1991-1995 Hyundai Scoupe Problems: 4 Known Issues

How to Fix

Replace the timing belt, tensioner, and idler pulley every 60,000 miles without exception. Replace the water pump at the same time since it is driven by the timing belt. Use OEM or Gates timing components.

Owner tips & cautions

• WarningThis is an interference engine — do NOT exceed the 60,000-mile timing belt interval or risk destroying the engine

How to Fix

Check first: look for coolant dropping in the reservoir with no outside leak, bubbles in the reservoir while the engine runs, white exhaust smoke, and milky residue under the oil filler cap or on the dipstick. Combustion gas can collect under the thermostat and stop it from opening, so overheating that a new thermostat does not fix is another warning sign. Confirm before paying for a teardown: ask the shop for a combustion-gas (block) test. It draws air from the radiator through a blue fluid that turns yellow if exhaust gas is getting into the coolant. A yellow result points to a head gasket leak, but a cracked head or block gives the same result. For slow leaks, a dye added to the coolant can show up inside the tailpipe under a black light. Repair: the head comes off and gets a new gasket. In one shop report on a 1991 Excel 1.5L (the same engine family), a warped aluminum head was letting coolant into the cylinders, and the car would not start until the head was repaired and refitted with a new gasket. Before reassembly, especially after overheating, have a machine shop check the head with a straightedge and resurface it if it is warped. If it might be cracked, have it pressure-tested. Coverage: we found no Hyundai recall or service bulletin for this problem, and the factory warranty on these cars expired long ago. Hyundai's parts catalog lists head gasket 22311-21120 (replacing 22311-21100 and 22311-21110) for the 1985-1994 Excel, but it does not list the Scoupe, so confirm the part by VIN. Get a written quote that includes any machine-shop work on the head.

How to Fix

Start with the cheap checks before you agree to a rebuild. The Scoupe automatic is a 4-speed with electronic control. Erratic shifting or a car stuck in one gear ("limp mode") can come from an electrical fault rather than worn clutches. In one technician's diagnosis of a Scoupe with these symptoms, the transmission control module's inputs and outputs were tested first. Check these first: 1. Fluid level and condition. Low, dark or burnt-smelling fluid points to internal wear. Clean fluid at the correct level makes an electrical cause more likely. 2. The inhibitor (park/neutral position) switch. Hyundai service bulletin 9740002 (January 1997) traces a shift condition on 1991-1992 Scoupes to a short circuit inside this switch. Replacing the switch is a far smaller job than overhauling the transmission. 3. Harsh 1-2 upshifts or 2-1 downshifts at low speed on a 1991-1992 car. Hyundai service bulletin 95010071 (October 1995) covers intermittent harsh shifting in these conditions and points the technician to a connector labeled "TO1" in the bulletin. Ask the shop which of these checks it has done and whether it checked the transmission controller's inputs and outputs. Get a rebuild quote only after that. If the slipping, lost gears or burnt fluid continue once the electrical causes are ruled out, internal wear is the likely cause and the transmission will need a rebuild or replacement. Both bulletins are service bulletins, not recalls.

How to Fix

Replace rear strut mounts with new bearings and isolators. Inspect struts for leaking while mounts are removed. Perform rear alignment after replacement.