# Deciding on if it's worth it to keep my 2013 Chevy Cruze



## micmic (Aug 2, 2020)

So I am not a big driver and I have the low mileage to prove it. My 2013 Chevy Cruze has only 54k miles on it but some issues are starting to pop-up. I am by no means a car person so seeking some advice here on how serious these issues are, what's necessary to fix, what could cause serious issues in the future, etc. as we decide on if it's worth it to sell or not and buy a new car.

It starting leaking transmission fluid earlier this year which was repaired by putting in a new transmission cooler (about ~$1000 spent here). However, it is still leaking oil. We took it into the dealer and they diagnosed two definite leaks and two potential leaks (they said they couldn't tell sure sure if it was really leaking there or not). 

For sure leaks: 
1. Valve Cover (~$400)- my brother said this one he'd def. fix if we plan on keeping the car
2. Oil Pan (~$650)- my brother said not to worry about this one

Not sure: 
1. Turbo Oil Cooler (~$1300)-- how serious would this be if it failed engine-wise? 
2. Rear Main Seal (~$2374)- my brother says not to worry about this one

Any advice is appreciated! If I can just fix the valve cover and be OK with the other potential issues I think we'd keep the car but if any of the other issues are potentially serious (will severely damage the engine if it fails) then we might want to sell.


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## Ma v e n (Oct 8, 2018)

The valve cover is a relatively straight forward repair with low prices parts, low tool requirements, and minimal vehicle disassembly required to repair. That's an easy one to justify.

The oil pan repair is bit more involved in time, tools required, parts required for a proper repair, and potential for failure or broken parts to occur during the repair. That said, oil pan gasket leaks are rarely catastrophic. They typically just slowly leak and make a mess.

Turbo oil cooler. Notably more complex and time consuming a reapir than the valve cover, it's also the first one that can go from "leaking" to "pouring" oil with no notice. And can cause engine/turbo failure.

Rear main seal requires transmission removal. It is the most labor and time intensive repair, the most intrusive procedure, requires the most parts to affect properly, and is another one that can go from merely making a mess to a failure point while driving you're vehicle.


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

That’s an awful lot for a valve cover replacement in my opinion. Do you have oil drips on the floor or is the bottom of engine coated? All these depend on how much it’s leaking in regards to what I would personally fix. Valve cover for sure, but not for $400...


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

FYI:

How-To: Change the Oil Cooler Seals

*How-To: Replace the Valve/Camshaft Cover (1.4L Turbo)*


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## Ma v e n (Oct 8, 2018)

Yeah, I didn't even take note of that. Valve cover is under $100 part at a dealer, and even with $170/hr labor, and a high charge of 1.5 to replace, it would still be less than $350 dollars max in my opinion. Either you live somewhere with a VERY high labor rate(well over $170/hr) or they are charging to much billable time for the job.


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## micmic (Aug 2, 2020)

Thanks! We are going to at least try and do the valve cover ourselves so hopefully all goes well there. I think I was curious if the other more serious issues are coming in my generation of Cruze since we don't really want to have to deal with those and that would lean us towards selling.


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

Any car as it ages will require maintenance and fixes, just the way of the road. So yes if you want a sparkling car with little to no issues, I’d recommend to get rid of it.


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## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

On the other hand a used car's worth to others is not the same as it is to you. Especially with cars which... While the used car market is much healthier today than it was just 5 years ago, even with COVID... It's still not great and the difference between selling a car in pristine condition and one rusting at the control arms is usually $0.


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## weimerrj (Dec 4, 2011)

Valve cover is easy and cheap. Make sure the bolts are torqued down to 71 in/lbs, and in the order the Haynes Manual says. They can work themselves loose, so re-torquing them might fix that leak. the gasket can be reused if not damaged.

If the valve cover has been replaced once already, take it off and check the bolt holes - lousy service departments may have stripped the threads inside by using the wrong tools. That will keep you from having the correct torque on the bolts and allow leaks. If you can't get the 71 in/lbs when trying to torque them down, that's evidence the threads are stripped

Repairing that means helicoils, and if you're not careful you could drop one into the engine and _that_ will be a hassle and a half, but that's a straightforward repair, about $10-15 at the auto parts store and it comes with a tap and instructions. 

Yes, I did this recently, why do you ask?


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## weimerrj (Dec 4, 2011)

Here's the valve cover torque sequence:










5, 7, and 15 were stripped on the job I did.

If using helicoils, make sure the "tang" is down when threading in, otherwise it won't want to go in and it might pop off and into your engine. I got lucky and it landed at the top near the cam phaser and it only took a little magnet to get it out, but if it goes down into your timing chain or oil pan....


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## OldWhiteChevy (Mar 5, 2013)

I'm sort of in the same boat as you, with a '12 LT that has 68k miles. I've been tossing around the idea of getting something new, especially when GM Card tempts me with those bonus rebates on top of what I've already earned. But I like what I have....

Anyway, I just wanted to agree with what's been said about your valve cover quote. That seems a bit high to me, too. I had it done for around $285 dollars by an independent mechanic. (And that's the ONLY repair I've had to make to this car in 8 years of ownership, aside from routine stuff like brakes, tires, batteries, etc.)


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## jamescyberjoe (Jun 23, 2015)

micmic said:


> So I am not a big driver and I have the low mileage to prove it. My 2013 Chevy Cruze has only 54k miles on it but some issues are starting to pop-up. I am by no means a car person so seeking some advice here on how serious these issues are, what's necessary to fix, what could cause serious issues in the future, etc. as we decide on if it's worth it to sell or not and buy a new car.
> 
> It starting leaking transmission fluid earlier this year which was repaired by putting in a new transmission cooler (about ~$1000 spent here). However, it is still leaking oil. We took it into the dealer and they diagnosed two definite leaks and two potential leaks (they said they couldn't tell sure sure if it was really leaking there or not).
> 
> ...


Honestly I would sell it or trade it in on a new car. All those repairs are not worth it on a car that old.


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## weimerrj (Dec 4, 2011)

One thing about all those oil leaks - together they're possibly evidence of a PCV failure in the intake manifold. if you get too much pressure in the crankcase from turbo pressure via that missing "check valve", you will get oil leaks from the valve cover, rear main seal, and oil pan gasket due to too much pressure in the crankcase.

Check your #2 and #3 spark plugs - if they're oil-fouled (it'll be obvious) then you have a PCV problem. You can fix that via XtremeRevolution's PCV fix, or you can replace the intake manifold. That should fix _all_ the oil leaks.


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## micmic (Aug 2, 2020)

weimerrj said:


> One thing about all those oil leaks - together they're possibly evidence of a PCV failure in the intake manifold. if you get too much pressure in the crankcase from turbo pressure via that missing "check valve", you will get oil leaks from the valve cover, rear main seal, and oil pan gasket due to too much pressure in the crankcase.
> 
> Check your #2 and #3 spark plugs - if they're oil-fouled (it'll be obvious) then you have a PCV problem. You can fix that via XtremeRevolution's PCV fix, or you can replace the intake manifold. That should fix _all_ the oil leaks.


Thank you, will look into this for sure! We replaced the valve cover yesterday, wasn't too bad! Got a quote from a mechanic that the oil pan leak would be ~ $500. Will look into what you said though, that would be ideal!


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## micmic (Aug 2, 2020)

So the valve cover repair caused an issue! We got an P0171- fuel mixture too lean/mass air flow error. What did we do wrong?


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## weimerrj (Dec 4, 2011)

Check the black corrugated tube you had to move out of the way on the left of the valve cover, it might be broken. It's a bit brittle, and it is also part of the PCV system. It would be a huge vacuum leak, and that will cause the code.


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