Does your 1.4 lt. Cruse motor sound rough or. A bit like a diesel??

3225 Views 17 Replies 12 Participants Last post by NickD, Mar 12, 2015

CruzzieQ

Discussion Starter · Mar 11, 2015

I am looking. Hard at this 2011 Cruze tried it out rides and handles beautifully but how do they sound. From cold start to warm up?

Thanks for looking

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

spacedout

· #2 · Mar 11, 2015 (Edited)

If its below 20F outside, the colder it is the louder the engine but quiets down when warmed up. This seems even louder at first because the car starts on high idle(1500RPM), but even when it idles down a minute or two later its still a bit louder than normal.

Was 55F here today, was quiet as can be when I started it.

Dernz3428

· #3 · Mar 11, 2015

Mine sounds a little louder/harsher when first started in the cold. The manual car seems to be louder in general than our automatic car. Once it's warmed up. It's quiet and smooth, but my old subaru was very rough when cold starting and driving compared to the cruze.

neile300c

· #4 · Mar 11, 2015

no, mine is pretty quiet

NickD

· #5 · Mar 11, 2015

We. wife and I test drove Fords, Kias, Hyundais, Hondas, Toyotas, Chrysler, and by far the Cruze was quietest and the most comfortable. Not sure why guys on this site want to make their Cruzes more noisy. Could have purchased a Dodge Dart instead.

Having 4,700 bucks earning on my old GM card also made the Cruze the cheapest, how come other car companies don't have this?

Did have some annoying driver's window air noise on our Cruze, somebody installed the wrong weather strip just on that one door, but my dealer did change it with the correct one.

Only time my wife and I really get a chance to have a conversation is on a long drive and can speak with a normal voice without yelling. We like this feature.

jblackburn

· #6 · Mar 11, 2015

I have piston slap on real cold starts (very common for lots of motors these days due to low friction piston designs). I guess you could say that sounds a bit like a diesel. Over freezing outside and it's a happy camper. Smooth, quiet engine for the class it's in - unless you're really flogging it. Injectors are loud with the hood open, but it runs pretty quiet with the hood shut.

The bigger midsized class 2.4/2.5 liter 4 cylinder engines will of course be a little more refined and quiet, though most 4 cyl engines are still pretty noisy on a cold start.

blk88verde

· #7 · Mar 11, 2015

My Cruze was pretty quite on really cold mornings. Now my 320i with DI is really loud at sub 20 degree temps and takes a good 10 minutes of driving before it fully quiets down.

obermd

· #8 · Mar 11, 2015

I paid attention to my ECO this morning. She purrs like a kitten even though I talk to it like a female puppy.

Reactions: 1

NickD

· #9 · Mar 11, 2015

Sure Wisconsin has colder temps than West Virgina, so why am I not getting piston slap? Darn it, got screwed again.

Should I contact one of the GM reps so I can have piston slap too?

2013Cruze

· #10 · Mar 11, 2015

Nope. Unless it's below 0 outside.

spacedout

· #11 · Mar 11, 2015

NickD said:
Sure Wisconsin has colder temps than West Virgina, so why am I not getting piston slap?

I mentioned this before, but I suspect its because you car is parked in a garage. Even when well below zero outside a garage starting coolant temp are above freezing still. If you have the torque app, next winter when its below freezing start your car and make note of the starting coolant temp, suspect it will be 35-40F+. When parked outside starting coolant temps are typically only a few degrees above outside temps.

Seen one interview with a GM engineer that claimed a huge MPG boost in winter even parking in an unheated garage, since the engine starting temps were always significantly warmer than a car parked outside. Ever notice your wheel well accumulated snow falls off on its own in your garage? That's a good indicator how warm it actually is.... were I park any snow I leave in the wheel wells turns to ice overnight and is almost impossible to remove. My car which sits outside 100% of the time only has startup noise when below 20F, and is much worse when below zero F.

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Reactions: 1

NickD

· #12 · Mar 11, 2015

Car doesn't live in the garage all the time, can't take my garage with me. Last Friday, sat outside all day in 0*F weather and was quiet, engine only revs for about a minute.

Is this because I pat my engine and keep it clean?

jblackburn

· #13 · Mar 12, 2015

NickD said:
Sure Wisconsin has colder temps than West Virgina, so why am I not getting piston slap? Darn it, got screwed again.

Should I contact one of the GM reps so I can have piston slap too?

Ha, must be this darn flash RAM. I'll have to go get a software update.

Durn engineers these days...

CHEVYCRUZE RS

· #14 · Mar 12, 2015

My 2011 sounds rough at first but it never really gave me any problems just that water pump recall. She has 30,000 k's on her and for something that is hardly driven shes holds up just fine. Never winter driven so I couldnt even tell you how it is during colder months but on hot summer days give her some time before you slap it into [D]rive.

ChrisWorldPeace

· #15 · Mar 12, 2015

It should sound like a cammed v8

NickD

· #16 · Mar 12, 2015

At my age never ever want a V-6 or a V-8 engine in a FWD vehicle again. How about spending the good part of a day just replacing a spark plug? Then waiting another month for all those cuts on your hands to heal.

brian v

· #17 · Mar 12, 2015

Nope >> << but then again IT has a 1.8 ..

IT Hates the cold Too ..

NickD

· #18 · Mar 12, 2015

Bet that timing belt is as hard as a rock.

Reactions: 1

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