# New '12 cruze Whining noise from engine normal?



## TobascoFlex (Nov 28, 2012)

Recently bought a new 12 1.4 cruze and yesterday a whining noise started happening at low revving at 1.5 - 2k rpm. Video attached. Is this normal. Still have warranty but I want to pinpoint issue before I bring to dealership. Your input?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8BH6Hf0E_0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Edit: to add, which may have no relevance to the situation at all, however there is a slight burning smell coming from engine bay after a drive. May be car still breaking in, but I thought that happened before the first 1k miles? Not a clutch or brake smell either, like antifreeze burn but it's not cause i checked.

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## Bohdan (Apr 28, 2012)

The way thing are going with the Cruze perhaps this is the inner bearing noise from the water pump. There is also the belt pulley bearing Hub that may be making this noise in the same area. I have started to check my Water Pump once a month with a small mirror on a handle like what the dentist would use great for tight inner areas. My 2012 runs very quite so far.


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## Maxzillian (Sep 16, 2012)

Mine has made a noise like this from time to time that I always thought sounded like a power steering pump (except the car doesn't have one). My car is in the dealership for the seeping water pump bolts (it's a 2011 model year) so maybe the noise will go away when they replace the pump!


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## bryanakron40 (Nov 8, 2012)

Alternator.


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## TobascoFlex (Nov 28, 2012)

thats what i thought, however it doesn't sound like its coming from that area. Its odd cause it doesn't make the noise when sitting idle in neutral. I wonder, if anyone else can reproduce this sound at 1.5k - 2k rpms in park. anyone wanna try??? :blush: called the dealership and have apt. for monday set up. Still trying to pinpoint issue.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Couldn't pick up what it was. The turbo does spool at about 2000 RPM. I bet that's not it, though. 

If it doesn't do it in Neutral, I'd suspect a transmission issue. 

And, the burning smell is normal for the first few thousand miles. It'll go away, or it should!


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## GM Master Tech (Nov 11, 2012)

Is the ac compressor off or on while its doing it.If its off turn it on and see if the noise changes


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## TobascoFlex (Nov 28, 2012)

AC compressor off, my buddy here in the barracks with me has the same car all specs except its Eco an has 32k more miles than me. We compared the noises of our cars at 1k-2k rpms...his car has no whine so there is an obvious issue and it's not just the norm of the engine. Now it sounds like it can be the alternator, but, my buddy thinks it may be the belt pulley and or bad bearings. (he's a light wheel mechanic) 


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## GM Master Tech (Nov 11, 2012)

A stethoscope can isolate the source.It could be a idler pulley or the alt for sure.Just bring it into the dealer.I am sure they will find it.More or less the cruze has been a good car.The 11s had some issues but all the ones we have sold have been pretty good cars.I have a 12 i just bought last week a LT 1.4 auto i really like that car.Note ! there has been some issues with AC compressors being noisey so lets see what they find


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## TobascoFlex (Nov 28, 2012)

Update:
So after running some errands today i've noticed that the whining has become a slight bit louder from the time i discovered it. However, i continue to smell a burning fluid smell almost like burning ant-freeze or maybe oil. To add, while driving in 2nd and 3rd gear there is small window that a noise that sounds like fast "cranking" for the lack of better words to explain...at about 2800rpms then goes away. I understand this is about when the turbo kicks in. Can this be and issue with the turbo. Can these issues be a result of the car sitting on the lot for extended period of time without being started? i feel like its just my car thats defective. I dont want to be nit picky and i do understand my car is new but it doesnt sound healthy. I have an appointment tomorrow at noon. hopefully i dont have the same issues that everyone else has with their dealerships on not being able to get it fixed. never had this many issues with a vehicle after purchase.....any insight?


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## bryanakron40 (Nov 8, 2012)

Actually, the torque peak is under 2000 prm, so it isn't when the turbo kicks in. Not saying you don't have a turbo issue, but the turbo is at full spool much earlier. Could be the water pump or alternator.


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## TobascoFlex (Nov 28, 2012)

well i feel a little better that the "cranking" isn't happening in idle so i can eliminate any transmission issues. Everythings covered under warranty so it will get fixed one way or another but i dont even feel like using it because i dont wanna make a problem worse. **** this blows


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## TobascoFlex (Nov 28, 2012)

I took a video, the clunking is heard twords the middle of the video when it sounds like the engine is struggling after revving..then the whistle noise (not turbo) is heard twords the end when i lower camera under the car it sounds almost like a loose washer noise? and that noise happens even when sitting in idle. The clunking is heard more in 2nd and 3rd right at 2800rpm. getting agitated as im realizing more and more wrong with this car. You can also hear the "power steering" type noise in the video better because it got worse.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

TobascoFlex said:


> Update:
> So after running some errands today i've noticed that the whining has become a slight bit louder from the time i discovered it. However, i continue to smell a burning fluid smell almost like burning ant-freeze or maybe oil. To add, while driving in 2nd and 3rd gear there is small window that a noise that sounds like fast "cranking" for the lack of better words to explain...at about 2800rpms then goes away. I understand this is about when the turbo kicks in. Can this be and issue with the turbo. Can these issues be a result of the car sitting on the lot for extended period of time without being started? i feel like its just my car thats defective. I dont want to be nit picky and i do understand my car is new but it doesnt sound healthy. I have an appointment tomorrow at noon. hopefully i dont have the same issues that everyone else has with their dealerships on not being able to get it fixed. never had this many issues with a vehicle after purchase.....any insight?




TobascoFlex,
I would like to apologize for the issues that you are experiencing with your Cruze. I would like you to keep me posted on the progress with your dealer. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me anytime.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## TobascoFlex (Nov 28, 2012)

got my car back today, and you can guess what the stealership told me...found nothing wrong. Im going back in tomorrow until i get the answers that i want. They had my car for about 7 1/2 hours today and concluded that nothing was wrong with the car. Even though my engine runs sluggish and i hear that whining from the engine bay. I showed the front desk service guy the videos and he even said he heard the noises that didnt sound typical so he said that they would help. They didn't. So i realized while driving home that my headlights, interior lights, and LCD head unit dim when i let off clutch and or press the gas. SO I MADE ANOTHER VIDEO. This time of it in park, however when i sit idle and let off the clutch after depressing it the headlights dim(banging is foot hitting paper mat dealership put down). when i move the steering wheel in neutral e-brake engaged and no foot on the clutch....the lights dim... i think i may have found an answer to the whining issue...alternator? i posted another video and will be showing this to the dealership.
In the video i show letting off the clutch then switchin to moving the steering wheel. at 1:07 i show an outside example of letting off the clutch. This has been a nightmare already...the horror stories are true.


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## bryanakron40 (Nov 8, 2012)

The headlights dimming are not necessarily a problem. Mine do it. It is the whine that concerns me. I have had to drive a car until something stopped working all together to get it repaired. Not the end of the world. I know, to everyone else (at least when the problem is their's) it is.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Can you check voltage from the DIC under the vehicle information menu? Normal for this car is 13.8-14.5 volts when the headlights are on, and 12.5 volts with the headlights off and the car having been on for a while.


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## TobascoFlex (Nov 28, 2012)

with lights off it fluctuates from 12.6-12.5


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

TobascoFlex said:


> View attachment 9406
> with lights off it fluctuates from 12.6-12.5
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using AutoGuide.com Free App


That's normal. 

Contact Stacy. She responded to this thread on this board. Have her coordinate a visit to a dealership, and if your dealership is giving you a hard time, find another dealership that actually cares about your problem.

I am disgusted by how many members we've had on this board with terrible Cruze ownership experiences that were a direct result of the incompetence of the dealership they were attempting to work with.


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## TobascoFlex (Nov 28, 2012)

Okay thank you for confirming, I'm actually at the dealership right now and made them set me up with the shop foreman. I'm gonna have him ride with me so he can hear the noise I'm hearing first hand. 


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

TobascoFlex said:


> Okay thank you for confirming, I'm actually at the dealership right now and made them set me up with the shop foreman. I'm gonna have him ride with me so he can hear the noise I'm hearing first hand.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using AutoGuide.com Free App


Good. I'm curious as to what he'll say.


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## Bohdan (Apr 28, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> That's normal.
> 
> Contact Stacy. She responded to this thread on this board. Have her coordinate a visit to a dealership, and if your dealership is giving you a hard time, find another dealership that actually cares about your problem.
> 
> I am disgusted by how many members we've had on this board with terrible Cruze ownership experiences that were a direct result of the incompetence of the dealership they were attempting to work with.


This problem with dealers has become very bad. There are sooo many Dealers out there that can only sell the Cruze yet they cannot find a problem and correct it they have been trained in sales not repairs for the Cruze line . Owners are forced to go from one dealer to another to get it done. Owners need to contact GM direct and ask for a knowledgeable place to have the proper repairs done and have GM follow up with this dealer.:angry:


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## TobascoFlex (Nov 28, 2012)

Just got done, compared the cars of identical specs, heard the loud whining, the sluggish start and shut off of the engine.....and told me he doesn't know what the problem would be. Cause "gm wants you to be happy with the car, but not just slap something new in there" lol what a joke. Time to call a new dealership...far...far away. ( not satisfied ) 


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

TobascoFlex said:


> got my car back today, and you can guess what the stealership told me...found nothing wrong. Im going back in tomorrow until i get the answers that i want. They had my car for about 7 1/2 hours today and concluded that nothing was wrong with the car. Even though my engine runs sluggish and i hear that whining from the engine bay. I showed the front desk service guy the videos and he even said he heard the noises that didnt sound typical so he said that they would help. They didn't. So i realized while driving home that my headlights, interior lights, and LCD head unit dim when i let off clutch and or press the gas. SO I MADE ANOTHER VIDEO. This time of it in park, however when i sit idle and let off the clutch after depressing it the headlights dim(banging is foot hitting paper mat dealership put down). when i move the steering wheel in neutral e-brake engaged and no foot on the clutch....the lights dim... i think i may have found an answer to the whining issue...alternator? i posted another video and will be showing this to the dealership.
> In the video i show letting off the clutch then switchin to moving the steering wheel. at 1:07 i show an outside example of letting off the clutch. This has been a nightmare already...the horror stories are true.




TobascoFlex,
I would like to apologize for the issues that you are experiencing with your Cruze as well as your dealership. I do understand your frustrations with this. I would like to look into this further for you. Can you please send me a PM with your name, address, phone number, VIN, current mileage and the name of your dealership? I look forward to hearing back from you as well as being able to assist you with your concerns. 
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## bwrin (Jan 8, 2015)

Was there any resolution to this? I'm experiencing the same issue, mine sounds the same way.


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## joshn459 (Dec 13, 2015)

*Update?*

Same here (2011 though). Started last night. I have had such bad experiences with my local dealer, that I would only go there as a last result (and it's looking that way). Going to take it to a local mechanic first though.
PLEASE update on any findings.


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## mattillakk (Sep 27, 2015)

The noise in the first video I too have noticed as of lately. Sounds just like the power steering on older vehicles with low fluid or a faulty pump altogether.

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