll check on it the next morning and call me back, which he doesn't... I'm not going to spend another 2-3 weeks going back and forth on the phone just to get an idea of how much longer it will be, and maybe get stuck with expired tags because by the time I got an answer (or the title in my hand) it was too late to do anything except go to the BMV in person and pay an extra fee for being late on top of the fee for switching the registration into my name.

[AVGWarhawk]

I don't blame you one bit. Get the car sorted yourself. Be happy!

[frau kaleun]

I don't blame you one bit. Get the car sorted yourself. Be happy!

I'm trying to tell my sister (and so is her husband) that we need to be proactive in getting things done and not be waiting on everybody else - the lawyer, our uncle (who lives about an hour away) or our brother (who lives out of state).

Like with the house, it needs to be on the market, like, yesterday. Houses do not show well or sell in the winter months. It needs to be appraised ASAP and have a For Sale sign up NOW.

They chose an appraiser when they met with the lawyer. The lawyer was supposed to take care of setting up the appraisal, the appraiser was supposed to call our aunt to arrange a time to go out there. Has any of it been done? WE DON'T KNOW. No one has called any of us, or our uncle AFAIK, with any update on that.

The house also has to be emptied out, carpets cleaned, minor repairs made if necessary, to be ready to show. Has that been done? No, because somebody's waiting on somebody else who hasn't done anything because somebody else said that our uncle said something else had to be done first. Don't get me wrong, our uncle is wonderful, we know he'll do everything he can as best he can, but there is no reason for him to be in a big hurry about settling things. The continued expenses on the house are coming out of *our* inheritance, not his. And we already know that he sometimes doesn't remember exactly what was said about what needs to be done.

It's a choice of either putting stuff up for auction, or having a big sale and selling it ourselves. So after talking to my brother-in-law - who is trying to push things along as best he can, but he's not an heir so there's a limit to what he can do - I looked up the local auction place that does estate auctions. They will come out and look over everything and either say "yes, we can have an auction with this" or "no, sorry, have a yard sale." Well, one way or the other, we'll know. Then when I tell my sister I have the number and we should call, she says, oh I have their business card, I've had it since the week after mom died. But has anybody called them? No.

Because we're waiting on somebody else to show up, do something, weigh in on the decision, or being misled by one person telling us what another told them a third person said... argh. Just call the place and have them go out there and give us an answer. Then we can go to our brother and our uncle and say, okay, here's the deal, we can have an auction, are we all agreed, fine, then anything you want needs to be out of the house by <insert date> or it goes to auction and we divide the proceeds.

Or, no we can't have an auction, so let's set a date for our own sale, fine, whatever you want get it out before then otherwise it gets sold and anything not sold goes to charity. If you don't show up to help with the sale, you don't get a say in what we sell stuff for nor do you get a say in what happens to the leftovers.

I said after mom died that even with our uncle as executor and trustee it would be me & my sister (and her husband) that ended up doing most of the work and that will probably be the case.

[AVGWarhawk]

I would venture to guess getting all sort can take up to 6 months. However, I agree that acting quickly would be in the best interest for all involved.

[frau kaleun]

Well, got the fuel door latch release button fixed on the Sonata. Had to leave it for a couple days because I couldn't get in there to pick it up until this evening.

Also got rid of the Chevy at the same time, I'd left a message last week for the guy at the shop who wanted to buy it. He called me a couple days ago and offered me $250 cash which he said he could have for me this afternoon if I could get the title signed over and notarized. I said - "SOLD!" :D

Don't know if he got a deal or if I got a deal and I don't care. It's gone, I've got the plates, and my uncle and I will be meeting up to go to the Title/BMV office Saturday morning to get the rest of the necessary paperwork done. :yeah:

[AVGWarhawk]

I think you are far far better off selling the Celebrity for $250.00. In short, take the money and run! Well, the $250.00 well help with getting new tags, etc. Good luck with the Sonota. I love my KIA. :DL

[frau kaleun]

Yep. I just wanted to get it gone and get it off my insurance since I have a premium payment due on 9/1. Once I get the policy redone for the Sonata alone they can recalculate everything for the next term now instead of later and I don't end up paying more than I would need to for that first payment. Heck, I may even have a tiny credit from the rest of this term since I paid for both cars through the end of the month.

And I feel so much better about selling the Chevy to a mechanic and especially one who's been working on it for... gosh, at least a decade. He knows what he's getting and knows how to keep it running. And he was willing to pay cash money right away, so I think it was a good deal all around. :yep:

But man I can't remember the last time I was carrying this much cash. I usually only have $20-30 on me for things like buying quarters for laundry or small expenses that it would seem silly to whip out a card for. I can hardly get my billfold closed. :haha:

Makes me feel a little like...

http://topcultured.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/scrooge-mcduck-make-it-rain.jpg

:O:

Edit: and boy am I really loving the Sonata after driving the Chevy again for two days. I told a friend a couple weeks ago that I could hardly even tell when the Sonata started because I'd been driving a car that, when you turned the ignition key, you knew it was on because the whole thing vibrated. I got in the Sonata after dark for the first time last week and when I started it up I was like, WHOA! I felt like I was in the cockpit of the space shuttle, so many dials and buttons lit up. :haha:

Yesterday morning when I was driving to work in the Chevy I kept thinking - what is all that rattling? and the vibrations? OMG is this car going to break down just when I'm about to sell it? And then I realized, no, it's been like that for years, I just got spoiled after weeks of driving the other car everywhere.