[GeneralDriver]

I got a 2012 Chevy Cruze LS with MT. The car is relatively new to me, but the car has 100K miles on it, bought it very cheap.
The clutch takes an effort to depress, and after driving in a city, my leg is finished. On short rides it's bearable, but forget about [email protected], it's a killer after 30 minutes.
I took it to a mechanic, he found nothing wrong it it, but I did change the fluid anyway. It didn't improve at all.
According to the mechanic, the previous owner must have put in a heavy duty clutch. I wasn't thrilled by his response, because all he did was going around the parking lot for less than a minute.

I just want to make sure it's not a mechanical problem. I know the hydraulics work fine, as I said I changed the fluid and I depressed the pedal with the bleeder open and the clutch felt light.
My question is, is there really a heavy duty clutch made for this car? And if there is, what's the benefit..because I have driven 2.5 ton trucks and 5.0L Mustangs, but neither of them had a clutch like this.

 

[obermd]

At 100K miles it could also be a sign that the clutch pad needs to be replaced. Also, do you have a odometer picture?

 

[GeneralDriver]

At 100K miles it could also be a sign that the clutch pad needs to be replaced. Also, do you have a odometer picture?

I'm thinking the same, although my knowledge about transmissions and clutches are limited. Why do you need an odometer picture? I can make one of course, I'm just curious how's that gonna help..

 

[obermd]

The odometer picture is to award a 100,000 mile badge.

 

[GeneralDriver]

I will make a shot of it.
Meanwhile, I tried another fluid (I'm getting the 1st-2nd-3rd gear feel kinda clunky). The advance autoparts and the "supertech' walmart man.trans fluid I have tried are both crap. This time I have ordered the Amsoil from the web. What a waste of money on these cheap oils, I should have just gone for the Amsoil or the Redline from the first get-go.

 

[Kalpazan]

Why do you expect changing transmission oil to reflect the way clutch works ? It may improve shifting but not clutch "feel". Earlier Cruzes (2010-2012) are known to have an agressive clutch return feeling (or whatever is the right word for it). After some miles you will develope skills... and muscles in your foot as well

 

[obermd]

Why do you expect changing transmission oil to reflect the way clutch works ? It may improve shifting but not clutch "feel". Earlier Cruzes (2010-2012) are known to have an agressive clutch return feeling (or whatever is the right word for it). After some miles you will develope skills... and muscles in your foot as well

The OEM synchromesh is too thin. The AMSOil synchromesh is a thicker fluid and generally makes the gear box work smoother. It does change how the clutch feels but it doesn't do anything for a worn out clutch.

 

[GeneralDriver]

Why do you expect changing transmission oil to reflect the way clutch works ? It may improve shifting but not clutch "feel". Earlier Cruzes (2010-2012) are known to have an agressive clutch return feeling (or whatever is the right word for it). After some miles you will develope skills... and muscles in your foot as well

I'm not trying to improve the clutch with the fluid, that's silly. I'm trying to improve the shifting. The clutch works as intended, it's just heavy. Nothing to be done with that..although I may get it replaced sometime in the future or if it turns into a bigger issue.
The gears are another story. I drained it and as I suspected it, it was never changed and it was dark brownish, almost black. Remind you, this car was bought with 95,000 miles.
I put a new, but generic gear fluid in it, but shifting through gears is still too rough, although the new fluid did improve, not to mention, the fluid that was in there, wasn't even enough (about 1.5 quart came out).

 

[obermd]

I'm not trying to improve the clutch with the fluid, that's silly. I'm trying to improve the shifting. The clutch works as intended, it's just heavy. Nothing to be done with that..although I may get it replaced sometime in the future or if it turns into a bigger issue.
The gears are another story. I drained it and as I suspected it, it was never changed and it was dark brownish, almost black. Remind you, this car was bought with 95,000 miles.
I put a new, but generic gear fluid in it, but shifting through gears is still too rough, although the new fluid did improve, not to mention, the fluid that was in there, wasn't even enough (about 1.5 quart came out).

The dark color may be anti-corrosion agents the GM puts in the transmission during manufacture. I'm hoping you put 2.25-2.4 qts back in.

 

[pandrad61]

the only way to improve clutch peddle travel and feel besides a different clutch and pressure plate combo is a adjustable master cyl for the clutch., if i remember the cruze has master brake and clutch in 1 unit.you could always try a diffrent clutch plate and flywheel combo once yours is worn. other then that if its all working its just what it is

 

[jblackburn]

Odd. Mine's very easy to drive. Makes me think that maybe the clearances in the clutch hydraulics are too tight?

 

[GeneralDriver]

Odd. Mine's very easy to drive. Makes me think that maybe the clearances in the clutch hydraulics are too tight?

What do you mean? The slave cylinder? When I changed the brake/hydraulic fluid, and I was pumping the clutch while pushing out the fluid through the bleeder, the clutch didn't feel heavy at all. So, from the pedal on to the bleeder, it's working as it should.
Soon as I was done with the bleeding, it become an exercise machine again. My suspicion is on the clutch piston or the clutch pressure plate. I don't have a clutch problem, meaning it doesn't slip. The clutch also engages like 1/3 of the way pushing the pedal.
So I'm guessing the clutch disk is still good. It boils down to the piston in the clutch housing or the clutch pressure plate.

 

[jblackburn]

I'm thinking the master/slave cylinder rather than pressure plate. Typically if it were the pressure plate, it would not want to disengage, you'd be grinding gears unless you stuff the pedal into the carpet, and it would just generally be a chore to drive. So, if you don't feel that the clutch bites at the very extremes of pedal travel, I'd probably investigate the hydraulics.

On the other hand, if you do feel that the clutch bites somewhere around the extremes of pedal travel (mine starts to grab around 1/2, and is almost fully engaged by 2/3 up from the floor), a clutch/pressure plate replacement is probably in your future.

 

[GeneralDriver]

I'm thinking the master/slave cylinder rather than pressure plate. Typically if it were the pressure plate, it would not want to disengage, you'd be grinding gears unless you stuff the pedal into the carpet, and it would just generally be a chore to drive. So, if you don't feel that the clutch bites at the very extremes of pedal travel, I'd probably investigate the hydraulics.

On the other hand, if you do feel that the clutch bites somewhere around the extremes of pedal travel (mine starts to grab around 1/2, and is almost fully engaged by 2/3 up from the floor), a clutch/pressure plate replacement is probably in your future.

Well, unfortuantely I am just not a great mechanic..or at least not brave enough to experiment or to buy anything, that I'm not sure of if I needed. I had a fair share of buying stuff for my previous cars, spending hundreds of dollars, only to figure out, it wasn't needed, it wasn't broken.
I need to find another mechanic though. This current one I took the car for checkup as well as the dealership I bought it from, both don't really care, or at least, they don't think it's a problem.
Of course, it's not them driving the car. The only way to test this anyway, is to get another hydraulic cylinder and see what happens, right? And if it doesn't improve, then I need to start saving money for a clutch job.
I wish my brother wouldn't be in another country, **** it. He is a certified Audi mechanic, he would probably fix it in a day, even if he has to change the clutch, for no more than 12 pack of Samuel Adams and a couple of hundred bucks for "wasting his time". :dry:

 

[indann]

I have 2012 MT as well but the LTZ variant. It has the same characteristic. I recently got the clutch kit + flywheel +release bearing replaced. The travel while pushing has gotten much smoother, but when you half clutch in stop-go traffic, it feels like something is pushing the pedal back hard. My back starts aching after a while. Consulted 2 different mechanics and both say it is as smooth as the clutch of cruze could go. I am wondering if that is true. Is that the characteristic of all cruzes?