Why Won’t My Hyundai Sonata Start?

One of the top-selling midsize cars, the Hyundai Sonata draws many buyers each year.

If you drive a Hyundai Sonata, you must be ready to cope with starting problems and prepare yourself with temporary fixes to restart your vehicle.

Starting issues can have a variety of causes. Some of the causes might be straightforward and only require minor fixes that you can perform on your own.

Other causes, however, can be more problematic and necessitate prompt assistance from a qualified mechanic.

Here are some of the most common starting problems if you looking for an answer to why won’t my Hyundai Sonata start:

1. Failing Fuel Pump
2. Broken Starter
3. Faulty Electrical System
4. Dead Key Fob
5. Damaged Ignition

Although reading and comprehending some of these causes may make you feel uneasy and believe there won’t be any remedies, relax—they are fixable.

Simply read this post from beginning to end to ensure you don’t miss anything.

What Would Cause A Hyundai Sonata To Not Start?

It can certainly be challenging to deal with a vehicle with many problems.

Hyundai Sonata is one of the most popular vehicles, but it can still go through some issues in its lifespan.

If you own one, it is highly advisable to learn about its starting problems and their solutions so you can fix them immediately and keep an eye on it so the problems don’t happen again.

1: Failing Fuel Pump

The engine can have some starting issues if your Hyundai Sonata’s fuel pumps malfunctions.

In most cases, the pump ensures that the engine’s injection system receives the correct fuel under enough pressure from the tank.

If your car’s engine frequently fails, is challenging to start, jerks slightly, or performs poorly, you must have your fuel pump inspected.

These symptoms starting to appear once your fuel pump begins to break down.

The gasoline pump is typically also apparent before failure if the pump is spilling, an energy contact is damaged, or a line or a pump lever is cracked.

This could be caused by pump wear as well as contamination. A damaged fuel pump is easily changeable in a workshop.

What Should You Do About It?

• The activation relay is one of the simplest items to check if you think your Hyundai Sonata might have a fuel pump issue.
• The pump is activated when the ignition key is turned on or in the “run” position.
• Before changing the electrical fuel pump motor, you must ensure that 12V is getting to it.
• Remember that the motor is only powered on for two seconds when you switch the ignition onto the on position.
• Furthermore, this no-start situation could be brought on by the crank sensor failing. Thus, it is usually advisable to conduct some fundamental testing.
• Simply replacing the fuel pump is the most effective option in cases of defective or subpar fuel pumps.
• Even if you know how to quickly fix a fuel pump, driving your automobile while it has a broken fuel pump will degrade its performance.

2: Broken Starter

The starter motor must be examined, presuming the battery, battery connections, and key fob are all in good shape.

The electrical charge that comes from the battery is transferred to the engine through the starter motor.

Your Hyundai Sonata will not even start if the starter is not operating as intended.

Regrettably, replacing the starter motor would be your only alternative. Your Hyundai Sonata’s engine starts with the help of a starter, which is a motor.

A starter motor typically lasts 100,000 miles up to 150,000 miles, but if the engine is turned on more regularly, the life will be reduced.

In almost any case, the starter motor, which also has a short lifespan, will fail after operating the vehicle for a while. If this happens, the engine will have some starting problems.

What Should You Do About It?

• The connections need to be looked at in the first place because an electric current controls the ignition.
• The most common reason for poor starting is loose connections, so make sure there aren’t any in the starter and the battery pathway.
• If you’re certain that the ground interaction is what that is preventing a good start then this issue can be resolved by running a jumper cable from a negative terminal.
• The starter’s engagement with the transmission’s ring gear is made possible only by the solenoid.
• A cranking sound indicates that the solenoid is broken, although it can also operate on the optimistic and ground connections.

3: Faulty Electrical System

The electrical system, including the battery, is a crucial part of every vehicle.

Along with starting the car, it also provides power for all of the comfort features, including the air conditioning, radio, and power windows.

Electrical system issues can quickly get worse and, as a result, impact other parts of your Hyundai Sonata.

Electrical system issues should be resolved swiftly and by a qualified mechanic as they know best.

Most problems with the electrical system are often caused by a bad battery, rusted battery connections, a broken alternator, a blown fuse, and numerous other things.

What Should You Do About It?

• The lights left on are a common cause of a discharged battery. The need to replace faulty batteries arises over time. You may anticipate an average battery to last three to four years.
• Cable and battery terminal corrosion is a possibility. Battery cables may not be repaired and must be replaced for the electrical components to work properly.
• A blown fuse may cause one item not to work, namely the radio and power windows, in which case the fuse needs to be changed.
• Most electrical problems need to be addressed immediately; they are easy to notice as there will be obvious warning signs. You just need to go to a reliable mechanic and get everything checked.

4: Dead Key Fob

If the Hyundai Sonata has a push-button start and stops feature, an insufficient key fob battery is likely the cause of your car’s inability to start your vehicle.

Though, it is said that you might still be able to start your automobile without a problem because the battery just serves to send out the signal for both locking and unlocking it.

However, the door might not be able to lock as well as unlock with the push of a button if the key fob battery of your Hyundai Sonata is dead.

A passive transponder manages the immobilizer. The transponder inside the key is passive, so it doesn’t require a separate power source. The doors must therefore be manually opened.

What Should You Do About It?

• If your Hyundai Sonata is one of the models that just have a key fob with a start and stop button and no location to enter a key, then before starting your car make sure your key fob is close to the start/stop button.
• If the previous solution doesn’t work, check the owner’s manual for your car to find exactly where to put the key fob since model-specific positioning may differ.
• Additionally, since the key fob battery won’t last forever very long, it is advised that users swap it out for a new one.
• Get the car tested before replacing it in case there are other issues. If the key fob problem is extremely significant, you might need to replace it.

5: Damaged Ignition

The Hyundai Sonata’s ignition program contains ignition coils, which are in charge of increasing the remarkably low battery voltage of 12 volts to a high frequency of hundreds of thousands of volts for the spark plugs.

You must take immediate action to prevent further costly repairs, as driving your Sonata with faulty ignition coils can harm the engine or the catalytic converter.

The check engine light coming on, rough idling, misfires, high fuel consumption, and occasionally hard starting are the most typical symptoms of defective ignition coils in Hyundai Sonatas.

Lastly, if the ignition coils are in extremely poor condition, the engine will face problems in starting.

What Should You Do About It?

• Unfortunately, you cannot fix a damaged ignition coil; instead, a new one must be installed.
• You might be able to clean the ignition coil using an electronic cleaner if the coil is tainted by an oil spill.
• Furthermore, your Hyundai Sonata’s ignition coils need to be replaced if you can also see rust and corrosion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why Won’t My Hyundai Sonata Start With New Battery?

Always make sure the battery is connected properly inside the vehicle before you start driving.

Usually, the problem can be due to the wrong installation of a new battery.

Another reason might be the terminals, as they can easily get corrupted, which will not let the electrical current pass through to the engine system.

Q2. Why Won’t My Hyundai Sonata Start Even With A Jump?

If jump-starting is ineffective, your battery may be harmed.

The problem is most likely being caused by something that is inflamed, leaking, as well as showing severe corrosion all around the terminals.

Q3. Why Won’t My Hyundai Sonata Start But Lights Work?

The most common reason the Hyundai Sonata refuses to start but the lights are working is probably the battery and the electrical fault.

You can try a battery booster to make your vehicle start again.

Q4. Why Won’t My Hyundai Sonata Start But Cranks?

Check the fuel. You might not have enough fuel, or perhaps the fuel may not be reaching your engine.

The engine is not going to start if the incorrect quantity or timing of fuel injection into the combustion chamber.

Q5. Why Won’t My Hyundai Sonata Start Just Clicks?

Low battery power or a faulty battery-to-starter connection could be to blame. Examine the connections between the terminal cables as well as the battery.

If the battery posts or cable connectors appear severely corrupted, you should either replace the cables or clean them before attempting to start the engine.

Q6. Why Won’t My Hyundai Sonata Start In The Cold Weather?

Your Hyundai Sonata can probably not start because of the chilly conditions. The battery is the main factor to blame when trying to start your Sonata in the cold.

Cranking amps or cold amps are two separate measurements for batteries. Cold-cranking amps measure a battery’s capacity to start an engine while it is cold.

Make sure to check that before starting.

Q7. Why Won’t My Hyundai Sonata Start After I Get Gas?

Your Hyundai Sonata can have some starting issues after filling up with gas frequently because an EVAP purge pressure regulator is stuck open.

The excess air pressure in the tank needs to be released, and the fuel nozzle may not be able to accommodate it.

The valve will be pushed straight into the intake manifold if it is jammed open. Moreover, make sure to check the fuel filter if it’s clean or not.

This could also be a reason that is not letting your Sonata to start.

Q8. Why Won’t My Hyundai Sonata Start But Radio Works?

A dying battery and an improperly charging alternator are potential issues you might be experiencing.

For the majority of cars, starting the engine requires 9.6 volts. Well below this bare minimum, the radio and lights will still function.

If your alternator isn’t producing between 14 and 14.5 volts, the battery isn’t receiving enough voltage to be charged properly.

Related: What Are The Worst Years For The Hyundai Sonata?

Conclusion

If you are having starting problems with your Hyundai Sonata then you should inspect the ignition system of your vehicle, including the spark plugs, ignition coils, and numerous other concerns listed in this article.

I hope this article was able to help you identify the starting problems.

But if you are still unable to start your car then it is advised to visit a workshop to find out “Why won’t my Hyundai Sonata start?”.

A qualified mechanic can quickly identify the issue for you.

Tahir Azam

I am Tahir Azam, and I have been writing amazing articles for TaxiHack for as long as I can remember. I know everything that is to know when it comes to automobiles and is always on top of industry news and developments. While I am not an expert by any means, I pride myself on knowing the ins and outs of many different problems and, of course, their solutions. The articles on our website are some of the best and well-researched content that you will find, and I spend countless hours making sure this remains to be true. This is why I ask you to take your time out and read some of my articles, especially if you find a topic that resonates with you or is something you are looking into. This way, you will find the perfect mix of information and tips on your desired topic. Learn more about Tahir.