[chucktronix]

2013 1.4L turbo, 61,000 miles: No codes or misfires, no unusual repairs or maintenance issues aside from brakes, oil changes, etc. Bought the car at about 12,000. Mobil 1 and Wix ever since. I find no signs of the dreaded PCV fault. No sucking sound, no oil in the throttle area, no noticeable oil consumption, no excessive cam cover leakage.

I recently changed out the spark plugs for the first time and inspected the cylinders with a borescope. I found that the plug from Cylinder 2 had some oil film on it. Not drippy but a film. The others were dry. Same with the cylinders. Cylinders 1, 3, 4 were dry with a slight carbon film. Cylinder 2 showed an oil film on the piston top. PLEASE NOTE: ALL SPARK PLUG WELLS WERE DRY. NO GASKET LEAKAGE.

The usual ways for oil to get into a cylinder, aside from coming in on the intake air, is ring leakage or valve guide leakage. My question: is there some fault in the 1.4L that is commonly known to leak oil into a cylinder?

Many thanks!

 

[jblackburn]

The PCV check valve is right in between cyls 2/3 IIRC. It will suck in tons of oil if that check valve is gone.

A compression test might be worth a shot. The 1.4T's from both generations have a decent history of cracking pistons.

 

[chucktronix]

The PCV check valve is right in between cyls 2/3 IIRC. It will suck in tons of oil if that check valve is gone.

A compression test might be worth a shot. The 1.4T's from both generations have a decent history of cracking pistons.

Thanks for the quick reply! I guess I've needed an excuse to get a compression tester. Now I'll get one. Praying it's not a piston.

As for the pcv in the intake manifold, Dorman claims to have fixed this problem. Do you know if they actually succeeded or is the Cruzekits solution the only way around this design flaw?

Thanks again!

 

[jblackburn]

Thanks for the quick reply! I guess I've needed an excuse to get a compression tester. Now I'll get one. Praying it's not a piston.

As for the pcv in the intake manifold, Dorman claims to have fixed this problem. Do you know if they actually succeeded or is the Cruzekits solution the only way around this design flaw?

Thanks again!

Never used one myself, but haven't had too good luck with other Dorman parts.

 

[JLL]

Never used one myself, but haven't had too good luck with other Dorman parts.

Me neither, but @Thebigzeus has high praise for their intake manifold.

 

[Thebigzeus]

Me neither, but @Thebigzeus has high praise for their intake manifold.

I had bad luck with their thermostat, it leaked. But who knows maybe just a bad oring. But yes that intake manifold is great!

 

[chucktronix]

I had bad luck with their thermostat, it leaked. But who knows maybe just a bad oring. But yes that intake manifold is great!

Thanks for the recommendation about the Dorman intake. Speaking of the thermostat, ever since we've owned that car from 2014, it takes forever to get heat in the PA winter. If idling it never warms up. Only driving would warm it up. I never got up the ambition to change the thermostat. I'm curious, why did you change out your thermostat? Too hot or too cold?

Thanks again!

 

[Thebigzeus]

Thanks for the recommendation about the Dorman intake. Speaking of the thermostat, ever since we've owned that car from 2014, it takes forever to get heat in the PA winter. If idling it never warms up. Only driving would warm it up. I never got up the ambition to change the thermostat. I'm curious, why did you change out your thermostat? Too hot or too cold?

Thanks again!

Started leaking.

 

[JLL]

Started leaking.

What???

A coolant leak on a Cruze?!

Speaking of such, how's your car?

 

[Thebigzeus]

What???

A coolant leak on a Cruze?!

Speaking of such, how's your car?

Chillin in the garage, good I guess. 🤷‍♂️

 

[JLL]

Chillin in the garage, good I guess. 🤷‍♂️

That's better than overheating or 💥

When's that new water pump coming?

 

[fire_webber]

Thanks for the recommendation about the Dorman intake. Speaking of the thermostat, ever since we've owned that car from 2014, it takes forever to get heat in the PA winter. If idling it never warms up. Only driving would warm it up. I never got up the ambition to change the thermostat. I'm curious, why did you change out your thermostat? Too hot or too cold?

Thanks again!

I put the cruze kit on mine; haven't had any issues with it.