# Cruze 2011 saloon dash lights flickering and losing power



## rjf10 (Sep 23, 2015)

Hi guys,

I have a 2011 Cruze LS saloon 1.6 manual with 39000 on the clock. I have had the car for a year now with no issues but in the last 2 months I have been experiencing an intermittent electrical issue.

What happens is: randomly the dash lights will flicker, the radio will turn on and off and I will experience a loss of power when accelerating. Sometimes the stall lights will come on but the engine hasn't actually stopped yet. This can be pretty scary when you are driving fast on the motorway with children in the car.

I have checked the fuses inside the car and they all seem OK. Some people on the forum mention that this could be due to a faulty negative battery cable. I have attached some photos to see if anyone recognises if I have the faulty cable? 

I have booked the car to the dealership in 10 days time however they charge £100($150)/hour just to look at the car so I would like to avoid that is possible!

Thanks in advance for your help guys!


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## rjf10 (Sep 23, 2015)

Also, I pressed the fuses to check they were seated properly. When I turned the ignition on after this there was a horizontal line where the mileage usually is. This lasted for a couple of seconds. Not sure if this means anything?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Have you replaced the battery yet? You may be near the end of life for the original battery.


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## rjf10 (Sep 23, 2015)

Thanks for the reply obermd, I was considering changing the negative battery lead and the battery. Is there any tests I can do to tell if the battery is screwed?


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

rjf10 said:


> Is there any tests I can do to tell if the battery is screwed?


Find someone that can do a battery load test.


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## rjf10 (Sep 23, 2015)

ChevyGuy said:


> Find someone that can do a battery load test.


Ok, will get that done. Could an old battery really cause an engine to stop for a second?I thought it only used battery to start the engine and once it was running then it didn't need battery?


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

rjf10 said:


> Could an old battery really cause an engine to stop for a second?I thought it only used battery to start the engine and once it was running then it didn't need battery?


I'm not sure. I do know that while the alternator provides the power, the battery is still filtering the power. If it should suddenly open up, the power could get weird. Weird power results in weird computers. An just about everything in the Cruze is controlled by a computer.

I will say that what you're experiencing isn't the usual way batteries die, but I wouldn't say it can't happen.


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## rjf10 (Sep 23, 2015)

I managed to capture a video of it occurring
https://vimeo.com/140761249


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

This is hard to diagnose. But based on Nick D's experience, you might try changing the ignition relay. It cheap and easy. About $10.

The alternative is to go to the dealer and show them that video.


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## Sinister_Rogue (Sep 23, 2015)

Special coverage 14311???


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Sinister_Rogue said:


> Special coverage 14311???


I think this only applies to US/Canada Cruze.


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## rjf10 (Sep 23, 2015)

Is that the negative battery cable? If so I have spoken to Chevrolet and they say it's not applicable to my car. I am highly considering doing it though!


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

14311 is the negative battery cable replacement.


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## rjf10 (Sep 23, 2015)

Ok, it's doing it really regular now. Even when idling on the driveway!
https://vimeo.com/140825642


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

You might also pull the dash and look for connectors working themselves loose.


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## rjf10 (Sep 23, 2015)

I think it's more than that ( I am not an automotive engineer though!) because when it happens I lose power when accelerating. Also the radio flickers


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