Does anybody share my concern about the manual trans on the LS Cruze. It is a "progressive" transmission and it drives me crazy, because the RPM split is so huge (700 RPM) shifting from 1st to 2nd and so miniscule (300 RPM) shifting from 5th to 6th. What was GM thinking when they designed this transmission? At a stop light, shifting to second you have to wait for it, and the pregnant pause angers the car behind. I refuse to speed shift it, like most people and tear out second gear synchrow mesh. I have angered many tailgaters since I bought this new car three months ago. And then going into 6th gear you shift fast (300 RPM) which is almost nothing. At 65 mph the RPM runs too high (close to 3000 RPM) which seems so unnecessarily high. How hard would would it be to change the top gear to something taller to get the RPM down on the highway?
Doug Stern
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Does anybody share my concern about the manual trans on the LS Cruze. It is a "progressive" transmission and it drives me crazy, because the RPM split is so huge (700 RPM) shifting from 1st to 2nd and so miniscule (300 RPM) shifting from 5th to 6th. What was GM thinking when they designed this transmission? At a stop light, shifting to second you have to wait for it, and the pregnant pause angers the car behind. I refuse to speed shift it, like most people and tear out second gear synchrow mesh. I have angered many tailgaters since I bought this new car three months ago. And then going into 6th gear you shift fast (300 RPM) which is almost nothing. At 65 mph the RPM runs too high (close to 3000 RPM) which seems so unnecessarily high. How hard would would it be to change the top gear to something taller to get the RPM down on the highway?
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3,000RPM at 65mph seems really high, even my 2012 1LT auto is around 2200-2300RPM at 65mph(believe 2500 is 74MPH). Since yours is a manual, seems you could swap in the 6 speed manual from the cruze ECO with its much more hwy friendly gearing. The 1.8L would probably be a complete dog with that gearing, having much less power than the 1.4T engine.
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If you're really annoyed with it, you could plop a LT manual transmission into it for the highway gearing - 3000 @ 65 does seem very high (I run that at 80 mph). I think the Eco gearing would be way too tall for the torque-starved 1.8L to deal with - each gear would feel like you were bogging it without a turbos assistance.
2nd gear comes up quick in any model - they all have short first gear to get it moving easily, but just be quick with it. If you are grinding 2nd when trying to shift quickly, switch to a better fluid - it is well documented across the forum that the GM synchromesh fluid is terrible. I think 1st is also taller in the LT/Eco than the LS as well.
All that said, regearing a FWD on your own is no easy task.
2nd gear comes up quick in any model - they all have short first gear to get it moving easily, but just be quick with it. If you are grinding 2nd when trying to shift quickly, switch to a better fluid - it is well documented across the forum that the GM synchromesh fluid is terrible. I think 1st is also taller in the LT/Eco than the LS as well.
All that said, regearing a FWD on your own is no easy task.
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Something isn't right here. My son's 2012 LS MT turns 2500 RPM at 65 MPH in 6th. 5th gear is 3000 RPM at 6500 RPM. I believe the gear ratios in the LS and LT are the same. As for the progressively shorter drops in RPM it makes shifting at speed easier easier on the clutch, extending the clutch pad life.
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Different ratios
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Even if the LS and LT have different ratios, I believe there were no ratio changes between the 2012 and 2013 model years. There were ratio changes at the end of 2011.
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From Chevrolet News - United States - Cruze/Cruze Eco/Cruze Diesel
It appears 1st and 2nd will run out faster on the LS than the LT but 3-6 have the same ratios.
M32 6-speed manual (1.8L) | M32 6-speed manual (1.4L turbo Eco) | M32 6-speed manual (1.4L turbo) | Hydra-Matic 6T40 6-speed automatic | |
Gear ratios  1) | | | | |
| First: | 3.82 | 4.27 | 4.27 | 4.58 |
| Second: | 2.16 | 2.16 | 2.53 | 2.96 |
| Third: | 1.47 | 1.30 | 1.47 | 1.91 |
| Fourth: | 1.07 | 0.96 | 1.07 | 1.44 |
| Fifth: | 0.87 | 0.74 | 0.87 | 1.00 |
| Sixth: | 0.74 | 0.61 | 0.74 | 0.74 |
| Reverse: | 3.54 | 3.82 | 3.82 | 2.94 |
| Final drive: | 3.94 | 3.83 | 3.83 | 3.53 |
It appears 1st and 2nd will run out faster on the LS than the LT but 3-6 have the same ratios.
Meant to read the shop manual on the gear shift lock, 2012 2LT has this, don't know about the LS, walked passed it because it didn't have a cruise control. A Cruze without cruise?
With this thing, the clutch pedal has to be fully depressed or almost impossible to get it out of first gear. But once the clutch is fully depressed, snaps into all gears. Wonder if the LS has this feature, if does, could be misadjusted. Kind of gentle with it, but my 120 pound wife sure runs through those gears. Ha, tell her to take it easy, isn't paid for yet. Actually it is, have to think of something else to say.
She was taught to also shift into neutral at a traffic light, but when that light turns green, in a mircrosecond in first gear and flying. She was taught if left in first gear, clutch engaged could break and run over a pedestrian. I always have my feet on both the clutch and the brake, if the clutch does break and engage, that little tiny 1.4L will stall.
With this thing, the clutch pedal has to be fully depressed or almost impossible to get it out of first gear. But once the clutch is fully depressed, snaps into all gears. Wonder if the LS has this feature, if does, could be misadjusted. Kind of gentle with it, but my 120 pound wife sure runs through those gears. Ha, tell her to take it easy, isn't paid for yet. Actually it is, have to think of something else to say.
She was taught to also shift into neutral at a traffic light, but when that light turns green, in a mircrosecond in first gear and flying. She was taught if left in first gear, clutch engaged could break and run over a pedestrian. I always have my feet on both the clutch and the brake, if the clutch does break and engage, that little tiny 1.4L will stall.
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6,727 Posts
a bit off topic but noticed the other day my dealer has the steering wheel with cruise hanging in the accessories department, will cost $500 to add cruise control to a LS. Makes that $1500 more for a 1LT look that much more appealing(with standard cruise, aluminium wheels & the 1.4T).
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3,936 Posts
Now I know why my diesel is doing 1750rpm at 68 mph, final drive is 2.6.From Chevrolet News - United States - Cruze/Cruze Eco/Cruze Diesel
Gear ratios First: 3.82 4.27 4.27 4.58 Second: 2.16 2.16 2.53 2.96 Third: 1.47 1.30 1.47 1.91 Fourth: 1.07 0.96 1.07 1.44 Fifth: 0.87 0.74 0.87 1.00 Sixth: 0.74 0.61 0.74 0.74 Reverse: 3.54 3.82 3.82 2.94 Final drive: 3.94 3.83 3.83 3.53
It appears 1st and 2nd will run out faster on the LS than the LT but 3-6 have the same ratios.
So, the numeric final drive on my Eco auto is, 3.53 X 0.74 = 2.6122
Am I to interpet your final drive is a 2.6 X overdrive? or are you providing the actual, before overdrive ratio?
I'm thinking 2.6 X 0.74......or 1.924......which, with the type of low end torque a diesel can make is actually a viable number.
Rob
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Final drive is slightly different, which would result in a higher RPM on the 1.8.
The spacing between the gears is identical though.
The spacing between the gears is identical though.
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You think your 1>2 shift is bad? Try the ECO trans 1>2 shift, I could take an effing nap in between gears you have to wait soo long. 2>3 is kinda bad too, but not as bad.
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I'm not sure why people complain about the shifting. It is what it is and you have to learn to shift the car. Every single car has different shift points and ratios between gears so you really do have to spend the first month or so retraining your feet and right hand when to shift and how fast to shift for normal driving. Even automatics have this issue but hopefully the transmission software is already trained for it.
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2->3 is my most annoying at low speed - a brief moment of bog if you shift up early. Going around a corner and then trying to accelerate back up to speed, 3rd is too tall and you'll be waiting for the turbo to spool up again at 1500 RPM, and 2nd will leave you wanting to change up almost instantly when it's at 2500.
It's much less annoying when the AC compressor and summer heat aren't zapping my low RPM power.
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10,587 Posts
2nd gear is my right turn gear. Don't care if it's 20 or 35 mph. I rev match if I have to to avoid a 3rd gear bog down. I can shift fine through the gears on my Eco if I don't short shift it up a hill. 1st gear I always end up going 3k in Eco mode to set myself up good for 2nd gear. The 1200 rpm shifts are when nobody is around.
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2.6 is the diff ratio, transmission is 6T45, which is just a beefed up version of the 6T40 in the 1.4T.
6T40/6T45 Differences
To support the 6T45’s greater torque capacity, it features a 1.25-inch-wide output chain, versus a 1-inch-wide chain in the 6T40; and the input gear set of the 6T45 uses five pinion gears, versus four pinions for the 6T40. The case of the 6T45 is slightly larger and includes a heavier ribbed case for additional strength.
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633 Posts
Every other manual I've driven are equal shifts in between each gear that I can row through at a normal pace. Clutch in, shift to next gear, clutch out. Maybe all 1 second? I shouldn't have to wait 3 seconds to shift and worry about getting rear ended. It's honestly my biggest complaint about this car.
Makes it much harder to learn to drive the car and have smooth changes, when every d@mn gear is a different change up time.
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