# Hey! Just got my 2014 Cruze! Mod Plans



## Johnny B (Jun 4, 2019)

Nice looking ride. And I like your plan, except...



Brian.C said:


> Spectre seems to have good reviews.


Spectre, sure if you like chasing a check engine light until the end of time.
K&N or ZZP intake, sure go for it. And then tune it afterward for the benefits.


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

Johnny B said:


> Nice looking ride. And I like your plan, except...
> 
> 
> Spectre, sure if you like chasing a check engine light until the end of time.
> K&N or ZZP intake, sure go for it. And then tune it afterward for the benefits.


I see. I hadn't read about that. And I wanted the ZZP Air Intake but they're out of stock. It might be in stock again when I go to order it though. In a few weeks I'll go for the K&N or ZZP intake then! Thanks!


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Brian.C said:


> 2014 Cruze LT RS AT. I've had it for a week now. I got the tint done a couple days ago. I'm in Florida so the tint was super important! This is going to be my daily but it needs more pep. I want it to drive like it should, ya know?
> View attachment 299454
> 
> In a few weeks I will start ordering things. I just wanted some opinions to make sure I'm on the right track. I've got a short term plan going.
> ...


Welcome Aboard!

I would consider an Injen CAI instead of the SRI's you are looking at. .As for the tune, many vendors offer additional tuning, some at an additional cost and others for one overall price.

Don't forget to introduce yourself and your Cruze here.


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

Blasirl said:


> Welcome Aboard!
> 
> I would consider an Injen CAI instead of the SRI's you are looking at. .As for the tune, many vendors offer additional tuning, some at an additional cost and others for one overall price.
> 
> Don't forget to introduce yourself and your Cruze here.


Oh I thought thats where I posted  and yeah I looked at the Injen CAI. Would it make a big difference being in Florida? We regularly get to oven Temps outside. But with 90 humidity haha.

It also rains nearly every day and some places flood. I'm in the Tampa Bay area so were basically at negative sea level lol. I wouldn't want to hydrolock.


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## Noiitekk (Feb 28, 2017)

Tune first because that gives you the biggest bump even without the rest of the mods. You can get retunes from most of the companies that offer Cruze tunes as you add mods.


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

Noiitekk said:


> Tune first because that gives you the biggest bump even without the rest of the mods. You can get retunes from most of the companies that offer Cruze tunes as you add mods.


Yeah I'll be doing the Air Intake and the Tune at the same time probably. That's why I have it on there as Number 3 because I would do it after the AI if I had it. But yeah from what I've seen the tune is really all it needs to make the car feel good performance wise.

If I don't want to spend $900-1000 on my first upgrades I'll go with the Tune first though for sure. Thank you! =)


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## Danyilboon9 (Dec 22, 2019)

Brian.C said:


> 2014 Cruze LT RS AT. I've had it for a week now. I got the tint done a couple days ago. I'm in Florida so the tint was super important! This is going to be my daily but it needs more pep. I want it to drive like it should, ya know?
> View attachment 299454
> 
> In a few weeks I will start ordering things. I just wanted some opinions to make sure I'm on the right track. I've got a short term plan going.
> ...



I hope you got ceramic tint. 

My opinion, they say the dp adds hp but that exhaust is all rushing through a penny size hole in the manifold.. So I don't know how benifecial those are.

I would look at the coolant outlet pipe on the drivers side of the head check for leaks. Racerx makes a metal one.

Check and see if the negative cable recall has been done. 

There is a recall for the steering as well if you feel it bind on a straight away.

Check and see if the turbo feed pipe has the heat shielding. Or just replace it for peace of mind.

Always run quality oil.

Replace the coolant over flow tank with the dorman tank. 

Pull your cat off and check the exhaust manifold for cracks.

Install a aftermarket waste gate actuator.

Check the orange nipple in the intake and see if that is there, and check the valve cover diaphragm see if that sucks air. 

Install a e 85 flex sensor if you have E85 in your area.

If you get it tuned with the spectre intake you shouldn't get a CEL.


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

Danyilboon9 said:


> I hope you got ceramic tint.
> 
> My opinion, they say the dp adds hp but that exhaust is all rushing through a penny size hole in the manifold.. So I don't know how benifecial those are.
> 
> ...


No ceramic tint this time around. I knew that though. Not worried about it atm. I forgot about the oil. Thanks! I'm unsure what the dealership put in there. I'll check it soon and change it pretty early to make sure I've got a good full synthetic. I Should be using full synthetic right?

I have a wastegate actuator and intake manifold saved in my wishlist on ZZP. I'll look into checking on some of those other things you mentioned. And we have a lot of e85 or Flex Fuel in our area. I am still contemplating on this one.

Thanks for the insight though! I have things to do now!


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

Danyilboon9 said:


> I hope you got ceramic tint.
> 
> My opinion, they say the dp adds hp but that exhaust is all rushing through a penny size hole in the manifold.. So I don't know how benifecial those are.


Turbo definitely spools faster with one.


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

Thebigzeus said:


> Turbo definitely spools faster with one.


That's what I was reading. As far as exhaust goes the DP seems like the most important piece.

And I'm not trying to build a race car lol. Just a fun city daily. But eventually I will do more than my initial 5 points of performance up there.


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Brian.C said:


> Oh I thought thats where I posted  and yeah I looked at the Injen CAI. Would it make a big difference being in Florida? We regularly get to oven Temps outside. But with 90 humidity haha.
> 
> It also rains nearly every day and some places flood. I'm in the Tampa Bay area so were basically at negative sea level lol. I wouldn't want to hydrolock.


If the temp outside the engine bay is hot, it will be even hotter on the inside. As for the hydro lock issue:






Air Filters - Hydro Shield


Air Filters - Hydro Shield



injen.com


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

Blasirl said:


> If the temp outside the engine bay is hot, it will be even hotter on the inside. As for the hydro lock issue:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'll look more into these. I have read quite a bit already. People still hydrolock sometimes. They are water resistant not proof is the issue. In a place where it rains over 200 days a year and floods regularly this may be an issue. And the 1-2% gain in power from 15 degrees F doesn't seem worth the trouble.

Those injen cai are about 8" above the ground yeah? With a prefilter/shield it could essentially solve the problem but again is it worth the 1% gains? and still have the fear of an oddly angled or heavy splash.

I'm definitely still looking to see if its worth it though. I would like the small gains. But I want to be safe and take care of the Cruze. Thanks mate.

What about upgraded intercooler along with SRI? and just leave the whole CAI worries behind.


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Brian.C said:


> I'll look more into these. I have read quite a bit already. People still hydrolock sometimes. They are water resistant not proof is the issue. In a place where it rains over 200 days a year and floods regularly this may be an issue. And the 1-2% gain in power from 15 degrees F doesn't seem worth the trouble.
> 
> Those injen cai are about 8" above the ground yeah? With a prefilter/shield it could essentially solve the problem but again is it worth the 1% gains? and still have the fear of an oddly angled or heavy splash.
> 
> ...


The Hydroshield does need to replaced every so often so if they chose not to that may be a reason some still have issues

You would be better off forgoing an SRI altogether. The stock intake does a great job. It can be modified for free if what you want is more turbo noise.

*How To Bypass the Intake Resonator

DIY Delete Air Intake Resonator (Pic heavy)*


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

Blasirl said:


> The Hydroshield does need to replaced every so often so if they chose not to that may be a reason some still have issues
> 
> You would be better off forgoing SRI altogether. The stock intake does a great job. It can be modified for free if what you want is more turbo noise.
> 
> ...


Cool. Yeah I saw some posts about this. Interesting idea but I do want more performance. Loud turbo for the sake of noise defeats the purpose .

Like cars that have no upgrades but have mufflers and tips to make them loud. It should be loud because the car can back it up! Haha

I'll keep looking things up for now. But I think I've decided that I shouldn't do a true cai.


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Brian.C said:


> Cool. Yeah I saw some posts about this. Interesting idea but I do want more performance. Loud turbo for the sake of noise defeats the purpose .
> 
> Like cars that have no upgrades but have mufflers and tips to make them loud. It should be loud because the car can back it up! Haha
> 
> I'll keep looking things up for now. But I think I've decided that I shouldn't do a true cai.


Just so I know I tried to be clear, a short ram intake (SRI) will give you much worse performance than a cold air intake (CAI), so if you choose not to install a CAI, stick with the stock intake and bypass the resonator for the best performance.


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

Blasirl said:


> Just so I know I tried to be clear, a short ram intake (SRI) will give you much worse performance than a cold air intake (CAI), so if you choose not to install a CAI, stick with the stock intake and bypass the resonator for the best performance.


Oh I got it. The Injen CAI seems like the best one performance wise then but I'm wary about the flooding. It just rained for like 4 days straight and every street and parking lot have ponds.. and this area is wealthy. The city/county takes care of the roads and drainage really well considering. I really want this option though. From what I've seen and what I want. But again the water..

I have read about the stock intake with resonator delete too. So if I went that route would I just change the filter?


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Brian.C said:


> Oh I got it. The Injen CAI seems like the best one performance wise then but I'm wary about the flooding. It just rained for like 4 days straight and every street and parking lot have ponds.. and this area is wealthy. The city/county takes care of the roads and drainage really well considering. I really want this option though. From what I've seen and what I want. But again the water..
> 
> I have read about the stock intake with resonator delete too. So if I went that route would I just change the filter?


No need to do that either. If you race or want to have a track day, buy a K&N panel filter. If you leave it in long term though, you will increase the wear on your engine as it does let in more debris.


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

Blasirl said:


> No need to do that either. If you race or want to have a track day, buy a K&N panel filter. If you leave it in long term though, you will increase the wear on your engine as it does let in more debris.


oh very cheap option. I may end up doing that. I will keep looking into the the injen cai though as I would prefer the performance boost.

Thanks a bunch!


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## 72chevman (Dec 28, 2018)

I live in HOT Kansas. I had ceramic side & back tint done in 2019 which made a huge difference, but I just had LLumar AIR 80 film applied to the inside of my windshield. WOW what a difference, as the windshield surface area is massive. The film is clear and blocks 43% of the sun's radiant heat, which is about what most non-ceramic tinted films block. Since it's ceramic, it does not block any cell signals, so your phone and/or GPS works with no issues. I have the AEM intake as I prefer a dry vs Oiled filters. May as well save and get the tune and Down pipe at the same time, no use spending that tuning $$ twice. Remember if you are looking for performance, stay away from larger heavy wheels. Lighter is faster when it comes to anything in the rotating drivetrain. Check out ZZP's tech article. I'm a huge fan of dynomax super turbo mufflers, so that's what I am running. Custom done tucked up behind the bumper. You know its there, but you can't hear me down the block. Welcome.





AIR Clear Window Film | LLumar


LLumar AIR is a clear window film with the same, proven nano-ceramic technology used in premium auto tint, minus the window-darkening color.




llumar.com












How to modify your 1.4L turbo Cruze/Sonic


First I would like to start this with these cars are not ok running 87 octane. They are boosted engines, even stock, everyone should be running premium fuel. Now you can run 87 safely with these cars, but to do it safely, I would run the stock tune, but add our complete exhaust and intercooler...




zzperformance.com


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

72chevman said:


> I live in HOT Kansas. I had ceramic side & back tint done in 2019 which made a huge difference, but I just had LLumar AIR 80 film applied to the inside of my windshield. WOW what a difference, as the windshield surface area is massive. The film is clear and blocks 43% of the sun's radiant heat, which is about what most non-ceramic tinted films block. Since it's ceramic, it does not block any cell signals, so your phone and/or GPS works with no issues. I have the AEM intake as I prefer a dry vs Oiled filters. May as well save and get the tune and Down pipe at the same time, no use spending that tuning $$ twice. Remember if you are looking for performance, stay away from larger heavy wheels. Lighter is faster when it comes to anything in the rotating drivetrain. Check out ZZP's tech article. I'm a huge fan of dynomax super turbo mufflers, so that's what I am running. Custom done tucked up behind the bumper. You know its there, but you can't hear me down the block. Welcome.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I will need to look up some windshield wraps before long. Ill be getting ceramic next on the rest but I'm not worried about it right now. I worked at a sign shop for years. we also did wraps. Car isn't scalding hot when I get in it anymore and it only takes like 30 seconds to cool all the way down. It's more the humidity outside at this point.

Also the ZZP cold air intake isn't out of stock any more so ill be picking that up. And the BNR tune is unlimited custom tunes. Every time I add something I just scan and send them the data to get another tune. They fine tune til you're happy. 

Although yeah ill be doing the intake resonator delete, cai, downpipe/midpipe all at once now so ill need fewer retunes. I may not ever change the rest of the exhaust. That being said I am still looking at "quieter" but nice sounding systems. Ill check out that dynamax.

And as far as wheels go yeah lightweight. I Haven't really checked specs for any yet. But thanks for the weight reminder heh. I used to have some lightweight racing rims on my 2002 Nissan sentra spec-v. Had a family member wreck that though. So now I have a cruze! Lol

Thanks mate!


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## 2014 Encore (5 mo ago)

The car already has a CAI. Most newer vehicles do.


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

2014 Encore said:


> The car already has a CAI. Most newer vehicles do.


Yup. The stock cai leaves a lot to be desired. Going zzp though. And doing reso intake delete when the new one goes in. Was about to just do the delete but the ZZP back in stock.


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## 2014 Encore (5 mo ago)

Brian.C said:


> Yup. The stock cai leaves a lot to be desired. Going zzp though. And doing reso intake delete when the new one goes in. Was about to just do the delete but the ZZP back in stock.


What is left to be desired ?


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

2014 Encore said:


> What is left to be desired ?


More air flow mostly but also sound. They're designed to silence your car. Gotta hear the flow and the turbo!


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## 2014 Encore (5 mo ago)

Plenty of flow for the stock turbos.


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

2014 Encore said:


> Plenty of flow for the stock turbos.


Thats not the point lol. More flow. Thats the point. Increase flow and increase power. Makes the intake able to be heard. Also makes the turbo spool noise louder as well as the bov. But the increased flow is going to help overall and more with the exhaust additions. Make the car breathe better as a whole.


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## 72chevman (Dec 28, 2018)

Brian.C said:


> Although yeah ill be doing the intake resonator delete, cai, downpipe/midpipe all at once now so ill need fewer retunes. I may not ever change the rest of the exhaust. That being said I am still looking at "quieter" but nice sounding systems. Ill check out that dynamax.
> 
> Thanks mate!


Here's my setup. I originally had a straight thru flowing Magnaflow(1st pic), but once I installed the down and mid pipe, the muffler had a nasty drone over 74 mph at cruise or under any load over 70 mph. I got real annoying even after applying sound deadener, so I went to the Dynomax Super Turbo PN 17731.(2nd pic)


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

72chevman said:


> Here's my setup. I originally had a straight thru flowing Magnaflow(1st pic), but once I installed the down and mid pipe, the muffler had a nasty drone over 74 mph at cruise or under any load over 70 mph. I got real annoying even after applying sound deadener, so I went to the Dynomax Super Turbo PN 17731.(2nd pic)
> 
> View attachment 299567
> 
> View attachment 299566


And the drone is gone with that one? I definitely don't want drone or too loud. Thats why for a while ill just be stock catback. But maybe next year or something I would go for new muffler and tip.


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## 72chevman (Dec 28, 2018)

Yes, zero drone or resonance. If I was to do it over, I would go with the offset in and offset out and have the tail pipe bent so tip was in right spot. The offset in offset out has less flow restriction that the offset in center out.


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## Brian.C (4 mo ago)

Hurricane Ian will be delaying the start of the mods. We need to focus on our home and make sure we don't need to replace any major appliances or rewire the home due to constant power surges.

We had to call the Fire Department last night because there was a strong burning smell coming from one of the bedrooms. They couldn't find anything but I suspect it was a power strip that blew. We had to make sure the wires in the walls weren't getting hot.

We were far from the center of destruction but have close friends whose entire neighborhoods were demolished. Bridges to their islands are gone. If they have a home then they don't have water or power.

I will still be starting the upgrades soon-ish. But I am at least a few weeks behind schedule now. I will update here and also most likely make a new post with pictures and the such about the actual installation.

p.s. My car is filthy right now and it makes me sad lol post hurricane wash upcoming this weekend!


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