# Hesitating/Sputtering on Acceleration/Idle



## Jessikared97 (Jun 2, 2017)

Hey guys! 2015 Chevy Cruze around 90k here. I'm having bad jerking/sputtering at idle and on Acceleration and flashing check engine light. I hit a nail and the car sat for a few days. Now after getting a new tire put on at Walmart (praise road hazzard), the car wont hardly drive. I have had the PCV valve cover replaced under warranty once already (and warranty is out now) so I'm hoping that's not it.

Symptoms: jerking/sputtering/hesitation on Acceleration and at idle, flashing check engine light (will get code read tomorrow at Auto Zone as I was on the way to work when I had to turn back)

Maybe? Trash in tank? PCV Valve cover? Spark plugs?

Any thoughts/experiences with this problem?

(I did search the site and couldn't find this specific problem so sorry if there's another thread on this)


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

Did it drive ok before walmart touched it?


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## Jessikared97 (Jun 2, 2017)

Yes. Perfectly fine.

And the last time I had PCV Valve replaced it started acting funny after I got an oil change at Walmart.


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## bushchook (Apr 30, 2020)

I had the same issues with my 2014 SRI. If I drove around at about 4,000 RPM it felt mostly normal. It was an P300 error code. My problem turned out to be the coil pack, so I decided to buy a Delphi replacement instead of the Holden OEM


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## Jessikared97 (Jun 2, 2017)

bushchook said:


> I had the same issues with my 2014 SRI. If I drove around at about 4,000 RPM it felt mostly normal. It was an P300 error code. My problem turned out to be the coil pack, so I decided to buy a Delphi replacement instead of the Holden OEM


Is there any way to test the coil pack? It's a pricey part to play a guessing game with


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Jessikared97 said:


> Is there any way to test the coil pack? It's a pricey part to play a guessing game with


Start by pulling the plugs and looking at them as well as the cylinders if you can.

Tips to ensure no misfires occur:

Remove the coil pack. If the boots are stuck on, use a small screwdriver or pick with some dielectric grease on it to go around the outside of the boot and then possibly the inside of the boot to help aid in removal.

Remember to (p)re-gap your plugs to .028, (0.24 if tuned)

*Set gap with the black portion of this tool.*










To increase the gap size bend the ground strap up to the desired height. DO NOT LET THE GAPPING TOOL TOUCH THE *IRIDIUM* CENTER ELECTRODE OR PORCELAIN.

*Measure the gap with feeler gauges.*

View attachment 287014


*Throw this away.*


View attachment 287015



Torque to 18 ft-lbs with no anti-seize on the threads of a stock type plug.

Ensure the boots have no rips/tears or holes in them, lightly coat them with dielectric/silicone grease and make sure the resister springs are clean and not caught up in the boots when you install them.

If the plugs look bad, consider these:

*-BKR8EIX-2668* (iridium plugs), ~$25, expect ~10-15k regaps on these, ~40-50k overall life.
*-BKR7E-4644* (nickel/copper plugs), ~$8, expect 15-25K out of these plugs, with a regap or two required at 5-8k intervals on stock tune.

Read _Hesitation Gone!_ for more info on the plugs.


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## bushchook (Apr 30, 2020)

Jessikared97 said:


> Is there any way to test the coil pack? It's a pricey part to play a guessing game with


Apparently some auto shops in the US have an ignition coil bench tester, so I would ask around about that. If that idea doesn't pan out, you could try a spark tester 




If you have a multimeter, you can try measuring resistances of each coil 





Or if you have a mate with a Cruze or Astra, try putting their coil pack in your car and see if it fixes the problem. If it does, you have a working car and they don't so you can make a clean getaway.

From what I've read (and my own experience) it always seems to be the third cylinder from the left that has the misfire issue 

I'm not much a car person, but how did your error code scan go?


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## Jessikared97 (Jun 2, 2017)

Cylinder misfire on Cylinder 4 was the code.

It's going into the shop tomorrow. I moved away from home to an apartment and dont want to risk it driving over 100 miles to my dad's house for repairs. Once the coil pack and spark plus are replaced, I'll update.

I'm looking into the timing chain now.


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## Jessikared97 (Jun 2, 2017)

I cant find a replacement time in the manual for the 1.4. Is the 1.4T an interference timing chain? I see some people saying not till 200k?


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

Jessikared97 said:


> I cant find a replacement time in the manual for the 1.4. Is the 1.4T an interference timing chain? I see some people saying not till 200k?


Never, it should last life of the engine.


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## Jessikared97 (Jun 2, 2017)

Spark plugs replaced, no change.
Coil is next.
Then ??? 

I've had pcv valve cover replaced about 2 years ago and the only symptom that matches that is rough running at idle. No smell in cabin, no smoke, no oil consumption whatsoever.


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## Jessikared97 (Jun 2, 2017)

(Timing chain)
Some people on this forum say if you dont do it at 200k, you wont see 300k.


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

Jessikared97 said:


> (Timing chain)
> Some people on this forum say if you dont do it at 200k, you wont see 300k.


Well you’re at 90k, so no worries there. I wouldn’t ever change it. 98% of people don’t drive their cars to 200k, let alone 300k.


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## PartiesbyLL (Jul 20, 2021)

Jessikared97 said:


> Hey guys! 2015 Chevy Cruze around 90k here. I'm having bad jerking/sputtering at idle and on Acceleration and flashing check engine light. I hit a nail and the car sat for a few days. Now after getting a new tire put on at Walmart (praise road hazzard), the car wont hardly drive. I have had the PCV valve cover replaced under warranty once already (and warranty is out now) so I'm hoping that's not it.
> 
> Symptoms: jerking/sputtering/hesitation


Did you end up getting codes read? 
I have a similar problem with codes p0300 & p0595. I've switched out coil pack and battery in past 3 months. Code 595 is servo circuit short and has me stumped. All wires and connections are solid..


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## Jessikared97 (Jun 2, 2017)

PartiesbyLL said:


> Did you end up getting codes read?
> I have a similar problem with codes p0300 & p0595. I've switched out coil pack and battery in past 3 months. Code 595 is servo circuit short and has me stumped. All wires and connections are solid..


Couldn't get the codes read because it was flashing. It didnt stay on long enough. But replacing the coil pack and spark plugs solved my issue 👍 you might want to look into new plugs or a tune up for the ones you already have.


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