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Should i bother taking it in?

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bother taking
5K views 31 replies 12 participants last post by  Chevy Customer Care 
#1 ·
I have a 11' cruze LTZ. 49,400 miles. Averages about 29mpg with mostly highway. Love the car aside from what i think is low mpg and the tranmission shifts weird.

Yesterday i drove the car during the day, probably about 30 miles. Came home and for about half hour the car sat while i put boxes and things in. (I'm moving and slowly moving things out) I started the car put it in Drive and drove about half a block to the mail box and put it in park and let it idle as i grabbed the mail. Got back in, put my seat belt on, rehooked my keys and put it in drive. Step on the gas and it reved up then suddenly took off. Almost like it wasn't in gear and at the last second went into gear and took off.
I thought it was strange then the car was sluggish, so i put it in manual and at 20mph it was in 6th gear. When i shifted back to automatic mode it leveled out and drove fine for 30 miles.
The dealer was closed at this time, but i wonder if i should even bother taking it in? No lights are on after this happened and it drove fine today.
I still have the GM 100k Power train warranty and a lifetime power train warranty with the dealer i bought it through.

A side note about the car. I notice if you kinda take off from a start quicker then slowly getting up to speed i get better gas mileage. It also seems to shift better if you kinda step on it a little as well. (Maybe i just drive like a little old lady on sunday? lol)
 
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#2 ·
If you go to the dealer they will try to reproduce the behaviour.

So my advice would be to pass on the dealer this time, unless it starts to recur.

With all of the software in these things sometimes one-offs happen.
 
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#3 ·
My trans was shifting a little lazy and I was going to let it go - went in to have the oil changed and tires rotated - they dipped the trans as part of the typical inspection and it was definitely not the pretty red it was supposed to be - 32,900 mi. Had them do the service (holy crap has that gotten expensive) and the she's shifting pretty darn good now. Friend has an Equinox and he's been complaining about screwy shifts for a while - dealer couldn't reproduce - finally after 5 visits they were able to reproduce it and changed out the transmission control.
 
#5 ·
My '11 has almost 60k miles and runs like a champ. I have noticed a few hard shifts but only when on a hill or something. Are we insinuating that the tranny fluid needs to be checked after the first 30k even though its supposed to be sealed for "life"?

Of course, the life could only be 30k miles for all we know...
 
#7 ·
Probably true. Quite honestly I would like to tune the tranny to shift a little firmer vs. shifting too soft. The softer the shift, the more friction since the pieces are slipping against each other.

On that note, how does one check their trans fluid on a cruze? Does it have a dipstick like my Mazda 6 had?
 
#10 · (Edited)
Not sure of the auto but manual at one point had a check plug where you could stick a finger in to check the levels. If you want a hassle, try checking the center diff dip stick on a auto trans Legacy GT. The manuals have long blue dip stick where us autos have to reach through the heater core lines and inches from the downpipe right off the turbo to check it.
 
#12 ·
The automatic transmission in the Cruze is a piece of crap. I lease, and mine was so bad I demanded a change out at one year for a manual shift car. The dealer complied. They took the '12 automatic in at one year as a trade in, gave me a '13 manual shift car and a new 39 month lease, BUT, it is costing me $21 a month more for the lease. Best $21 per month I ever spent. The manual trans is smooth, easy to shift and the clutch effort is feather light. DO NOT buy an automatic Cruze or an automatic Equinox. Almost everyone on this Fourm is in love with their Cruze and treats it like a child or a pedigree dog, but the most common complaint is with the automatic transmission. Be in touch with your Cruze and experience the fun of "engaged driving" instead of reading text messages while the crappy automatic transmission tries to figure out its mission. Skip shift all day long if 6 times is too much for you to get to highway speed. Just remember to let the engine settle down a little (rpm wise) before letting up the clutch in the higher gear. Hey, the Corvette a few years ago had the manual transmission do the skip shifting for you if you held it in a lower gear too long. Don't know how to drive a manual transmission car - get out there and learn - take someone with you who can drive one to several different dealers and take out manual shift cars for a test drive. As soon as you get down the street, swap seats and learn how to drive a manual courtesy of the big 3 and the boys from Japan. You learned how to run a smart phone, you can learn how to drive a stick shift. One more time for effect - DO NOT buy an automatic Cruze - until the software is upgraded. All the mechanical parts are fine, but it's the software that needs help.
 
#13 ·
Hi beachbaby902

If you would like me to I can document this issue for you so that there will be a record of it if needed in the future. I can create an SR for you if you are willing to send me some information by private message. If you are interested please send me your name, VIN, current mileage and a contact number.

Jackie
Chevrolet Customer Care
 
#14 ·
I'm sorry erastimus but I must disagree as I haven't had any issues with my cruze except the new fuel pump. The gears shift fine. Its also got a manu-matic so I could "shift" it on my own.

But, in the interest of seeing your point but unable to drive a real stick shift, maybe I'll drive mine in "manual drive" for a while and see how it does that way.
 
#15 ·
I know how to drive stick, but prefer automatic. My previous car was a 2000 Saturn SL2 that i gave to my aunt with 270k original miles on both engine and auto tranny. It still gets 32mpg and drives great. (aside from warped rotors, but thats not my or cars fault)

i did take the car back to where i bought it because of the shifting and was told it was normal...and that i wasn't use to a 6 speed.

I just however wasn't aware at the time it was a sealed tranny. If i would have known that, i probably would have gone with something else.
 
#17 ·
I just however wasn't aware at the time it was a sealed tranny. If i would have known that, i probably would have gone with something else.
They are ALL sealed these days. Toyota, Honda, Ford, you name it. It's a ploy to get you back to the dealer for maintenance, along with making them complicated to fill to the correct level.
 
#18 ·
So it will be taking in tomorrow. Either driven or towed.

I left work today and at the stop sign the car kept going vroom vroom vroom vroom. Figured it was cause the car was cold and all. Drove home and it was stop and go traffic. Of course the tranny was shifting up and down and over and around and all that.
Got to my complex, put the car in park to check the mail and as i walked around the car i heard a tinking / knocking sound. So i parked the car and popped the hood. The entire engine was shaking and making a loud tinkling / knocking noise. (Almost sounded like a truck)

Later checked the oil and it was fine, but smells heavy of exhaust. No lights on either. :/
 
#20 ·
Sounds like a misfire - but that would give a check engine light.
 
#21 ·
Got it back, they claim nothing is wrong and the engine noise is normal as well as the wacky shifting is normal. Which he said the tranny sounded normal before even looking at it cause everyone complains about the tranny.

They did update the ECM and TCM. Notice no difference though, expect in my wallet. They charged me $96 bucks since i don't have bumper to bumper and nothing was wrong.
 
#22 ·
The MY14 SRI Cruze has a updated auto shift which has a better shift pattern and even holds a lower gear slowing for a corner when it detects you are giving it a bit of hurry up. Maybe the software update could be purchased online?
 
#29 ·
#31 ·
Under the ecotec cover. No spark plug wires in many cars since the late 90s - they use coil packs.

For a better driving car, I would suggest:
1) Regap or replace the spark plugs with NGK BKR7E-4644 (search for the threads on these). The stock iridiums are a poor plug choice for this car.
2) Run 89 octane or above. They just run terrible on 87.
3) reset transmission adaptives - pull off your negative battery cable, leave it for 15+ minutes, and reconnect. 2011s have very poor shift programming and will never be silky smooth.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
#32 ·
beachbaby902,

I know it is frustrating when your concern can't be duplicated. If your concern continues, please be sure to take note of the conditions it occurs under. You can send us a private message if you would like for us to reach out to your dealership.

Erica Tiffany
Chevrolet Customer Care
 
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