My wife has a 2016 Hyundai Elantra 120k miles auto transmission. The vehicle stoped mid traffic. No longer starts. I can hear the starter trying to engage but nothing. Took it to a mechanic who believes it’s the ac condenser. Wants to replace the starter first because it got burnt out. Then the ac condenser including everything that goes with that. Quoting me 2500 for everything. Obviously no guarantee this will work. My question is. Would it be works putting money into it or should we put that money down on a Toyota?
I could be saying it incorrectly but what he said was the pully assembly that is the ac attached to the belt.
That's a horse of a different color. That would be the AC compressor or at least the pulley, not the condenser (which wouldn't have made any sense).
He’s saying it could have a catastrophic failure and cause it to stop turning and in turn not let the starter turn the belt and burn it out.
A theory easily tested by simply removing the fan belt and seeing if the compressor pulley spins freely, or for that matter if the starter cranks over the engine.
Would it be works putting money into it or should we put that money down on a Toyota?
Long-term certainly a Toyota or Honda would be best, but your problem might simply be the starter. That would not cost anywhere near $2500 to replace. (To give you an idea, a brand new starter for that car is about $100 on rockauto.com and unless it's in a really difficult place it shouldn't take more than an hour or two to install.) You'll get much more money for the car if you decide to trade it or sell it if the thing is running.
Hyundai's had a problem with the starters. An arm in the starter is made of plastic and it would break. The symptom: you could here the starter's motor turn but the gear would not engage the flywheel hence no cranking. I am skeptical the AC condenser would make the car just drop dead. That's a new one on me.
Anyone feel free to chime in.
I could be saying it incorrectly but what he said was the pully assembly that is the ac attached to the belt. He’s saying it could have a catastrophic failure and cause it to stop turning and in turn not let the starter turn the belt and burn it out.
Took it to a mechanic who believes it’s the ac condenser. Wants to replace the starter first because it got burnt out.
I realize you may have misunderstood what the mechanic said, however, the air conditioning system really has nothing to do with the starter system. This simply makes no sense to me.
Quoting me 2500 for everything. Obviously no guarantee this will work.
Sounds like he wants to replace (your starter) and all the parts of your air conditioning system. And you are asking if you should spend that money on this vehicle or put it down towards a Toyota.
Fix the starter (get it running), then sell the car as is, put all that money towards a Toyota.
While it is possible an AC compressor may lock up the engine I am skeptical.