Santa fe won't start?!
 

I have a 2001 Santa fe GLS with ~82000 miles on it, and after not being used for about 1 week, fails to start. I don't think it's the battery because all electronics are working. It's weird because the key will turn but the ignition won't even click. I did notice that the (-) pole on the battery had a bit of build up on it and I cleaned it but still no go. Any suggestions?

RE: Santa fe won't start?!
 

It's probably the battery. The "electronics" don't take much power to operare but the starter does. The battery probably has enough power to run the "electronics" but not enough to turn the engine over. This is very common. Make sure the battery cables are clean and tight then jumpstart the car.

RE: Santa fe won't start?!
 

Ok, that makes sense. Then I have another question, what could have caused the battery to drain? Would that happen just because I didn't drive it for 1 week (you mention that this is very common) or has the battery just gone bad and I should replace it?

RE: Santa fe won't start?!
 

How old is the battery? If it's very old, it just my not be able to retain a charge for a long period of time.

Also, there is a TSB about some Hyundai draining the battery when stored. I'll see if I can dig it up and post it.