[debuda]

Originally Posted by debuda

Hi AnandPadhye, DigitalVampire and other Tucson freaks here,

Today I came across an ad for a 2005 / 85,000 km Tucson which is for sale quite near where I stay (Jamshedpur). The present owner is the 2nd owner and asking price is 5.5 lakhs. I am likely to see this car tomorrow.

Over the last couple of hours I checked out all 16 pages of this wonderful thread started by AnandPadhye and I'm better prepared for evaluating the old Tucson tomorrow. Thanks a ton to you guys.

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Hi @debuda,

All the best with the test ride and inspection.

I saw (as in 'seeing' a girl for arranged marriage!) a silver coloured 2005 Tucson today which superficially seemed to be reasonably well preserved for its 82,000 km. The owner stated that he had been getting it maintained by Hyundai throughout and I could get the maintenance history printout from Hyundai Service.

I drove it for a couple of KM in dense city traffic and my observations were :

1. Considerable vibrations at idling and upto 1000 RPM.
2. No 'lurching forward' even in 1st gear. Felt as if engine lacked punch.
3. Ride unimpressive over city potholes and speed-breakers (at very low speeds).
4. No oil in exhaust pipe.
5. Engine compartment and car interior very clean.
6. Odometer reading 82,000 km.
7. Small (1") crack on front windshield.
8. 3 out of 5 tyres worn. All tyres stock 215 / 65 / R16.
9. Headlights look a bit foggy (not fully transparent).
10. Minor damages on bumpers.

Owner also stated that : highway fuel economy is around 9 kmpl; clutch recently renewed at a cost of Rs 19,000; timing belt, drive axles and turbocharger have never been changed; suspension has been serviced / repaired and some shockers changed in the past.

Have fixed up a 50 km drive on highway next week before arriving at any definitive conclusions. Will also scrutinize service history from Hyundai Service, when received.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by debuda

Considerable vibrations at idling and upto 1000 RPM.
Hmmm...engine mounts???

No 'lurching forward' even in 1st gear. Felt as if engine lacked punch.
Strange! When you shift to 1st from neutral/idle, Tucson has that classic diesel torque, like a DC motor . How is the feel of the clutch pedal? Smooth and linear?

Ride unimpressive over city potholes and speed-breakers (at very low speeds).
You mean the bumps are not absorbed at all? Feels like wooden suspension?

No oil in exhaust pipe.
Good.

Engine compartment and car interior very clean.
Odometer reading 82,000 km.
Small (1") crack on front windshield.
@Rs. 17,000 (windshield + labour)

3 out of 5 tyres worn. All tyres stock 215 / 65 / R16.
This is bad. unattended and prolonged wheel alignment/balancing issue? Does the car pull to left/right when crusing at steady speeds with no accelerator input?

Headlights look a bit foggy (not fully transparent).
Check the backside of the headlight casing to see if it is cut (to change to higher wattage bulbs/HIDs. In my case, the previous owner had done that and then tried to seal the hole with an adhesive tape. Damage permanently done. After market idiots

Owner also stated that : highway fuel economy is around 9 kmpl
Actually, highway FE is 11/12. City FE is 10. Never drops to single digits.

Have fixed up a 50 km drive on highway next week before arriving at any definitive conclusions. Will also scrutinize service history from Hyundai Service, when received.
Yes, this should help. Check the brakes. Braking from >100kmph should not cause any vibrations/wobble.

BTW, it's 7 years and he has not changed timing belt??? This is not good!!!

[Digital Vampire]

Originally Posted by debuda

Owner also stated that : highway fuel economy is around 9 kmpl

The reported highway mileage is way too less. A well maintained Tucson will easily do better than that (9 kmpl) in the city and 12-14 KMPL on the highway. It can do even more if you baby it a bit.

From whatever little information you've provided, this particular car does NOT seem to be a well maintained example.

[debuda]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

BTW, it's 7 years and he has not changed timing belt??? This is not good!!!

Thanks for your valuable inputs. Will share experience after highway TD next week + scrutiny of Hyundai service history.

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

The reported highway mileage is way too less. A well maintained Tucson will easily do better than that (9 kmpl) in the city and 12-14 KMPL on the highway. It can do even more if you baby it a bit.

From whatever little information you've provided, this particular car does NOT seem to be a well maintained example.

It seems that car was mostly driver driven. Mileage in driver driven cars in India, as we all know, depends not only on the driver's driving skills but his fuel siphoning skills!

[anandpadhye]

Topped up after the Konkan trip:
68.68L went in. The auto cut-off happened at 54L and as usual I insisted he should continue for another 15L slowsly on part nozzle with repeated start/stop.
The meter C-R-A-W-L-E-D up over next 10 minutes or so at such a slow pace that he went mad.... I think this is the max I have ever refuelled.

BTW, the FE over the entire trip (with 4 people, full luggage and a mix ghat sections, un-tarred rural roads, and NH4) was 11kmpl.

[debuda]

Originally Posted by debuda

I saw (as in 'seeing' a girl for arranged marriage!) a silver coloured 2005 Tucson today which superficially seemed to be reasonably well preserved for its 82,000 km.

I drove it for a couple of KM in dense city traffic and my observations were :

1. Considerable vibrations at idling and upto 1000 RPM.
2. No 'lurching forward' even in 1st gear. Felt as if engine lacked punch.
3. Ride unimpressive over city potholes and speed-breakers (at very low speeds).
4. No oil in exhaust pipe.
5. Engine compartment and car interior very clean.
6. Odometer reading 82,000 km.
7. Small (1") crack on front windshield.
8. 3 out of 5 tyres worn. All tyres stock 215 / 65 / R16.
9. Headlights look a bit foggy (not fully transparent).
10. Minor damages on bumpers.

Have fixed up a 50 km drive on highway next week before arriving at any definitive conclusions. Will also scrutinize service history from Hyundai Service, when received.

I obtained a printout (26 pages) of the 2005 Tucson’s entire service history from Hyundai Service with the help of owner. I saw from the service history that :

1. Car was serviced regularly.
2. Odometer reading of 82,000 km is genuine.
3. Complete clutch overhaul / replacement done twice, at 48 K km and recently at 81 K km. The recent clutch job cost Rs 19,232.
4. Brake pads / shoes changed 4 times.
5. Suspension overhaul carried out a few times. Both rear shock absorbers and both front insulator assembly struts replaced at different times during life of car. Cross-member mounting bushings, lower arm bushings and stabilizer bar bushings changed in the past.
6. AC compressor assembly replaced at 59 K km.

This morning I drove the Tucson for 50 km on a highway at speeds upto 140 kmph. My observations :

1. Excessive engine vibrations at idling up to around 1150 RPM.
2. Very loud abnormal noise (could be from transmission or drive train) coming above 3500 RPM with car in any gear. When engine is revved up in neutral (car stationary), this particular noise is absent.
3. Even during normal driving at lower speeds, there is slight noise (apparently from transmission or drive train) which does not appear normal.
4. Engine seems to lack peppiness, 1st and 2nd gears need frequent use in city traffic, 3rd gear can be used only above 35 kmph.
5. Clutch is smooth, with a good feel.
6. No pulling to left / right on straight road.
7. Went up to 140 kmph easily (without any huffing or puffing), road / traffic conditions were not conducive to trials at higher speeds.
8. Suspension mediocre. Some noise heard from rear right suspension. Owner showed that rubber bush below the spring in rear right suspension is coming off and spring is touching the steel retainer.
9. Brakes okay.
10. AC okay.
11. Interiors, doors, windows, okay.

I decided against buying this car and conveyed same to owner. I plan to buy a new XUV500 in the near future.

My sincere thanks to Tucson owners on this thread for your valuable inputs.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by debuda

I decided against buying this car and conveyed same to owner. I plan to buy a new XUV500 in the near future.

My sincere thanks to Tucson owners on this thread for your valuable inputs.

Hi @debuda,

This was real thorough checking you did. This reminds me of the "search phase" I went through 4 years ago when I finally found the Tuc....

Good luck with your purchase.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Absolutely no issues so far!!!
Must have clocked ~19,000 kms since remap/s. Recently I was going through the long term OBD log and the average KMPL it shows over the last ~12,000 KM (logging used mostly on highway drives only) is 18.3 KMPL....Oh wait....and GPS registered top speed of 184 KMPH...Beat that!

EDIT: I keep playing with different maps and hence the accumulated mileage and FE is over multiple remaps.

Hi Anoop,

Drive to bangalore to get my Tucson remapped under your expert guidance is getting delayed for one reason or the other and I was getting impatient. So I tried the RD ECU as an interim solution. There are four maps:
1. E: Economy - never tried
2. S: Stock - never tried
3. P1: 15% more power and slightly more FE - have been trying it over last 600 km. The 3rd and 4th gear pull seems improved and I redlined in 4'th a couple of times. Don't remember if I could redline in 4'th in the stock form, may be it was possible and I never tried (do you know ?). Not sure if FE is improved. 5'th is more or less the same, top speed achievable (if I get enough road) is up by 5% (this seems to be a minor improvement over stock). Yet the urge is not there beyond 3800 RPM in the 5'th...
4. P2: 30% more power. Tried only for some time on the expressway, did not notice much difference.

According to RD, the ECU has adaptive self learning algorithm, so I will stick to P1 over next few weeks and see if performance improves any further. However, as of now, your remap seems much more effective - both power and FE wise. At least now I have a slightly more fun to drive Tucson to drive to Bangalore and should be interesting to compare this RD tune with yours before we upgrade mine!

BTW, I see that the oil pressure warning lamp and check engine lamp now remain lit a couple of seconds after ignition. I don't remember if they used to switch off when key is turned to ON (when RD was not in the picture).

[Digital Vampire]

Don't remember if I could redline in 4'th in the stock form, may be it was possible and I never tried (do you know ?).

Yes.. In stock form also it can red line in 4th Gear

According to RD, the ECU has adaptive self learning algorithm, so I will stick to P1 over next few weeks and see if performance improves any further.

If I read your post correctly, you've run around 600 kms so far and I guess the fine tuning must have long been complete. In the true adaptive sense, the box should continue to learn based on your throttle inputs if it varies widely, but it all depends on how the algorithm is implemented.

However, as of now, your remap seems much more effective - both power and FE wise. At least now I have a slightly more fun to drive Tucson to drive to Bangalore and should be interesting to compare this RD tune with yours before we upgrade mine!

Sure thing, and it'd be an eye-opener.
I've compared with even better Tuning Boxes (Injection Modulation Types as well as Rail Pressure Modulation types) already and now I've stopped comparing since it simply is an unfair comparison.

BTW, I see that the oil pressure warning lamp and check engine lamp now remain lit a couple of seconds after ignition. I don't remember if they used to switch off when key is turned to ON (when RD was not in the picture).

I just checked on mine and the lights go away the moment the engine is cranked (not even started). The airbag light stay lit for another 1-1.5 seconds. I really don't see any relation between the box addition and the lights behavior you are seeing, but then again I'm not too sure. It may still be worthwhile to check with and without the box to be doubly sure.

My Tucson is going for a clutch-flywheel job soon...Its still not heavy, but too much clatter than I'd like and the added power is not helping the situation either. Hyundai should have provided a better clutch on this vehicle - everything else were just about perfect for its time and age.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Hyundai should have provided a better clutch on this vehicle - everything else were just about perfect for its time and age.

Absolutely.
So you are going to change flywheel, clutch plate, master and slave cylinder - everything? Please do post the feedback after it's done and the cost. I also have that in mind - I can live with that clatter but I hate that heavy clutch. Even after replacing the clutch/brake fluid completely, I see that clutch becomes heavier after a couple of hours of drive (or my left knee wears out, not sure what it is...)

Regarding the lamps, I will disconnect the box and check when exactly the lamps switch off.


BTW, the RD box works by modulating the rail pressure. I will email them and ask what exactly that is (is the rail pressure increased as well as decreased dynamically). And I will also ask them how many kilometers are enough for the box to learn.

But, one thing looks sure - I am driving down to Bangalore and handing over to you for the remap. Hope we can co-ordinate and get it done sooner.

[Digital Vampire]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Absolutely.
So you are going to change flywheel, clutch plate, master and slave cylinder - everything? Please do post the feedback after it's done and the cost. I also have that in mind - I can live with that clatter but I hate that heavy clutch. Even after replacing the clutch/brake fluid completely, I see that clutch becomes heavier after a couple of hours of drive (or my left knee wears out, not sure what it is...)

Looks like something is still amiss with your clutch/hydraulics or is it your knees? ;-).
We have 2-3 Tucsons in close company here in Bangalore and none of them have a heavy clutch worth complaining - that is after mandatory clutch replacements. Fellow member @K a s h's Tucson was transformed completely after the clutch-flywheel change.

BTW, the RD box works by modulating the rail pressure. I will email them and ask what exactly that is (is the rail pressure increased as well as decreased dynamically). And I will also ask them how many kilometers are enough for the box to learn.

Check the following link. A lot of your queries and worries are answered there in the last few pages. If you still have more doubts, you know where to look.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...-pg-2-a-7.html
The Spider box is an adaptive tuning box like RD but adaptive algorithms could vary.

[anandpadhye]

As I asked the service guys to clean/replace the cabin air filter, they told me the filter housing seems to have been chewed by rats so there is no point (the previous owner has been careless, god knows where he used park the car). The SA knows the history of this car from day 1 so he said he had already reported that to the previous owner some years ago...

I asked them to order the housing and then install the filter but they are reluctant, saying it will be an UN-necessary cost, flow will reduce, etc. But I will follow up and get it done.

BTW, I tried to look up if I can clean/replace this myself (once I get it installed first of course) and came across a nice DIY video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAMwfNzqp6g

Now I hope the SA gets the part fast and it's not attrociously priced...

Cheers!

[kamal.sn]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

As I asked the service guys to clean/replace the cabin air filter, they told me the filter housing seems to have been chewed by rats so there is no point (the previous owner has been careless, god knows where he used park the car). The SA knows the history of this car from day 1 so he said he had already reported that to the previous owner some years ago...

I asked them to order the housing and then install the filter but they are reluctant, saying it will be an UN-necessary cost, flow will reduce, etc. But I will follow up and get it done.

BTW, I tried to look up if I can clean/replace this myself (once I get it installed first of course) and came across a nice DIY video:


Now I hope the SA gets the part fast and it's not attrociously priced...

Cheers!

Hi Anand,

Removal and cleaning of the filter is very simple as shown in the video and i have done it several times myself. The filter on the Indian Tucson is different from the one shown in the video and is a 2 piece type as shown at the following link :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HYUNDAI-TUCS...item3ef7e2aa3d

I get the aftermarket filters ( not the housing ) from a company called zipfilter (www.zipfilter.com). I recently got one from the palika bhawan market for around 425 bucks.

In my opinion, the housing is not necessary. If you are able to get the filters, then you can cut some corrugated cardboard and stick it to the paper filter sides so that it does not bend and you are ready to go.

The Hyundai OEM cabin filter (with housing ) is priced at above Rs. 2000.

[anandpadhye]

Hi Kamal,

Thanks. I will love to order it directly as you have been doing and do the replacement myself but I need to sort out the plastic assembly first. I will post pictures tonight that show the damage.

BTW, over last tankful, I have been switching between P1, P2 and E modes on the RaceDynamics ECU and again the FE I got is 11. I could not resist reaching the top speed on the Express Way and when a Fiesta was tail-gating me, I could not resist switching to P2. The pickup improves a great deal in P2 but the top speed did not change by much and I could not loose that Fiesta. The over last 50 km or so, I used the "E" mode just to see what happens and also to partially compensate for the P2 usage. The pick-up reduces noticably and the turbo kick is also delayed and toned down. To my surprize, it was still quite drivable and more importantly, the engine noise reduced and it became very smooth. Somehow I loved it and it calmed me down. I will try much more of E mode on the next tankful and report.

Cheers!

[anandpadhye]

It's been 4 years!!!
Some nostalgic pics from that first road trip in 2008 December...