# More Issues w/ my Cruze!



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

Hello all!

It seems it's that time of year for me again, it seems more issue are arising w/ my Cruze. I just cannot seem to catch a break! I am sure everyone remembers me & my issues I have had w/ my Cruze over the years! So lets digg right into the issue I am experiencing & get some advise on what is covered under my warranty & what isn't.

Ok first, I was driving down the road I noticed my car was starting to lose some power I just took it as as quirk & decided to ignore it & let it work itself out, well that wasn't the case I noticed it getting worser & then the engine light popped on. No surprise really w/ my car, so I had the codes pulled at auto zone, & this is what I got:

-> Lost communication w/ body control module
-> brake pedal sensor issue
-> P0013 camshaft position actuator (Bank 1)
-> P0014 camshaft position actuator (Bank 1). ** duplicate? ** but different code #?

So I a bit upset but plenty of patience as everyone knows. So I got my coverage letter from Chevrolet to see what is covered & what isn't but its gray areas for me so I am quoting the section on what is covered & in hopes all can give me advise on what is covered & what isn't.



> All internally lubricated engine parts; block; heads;manifolds; oil pan; mounts; seals; gaskets; starter; flywheel; harmonic balancer; belt tensioner; water pump; the entire pressurized fuel system; injectors; all internal engine actuators; & electrical components; control modules; and module programming; diesel injection pump/glow plugs if applicable and throttle body.


----------



## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Only be concerned with the lost communication code......every other code likely was resultant.....a result of the lost comm.

At this point I doubt if this would be a warranty thing......lost communication can be caused primarily by a battery or battery wiring open moment.......usually there might be a few other electrical things acting up as well.

Basics.....how do the battery cables look at the battery connection?
You might find a science experiment going on there.

Not much else to speculate at this time.

Rob


----------



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

Hello Robby, well I had the negative battery cable changed a couple months ago & this lost communication thing has been there for awhile now & the engine light would come on & go off. But this time the engine light stayed on which prompted me to get it checked again & that is when I found the P0013 & P0014 & car is now experiencing the new issue of rough idle & missing & lack of power.

& the hot terminal is nice & clean.

*EDIT: *I forgot to note this as it very important I assume when helping to determine the cause, the P0013 & 14 are related to the "camshaft position actuator on the *exhaust side*"


----------



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

*UPDATE: *After opening my hood & just looking at the engine for something obvious; I looked at the camshaft position actuators & I seen the one towards the front end unhooked. & it seems the clip is nearly broken, I am very unhappy at the moment as the dealership is the ONLY ones that are under my hood. So before I call them & demand them to repair I want to know is it common for these clips to the point of broken & don't stay clipped into place? 

I have got it hooked back into place as of now but I know it will be very short lived as it don't clip snug into place. But I will tell you the power is better & the throttle response a lot quicker as well so I believe the issue is corrected by replugging that in, also will this hurt my warranty for plugging it back in by simply doing this? I have always been afraid of doing anything under my hood - I always wanted certified techs doing this. So I need advise guys/gals please.


----------



## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

joshuab said:


> *UPDATE: *After opening my hood & just looking at the engine for something obvious; I looked at the camshaft position actuators & I seen the one towards the front end unhooked. & it seems the clip is nearly broken, I am very unhappy at the moment as the dealership is the ONLY ones that are under my hood. So before I call them & demand them to repair I want to know is it common for these clips to the point of broken & don't stay clipped into place?
> 
> I have got it hooked back into place as of now but I know it will be very short lived as it don't clip snug into place. But I will tell you the power is better & the throttle response a lot quicker as well so I believe the issue is corrected by replugging that in, also will this hurt my warranty for plugging it back in by simply doing this? I have always been afraid of doing anything under my hood - I always wanted certified techs doing this. So I need advise guys/gals please.


No, that clip would only be broken by someone futzing with it. Same with the coil pack ones, which break often with someone trying to undo it to get to the cam cover. 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


----------



## spaycace (Feb 9, 2012)

And maybe ... since you know it was disconnected, you should re-create the problem before taking it to the dealership and demanding corrective actions. Tell them you saw something that looked like it was disconnected, but didn't want to touch it for fear they wouldn't correct their mistake at no charge to you.


----------



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

spaycace said:


> And maybe ... since you know it was disconnected, you should re-create the problem before taking it to the dealership and demanding corrective actions. Tell them you saw something that looked like it was disconnected, but didn't want to touch it for fear they wouldn't correct their mistake at no charge to you.


That is a good point there, I am going to be putting it back exactly as it was found. & then I plan on contacting my service manger at the dealership this guy is awesome & has helped me many times in the past when I was having huge engine problems. So I will let everyone know how things transpire.


----------



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

*Update: *I called up the service manager over at the dealership & explained my situation to him & it told me to bring it straight in to have it checked out. So I took it in & he took it straight back into the bay & I waited there about 40/mins, wow fast service. They came out & gave me so not good news it seems I will be footing this bill, the issue came to be that my serpentine belt had split badly & somehow ejected itself up & broke the harness connecting too the exhaust camshaft solenoid. So I basically need a new harness & a new belt. Total cost for diagnostic / repair /parts @ a little over $200! They also adviced me to not drive the car as it could cause issues to the cam & the timing. So I had to get a rental til tomorrow. 

Sooo.... That is all good price is far service is excellent work is spot on & I am very picky person when it comes to my car! But the only thing that is left questioning as I mentioned to the tech that is going to be doing the repairs, is why?? Should a belt just split up & cause damages like that? & as my service records show this belt was changed on 6/2016? He didn't seem to really know why it did this, but he mentioned once he get into there he will know more, my hopes are tho that he got a better answer than he didn't know or the belt just split.

Thoughts?


----------



## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

joshuab said:


> *Update: *I called up the service manager over at the dealership & explained my situation to him & it told me to bring it straight in to have it checked out. So I took it in & he took it straight back into the bay & I waited there about 40/mins, wow fast service. They came out & gave me so not good news it seems I will be footing this bill, the issue came to be that my serpentine belt had split badly & somehow ejected itself up & broke the harness connecting too the exhaust camshaft solenoid. So I basically need a new harness & a new belt. Total cost for diagnostic / repair /parts @ a little over $200! They also adviced me to not drive the car as it could cause issues to the cam & the timing. So I had to get a rental til tomorrow.
> 
> Sooo.... That is all good price is far service is excellent work is spot on & I am very picky person when it comes to my car! But the only thing that is left questioning as I mentioned to the tech that is going to be doing the repairs, is why?? Should a belt just split up & cause damages like that? & as my service records show this belt was changed on 6/2016? He didn't seem to really know why it did this, but he mentioned once he get into there he will know more, my hopes are tho that he got a better answer than he didn't know or the belt just split.
> 
> Thoughts?


That's a new one. When was the last time your car went through a state inspection?

Ask to see the old belt before you pay for anything.


----------



## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

A bad belt could cause a number of problems - but I think this is the first I've heard of the belt going bad. But then, given what all that engine had gone though.....


----------



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

jblackburn said:


> That's a new one. When was the last time your car went through a state inspection?
> 
> Ask to see the old belt before you pay for anything.


I actually went back there & looked at the car myself & the belt is half gone it like it came undone & gone. I am assuming this is why the dealership tech is confused so is the service manager. & last state inspection was last year to receive my yearly inspection sticker.



ChevyGuy said:


> A bad belt could cause a number of problems - but I think this is the first I've heard of the belt going bad. But then, given what all that engine had gone though.....


That old engine is gone & I have gotten a new one. But maybe they messed up something on the idle pully or maybe they didn't align the new belt tensioner or maybe it was bad? Because the first belt didn't do this, this is a new one after the belt tensioner was installed same time the new belt was installed? Possbile something wrong there?

None the less, I am going to let them finish this up, & I am going to keep a very close eye on this. & guys/gals when I say it shreded the belt, it not like you may think seeing it all in pieces, it looks like a skinny belt or like it isn't made for it. LOL

I must laugh this off, because I am wanting to stay positive & not get mad & start venting, doesn't do any good.


----------



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

*Update: *I got a call from the dealership today that my car was ready! So I drove up to the dealership & met up w/ the service manager, who worked closely w/ the tech to find the cause of the shredding of the sep. belt, so he had some good news to inform me on & let me know he was able to find what caused the belt to shred when they put the car back together today, they started & watched it start to shred the belt right away, & up on investigating they found the "belt tensioner" kicked back or moved something to that effect he said that caused the belt to start shredding. So he put a new belt tensioner & a new belt & did the new wire connector & now my engine light is gone & car runs smooth & quick pickup power!

So all in all, these guys at my dealership is one of the best dealerships, in my opinion, no headaches, no explaining or getting the run around! The only thing that still bugs me a bit is when they hooked it too the computer he was only concerned w/ the camshaft issue (P0013 & 14 ); but my engine light hasn't come back on, can a wire connector being broke cause the computer to run issues mentioning in the original post?

SO now I am back to Cruzen my Cruze! hopefully I'll reach my 100K I am close to 97K fingers crossed I'll get my badge if the car holds up LOL


----------



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

*Update: *It seems that was short lived, it seems yesterday evening I heard a pop sound but didn't see anything wrong. Well, today I was driving & start to hear a fast cliping metal sound, thankfully I just got home, I open the hood leaving the engine running & I see the belt tensioner moving & the belt starting to cut away on the side towards the engine. So quickly turn the engine off. & inspect it further, & there I notice the belt had already cut a line in the edge of the belt & cut away half the depth of the belt. 

So I call the dealership, they advised I don't drive the car & to have it towed to them, so I called GM roadside & they came & picked the car up. So its a waiting game again.

So while I wait let's speculate on what the cause may be, anyone?


----------



## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

A driven accessory could cause the belt to die if a bearing was going and starting to bind/seize. The tensioner would bounce as a reaction to the tension change - not the cause of it.

I'll throw a dart and say the A/C compressor. By chance, with the coming of spring, have you starting using the A/C?


----------



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

ChevyGuy said:


> A driven accessory could cause the belt to die if a bearing was going and starting to bind/seize. The tensioner would bounce as a reaction to the tension change - not the cause of it.
> 
> I'll throw a dart and say the A/C compressor. By chance, with the coming of spring, have you starting using the A/C?


I haven't used the A/C as of yet no.


----------



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

*Update: *I received a call from the dealership this morning in reference to my car being towed to them yesterday, they let me know the cause of the issue & it seems it was the harmonic balancer went bad. So GM is picking up the tab for the balancer and new belt, so that is a break there! But it will not be ready until Monday evening so it looks like I get to drive the gas drinking truck for a few days, but all is well it don't get run that much so now is a good time!

So would have anyone guessed it being the harmonic balancer? Thoughts anyone think this will correct it for awhile?


----------



## frankh (Aug 25, 2014)

How does a HB go bad?.. Its a solid pulley I assume?

The only thing I can think of is if it got bent. That of course would have to be a significant hit.. like the new engine swung into the frame member when they were installing it perhaps?


----------



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

frankh said:


> How does a HB go bad?.. Its a solid pulley I assume?
> 
> The only thing I can think of is if it got bent. That of course would have to be a significant hit.. like the new engine swung into the frame member when they were installing it perhaps?


I am not quite sure, that is what they told me. But you know w/ the stuff that has happended to this car, nothing surprises me w/ it.


----------



## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

The balancer is solid.....sort of.
The 'ring', or the part the belt rides on, is pressed onto the center that is attached to the crank.
The two pieces are separated by a rubber ring that acts as the damper (ie Harmonic Balancer). The ring dampens the harmonics that the crankshaft is exposed to with each cylinder firing by using the heavy outer ring, through the rubber, absorbing the firing pulse.

I have seen these parts begin to separate.....sometimes from time (rubber rot) but many from a poor installation practice.
The incorrect procedure is when the mechanic hammers the balancer onto the crankshaft deep enough to engage the bolt that secures it.
Then, uses the bolt to finish pulling the balancer onto the crankshaft until it seats.
The damage occurs when the part is hammered onto the crank......the rubber interface is damaged because with each hammer blow the center moves and the outer ring follows. The rubber and mating parts were not designed to absorb forces in that direction and results in the outer ring moving (over time) in relation to the hub.
As a result, the outer ring (the pulley part) begins to run out of alignment with the other pulleys. On a serpentine belt, any misalignment will result in overloading the belt edge, tearing it apart.

The correct install procedure is to install a hardened threaded rod into the bolt hole and then use a nut and washer to press the damper onto the snout using a ratchet (not an impact) so there are no forces created that can damage the interface. Once seated, the nut, washer, and hardened rod are removed and the crankshaft bolt is installed and torqued to spec.

Because of the cars age (young) and the fact the damper would have been transferred from the original engine to the replacement, my thoughts are this was a installation error.

Schools out,
Rob


----------



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

*Update: *I got a call from the dealership today, that my car is ready for pickup. Well I got there the service manager ask had anyone worked on this car & I was a little taken back, as I don't let anyone expect there dealership work on my car. So I was a little shocked he would ask this, but didn't think much of it & just told him "No, Sir" & he said ok, & he begins to explain something about the crank pulley had 5 grooves when it should have had 6 grooves, & my paperwork explains this as well. So they replaced the whole crank pulley and balancer & bolt & new SERP. Belt. & the car runs like a dream again.

So maybe you all can shed some light on this for me what does all this mean, about 5 grooves vs 6 grooves, could they have mixed something up when swapping the engine some time back & if so why did the issue occur now? I can honestly see why the service manager was a bit questioning the fact have i let anyone else work on the car. This just baffles me.


----------



## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

I think by "grove" he's talking about what you see when you look at the part of the pulley the belt rides on. Now, how you ended up with the wrong one is a good question. Perhaps it came with the replacement engine and no one checked it. Or, perhaps someone messed up the old one in the swap that Robby described and they grabbed the wrong replacement part.


----------



## joshuab (Apr 16, 2014)

Good point, but you would think the tech working would have documented any damages & replacements. Because they seemed stumped & even asked "was this recently changed as it seems new" on the phone the next morning after it was towed to them. So yeah just a bit confusing but all in all they did an awesome job & the works looks great & runs great again!

So dare I say I am back to Cruzen my Cruze, but now the question is for how long? Haha


----------



## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

joshuab said:


> *Update: *I got a call from the dealership today, that my car is ready for pickup. Well I got there the service manager ask had anyone worked on this car & I was a little taken back, as I don't let anyone expect there dealership work on my car. So I was a little shocked he would ask this, but didn't think much of it & just told him "No, Sir" & he said ok, & he begins to explain something about the crank pulley had 5 grooves when it should have had 6 grooves, & my paperwork explains this as well. So they replaced the whole crank pulley and balancer & bolt & new SERP. Belt. & the car runs like a dream again.
> 
> So maybe you all can shed some light on this for me what does all this mean, about 5 grooves vs 6 grooves, could they have mixed something up when swapping the engine some time back & if so why did the issue occur now? I can honestly see why the service manager was a bit questioning the fact have i let anyone else work on the car. This just baffles me.


I do recall reading that 2011's used a different serpentine belt/pulley than 2012+ Cruze motors. My last car had lots of one-year oddities in it too.



> So dare I say I am back to Cruzen my Cruze, but now the question is for how long? Haha



And this is why you have your little purple title and I don't. I wanted to set my own on fire and launch it off a cliff, and I didn't have nearly as many silly issues as you have had with your car/dealers.


----------

