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  1. #1
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    Question '04 Hyundai Accent GT 3dr help

    Hey all,
    I'm posting mostly because I have been impressed with Slanters' previous threads and assistance to other newbies. I don't have a lot of automotive knowledge, but I do know that my little Accent is in need of a little help performance-wise. That said, here are my questions:
    What would be some viable, reasonably-priced aftermarket modifications I could make to my car, that would not void the warranty? My goal is to increase performance, mostly (although I am considering getting some xenon headlights), as my car seems to putt along sometimes, especially up long hills. Also, I was told that if you create more "free" horsepower, your mpg can actually increase. Is this true? Also, any information regarding handling improvements would be appreciated - not that the handling on my car is bad, by any means.. but if it could be better, why not?
    Anyway, this seems to have already turned into quite a long list, so I'll stop right here and allow you to ask questions back. Thanks very much in advance for your time and assistance.

  2. #2
    Spam Reaper Site Moderator Slanter's Avatar
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    I'm flattered. Here are some thoughts on the various upgrades you mentioned.

    First is the issue of performance versus mileage. There's two ways to get more power out of a car: find something that is wasting power and make it waste less power, or make the engine burn more air and fuel. Upgrades that work in the first way can make better mileage if you don't drive with a lead foot, while the latter category of upgrades isn't going to help and may even hurt your gas mileage. Common examples of mods that reduce wasted power include headers and other exhaust mods, synthetic oil, and underdrive pulleys. Some ignition mods fall into this category too. Cold air intakes, turbos, cams, and many other mods are meant to simply cram more air and fuel into the engine. As a general rule, a basic package of bolt-ons (cold air intake, header, cat-back) is likely to give 5-10% more power, and probably not harm mileage or the warranty.

    For handling information, I'd start with a book. Fred Puhn's How to Make Your Car Handle is something of an old book - it's been in print longer than Hyundais have been sold in the United States - but still one of the best guides to suspension for beginners. It covers a lot of details about tires, springs, shocks / struts, and sway bars, and how all of these interact. The tires, by the way, are the most important part of the package.

    Lastly, you mentioned xenon headlights. What sort? There's three kinds of "xenon" headlights on the market. One is basically a normal bulb with a little xenon added to the mixture inside it - they look like ordinary bulbs but may be a bit better. Then there are lights that actually don't have any xenon in them, but have been dipped in a filter coating that absorbs some of the light to make them look like HID lights from one angle - and green or purple from others. This coating also absorbs a bit of the light, so they're dimmer than normal bulbs. As you may have guessed, I'm not a fan of these. Lastly, there are conversion kits to put in true HID lamps. These often run in the $1,000 range. They may be worthwhile if you get a kit that was designed from scratch and can spare that much change, but there's also a lot on the market that are just stock lights with a HID bulb glued in and a suitable power supply added. This doesn't work too well as the beam pattern of a HID bulb is totally different from that of a halogen bulb. Worse, some of them don't even have high beams! So, be careful and choose wisely if you are getting xenon headlights.
    Slanter - redefining "jury rigged repair" since 1997
    '66 Dodge Dart & 2000 Ford Focus -
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  3. #3
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    First of all, thank you for your quick and informative reply.

    I was already leaning in the direction of a cold air intake, but I have been unsuccessful in locating one for my car -- everything seems to be for the 2002 and older category of Accent. If you know of any reputable intakes that would work for my car, please let me know. Would getting a K&N cone filter and new plugs/wires help? And if so, what type should I purchase? Headers seem to be pretty expensive, and I don't think I would be able to install them myself (I've heard that cai are fairly straightforward to do on your own). I haven't been able to find any cat-back systems for my car, either -- they are mostly for Tibs. Again, if you know of any headers or cat-back systems that would work for my car, please let me know (but I am trying to keep this project under $1000).
    I will definently check that book out. It also seems that products are easier to find for my car as far as handling goes; I've heard alot about Eibach lowering springs... but I'm unsure if I want to lower my car, as I'm afraid of grounding it out. I'm also thinking about installing some strut bars, but I don't know if these are worth the cost.
    I was unaware of all the things to consider concerning the Xenon lights... I was simply going to purchase either the APC High-intensity Xenon white bulbs, or the Street Glow Xenon White High-Intensity Bulbs... but I should've known they would not work in regular headlights.
    Anyway, thank you again for all the information and help!

  4. #4
    Spam Reaper Site Moderator Slanter's Avatar
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    Intakes and more

    It's possible to improvise a cold air intake out of either ABS plastic pipe (not PVC, which doesn't like underhood temperatures) or metal exhaust tubing, with a cone filter on the end. You can put it together with the sort of rubber couplings you buy at the hardware store. You'll need to be sure not to remove any vacuum hoses or sensors on the intake; if you see a few vacuum hoses on your airbox and aren't sure you can correctly install new ones, wait for a commercial intake. And be sure the filter is somewhere that gets cold air but won't suck up water. A hot air intake won't do much good.

    Cat-backs may be tough to find for your car, but a good muffler shop can build you one for a fraction of the price, and it will often perform just as well if not better. I'd go with 2" pipe, maybe 2 1/2". Check out my post on straight through mufflers for more info on that subject.

    Don't put on a set of lowering springs without first upgrading your struts (I think an Accent has struts; they could be shocks instead). If you do, you're likely to get a ride that feels "floaty" at best, and bounces like a basketball at worst. Neither one is good for handling. Spring rates must be matched to the damping rates, but it's better to upgrade struts first if you can only afford one.

    Strut tower bars probably don't make for quite as drastic a difference as other mods but I've heard quite a few autocrossers say they do make a difference you can feel. Luckily even cheap ones can be effective - just as long as there isn't any slop in the connections (ones that can be preloaded are good for this; just tighten it until you can feel a little tension in the bar.). Ordinary steel is fine - something like aircraft aluminum or alloy steel is a waste of money for this particular use. If you or a buddy can weld, you could probably build decent ones out a few lengths of angle iron and water pipe. Strut tower bars (or stress bars, as they are sometimes called when installed on cars that lack struts) are one of the few suspension mods not covered in the book I mentioned; they've only become popular recently, and this is partly due to a few changes in car construction. I can't figure out where I would put such a bar on my Spitfire...

    The bulbs you said you are looking at are simply ordinary halogen bulbs with a blue coating that absorbs some of the light leaving the bulbs. With either one, it puts out less light than the same sort of bulb would with clear glass. These are not necessarily legal (the APC ones may be, but I know the Street Glows aren't) and this is largely because they don't deliver what the DOT has determined to be what a safe headlight should do. If you want to see better at night, a set of driving lamps would be a much better choice.
    Slanter - redefining "jury rigged repair" since 1997
    '66 Dodge Dart & 2000 Ford Focus -
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  5. #5
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    E-Z Upgrades

    Some basic upgrades can make a lot of difference to your car (any car, for that matter). Slanter has pretty much laid out tried and true and myth busting (awesome job!!!), so I'm just going to venture some personal opinion for you. I've had great results from using an old trick--indexing spark plugs. Basically, you're putting the gap where the spark arcs to under your intake valve. This is made easier with a plug like a Bosch Platinum 2 (personal preference; many great plugs are available). Generic indexing is locating roughly where your intake valve rests in relation to the spark plug port and aligning the gap below it when the plug is seated. It is tedious, but once you have the first one, the rest follow quickly. Mark your plugs with a line denoting where the gap is and continue to adjust start position on the plug until the line is pointing in the direction of the intake valve. There are products like indexing washers available to aid in this, but I've found by using a dual pronged plug, it can be done without them. Quad pronged plugs haven't yeilded as good of results for me personally, though they are automatically at least close to indexed. Good plug wires will also help (as Slanter stated); a good check is to make sure they have a resistance of about 100 ohms per foot. Slanter has covered the rest of the basics better than a teacher, so I'll just say good luck and happy wrenching!

  6. #6
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    Hyundai Accent

    I also have a 04 Accent, I had the factory muffler removed and replaced with a Thrush Turbo, it sounds better but didnt improve mileage. Cost less than 100. I just recently installed a cold air intake. good luck finding a kit. I bought one from Auto Zone that was made for a Honda Civic, after cutting off about 8 inches it fit perfect, no other mods needed. I used a k& n cone with a 3 inch outlet. Mileage seems to have improved but too soon to tell, performance improved, and the sound is awesome for a Hyundai. Total cost was around 75 dollars.

  7. #7
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    I have an 05 Accent GT, and am thinking about doing some of the stuff you all have mentioned. So, if you guys that were thinking about doing the stuff, did you? Was it worth it? I'd like to hear more about what you all did if anything? I am also new to the mods, and would love to give my Accent a little more punch but without voiding the warrenty. Thanks all!

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