My first negative Equus experience

[cliffbig]

Had my first very negative Equus experience tonight. Last week, I had to take my Equus in for a recall to remedy a problem with a sticking gas tank filler door. I took it in on 4/28 and thought the problem was remedied. Tonight, I was 90 miles away from home; we're taking turns sitting with a terminally ill relative in intensive care. My wife was supposed to drive the Equus up to the hospital to relieve me tonight so that I could take care of some business tomorrow. She called in tears, frustrated and upset because she couldn't get the gas tank filler door to open and there wasn't enough gas for her to make the drive. She had tried for ten minutes, and employees at the gas station tried to help her as well, and none of them could get the filler door to open. As a result, I had to drive 90 miles back to the house, pick her up, take her back to the hospital 90 mlies away, and drive back home. Three and a half extra hours wasted, my wife's faith in the Equus is now shaken ("How can I ever trust the car for a trip away from home if I can't even be sure I can get it to open so that I can put gas in the tank?" she asked, and I have no good answer), and I now have to take the car back to the dealer tomorrow and hope that they get it fixed this time. Very, very frustrating. I was surprised when something as simple as a gas tank filler door needed a recall to begin with; I'm much more disturbed that it wasn't done correctly.

 

[waveman]

Wow, that sucks. Sorry about your relative and about your and your wife's bad experience. Do you know exactly what was supposed to have been done on the recall? In other words, I wonder what part of the remote fuel filler door system was broken?

 

[cliffbig]

I wish I knew. I barely got out of the car before they told me, "It's fixed," and I figured they knew what they were talking about, so I didn't ask for further info. In retrospect, I wish I had been much more inquisitive--and I will be tomorrow. I'm going to be frustrated again tomorrow because once again, I'll have to make a wasted round trip; unless I want one of us to be there without a vehicle (which I don't), I'll have to drive up there, pick up my wife, bring her back, and then drive back. Two wasted round trips and almost seven hours with no one there with a terminally ill family member because the job wasn't done properly the first time...

 

[homeofstone]

Why did Hyundai Roadside Assist. not come to your wife's aid? Its 24/7.

 

[mikec]

There is a spring at the fuel filler door's hinge that pushes it open. The TSB basically glues a foam/rubber pad of some sort near the end of the spring. If you look at the ribbed plastic hinge/arm of the filler door, right where it has a sharp bend at the hinge you'll see the small rectangular pad if the TSB has been done.

The TSB pictures aren't too clear/detailed - I had to crank my video card's gamma way up to see the shadow details (ATI video card with a very tunable/adjustable color calibrating driver) in the TSB. Without this gamma change, the various arrows in the TSB pointed into the "black hole" of the fuel filler area. The spring and pad are tucked on the inside of the door/hinge... they'd be easier to see if you could look from inside the fuel tank inlet! Ever have a spring that was too wimpy - and you wanted to stretch it to make it stronger? The TSB's pad seems to make the "door closed" position compress the spring more - effectively making the spring more loaded and thus stronger. Evidently not strong enough?

Does the Equus have the emergency fuel filler door release in the trunk like the Genesis sedan? This may make it easier for one person to open a recalcitrant filler door... it's easier to reach into the trunk while prying on the filler door compared to reaching the electrical release button by the driver's seat!

mike c.

 

[MHT]

Had my first very negative Equus experience tonight. Last week, I had to take my Equus in for a recall to remedy a problem with a sticking gas tank filler door. I took it in on 4/28 and thought the problem was remedied. Tonight, I was 90 miles away from home; we're taking turns sitting with a terminally ill relative in intensive care. My wife was supposed to drive the Equus up to the hospital to relieve me tonight so that I could take care of some business tomorrow. She called in tears, frustrated and upset because she couldn't get the gas tank filler door to open and there wasn't enough gas for her to make the drive. She had tried for ten minutes, and employees at the gas station tried to help her as well, and none of them could get the filler door to open. As a result, I had to drive 90 miles back to the house, pick her up, take her back to the hospital 90 mlies away, and drive back home. Three and a half extra hours wasted, my wife's faith in the Equus is now shaken ("How can I ever trust the car for a trip away from home if I can't even be sure I can get it to open so that I can put gas in the tank?" she asked, and I have no good answer), and I now have to take the car back to the dealer tomorrow and hope that they get it fixed this time. Very, very frustrating. I was surprised when something as simple as a gas tank filler door needed a recall to begin with; I'm much more disturbed that it wasn't done correctly.

I just went to the Hyundai Service web sight and it looks like the fuel door latch system is not that different than on the Genesis. I would say
you probably have an emergency release for the fuel door in the trunk. Sometimes when the fuel door will not open with the release button you can get the fuel door open by pulling the fuel release cord in the trunk.
I know that under the circumstances this ordeal was up setting but they should be able to get this problem resolved, it does not appear to be a major fix. I am sorry to hear about the family member.
Peace Be Unto You

 

[MrB0462]

Guys a TSB and recall are two different things. I have 2 friends with Equus and neither received a recall notice.

 

[Ruissimo]

Sorry to hear about your relative. At the end of the day, that's all that really matters.

 

[cliffbig]

Guys a TSB and recall are two different things. I have 2 friends with Equus and neither received a recall notice.

Call it what you wish--I was called by the dealer from whom I bought the Equus and told that they had discovered a problem with the gas tank filler door release, and asked if I could bring it in for repair or if they could pick it up as soon as convenient for repair. Semantics are irrelevant: when the dealer contacts me about a problem that should be addressed sooner rather than later (rather than waiting to mention it during my next service appointment), that's a recall as far as I'm concerned.

And today, the service tech DID show me that there is an emergency filler door release pull in the trunk--good to know should the problem arise again.

 

[cliffbig]

Why did Hyundai Roadside Assist. not come to your wife's aid? Its 24/7.

Their estimated arrival time was longer than the time it would take for me to drive the 90 miles; at this point, she just wanted to get there as soon as possible.

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[cliffbig]

Sorry to hear about your relative. At the end of the day, that's all that really matters.

And that is very, very true. I think it's much easier for a minor problem to create turbulence when you're in a stressful situation already.

 

[Ruissimo]

And that is very, very true. I think it's much easier for a minor problem to create turbulence when you're in a stressful situation already.

Exactly - I'm sure they'll do right by you... and now you at least have a temporary solution should the problem arise again. Also... posting about it let even the Genny owners know, should something similar happen to them.

Nice feature!

 

[tonygxp]

sorry to hear about your family's trouble. that sucks. did you check the trunk for the emergency cable to pop the gas door? i know every car/truck i've owned with a fuel tank release had one?

 

[NOLa]

Open the trunk and on the left is the secondary fuel door cable, and yes, it is like the Genesis.

NOLa

 

[imperial4ever]

I was unaware that there is a redundant fuel filler door release mechanism in the trunk for any car. I do not think my Lexus IS has one?

I would have just pried the door open and told Hyundai it was an emrgancy and I had to refill the car asap. Let them fix it.

 

[Henry]

Just came back from checking out a ulitimate, the deal breaker for the wife was NO LUMBAR support on passenger seat

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

Just came back from checking out a ulitimate, the deal breaker for the wife was NO LUMBAR support on passenger seat

This is why God created 2 car garages.
What was YOUR impression of the car.

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

Just came back from checking out a ulitimate, the deal breaker for the wife was NO LUMBAR support on passenger seat

Or better yet, let her sit in the back and be massaged!