Hyundai Sonata (1998-2023) firing order — diagram & guide
Elevating engine performance with the Hyundai Sonata firing order.
The Sonata is one of Hyundai’s longest-running models and it has been in production actively since 1985. If you follow the latest reliability tests and research charts, you’ll see that Hyundai is among the most reliable brands, and Sonata as its flagship sedan should be a perfect representative, right?
Well, if you are a proud owner of one of these, we’ll help you get at least a little bit more out of that dependability already offered. Our team will give you a thorough guide on the Hyundai Sonata (1998-2023) firing order and we’ll start with the fourth-gen model and go through all the engine options up to date.
| SONATA YEARS | ENGINE | FIRING ORDER |
|---|---|---|
| 4th Gen (1998-2003) | 1.8L | 1-3-4-2 |
| 2.0L | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 2.4L | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 2.5L | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 2.7L V6 | 1-2-3-4-5-6 | |
| 5th Gen (2004-2008) | 2.0L | 1-3-4-2 |
| 2.4L | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 3.3L V6 | 1-2-3-4-5-6 | |
| 6th Gen (2009-2013) | 2.0L | 1-3-4-2 |
| 2.4L | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 7th Gen (2014-2023) | 1.6L turbo | 1-3-4-2 |
| 2.0L | 1-3-4-2 | |
| 2.4L | 1-3-4-2 |
Fourth-generation Hyundai Sonata (1998-2003) firing order
The fourth-gen Sonata was equipped with all sorts of different four-cylinder engines depending on the trim, and it also offered a V6 option. So, not all the firing orders are equal here and we’ll shed some light on specific details for each of these engines.
Hyundai Sonata 1.8L firing order
The Hyundai Sonata 1.8L firing order is 1-3-4-2 and this firing order repeats throughout the range of four-cylinder Sonata engines. To be precise, the engine’s cylinders are ordered from 1 to 4 in a straight line looking at the engine left to right.
Hyundai Sonata 2.0L firing order
The reason why all the Hyundai four-cylinder engines used in this generation of the Sonata feature the same firing pattern and configuration is simple. They are all based on the same engine block and the only difference is in the capacity, so the Hyundai Sonata 2.0L firing order is 1-3-4-2 as well.
Once again, you can see that the first cylinder is located on the left side, while cylinders 2, 3, and 4 spread toward the right end of the engine.
Hyundai Sonata 2.4L firing order
As one of the most widely used Sonata engines, we have Hyundai’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder. This engine has a 1-3-4-2 firing order as well, and its cylinders are laid out from left to right with the first one being on the left side.
All the cylinders are ordered left to right in a straight numbering sequence, so that makes the maintenance task at least a bit easier for you.
Hyundai Sonata 2.5L firing order
This generation of the Sonata also used a 2.5-liter engine and there’s no wonder drivers are often confused by the firing pattern of this one and the previous 2.4L engine. Luckily, the Hyundai Sonata 2.5L firing order is 1-3-4-2 just as it is for the previous engine option.
Plus, the cylinder configuration also matches, which means the cylinders are laid out from 1 to 4 from left to right.
Hyundai Sonata 2.7L firing order
Finally, we’ve reached an engine option that’s a bit different from all the previous ones we discussed since it’s a six-cylinder engine. The Hyundai Sonata 2.7L firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6 because it’s a V6 engine and that also means the cylinders are laid out differently.
To be completely accurate, you’ll have to consider the engine’s transverse placement as well since it’s rotated within the engine bay. That means the first cylinder is at the top of the engine bay on the left side, and cylinders 3 and 5 follow through toward the right side of the upper bank. The lower bank houses cylinders 2, 4, and 6 also oriented left to right.
Fifth-generation Hyundai Sonata (2004-2008) firing order
There were some changes made by Hyundai for the fifth-gen Sonata model and these mostly include the addition of a new 3.3-liter V6 engine. However, the base engine options were also changed since Hyundai removed a few of these but has decided to keep the 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter options, so we’ll go straight for the V6 as we already talked you through those.
Hyundai Sonata 3.3L firing order
Just like the 2.7-liter V6 from the previous generation model, the Hyundai Sonata 3.3L firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. However, that’s not the only thing that these two engines share, keeping in mind that this one is also a transverse V6 engine with an upper and a lower cylinder bank.
Cylinders 1, 3, and 5 are ordered within the upper bank from left to right, while cylinders 2, 4, and 6 are all located within the lower cylinder bank.
Sixth-generation Hyundai Sonata (2009-2013) firing order
The sixth-gen Sonata model features only two engine options and that’s a unique case when it comes to Sonata variations. So, if you own one of these, chances are it’s either powered by a 2.0-liter turbo engine or a 2.4-liter GDI engine, and both of these feature the same firing order of 1-3-4-2.
As we already discussed both the 2.0L and 2.4L Sonata powertrain and their respective firing orders, we’ll move on with the next one.
Seventh-generation Hyundai Sonata (2014-2023) firing order
Once again with the seventh generation of the Sonata, we had only four-cylinder options offered including the 2.0L and 2.4L from the previous model. However, there’s a difference in the form of a newly-introduced 1.6-liter turbo petrol engine, so let’s get into it.
Hyundai Sonata 1.6L firing order
Finally, we have the 1.6-liter turbo engine, and the firing order for the Hyundai Sonata 1.6L is 1-3-4-2. This engine’s cylinders are laid out in a straight-four pattern, which means the first cylinder is on the left side, and cylinders 2, 3, and 4 follow up toward the right side of the engine.
Our take
Overall, each of the mentioned Sonata engines in this guide has proved to be reliable and decent based on NHTSA and driver reports. We still wanted to help you push the engine to its limit without any change in fuel efficiency and smooth cylinder firing, so hopefully you’ll be able to achieve all that through this guide.
