# 2nd cruze, 2nd thermostat replaced



## jdubb11 (Mar 14, 2012)

somewhere between being very unlucky or every cruze thermostat not working properly, i had yet another thermostat replaced on a 2012 cruze 1.4. both cars had the same exact issue of not getting to op temp after 25 min of driving when temps outside were below 40 degrees. the thing that made me the most mad about this happening a 2nd time is that i told them back in may it was having this issue but they told me i had to wait for colder temps to prove it. so i wasted time on two different days to go back, drop the car off, and get a ride back to get it. best part was when they told me it was ready, and i sit in the drivers seat and i see that the check engine light is on :uhh:...really, they couldnt notice that. so i pulled right back in and after a 20 min wait i was told they forgot to plug in some wire to the thermostat. on a more positive note i was happy that they asked me if i wanted the recall done while it was there, which i said no, and they didnt just go ahead and do the recall hack job on their own.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Ouch! Sorry to hear that. I hope it's fixed for good this time. 

What's your usual drive, and where do you set the vent controls? The 1.4 is slow to heat up if the heat is turned on for the first 5 minutes of driving. In the winter, I suck it up and drive for the first 5 minutes, then turn the heat on when the engine is up over 100*F. Driving our Fit with its 1.5 liter engine and the same foible prepared me for this issue. 

This is a little different than a Tahoe with a V8 that is using more fuel, and generating more heat.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

jdubb11 said:


> somewhere between being very unlucky or every cruze thermostat not working properly, i had yet another thermostat replaced on a 2012 cruze 1.4. both cars had the same exact issue of not getting to op temp after 25 min of driving when temps outside were below 40 degrees. the thing that made me the most mad about this happening a 2nd time is that i told them back in may it was having this issue but they told me i had to wait for colder temps to prove it. so i wasted time on two different days to go back, drop the car off, and get a ride back to get it. best part was when they told me it was ready, and i sit in the drivers seat and i see that the check engine light is on :uhh:...really, they couldnt notice that. so i pulled right back in and after a 20 min wait i was told they forgot to plug in some wire to the thermostat. on a more positive note i was happy that they asked me if i wanted the recall done while it was there, which i said no, and they didnt just go ahead and do the recall hack job on their own.




jdubb11,
I would like to apologize for the issues that you have had with your Cruze. I am happy to hear that your dealer was able to get this issue resolved for you. Thank you for the feedback on this issue. If you ever have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to contact me anytime.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## jdubb11 (Mar 14, 2012)

sciphi said:


> Ouch! Sorry to hear that. I hope it's fixed for good this time.
> 
> What's your usual drive, and where do you set the vent controls? The 1.4 is slow to heat up if the heat is turned on for the first 5 minutes of driving. In the winter, I suck it up and drive for the first 5 minutes, then turn the heat on when the engine is up over 100*F. Driving our Fit with its 1.5 liter engine and the same foible prepared me for this issue.
> 
> This is a little different than a Tahoe with a V8 that is using more fuel, and generating more heat.


it was a frosty 37 the other morning so i used the remote start and let it run for about 3-4 min just to give it a little time to start warming up. i have a 4 month old and dont want the car ice cold when bringing him to daycare now, and come winter. after the warm up time i drove 9 miles to work which takes about 20 min as its a mix of 50,45, and 40 mph speed limits and 18(yes 18 sigh lol) stop lights( probably only have to stop for about half of them on a givin day). anyways by the time i got to work the temp needle was about 2 needles width away from full op temp. the car blew warmish air after about 6 min of the car being on but it never did get that nice warm or hotish temp. if the car cant get warmed up at 37 whats it going to do durring a mn winter??? my son and i would be freezin or butts off. ive been having this same drive for 10 yrs and anyother car ive owned in that time, (01 blazer, 06 cobalt, 07 tahoe, 09 malibu {yes i stick it out with chevy}), have all warmed up fully and blew hot air after about 10 min or less depending on temp. like you said, hopfully this issue is fixed now. when they replaced the thermost on my 1st cruze the car was at full op temp in 10 min or so and blew hot air.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

That was a problem. Even with a chiptune on my car that lowers the peak temperature by 20*F from 220*F to 200*F, my car still heats up quickly, and can make the interior uncomfortably warm when it's fully warmed up. 

Although, the car sitting idling at a stoplight for 2 or 3 minutes will have it lose heat in the winter since it uses 0.15 to 0.2 gallons/hour of gas at a warm idle. It's not really enough to keep both the engine and heater core warm when using that little gas. I'd suggest a grille block of the lower grille to help it keep heat in a -20*F Minneapolis winter.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

sciphi said:


> That was a problem. Even with a chiptune on my car that lowers the peak temperature by 20*F from 220*F to 200*F, my car still heats up quickly, and can make the interior uncomfortably warm when it's fully warmed up.
> 
> Although, the car sitting idling at a stoplight for 2 or 3 minutes will have it lose heat in the winter since it uses 0.15 to 0.2 gallons/hour of gas at a warm idle. It's not really enough to keep both the engine and heater core warm when using that little gas. I'd suggest a grille block of the lower grille to help it keep heat in a -20*F Minneapolis winter.


I wonder if the aero shutters on the ECO will close in those conditions simply to help warm up the engine.


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## jdubb11 (Mar 14, 2012)

35 degrees this am. 5 min warm up, the ussual drive, car still cant get to op temp after 25 min of running. i give up!!!! :cussing: must just be the nature of this car. i did have warmish heat but after 15-20 min (temp needle at 1/4) of it being on full heat and number 4 fan speed and still not very warm in my car i turned on the recirculate mode. i had HOT air in 15 seconds arty:. ive never had to do this before to get nice warm/hot air from a car when its 35 out but whatever, thats what ill do. ill just prey for heat dec-feb when its cold as [email protected]*! here.... on a side note, ive always heard you get better mpg when the car is fully warm so now i wonder what kind of mpgs ill get this winter. i know they go down for a number of reasons in the winter but maybe add another to the list.


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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

Having the hack job recall call done probably doesnt help in keeping engine warm either. Maybe there'll be a recall done to where you have a winter shield and a summer shield.


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## jdubb11 (Mar 14, 2012)

AutumnCruzeRS said:


> Having the hack job recall call done probably doesnt help in keeping engine warm either. Maybe there'll be a recall done to where you have a winter shield and a summer shield.


funny you say that. this summer when it was hot as heck outside and my car was making that crazy buzzing sound for 5 min,(search buzzing if you havent seen the thread and vid) i thought that the shield was making it way too hot in the engine bay with no air flow. im not planning on having the recall done and it would be nice to have some of that heat now!! lol


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## jdubb11 (Mar 14, 2012)

hate to beat a dead horse but the cruze will be going back to the dealer on monday. same story, 10 degrees at 8am. car was remote started for 8 min, drivin in manual mode and not in 6th gear, and after 25 min the car was barely over 1/4 way on the temp gauge. blowing warmish air on recirculate and coolish air once i had to switch to outside air as the windows finally fogged up. hoping they can get this problem solved


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

jdubb11 said:


> hate to beat a dead horse but the cruze will be going back to the dealer on monday. same story, 10 degrees at 8am. car was remote started for 8 min, drivin in manual mode and not in 6th gear, and after 25 min the car was barely over 1/4 way on the temp gauge. blowing warmish air on recirculate and coolish air once i had to switch to outside air as the windows finally fogged up. hoping they can get this problem solved



jdubb11,
I would like to apologize for the issues that you are experiencing with your Cruze. I understand your frustrations with this. I would like you to keep me posted on the progress with your dealer. If you have any questions or would like my assistance please contact me anytime.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

"Welcome" to the *sad-reality *world of GM's _*4-million-mile 'tested' *_Cruze...uh, huh.


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## jdubb11 (Mar 14, 2012)

i dropped it off last night so it would be nice and cold for them this morning(10 degrees last night). they called and asked if i had smelt any coolant or seen leaks at all, i have not. i shoulda checked the overflow before bringing it in. they didnt say it was low, ill have to ask. anyways im going to work now, havent heard back from them yet.


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## jbruns2012 (Dec 30, 2012)

Add me to the list of Cruze owners with temperature issues. The worst part is the service tech at the dealer I bought the car at tried to insult me telling me I did not know what I was talking about when I tried to explain that a car that goes to 155 and then back down to 150 after 30 minutes of driving is not normal. Yesterday, it went to 125 and then started going the other way (colder). I for sure have the same issues that the person that opened this thread had/has. I now get to find another dealer that will change out the thermostat based on my say so and not in total reliance on a check engine or computer logged issue.

I live in suburb of Minneapolis and yesterday's high was 18 degrees. My Cruze is a 6 speed manual.

I don't need any apologies, just want a thermostat installed that does what it is supposed to do.


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## jdubb11 (Mar 14, 2012)

jbruns2012 said:


> Add me to the list of Cruze owners with temperature issues. The worst part is the service tech at the dealer I bought the car at tried to insult me telling me I did not know what I was talking about when I tried to explain that a car that goes to 155 and then back down to 150 after 30 minutes of driving is not normal. Yesterday, it went to 125 and then started going the other way (colder). I for sure have the same issues that the person that opened this thread had/has. I now get to find another dealer that will change out the thermostat based on my say so and not in total reliance on a check engine or computer logged issue.
> 
> I live in suburb of Minneapolis and yesterday's high was 18 degrees. My Cruze is a 6 speed manual.
> 
> I don't need any apologies, just want a thermostat installed that does what it is supposed to do.


not sure what part of mpls you are from but i bought and bring my car to main motors in anoka. they are really great. i would highly recommend talking to tony(service manager) or shannon. that said, with this issue you are probably sol like the rest of us. this car can not get to or maintain op temp in city driving unless your driving in those conditions for over half hour or so AND you do not use the blower on speed 4. tonight i happened to jump on hwy 610 after about 5 min driving and the car got to op temp in about 3 min of hwy speeds, with fan on 3. i repeat this car can not and will not keep op temp in cold (25 degrees or less) in city driving for less then 30 min. i drive in manual mode and or drop it into 5th gear when city driving to keep rpms up. good luck to us with the -10 they are calling for the next couple of days. if you havent seen them already, there is a couple other threads on this issue that may help ya


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

jdubb11 said:


> I happened to jump on hwy 610 after about 5 min driving and the car got to op temp in about 3 min of hwy speeds, with fan on 3. i repeat this car can not and will not keep op temp in cold (25 degrees or less) in city driving for less then 30 min. i drive in manual mode and or drop it into 5th gear when city driving to keep rpms up. good luck to us with the -10 they are calling for the next couple of days.


Why are you running your fan on speed 3 or higher when the car is not even warmed up? You have to remember this is a tiny engine & a heater core is just a small radiator with fan attached. Running the fan on anything above speed 2 before the engine is warm just prolongs the warm up period & can actually start cooling the car. Only thing the fan should be used for when cold is to defog/frost the windows, which speed 2 does nicely. 

I always leave my fan speed on 1-2 until the car is warmed up. Even on the -4 degree morning the other day car was fully warmed up in under 15 minutes. Tonight it was 24 degrees when I left for work, remote started car for 3 minutes. When I got into the car it was reading 90 degrees, within three blocks I was already up to 120 degrees & starting to get some heat.


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## jbruns2012 (Dec 30, 2012)

Forgive me but isn't a thermostat's job supposed to be that it only starts to open when the fluid reaches a certain temperature? Went to a car wash today, inside while washing the temp went from normal to 162 and stayed there until I got out and started driving again. For a refresher, here is what a thermostat is supposed to do;
HowStuffWorks "How Car Cooling Systems Work"

Why would fan speed inside the car have anything to do with when the thermostat closes and opens? I also saw the car go up to 130 and then start dropping the other day. That is NOT normal.


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## The_Madcat (Oct 6, 2012)

jbruns2012 said:


> Why would fan speed inside the car have anything to do with when the thermostat closes and opens? I also saw the car go up to 130 and then start dropping the other day. That is NOT normal.


Directly, it doesn't have anything to do with the thermostat opening and closing. But the heater core is like a little radiator, exchanging heat and if you have the heater fan set up on high, it will cool down the coolant just like a bigger radiator would.

I don't warm ours up more than 2-3 minutes, leave the recirc on, leave the blower off or on 1/2. After a few minutes the gauge goes up --(Been in the teens/20's here in WI). Once it hits the 3rd mark on the heat gauge, I can turn up the blower to 3/4 and maintain heat. If stopped, the gauge will go down as well.


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## jbruns2012 (Dec 30, 2012)

That does not explain it going from 130 back down with the fan off. I have never heard of a heater core with fan being able to pull the engine temperature down. I will test full blast when engine is at 218 and see if I can pull it down. I still think its a defective thermostat.


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## jdubb11 (Mar 14, 2012)

need speed 3 cuz 1 and 2 are useless lol. i use 2 on remote start to defrost window, or at least try. most cars u turn the fan up for heat, the cruze u turn it down bwhahaha.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

jbruns2012 said:


> That does not explain it going from 130 back down with the fan off. I have never heard of a heater core with fan being able to pull the engine temperature down. I will test full blast when engine is at 218 and see if I can pull it down. I still think its a defective thermostat.


This sounds air in the coolant system. Watching my DIC (yes I'm one of the lucky ones with a digital temp readout) the car's coolant temperature doesn't vary by more than 5 degrees in the winter. In the summer it's a lot more variable. The only time I've seen coolant temperatures fluctuate wildly have been either a leak resulting in no coolant or a faulty thermostat.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

jbruns2012 said:


> Add me to the list of Cruze owners with temperature issues. The worst part is the service tech at the dealer I bought the car at tried to insult me telling me I did not know what I was talking about when I tried to explain that a car that goes to 155 and then back down to 150 after 30 minutes of driving is not normal. Yesterday, it went to 125 and then started going the other way (colder). I for sure have the same issues that the person that opened this thread had/has. I now get to find another dealer that will change out the thermostat based on my say so and not in total reliance on a check engine or computer logged issue.
> 
> I live in suburb of Minneapolis and yesterday's high was 18 degrees. My Cruze is a 6 speed manual.
> 
> I don't need any apologies, just want a thermostat installed that does what it is supposed to do.



jbruns2012,
Have you been in contact with customer service in regards to your concerns? I would be happy to look into this further for you. Can you please send me a PM with your VIN? I look forward to hearing back from you. 
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## 01shoshanna (May 17, 2013)

I have a 2012 Cruze Eco. It is 75 degrees and a light popped on telling me my air conditioned would be disabled due to high engine temps. 2 miles later my computer was telling me my engine was over heated and advised me to idle engine. As I pulled over on the highway the tempature dropped rapidly which tells me the thermostat is sticking. Is this am issue for the new Cruze Eco? Single girls buy new cars to prevent getting stranded on a busy texas highways!!


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

01shoshanna said:


> I have a 2012 Cruze Eco. It is 75 degrees and a light popped on telling me my air conditioned would be disabled due to high engine temps. 2 miles later my computer was telling me my engine was over heated and advised me to idle engine. As I pulled over on the highway the tempature dropped rapidly which tells me the thermostat is sticking. Is this am issue for the new Cruze Eco? Single girls buy new cars to prevent getting stranded on a busy texas highways!!


Although there have been a higher number than I would expect to see thermostat issues reported here, I wouldn't consider the thermostat to be a major issue with the Cruze. It's a relatively easy fix and your car is still under warranty.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

I'm thinkin this vehicle has a coolant leak......we'll see.

Rob


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

01shoshanna said:


> I have a 2012 Cruze Eco. It is 75 degrees and a light popped on telling me my air conditioned would be disabled due to high engine temps. 2 miles later my computer was telling me my engine was over heated and advised me to idle engine. As I pulled over on the highway the tempature dropped rapidly which tells me the thermostat is sticking. Is this am issue for the new Cruze Eco? Single girls buy new cars to prevent getting stranded on a busy texas highways!!





Robby said:


> I'm thinkin this vehicle has a coolant leak......we'll see.
> 
> Rob


You may be correct. Low coolant will also cause this type of temperature fluctuations.


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## CruzeATL (Apr 5, 2017)

I'm experiencing Different temps with new thermostat before the engine with get to 200f and cool off and fan cuts off. Now temp gets to 217f fan never cuts off at ide. Anyone experience this problem. New thermostat part # is different from the old one.


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