I am original owner of a 2013 Cruze 1LT RS 1.4T Current odometer reading is 51,703.
In the last two months or so I have started to experience hesitation and rough running but nothing that set the MIL or could be consistently duplicated. I had no current, stored or pending codes. After searching the forums, I started at the beginning with a spark plug removal and inspection. The ground hook on the plugs were beveled at a 45degree angle and were badly worn. Ah Ha! simple and easy I thought. Read the forum opinions on plugs and replaced with NGK V-Power coppers. No joy, intermittent hesitation and missing still present.
I drove the car for a few hundred miles on the new plugs and finally the problem started getting more consistent and worse. Never thought I would be happy to see a MIL illuminate. The MIL started flashing and the "Service Stabilitrak" and "Service Traction Control" messages appeared. I went straight to the dealer the next morning. They said no codes and nothing wrong with the car... I was dumb founded...
I have some trust issues with dealer service in general but the car is under powertrain warranty. I have had a great service writer experience but I don't trust what happens behind the closed doors of the service bays and not just this dealer but my experiences have been lack luster across many brands and many dealerships. That said, moving on.
I could get the symptom to repeat nearly daily but without a common theme. I checked with my own scantool and there were no codes, even when the lights were illuminated and the MIL flashing. I decided to get a better scantool, which I had been putting off. I purchased an Autel MD808 Pro with Mode 6 data as I wanted to see the cylinder misfire data.
The misfire data was informative. Cyl#1 thru 3 had zero to 2 misfires in the drive cycle and Cyl#4 had a count of 594 misfires in about 5 miles when the error messages were active. Again, Ah Ha! Cyl#4, back to the dealer with my new found information. The dealer dismissed it as being low misfire counts and no MIL and no Codes. "Car is fine" was the determination...
I researched the CruzeTalk forum and found a good bit of info related to the Stabilitak messages and the PCV system. I do NOT have the whistle or air suction at the valve cover. I looked and the Orange nub IS present and accounted for in the intake as visible through the breather hose, I have had no radio, instrument cluster or other electrical anomalies so I wasn't leaning towards the negative battery cable.
Finally, 2 days ago, the MIL was flashing AND it remained lit this time! Back to the dealer with P0304.
They had the car all day and came back with I needed an extensive upper intake cleaning at a cost of $450 to me. They said it was badly carbon-ed up and it was a maintenance issue not a warranty issue. I asked if I paid for this service and it didn't fix anything then would I get a refund, take an educated guess on how that line of questioning went...
I am a 4000mile oil changer and I let the dealer do it to keep the history in their system for warranty proof. I run a bottle of Techron with a tank of gas monthly and I use premium gas from known brands such as BP, Shell & Marathon. I am having a hard time believing that my engine is carbon-ed up so bad that one lone cylinder is misfiring. They actually suggested that the carbon might be so bad as to keep the valves from closing properly. I see that as unlikely as well as not an intermittent problem.
My BS alarm is buzzing at this point. Since only Cyl#4 is exhibiting the symptom, I am thinking something more specific to Cyl#4. My mechanical prowess says you need the following for combustion: fuel, air, compression & spark. A common intake runner makes me think it highly unlikely for Cyl#4 not to be getting air while the other Cyls are. That leaves Fuel, compression and spark. Plugs looked even across the board and no visible carbon tracking etc but the Ignition coil could still be suspect. I have been told the module can not be bench tested. Fuel injector could be suspect. A tech could watch for uneven fuel pressure drops on the pressurized rail by firing a single injector at a time, but those tools are not in my toolbox. My compression gauge is a flexible hose style and I can't get a good seal down the spark plug hole, compression hasn't been tested by the dealer either.
I think the most likely causes are either an ignition coil/module or compression related. I think if the dealer would do a compression test, we could rule that out or have definitive evidence to go further into a hard mechanical engine problem. I have seen posts about cracked pistons...
Lastly, if the thought was truly a dirty intake problem, why would I spend $450 for "snake oil" to clean it instead of replacing it? A complete manifold assembly Part#55577314 comes with the intake, throttle body, fuel rail, injectors, MAP sensor and purge valve for $250 to $300 depending on source. An hour labor to replace it and I am at the same cost as their "Cleaning". If a compression test showed OK and I was going to pour my own money down a blind hole for a "maybe" fix, then it seems best to first drop $70 for a coil. Next would be the intake assembly at $250 instead of cleaning.
I am asking for the compression test to no avail thus far. I am thinking about buying my own tool with a rigid adapter and again doing their job to troubleshoot. The compression tools I have found with rigid tubes to thread in are professional units like the ATD-5639 for $120...
I ask the forum members, "What are your thoughts?"
Thanks,
Stephen
In the last two months or so I have started to experience hesitation and rough running but nothing that set the MIL or could be consistently duplicated. I had no current, stored or pending codes. After searching the forums, I started at the beginning with a spark plug removal and inspection. The ground hook on the plugs were beveled at a 45degree angle and were badly worn. Ah Ha! simple and easy I thought. Read the forum opinions on plugs and replaced with NGK V-Power coppers. No joy, intermittent hesitation and missing still present.
I drove the car for a few hundred miles on the new plugs and finally the problem started getting more consistent and worse. Never thought I would be happy to see a MIL illuminate. The MIL started flashing and the "Service Stabilitrak" and "Service Traction Control" messages appeared. I went straight to the dealer the next morning. They said no codes and nothing wrong with the car... I was dumb founded...
I have some trust issues with dealer service in general but the car is under powertrain warranty. I have had a great service writer experience but I don't trust what happens behind the closed doors of the service bays and not just this dealer but my experiences have been lack luster across many brands and many dealerships. That said, moving on.
I could get the symptom to repeat nearly daily but without a common theme. I checked with my own scantool and there were no codes, even when the lights were illuminated and the MIL flashing. I decided to get a better scantool, which I had been putting off. I purchased an Autel MD808 Pro with Mode 6 data as I wanted to see the cylinder misfire data.
The misfire data was informative. Cyl#1 thru 3 had zero to 2 misfires in the drive cycle and Cyl#4 had a count of 594 misfires in about 5 miles when the error messages were active. Again, Ah Ha! Cyl#4, back to the dealer with my new found information. The dealer dismissed it as being low misfire counts and no MIL and no Codes. "Car is fine" was the determination...
I researched the CruzeTalk forum and found a good bit of info related to the Stabilitak messages and the PCV system. I do NOT have the whistle or air suction at the valve cover. I looked and the Orange nub IS present and accounted for in the intake as visible through the breather hose, I have had no radio, instrument cluster or other electrical anomalies so I wasn't leaning towards the negative battery cable.
Finally, 2 days ago, the MIL was flashing AND it remained lit this time! Back to the dealer with P0304.
They had the car all day and came back with I needed an extensive upper intake cleaning at a cost of $450 to me. They said it was badly carbon-ed up and it was a maintenance issue not a warranty issue. I asked if I paid for this service and it didn't fix anything then would I get a refund, take an educated guess on how that line of questioning went...
I am a 4000mile oil changer and I let the dealer do it to keep the history in their system for warranty proof. I run a bottle of Techron with a tank of gas monthly and I use premium gas from known brands such as BP, Shell & Marathon. I am having a hard time believing that my engine is carbon-ed up so bad that one lone cylinder is misfiring. They actually suggested that the carbon might be so bad as to keep the valves from closing properly. I see that as unlikely as well as not an intermittent problem.
My BS alarm is buzzing at this point. Since only Cyl#4 is exhibiting the symptom, I am thinking something more specific to Cyl#4. My mechanical prowess says you need the following for combustion: fuel, air, compression & spark. A common intake runner makes me think it highly unlikely for Cyl#4 not to be getting air while the other Cyls are. That leaves Fuel, compression and spark. Plugs looked even across the board and no visible carbon tracking etc but the Ignition coil could still be suspect. I have been told the module can not be bench tested. Fuel injector could be suspect. A tech could watch for uneven fuel pressure drops on the pressurized rail by firing a single injector at a time, but those tools are not in my toolbox. My compression gauge is a flexible hose style and I can't get a good seal down the spark plug hole, compression hasn't been tested by the dealer either.
I think the most likely causes are either an ignition coil/module or compression related. I think if the dealer would do a compression test, we could rule that out or have definitive evidence to go further into a hard mechanical engine problem. I have seen posts about cracked pistons...
Lastly, if the thought was truly a dirty intake problem, why would I spend $450 for "snake oil" to clean it instead of replacing it? A complete manifold assembly Part#55577314 comes with the intake, throttle body, fuel rail, injectors, MAP sensor and purge valve for $250 to $300 depending on source. An hour labor to replace it and I am at the same cost as their "Cleaning". If a compression test showed OK and I was going to pour my own money down a blind hole for a "maybe" fix, then it seems best to first drop $70 for a coil. Next would be the intake assembly at $250 instead of cleaning.
I am asking for the compression test to no avail thus far. I am thinking about buying my own tool with a rigid adapter and again doing their job to troubleshoot. The compression tools I have found with rigid tubes to thread in are professional units like the ATD-5639 for $120...
I ask the forum members, "What are your thoughts?"
Thanks,
Stephen
