# '12 Eco Road Tripper



## scratchpaddy (May 6, 2018)

I'm making this thread to document my progress and travels with my new (to me) 2012 Cruze Eco 6MT. I won't be doing anything crazy with it, so I'm sure it'll be pretty boring for those of you who like more power, or bigger sound, or tighter handling, etc. What Chevy did with this car seems pretty good to me already. My goal is to clean it up, and keep it working for a road trip or two each year.

It's the newest, lowest-mile car I've ever owned. Still, it "needs a little TLC," as they say on Craigslist. I'm only the second owner, but the first treated it like some hand-me-down beater. Back in 2012, she couldn't qualify for financing, so her elderly uncle co-signed on it. She did her best to drive it into the ground for a few years, then stopped making payments. Her uncle took over payments and the car, but he doesn't drive stick, so it's sat in his backyard in Peoria for the past two years.

The tires don't mach, the flaps covering the mirrors on the sun visors and the little doors over the 12V outlets are all broken off, the cover for the "spare tire" compartment is missing, along with the tire sealant, and to top it all off, she smoked in it. :dazed002:

It was 103° out on the test drive, and the A/C wasn't working all that well. It was cold enough, but couldn't blow all that much, and boy, it stank! When I brought it home, I dropped the glove box and found the problem:










That's the original cabin air filter, after six years and 74,000 nicotine-and-tar-soaked miles. That gives you a pretty good idea about how the rest of the car was treated.

So, why did I buy it? The price was right, and all these things can be fixed. My summer/weekend job through college was cleaning up cars at a body shop. I don't mind getting my hands dirty.


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

Welcome and congrats on the Eco. Good catch on the CAF...amazed it still let any air through.

How do you plan to address the nicotine-and-tar-soaked interior?


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## spaycace (Feb 9, 2012)

When I owned my '12 Eco 6M, I wasn't out for a bunch of power or excitement either ... but I did make a couple "mods" to the car that seemed to make the most noticible difference in fuel economy. First off, I put and Injen cold air intake on it, which provided increased mpg as long as it was driven "politely" and as an added bonus, it also drastically increased the volume of "whoosh" sound every time you shifted ... more so under heavier acceleration, but it was obvious with all shifts (which I thought was kinda cool). Second "mod" was to re-gap the plugs as described on this forum in numerous posts ... to .035. That too helped make a difference on sluggish acceleration from a dead stop with A/C on, as well as a decent inprovement in mpg for a vehicle that's already rated at 42 highway. Those were the only 2 things I did to the car and was pleasantly pleased with the results, because after all, with a 120 mile per day round trip commute, I only wanted increased mpg. The side affect of the CAI was just bonus fun and cool sounding. (and it also made heads turn when driving in town and people would look to see what car was making that "turbo" sound). So if you're looking to increase your road trip mileage, I would encourage you to do the same to your Eco. Oh yeah ... spend the extra $ on filling up with 91 octane or higher, because that helps too. There's threads here that tell you how to get 16 gallons of fuel in your "13.3 gallon" Eco gas tank too. Best of luck with your new purchase. I actually miss my Eco simply for the fact that it was actually fun to drive given the fact that it was an economy car.

As for getting rid of the smoker smell, here's a couple links:
https://www.turtlewax.com/how-to/posts/how-to-get-rid-of-cigarette-smell-in-car (this one is obviously biased)
https://www.washos.com/blog/remove-smoke-smell-car/
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Tobacco-Odors-in-Cars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mOY6-1iT9M


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## Cruzen18 (Jan 28, 2018)

Sounds like mostly cosmetic stuff so far (outside of the CAF) Give her a little TLC and make her yours!


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## scratchpaddy (May 6, 2018)

@spaycace , I already took out the plugs and gapped to .035" after reading about some early owners finding plugs gapped to .020" or even less. Mine were fine, all at .030", but I tweaked them to .035" anyway. They're probably the originals, but they all looked okay. It's crazy how long Iridium plugs last.

I'm wary of aftermarket intakes, though. Everything I've read says any gains are slight, and I like the peace and quiet. I do have a new (stock) air filter on order, though, because the one on the car now is also original, date-stamped 2011... :blink:

Thanks for the links, too! The first thing I did before even buying the car was Google around about restoring a smoker car. Lots of good info out there.

That's nuts about the 16-gallon tank electronically limited to 13. I love the way GM's cars drive, but they do some really bone-headed stuff sometimes. 
@Rivergoer , are you really in Parker? That's a cool little town. I've driven through there a bunch of times. That's my favorite route to California, taking 62 west through the Mojave. 



Last weekend, I scrubbed all the plastic. This is what the B-pillars originally looked like. It took 20 minutes of scrubbing per side just to get the tar off. The rest of the plastic wasn't so bad; the material they used on the pillars is really tough to clean for some reason.



This weekend, I first sprayed and scrubbed all the upholstery and carpet with Simple Green, and used my upholstery cleaning machine (the kind that squirts water out and sucks it back up) to suck the dirt up. But, instead of just water in the machine, I used diluted white wine vinegar to neutralize the smell, too. I went over the headliner with the machine, too. Already, the smell was almost gone.

Then, once everything was dried out, I dumped 2lb of baking soda all over the carpet, upholstery, and parcel shelf. I left it like that for another day with the windows closed.



The next morning, I vacuumed it all up (which deodorized my vacuum nicely, too :biggrin Now, it's like a new car inside! Almost no smell at all! I though I might have to resort to an ozone shock treatment, but the cheap home remedy solutions worked really well, with a little elbow grease.


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

scratchpaddy said:


> @*Rivergoer* , are you really in Parker? That's a cool little town. I've driven through there a bunch of times. That's my favorite route to California, taking 62 west through the Mojave.


Yep, retired in Parker, AZ after getting the H out of California...not the same place I grew up in (California that is). You mentioned Peoria somewhere here...got a brother there so I get out your way a few times a year.

As for the interior job...you sir are a miracle worker. What an improvement already, and for peanuts.

Excellent job!


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## spaycace (Feb 9, 2012)

It's awesome that you've been lucky enough to have no serious problems with the car, since it sounds like it was not taken care of well at all. Even my young children clean out our vehicles after road trips. It's too bad you don't like the sound of the BOV ... because it really isn't overly loud, but it sure is funny to see people turn thinking they're going to see some "fast & furious" like car, but instead they see a humble Cruze moving along. On the up side too ... I noticed approximately 3-5 mpg increase in mileage depending upon whether I was headed to work (1,600 foot elevation increase) or headed home. In non-winter fuel months of driving, and not overly windy conditions, I was able to regularly achieve 44-49 mpg going to work @ 75 mph for 32 Interstate miles of the 60 total. On my return trips, I was able to regularly achieve 49-55 mpg @ 75 mph. Best I ever did on the jaunt home was 62.7 mpg, going the posted speed limit everywhere (ranged from 45 to 75) and never getting the RPM over 2,200. I really do miss my lil Eco, but the Volt still has better lifetime average than my Eco did, so I guess that's good. I miss the manual transmission most. I've started dropping little hints to my wife (now that our Volt is 5 years old and just shy of 170k miles) that we should look into purchasing a 6-speed manual 2018 Cruze Diesel sedan And she MIGHT actually be on board with the idea! I'm keeping my fingers crossed. 
:wavetowel2:


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## scratchpaddy (May 6, 2018)

Rivergoer said:


> Yep, retired in Parker, AZ after getting the H out of California...not the same place I grew up in (California that is). You mentioned Peoria somewhere here...got a brother there so I get out your way a few times a year.
> 
> As for the interior job...you sir are a miracle worker. What an improvement already, and for peanuts.
> 
> Excellent job!


Thanks! Buying the car took up all my fun money, so I had to stick with what was in the cupboard to get it cleaned up. 

The car was originally bought from a dealership in Surprise, and the guy I bought it from lives in Peoria. I actually live in Tempe, but I put "Phoenix" because (I think) everyone knows where that is, and I could walk to a Phoenix address in a few minutes.



spaycace said:


> It's awesome that you've been lucky enough to have no serious problems with the car, since it sounds like it was not taken care of well at all. Even my young children clean out our vehicles after road trips. It's too bad you don't like the sound of the BOV ... because it really isn't overly loud, but it sure is funny to see people turn thinking they're going to see some "fast & furious" like car, but instead they see a humble Cruze moving along. On the up side too ... I noticed approximately 3-5 mpg increase in mileage depending upon whether I was headed to work (1,600 foot elevation increase) or headed home. In non-winter fuel months of driving, and not overly windy conditions, I was able to regularly achieve 44-49 mpg going to work @ 75 mph for 32 Interstate miles of the 60 total. On my return trips, I was able to regularly achieve 49-55 mpg @ 75 mph. Best I ever did on the jaunt home was 62.7 mpg, going the posted speed limit everywhere (ranged from 45 to 75) and never getting the RPM over 2,200. I really do miss my lil Eco, but the Volt still has better lifetime average than my Eco did, so I guess that's good. I miss the manual transmission most. I've started dropping little hints to my wife (now that our Volt is 5 years old and just shy of 170k miles) that we should look into purchasing a 6-speed manual 2018 Cruze Diesel sedan And she MIGHT actually be on board with the idea! I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
> :wavetowel2:


No serious problems, _yet. _ I took it for a test drive and drove it home across the valley, but the gas tank is empty, and so is my wallet. It drives great, no scary noises, no codes, the fluids look good, and there are no apparent leaks, but I've got a laundry list of things to do after my next paycheck.

-XtremeRevolution's PCV fix
-Change transmission oil
-Add spare tire
-Maybe replace 6-year-old tires
-Floor mats (originals are gone)
-New key (spares are gone)


That's really incredible mileage for a 3,000lb sedan! I had a Geo Metro for a few years. I averaged 46mpg over that time, but my best mileage was always at high elevations (6k feet and up). I got 53mpg for several whole tanks driving over the Sierra Nevadas. Of course, it only had 50hp...

I'd love to get a manual diesel hatchback, if only they were available with a light-colored interior. :dry:


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## scratchpaddy (May 6, 2018)

I got in touch with XtremeRevolution, and a PCV fix kit is on the way. I did some of the prep work today after work.

Out you go!



I had a heck of a time getting the last few clips off that hold the wiring harness and coolant hose to the back of the manifold. It's so frustrating when you know what you need to do, but just can't quite get the tool in to do it. It's amazing how much _stuff _is clipped, screwed, pinned, and stuck to this manifold.

There were lots of dead spiders and stuff in there. :eyedroolA:



Check valve? :uhh:


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The gas tank isn't electronically limted to 12 gallons. The shroud on the main fill vent is a quarter inch longer than the other trims, triggering fuel click off a little over three gallons early. You can either trickle fill or replace the fuel pump assembly to overcome this.


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## Cruzen18 (Jan 28, 2018)

WOW! An amazing clean up on the cheap! Keep the updates coming on the transformation...


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## RTcruze (Mar 26, 2014)

Great job with the detailing. 

What type of oil are you going to use in your tranny?


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## scratchpaddy (May 6, 2018)

obermd said:


> The gas tank isn't electronically limted to 12 gallons. The shroud on the main fill vent is a quarter inch longer than the other trims, triggering fuel click off a little over three gallons early. You can either trickle fill or replace the fuel pump assembly to overcome this.


Ah! Thanks. I misunderstood. I think I'll swap pumps eventually, but really, my bladder's going to make me stop more often than the fuel tank even at 12 gallons. 
@RTcruze, I'll put in Amsoil Synchromesh. That's another thing I ordered from XtremeRevolution. 

Yesterday, I borrowed a drill and step bit from a friend at work and set about fixing my intake manifold. Everything went more or less exactly the way the instructions laid it out. Many thanks to @XtremeRevolution for all his work in helping us owners fix a problem GM will not. 



I re-installed the manifold today after work, which was far easier than taking it out. To my mild surprise, it started right up when I turned the key. I had nowhere to go, so, mission accomplished, I turned it off again. Maybe I'll drive it this weekend? It needs gas. I haven't been to a gas station since last year.


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## scratchpaddy (May 6, 2018)

One thing I can thank the previous owner for is using floor mats. They're ugly generic rubber mats, but they kept the carpet in fine shape. But, since they stink and they're ugly, I ordered some custom-fit carpet mats (Lloyd Ultimat) to replace them. Black is a bad choice given the white fur and desert dust they'll deal with, but matching the seats would be too light for floor mats, even for me. I went with a reddish tan (M Saddle 520) which I think gives a nice contrast. I don't immediately love it, but I think it'll grow on me. The quality of the mats themselves is very good, though. 





One thing's for sure: Arizona dust and my hound dog Skippy's fur won't show on these mats!


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## scratchpaddy (May 6, 2018)

I got a few more things done on the car this week. First, I mentioned before that only one key remained when I bought it. Lucky for me, I work at a place that builds key-duplicating machines.  Unfortunately, none of those machines can do side-mill keys. :huh: Luckily, one of the customer service guys has five side-mill cutting machines for testing and research. Why he needs five, I don't know, but there they are. So, I ordered one new fob for $15 and one plain transponder key (part number B119-PT) for $8.50, and we did some "testing" on a $6k Silca CNC duplicator machine. Now I have three keys, for cheap. 










Next, I have to pull the handbrake up really far for it to engage. I pulled the wheels and checked the adjustment per XtremeRevolution's tutorial, but they were already perfectly adjusted, rubbing just a tiny bit on each revolution. The shoes are worn, but not in need of replacement just yet.



Finally, I changed both the transmission and engine oil. I used Amsoil Synchromesh and sciphi's tutorial for the transmission. I had to buy an extra-long extension and hex bit socket set for the top bolt, but everything went as expected there.

The engine oil change wasn't so easy. The drain plug was in bad shape, and the idiots at the quickie-lube place the previous owner took it to apparently used an impact wrench to install it. It was at least 5x tighter than the recommended torque _stamped right there on the oil pan_. :eyedroolA: I was literally dragging myself along the pavement trying to get it loose. Even with a full 6-point socket, it stripped out instead of coming loose. :sad:



If it was a plain hex bolt, I don't know what I'd do, but that flange the o-ring sits on matches the radius of the jaws of my vise-grips perfectly. I finally managed to break it loose with tightly-clamped grips and a hammer. I'd say it's a good idea to go ahead and buy a new oil drain bolt before changing the oil on any car that's been to a quick-lube shop. 

I used Supertech (Walmart) full-synthetic 5w-30. I know it's not Amsoil, but it's Dexos 1 Gen 2-compliant, and $16 per 5-quart jug! I'll change it once a year, which is between 5 and 7 thousand miles for me.


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## scratchpaddy (May 6, 2018)

Before: 



After: :happy:

 

I've never had anything worse than a slow leak in a tire before, but why take the chance? The sealant the car comes with isn't going to work for anything but a minor puncture, and the previous owner used it up already anyway.

None of the self-service junkyards here have any late-model cars, so I went on eBay and found a spare tire, lug wrench, chocks, bag, jack, and styrofoam insert from a wrecked '15 Cruze for $135 shipped. I used obermd's guide to get part numbers for the remaining parts. I wound up using parts.com. All the other websites wanted to charge $100-$200 for shipping alone. :dazed002: Grand total for everything was about $340, which is a lot for a spare tire, but it's worth it for me. I drive down lots of highways with no cell service whatsoever. If I have a problem, I want to have the means to fix it myself.


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## RichLo1 (May 31, 2018)

I still dont understand why the eco model didn't come with an option for a spare tire. Just sign a waiver saying city mileage may be less than advertised or something like that.


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## gliderdriver (Jan 7, 2018)

FWIW, I never have had a noticeable mileage difference after adding the spare.


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

scratchpaddy said:


> Before:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Smart move. 

Waiting on the side of the road for AAA in 120 degree Arizona heat or being stranded on a Sunday waiting for a tire shop to open would really suck.


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## scratchpaddy (May 6, 2018)

gliderdriver said:


> FWIW, I never have had a noticeable mileage difference after adding the spare.


Yeah, I wouldn't expect any. "Efficiency" is just marketing cover for a cost-saving measure here. People overestimate the effect of weight on MPG. Aerodynamics, weather, driving habits, etc. are all way more important. If I load the car up with passengers (600-750lb of people!) I'd expect a small hit in performance and MPG. 30lb spare tire? Forget it! Like Rivergoer said, the risk of getting stranded is not worth it to me.


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