# Chevrolet Cruze 2011 LS Auto - Gearbox Problems



## DMR (Oct 26, 2014)

Hi,
I've recently started having a few problems with my Chevrolet Cruze LS 2011 Auto...

Every time I start the car, when it changes into 3rd gear it makes a scraping noise, as if there was a problem with the clutch. This happens every single time, but only when the car has just been turned on, and wouldn't do it if say, I was pulling away from traffic lights.

Also, the car isn't changing gears properly, so I have to use the manual mode to change the gear as the revs go too high. (Some times, not all the time)

Could this be down to automatic gearbox oil? I'm no mechanic but I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem, or could tell me what could be causing these problems.

Where can I check the automatic gearbox oil on the Chevrolet Cruze LS 2011?

Thanks in advance,
Dan


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## josh2012eco (Oct 6, 2014)

The clunk/scraping noise you are describing is more than likely the abs self check.
Happens everytime you start the car and hit around 12mph.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

How many miles are on this car? Are you the original owner? There are three plugs on the side of the transmission case, accessible from beneath the car. The plugs are for fill, check, and drain. There is no dipstick on this transmission. It was supposedly designed as "fill for life" service, but I'm still skeptical of that. The fluid should be cherry colored and not brownish or smell burnt.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Just an added thought. My '03 P5 will hold second and third gears if you have enough throttle in to fool the ECU into thinking you are still accelerating. As soon as I lift ever so slightly, the transmission will up shift.


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## DMR (Oct 26, 2014)

josh2012eco said:


> The clunk/scraping noise you are describing is more than likely the abs self check.
> Happens everytime you start the car and hit around 12mph.


It hasn't always done it though...

It was previously a disability car which I purchased last November. It has 64k miles on the clock.


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## DMR (Oct 26, 2014)

When you're driving a manual and you try to change gears without putting your foot on the clutch, it would make a loud scraping noise.

This is the same noise my car makes, but only as it changes into 3rd gear.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

DMR said:


> This is the same noise my car makes, but only as it changes into 3rd gear.


I would verify it is not the ABS self check mentioned above, it may be you are just now noticing it. If the sound only occurs right after first start up and at 12mph, it is the ABS self check. You description of the sound(scraping/grind) is exactly what it sounds like for 1 second.

If your wondering how you could drive your car for 6 months and not notice it, it could be winter high idle on start up masked the sound or even you just attributing it to hitting a pothole. Heck you could have normally had the radio on loud enough to not notice it.


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## DMR (Oct 26, 2014)

spacedout said:


> I would verify it is not the ABS self check mentioned above, it may be you are just now noticing it. If the sound only occurs right after first start up and at 12mph, it is the ABS self check. You description of the sound(scraping/grind) is exactly what it sounds like for 1 second.
> 
> If your wondering how you could drive your car for 6 months and not notice it, it could be winter high idle on start up masked the sound or even you just attributing it to hitting a pothole. Heck you could have normally had the radio on loud enough to not notice it.



It does it while changing gears, and only when changing gears. I'll try keeping it in 1st/2nd gear and see if it still does it. But it doesn't sound like a healthy noise.

I'll see if I can record it.

Cheers


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

spacedout said:


> I would verify it is not the ABS self check mentioned above, it may be you are just now noticing it. If the sound only occurs right after first start up and at 12mph, it is the ABS self check. You description of the sound(scraping/grind) is exactly what it sounds like for 1 second.


Mine is just a "thunk" as if I hit a small pothole.

And of course it only does it once after each start up. Never again until a restart.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Start your car after it's been sitting for a while. Let the engine idle until it settles down to 700-900 RPM. Then accelerate slowly from 0 to 25 KPH (18 MPH), keeping the engine RPMs as low as possible during the acceleration. Basically you want to delay the shifting as long as possible for this test. Do you hear this noise and does it occur at 20 KPH (12.4 MPH), regardless of the gear?


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## DMR (Oct 26, 2014)

I'm starting to think it is the ABS self check...

It does it regardless to the gear, I've only noticed it as it changes into 3rd gear.

(thinking about it now, it isn't as "aggressive" as a scraping clutch noise, but it does send a vibration through the pedal)

This is the noise:


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

DMR said:


> I'm starting to think it is the ABS self check...
> 
> It does it regardless to the gear, I've only noticed it as it changes into 3rd gear.


Definitely the ABS self check. The Cruze, under moderate load, will shift to 3rd gear right about 12-13 MPH but if you keep the engine load down by very slowly accelerating you can keep the car in 2nd long enough to feel this noise before it shifts to 3rd. And yes, you do feel a "grind" in the throttle when it does this.


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## DMR (Oct 26, 2014)

obermd said:


> Definitely the ABS self check. The Cruze, under moderate load, will shift to 3rd gear right about 12-13 MPH but if you keep the engine load down by very slowly accelerating you can keep the car in 2nd long enough to feel this noise before it shifts to 3rd. And yes, you do feel a "grind" in the throttle when it does this.


Thanks...

And this is 100% normal? 

Cheers


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

DMR said:


> This is the noise:


You're talking about that "thunk" at about the 3.5 second mark? It's almost like a bit of gravel bounced up and hit the car? Or maybe a staple gun?

ABS. Totally normal.


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## DMR (Oct 26, 2014)

Thanks


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