# Transmission problems?



## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this? It seems as though in my Cruze the transmission gives a nice hard Jerk shifting into 2nd gear after it sits for a while. It also likes to rev high before shifting into gear, somewhere around 3k. I dont have a heavy foot, but Im not feathering the pedal either. I drive every car the same and usually they shift around 2200 rpm. Right now the Cruze has 15,200 miles and I've had it for 7 1/2 months.


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

Yes I've had these problems. I found that the shifts are very jerky when the motor is cold it shifts VERY hard into that second gear. Same behavior in 2nd gear as far as revving as well. That is more of the transmission learning to your driving style you most likely drive like me with firm acceleration from take off. When I first got the car it didn't shift like that. 

I'm assuming you have the 1.4T Auto? My suggestions are either to A) get used to using manual mode and use it every time your engine is cold so you control when it shifts or B) get a tune (trifecta knocked this out completely for me). Also, when the motor is hot it seems to shift smoother but will still rev high so just accelerate in 2nd gear in the city and just coast once you hit 25-30 (and laugh at how it will take another 3-4 seconds to shift into the right 4th or 5th gear). It is kind of annoying...


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## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

ErikBEggs said:


> Yes I've had these problems. I found that the shifts are very jerky when the motor is cold it shifts VERY hard into that second gear. Same behavior in 2nd gear as far as revving as well. That is more of the transmission learning to your driving style you most likely drive like me with firm acceleration from take off. When I first got the car it didn't shift like that.
> 
> I'm assuming you have the 1.4T Auto? My suggestions are either to A) get used to using manual mode and use it every time your engine is cold so you control when it shifts or B) get a tune (trifecta knocked this out completely for me). Also, when the motor is hot it seems to shift smoother but will still rev high so just accelerate in 2nd gear in the city and just coast once you hit 25-30 (and laugh at how it will take another 3-4 seconds to shift into the right 4th or 5th gear). It is kind of annoying...


Hmm..I thought the trans would have been done learning after 15K miles? I do like to keep it in manual mode but usually in the morning I'm rushing out and dont even think. 

I have the 1.4T, Id like to get the Trifecta tune but I dont think its worth the $600 when I will more than likely be getting a new Edge or Explorer in the next few months.


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## Crewz (Jul 12, 2011)

I have the 1.4T auto and haven't experienced these problems. Although, I keep my rpms around 2 - 2.5K. I doubt the car learns you're driving style. It's a machine.  If any it breaks in and gets smoother. At 15K I would say you're well broken and you should adjust you're driving to the car and not the other way around.


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## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

alex725 said:


> Hmm..I thought the trans would have been done learning after 15K miles? I do like to keep it in manual mode but usually in the morning I'm rushing out and dont even think.
> 
> I have the 1.4T, Id like to get the Trifecta tune but I dont think its worth the $600 when I will more than likely be getting a new Edge or Explorer in the next few months.


you wont even know your driving the same car if you installed the tune. its a pretty big difference


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## RaymondE (Sep 18, 2011)

I'm having the same problem with the shifting, I called it "Erratic Shifting" I called the dealership today and they scheduled me for a 27 point checkup for Oct.31 at 8:30 AM and to check for wind noise on both driver and passenger side windows. Also as in another topic on the really bad smell possibly from the catalytic converter. Thanks to all for the tips.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

alex725 said:


> Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this? It seems as though in my Cruze the transmission gives a nice hard Jerk shifting into 2nd gear after it sits for a while. It also likes to rev high before shifting into gear, somewhere around 3k. I dont have a heavy foot, but Im not feathering the pedal either. I drive every car the same and usually they shift around 2200 rpm. Right now the Cruze has 15,200 miles and I've had it for 7 1/2 months.


Just curious, are these cars in this thread 2011s, or 2012s?


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## Andy2012ltz_rs (Aug 1, 2011)

I've had the same issues you guys are experiencing. They seemed to disappear a couple weeks ago (which I thought had to do with the learning process) but have reappeared recently. If I take off from a dead stop with light pedal acceleration the 1-2 and 2-3 upshifting seems to be normal. With normal or a bit of a heavier foot, the rpm's rev way higher before upshifting (embarrassingly high). I do plan on purchasing a tune in the near future, but don't think it should be necessary for such a wide spread problem. I only have a bit over 1k miles on my car, and believe me.. the high rpm shifting is really starting to piss me off a bit. :angry:


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## CHUV (Jun 25, 2011)

I'm really starting to consider the TCM tune now. Though my tranny has significantly smoothed out after 14000 km. still a few kicks every now and then though when going from 2-1 after a rolling stop.


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

im tried of the shifting in this car im taking it to the dealer telling to either fix it were it shifts buttery or gimme a refund or manuel


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## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

RaymondE said:


> I'm having the same problem with the shifting, I called it "Erratic Shifting" I called the dealership today and they scheduled me for a 27 point checkup for Oct.31 at 8:30 AM and to check for wind noise on both driver and passenger side windows. Also as in another topic on the really bad smell possibly from the catalytic converter. Thanks to all for the tips.


Im just curious what a 27 point inspection is going to do for your problems?



Jim Frye said:


> Just curious, are these cars in this thread 2011s, or 2012s?


Mine is a 2011



Andy2012ltz_rs said:


> I've had the same issues you guys are experiencing. They seemed to disappear a couple weeks ago (which I thought had to do with the learning process) but have reappeared recently. If I take off from a dead stop with light pedal acceleration the 1-2 and 2-3 upshifting seems to be normal. With normal or a bit of a heavier foot, the rpm's rev way higher before upshifting (embarrassingly high). I do plan on purchasing a tune in the near future, but don't think it should be necessary for such a wide spread problem. I only have a bit over 1k miles on my car, and believe me.. the high rpm shifting is really starting to piss me off a bit. :angry:


My issue does the same as yours. It goes away then comes back again. My symptoms are the same as yours too. If I go really slow from a stop it goes normal (which I never do because then I feel like I can walk faster than the car is moving) but at a normal pace it goes up really high. Very annoying!!!



jakkaroo said:


> im tried of the shifting in this car im taking it to the dealer telling to either fix it were it shifts buttery or gimme a refund or manuel


How long have you had your car? I dont think they would just give you a new car or refund your money because they cant make it shift smooth the first time. Unless they are going to lemon it. 



Im due for an oil change in 1000 miles so unless I can get some free time in before that I'm gonna have to wait until then to have my tranny looked at. With the way I drive though, 1000 miles wont take long.


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## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

Something else I noticed, just curious to see if any one else has... In traffic on 195 today it wasnt really stop and go but it was more of 25mph-35mph-60mph-25mph and when I would give it gas at slower speeds you could really feel the transmission. 

This is kinda reminiscent of my 2002 Explorer that had transmission problems when I traded it. Only difference is my Explorer had 105K miles not 15K!


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

my car is 10 months old now,with 11k miles and it jerks hard from 1-2


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## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

Just an update, I was able to drop my car off at the dealership down the street from where I work. They said this sounds like a common thing but will let me know later.


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## Macman (May 4, 2011)

alex725 said:


> Just an update, I was able to drop my car off at the dealership down the street from where I work. They said this sounds like a common thing but will let me know later.


are they charging to look at it? I have the same issues as the OP and do feather foot it. from take off there's a grind, then it revs high around 2500rpm to get into 2nd gear and struggles to hit 14mph from 13mph before it'll shift. I am getting tired of this too.


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## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

Ok so I just got home from work with an update to the update lol. 

First let me say Superior Chevrolet in Lawrenceville, NJ worked on the car and they were fantastic. I would recommend them to anyone in that area for service. 

Now onto the problems. I dropped the cruze off at 9am and they dropped me off at work and worked on it while I was at work. They road tested it and the tech noticed the exact problems I was describing. Thankfully it jerked the tech off too (hmm, I think I just made my car sound like a hoochie! LOL) because it doesnt do that every time it is started up. The tech also noticed the high revs to shift, over 3K rpm to shift between gears 1-3. They tried reprogramming the trans and again the same problems persisted. They did it a 2nd time and again got the same answers. They called GM and they guy at GM told them to reprogram it a 3rd time and to have me drive it for 2 weeks to see if the problem still persists (It did on my 35 mile drive home from the dealership). If it still happens then they will take further action. The dealership didnt like this answer but there wasn't much they could do about it because thats what GM wants. The dealership thinks I should have gotten a new trans put in the car. They told me not to wait 2 weeks and to call back on Tuesday. If its still happening they are going to call and complain to GM for me and get me a new transmission in my Cruze. I'll see about the jerking after the car has sat for a while if I go out later tonight anywhere or Ill find out when I go into work tomorrow morning. Either way I'll keep an update here.

Macman, the dealer I went to didnt charge me for this work. They did it all under warranty.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

OK, I'm still struggling to understand this scenario. From what I've heard, and read, 2012 6T40s (as well as the 6T45s in Regals) don't have the shift issues that the folks with 2011s are having. Given that, what is different between the two years of transaxles? If it is just the programming, why doesn't GM have the dealers load the 2012 code into the 2011 TCMs? If they are, why doesn't it fix the problem? Will the dealer's service folks tell the Cruze owners what version of code they loaded into their cars? I'm wondering if there are different versions of the TCM board in this transaxle. Actually, I'd bet money that there are and only GM knows about it. 

I've been researching the 6T40 and its problems and all I can find are reports relating to production prior to 2012 cars. It's not just Cruzi that had shifting problems with the 6T40 either. Quite honestly, this transmission thing would be a deal breaker for me. I'm hoping that something is learned about this problem before I am pushed to order a new car.


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## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

Jim Frye said:


> OK, I'm still struggling to understand this scenario. From what I've heard, and read, 2012 6T40s (as well as the 6T45s in Regals) don't have the shift issues that the folks with 2011s are having. Given that, what is different between the two years of transaxles? If it is just the programming, why doesn't GM have the dealers load the 2012 code into the 2011 TCMs? If they are, why doesn't it fix the problem? Will the dealer's service folks tell the Cruze owners what version of code they loaded into their cars? I'm wondering if there are different versions of the TCM board in this transaxle. Actually, I'd bet money that there are and only GM knows about it.
> 
> I've been researching the 6T40 and its problems and all I can find are reports relating to production prior to 2012 cars. It's not just Cruzi that had shifting problems with the 6T40 either. Quite honestly, this transmission thing would be a deal breaker for me. I'm hoping that something is learned about this problem before I am pushed to order a new car.


There HAS to be something new about the transmission between the 2012 and 2011. My car wouldnt even accept the new program the 1st two times. Honestly after driving around the only difference I can see it now it wants to hunt for gears. It seems like they just wiped the memory. Now it has to learn all over again? Im sorry but I am not a happy customer right now.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

alex725 said:


> My car wouldnt even accept the new program the 1st two times.


I understand your pain. I was down that road with a Ford once. My question for you is: Which "NEW" program did they load onto your TCM?  Did they load in a 2011 program or a 2012 program? In the absence of a Chevy Tech here, I'd bet there are several versions of the programming for the 6T40 transmission. I think the question owners should be asking the service technician is Which version of software did you load onto my TCM and which version of TCM (i.e. part number, and I bet there are several) do I have in my transmission. Maybe this is just "tilting at windmills", but I'd think the owner would have a right to know. If people knew what was being installed in their transmissions when they take them in, we might get a handle on what the problem is. I know my independent mechanic would tell me what he puts in my car.


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## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

I honestly never thought to ask that. Ill see if I can find out on Tuesday when I check in with the dealership.


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## Andy2012ltz_rs (Aug 1, 2011)

Jim Frye said:


> OK, I'm still struggling to understand this scenario. From what I've heard, and read, 2012 6T40s (as well as the 6T45s in Regals) don't have the shift issues that the folks with 2011s are having. Given that, what is different between the two years of transaxles? If it is just the programming, why doesn't GM have the dealers load the 2012 code into the 2011 TCMs? If they are, why doesn't it fix the problem? Will the dealer's service folks tell the Cruze owners what version of code they loaded into their cars? I'm wondering if there are different versions of the TCM board in this transaxle. Actually, I'd bet money that there are and only GM knows about it.
> 
> I've been researching the 6T40 and its problems and all I can find are reports relating to production prior to 2012 cars. It's not just Cruzi that had shifting problems with the 6T40 either. Quite honestly, this transmission thing would be a deal breaker for me. I'm hoping that something is learned about this problem before I am pushed to order a new car.


My car is a 2012 model with the same issues.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Andy2012ltz_rs said:


> My car is a 2012 model with the same issues.


OK, thanks. Do you know what the build date of your Cruze is? It might help pin down if, or when, there was a change in behavior of these things.


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## Andy2012ltz_rs (Aug 1, 2011)

Jim Frye said:


> OK, thanks. Do you know what the build date of your Cruze is? It might help pin down if, or when, there was a change in behavior of these things.


The order was broadcast on 8/19/12 and final production was completed on 8/24/12.


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

K, you guys lost me here, lol. Your car overrevs in 2nd gear and won't shift?


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Andy2012ltz_rs said:


> The order was broadcast on 8/19/12 and final production was completed on 8/24/12.


Thanks, Hmmm, two months into the '12 build schedule. Interesting. Hopefully, more data will show up from other owners.


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## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

ErikBEggs said:


> K, you guys lost me here, lol. Your car overrevs in 2nd gear and won't shift?


I'm not sure who you were referring to but mine shifts high between gears 1-3 and shots hard between 2-3 when cold.


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## Andy2012ltz_rs (Aug 1, 2011)

alex725 said:


> I'm not sure who you were referring to but mine shifts high between gears 1-3 and shots hard between 2-3 when cold.


^Same for me. From a take off, cars next to me will already be in third gear by the time I hit second. Once second gear is achieved (and yeh..after the loooong delay, it really seems like an achievement) you then get to experience the same **** thing before getting to 3rd.


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## Macman (May 4, 2011)

andy2012ltz_rs said:


> ^same for me. From a take off, cars next to me will already be in third gear by the time i hit second. Once second gear is achieved (and yeh..after the loooong delay, it really seems like an achievement) you then get to experience the same **** thing before getting to 3rd.


exactly!


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## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

Mine is going in Tuesday morning at 830 to more than likely have the trans replaced. I'll only be driving it tomorrow because I should be getting a Lincoln mkx demo from work for an event I'm doing this weekend for the dealer. I'll keep you guys updated on Tuesday as things play out. I know the dealer wants to shove a new trans in but GM doesn't.


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## Andy2012ltz_rs (Aug 1, 2011)

If the trifecta tune resolves the problems we are experiencing (according to quite a few people on this forum), how is a new transmission going to fix the issue? If the trifecta tune REALLY does fix the problem, maybe GM should fire a few of their programming engineers and hire a few of trifectas.


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## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

Andy2012ltz_rs said:


> If the trifecta tune resolves the problems we are experiencing (according to quite a few people on this forum), how is a new transmission going to fix the issue? If the trifecta tune REALLY does fix the problem, maybe GM should fire a few of their programming engineers and hire a few of trifectas.


I can almost guarantee that there is no way a trifecta tune would stop my car from jerking between gears. There is definitely something wrong with it.


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## Andy2012ltz_rs (Aug 1, 2011)

alex725 said:


> I can almost guarantee that there is no way a trifecta tune would stop my car from jerking between gears. There is definitely something wrong with it.


You have a point there. I for one, am not experiencing a great deal of jerking.. (sorry if that sounds a bit perverted) just the high rpm delayed shifting we discussed. Hopefully you get things worked out.


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## CruzeLTZ-RS (Jul 23, 2011)

^ how do i know if I have the problem? Mine don't jerk at all. From a slow roll, I step on it and it seems to shift from 1-2 @ about 6200, and 2-3 about 6200 as well. Seemed ok with me. Is yours shifting well above that even?


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

Is there a programmed rev hang with the cruze?


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

Mine does that too until I installed Trifecta. I'm telling you - car is completely different after that. In standard drive mode it shifts between 1500-3000 RPM no higher. The actual stock shift patterns can be kept too it works well in trifecta's high power mode (added torque and boost) all you have to do is talk to vince! I wont be happy flashing back when I take it in though, lol.


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## gunner22 (Nov 20, 2010)

My first Cruze with an auto was just as you described. Mine was a very early build bought in early Nov of last year. Harsh 1-2 upshifts, sloooow 2-3 upshifts and very ubrupt downshifts at low speed. Had my tranny reprogrammed twice, but it never really went away for me. It was great at speed, but around town it just didn't seem to know what gear to have in some situation.

Ended up just trading it in at the year end clearance last month for a manual. I have to say the shifter on the manual is one of the nicest stock units I have ever driven. It's hard to find a good shifter on new cars these days that aren't rubbery or poorly thought out in placement.

Good luck. I hope those still experiencing auto shift issues find the solution quickly.


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## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

gunner22 said:


> My first Cruze with an auto was just as you described. Mine was a very early build bought in early Nov of last year. Harsh 1-2 upshifts, sloooow 2-3 upshifts and very ubrupt downshifts at low speed. Had my tranny reprogrammed twice, but it never really went away for me. It was great at speed, but around town it just didn't seem to know what gear to have in some situation.
> 
> Ended up just trading it in at the year end clearance last month for a manual. I have to say the shifter on the manual is one of the nicest stock units I have ever driven. It's hard to find a good shifter on new cars these days that aren't rubbery or poorly thought out in placement.
> 
> Good luck. I hope those still experiencing auto shift issues find the solution quickly.


Mine is doing the exact same thing that yours is. Its just sat all weekend, its a shame because I actually miss it, I cant wait to drive it from my job to the Chevy dealer tomorrow. 

I already got my loaner car, a 2009 Edge Limited awd. Ive had it since saturday and Ive had to put $85 worth of gas in it in 3 days of driving.


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## A&J Cruzin (Aug 8, 2011)

wow...i have a 2011...built in june or so..i think..i guess i should look...but i have no probs at all with the trans...never had..even when it had 6 miles on it when i bought it...it shifts when it should..and usually i dont even feel it when it does..unless im driving it hard...then it shifts at high rpm's...like it should.....when i got my oil changed the other day..i talked to the shop forman and asked him about the trans probs ive heard about on the site..and he said that some of the cars have a plastic piston in the trans that doesnt work right...and causes all the probs...i could go back..and see if he could explain more about it to me..or even email me some stuff about it...but i dont know if he would...he was alot of help with the questions i had about the car..so it may be worth a shot


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

A&J Cruzin said:


> and he said that some of the cars have a plastic piston in the trans that doesnt work right...and causes all the probs...


That's most interesting. I once put full synthetic ATF in my Civic and after 30,000 miles, the thing started shifting really hard. My independent mechanic said Honda transmissions could not handle full synthetic and it was causing the shift solinoids to slam when activated. It seems Hondas can only have Honda ATF in them. I flushed the transaxle and refilled with Honda ATF and the problem went away. Maybe a parts supplier problem with the piston.


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## alex725 (Apr 2, 2011)

I drove my car for the 1st time in 3 1/2 days today and the trans was all over the place shifting up high then down shifting then going back and forth. The dealer had the GM warranty person out and they claimed my transmission was fine and it shifts like a normal car should. Ive put about 600 miles on the Edge Im driving since Saturday and I haven't felt a shift yet (I know its a completely different car, but still..). I am really disappointed with GM at this point. I'm picking the car up on Thurs from the dealer and if its not better its going right back in. If GM still won't do anything I will be filing for NJ Lemon Law and more than likely buy a Ford.


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## dshaney (Dec 22, 2011)

We just bought a certified pre-owned 2011 Cruze 3 weeks ago. On the test drive I did not notice the transmission late shifting and subtle noises. My wife started complaining about a grinding noise when she would drive it. I took it out for a ride and noticed at first that it would make a quick grinding noise immediately after shifting in second. We took it to the dealer and they installed updates to software, inspected it, but could not replicate the noise we were hearing so they thought that the updates fixed it. When I picked it up, it made the same noise as I was driving through the dealership lot. I went back and they had their mechanic ride with me, again it made the noise and the mechanic heard it. So they had me leave it so they could check it out again. When I got it back 3 days later, they had re-torqued the drivetrain, damaged a subframe mount, knocked it out of alignment, and said that they reproduce the noise (I picked it up after hours on a friday and this info with the exception of the alignment was on the repair order). Again as I was driving off the lot it made the same noise. Instead of taking it back (it was the weekend i couldn't) I drove it and drove it trying to reliable replicate the noise. I finally figured out how to replicate it... Car must be off, start the car, put in gear, accelerate (the faster the acceleration the louder the noise), after shifting into second rpms drop to 2000, electronic speedometer reads 10mph, it makes a brief grinding noise. It will not make the noise again until the car is stopped, shut off, and restarted. If you drive in reverse for more than 40' it will not make the noise going forward. I returned to the dealership again this week and showed a mechanic how to replicate it, rode with the mechanic when he replicated it. Mechanic said it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but scheduled it back in for service. I just got a call today from the dealership and was told that every similar cruze that the service manager drove made the same sound and that it was a normal vehicle specific noise. They could not identify the part that is making the noise. What is this TCM Tune i keep reading about, and does it solve this problem I am having?


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## Tea (Nov 20, 2012)

Hi to all who encounter jerky transmission,
Maybe you do not encounter when the car is new, as you drive longer mileage, this jerky issues comes out and everyone starts to complain and feel annoyed. My suggestion is try to change the ATF if you feel your transmission's not right. If you drain out the ATF, you will be shocked with the color (atf color is red but what you drain out is dirty brown or close to black) and the burnt smell. Change as regular as possible and remember to fill in the same amount you drain out. I am driving a 1.8l, year 2011 Cruze and I change at 10000km, some of my friends who travels a lot on freeways change at 20000km. Our theory is 6 speed gearbox is made lot more complicated than older 4 speed gearbox, switching gear (especially always at low shift gear in city drive) causes friction and heat, ATF acts as lubricant as well as cooling agent but breaks down fast and loses its function. Cruze gearbox is made compact with six speed. Try to maintain ATF in gearbox as fresh as possible. Some of us felt gear shift funny or jerk after some time, after we change the ATF, the jerk and funny gear shift improve or disappear. Some of my friends even installed ext cooler to the gearbox in order to allow ATF to cool down faster and they do not encounter jerky transmission. I don't think it is the TCM tuning problem. Well, any cruzers who read this article can try my method. Doesn't cost a bomb and no harm trying. Just remember if you change ATF, fill in the same amount you drain out. Best of luck and happy cruzing.


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## The_Madcat (Oct 6, 2012)

dshaney said:


> We just bought a certified pre-owned 2011 Cruze 3 weeks ago. On the test drive I did not notice the transmission late shifting and subtle noises. My wife started complaining about a grinding noise when she would drive it. I took it out for a ride and noticed at first that it would make a quick grinding noise immediately after shifting in second. We took it to the dealer and they installed updates to software, inspected it, but could not replicate the noise we were hearing so they thought that the updates fixed it. When I picked it up, it made the same noise as I was driving through the dealership lot. I went back and they had their mechanic ride with me, again it made the noise and the mechanic heard it. So they had me leave it so they could check it out again. When I got it back 3 days later, they had re-torqued the drivetrain, damaged a subframe mount, knocked it out of alignment, and said that they reproduce the noise (I picked it up after hours on a friday and this info with the exception of the alignment was on the repair order). Again as I was driving off the lot it made the same noise. Instead of taking it back (it was the weekend i couldn't) I drove it and drove it trying to reliable replicate the noise. I finally figured out how to replicate it... Car must be off, start the car, put in gear, accelerate (the faster the acceleration the louder the noise), after shifting into second rpms drop to 2000, electronic speedometer reads 10mph, it makes a brief grinding noise. It will not make the noise again until the car is stopped, shut off, and restarted. If you drive in reverse for more than 40' it will not make the noise going forward. I returned to the dealership again this week and showed a mechanic how to replicate it, rode with the mechanic when he replicated it. Mechanic said it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but scheduled it back in for service. I just got a call today from the dealership and was told that every similar cruze that the service manager drove made the same sound and that it was a normal vehicle specific noise. They could not identify the part that is making the noise. What is this TCM Tune i keep reading about, and does it solve this problem I am having?



What you are describing is almost like the ABS self-check. It only does it once and only after you put it in gear and roll forward a few feet. If that is what you are hearing it is absolutely normal.


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## Macman (May 4, 2011)

I think the ABS self check is at 12mph. So if I wanted to change my transmission fluid, how often should it be, and is tehre any special onee I should use?


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

dshaney said:


> We just bought a certified pre-owned 2011 Cruze 3 weeks ago. On the test drive I did not notice the transmission late shifting and subtle noises. My wife started complaining about a grinding noise when she would drive it. I took it out for a ride and noticed at first that it would make a quick grinding noise immediately after shifting in second. We took it to the dealer and they installed updates to software, inspected it, but could not replicate the noise we were hearing so they thought that the updates fixed it. When I picked it up, it made the same noise as I was driving through the dealership lot. I went back and they had their mechanic ride with me, again it made the noise and the mechanic heard it. So they had me leave it so they could check it out again. When I got it back 3 days later, they had re-torqued the drivetrain, damaged a subframe mount, knocked it out of alignment, and said that they reproduce the noise (I picked it up after hours on a friday and this info with the exception of the alignment was on the repair order). Again as I was driving off the lot it made the same noise. Instead of taking it back (it was the weekend i couldn't) I drove it and drove it trying to reliable replicate the noise. I finally figured out how to replicate it... Car must be off, start the car, put in gear, accelerate (the faster the acceleration the louder the noise), after shifting into second rpms drop to 2000, electronic speedometer reads 10mph, it makes a brief grinding noise. It will not make the noise again until the car is stopped, shut off, and restarted. If you drive in reverse for more than 40' it will not make the noise going forward. I returned to the dealership again this week and showed a mechanic how to replicate it, rode with the mechanic when he replicated it. Mechanic said it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but scheduled it back in for service. I just got a call today from the dealership and was told that every similar cruze that the service manager drove made the same sound and that it was a normal vehicle specific noise. They could not identify the part that is making the noise. What is this TCM Tune i keep reading about, and does it solve this problem I am having?


Has your concern been resolved? Keep us posted on your progress with the dealer. Feel free to contact me or Stacy if you need additional assistance. Thank you. 

Tricia, Chevrolet Customer Service (Assisting Stacy).


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