# Hot weather and sluggish running



## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

I've searched the forum and saw a few threads about this(all old) and have thus decided that i'm going to start using some premium gas and when my engine cools down i'm going to check my plug gaps. Outside of this, and a pricey tune, what else can I do to get this Cruze to run right in this weather? it's currently only 94F(34.4C) and it's been running pretty sloppy today, and in 2 weeks I have to drive all the way from the gulf coast to Illinois, Any other low cost suggestions(and preferably not warranty voiding) would be greatly appreciated.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

After checking the spark plug gaps - set them to 0.028"-0.030" and a couple of tanks of 91/93 octane let us know. The next step would be to replace the plugs with NGK BKR8EIX (iridium) or NGK BKR7E (vPower copper). Both improve low RPM performance. The copper plugs will only last 10,000 to 20,000 miles however.


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

Premium 93 and the coppers with proper gaps worked well for me. Improved grounding won't hurt either. The Cruze was by far the most affected by heat soak car I have ever owned. I have a GTO LS1 and BMW 320i - both cars are flawless in the heat and humidity.


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## cdb09007 (Aug 7, 2013)

+1 to Premium Gas and Plug Gaps/Upgrade.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

Bones said:


> I've searched the forum and saw a few threads about this(all old) and have thus decided that i'm going to start using some premium gas and when my engine cools down i'm going to check my plug gaps. Outside of this, and a pricey tune, what else can I do to get this Cruze to run right in this weather? it's currently only 94F(34.4C) and it's been running pretty sloppy today, and in 2 weeks I have to drive all the way from the gulf coast to Illinois, Any other low cost suggestions(and preferably not warranty voiding) would be greatly appreciated.


What year of Cruze do you have? 1.4 turbo I assume? Thanks


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

2013 LT with the 1.4 Turbo. I'm quickly growing to despise it. Runs great in the 3 months of cool weather we typically have down here. not so much in the other 9 months so far it seems.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Bones,

If you haven't gotten the ECU recall done, get it done. This recall appears to also assist in hot weather.


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

> 2013 LT with the 1.4 Turbo. I'm quickly growing to despise it. Runs great in the 3 months of cool weather we typically have down here. not so much in the other 9 months so far it seems.


 - Get the coppers in your engine and 93 in your tank. I had no issues with A/C on in 90+ temps after that combo. Zero hesitation and I had a 6MT ECO.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

I wish I had known this thing ran on premium gas and needed better plugs to run down here when I bought it. Starting to seem like I should have just kept dumping money into my Pontiac to keep it on the road.


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

The thing is with premium, you should also pick up some MPGs, since timing is not being pulled. I kept my Pontiac when I got my Cruze. Glad I kept it. The gas mileage of the Pontiac on the highway is about half of what my ECO got. It does put a smile on my face when I drive it though.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

obermd said:


> Bones,
> 
> If you haven't gotten the ECU recall done, get it done. This recall appears to also assist in hot weather.


Had that done middle of last month right after I got the letter. Seems to have changed nothing from my perception. I don't have a great point of relation sadly though, because it's a little hotter now than it was last month, and only going to get hotter till about the end of October (i'll hit a year in the car by then).

Since i've gotten the car(October 2014) , i've only had 31mpg average, down to 26 if I'm driving city instead of mostly highway. Guess i'll get a good test in a couple of weeks.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Bones: Has the system been shutting the A/C off due to high engine temps. yet? That seems to be another symptom of the high ambient temperature performance problem. Make sure your coolant level is up to the mark also. Everything I've read here (and elsewhere), you really do need the 91 or 93 octane fuel and the proper plug gaps when the outside temperature goes above 90 degrees F.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

Jim Frye said:


> Bones: Has the system been shutting the A/C off due to high engine temps. yet? That seems to be another symptom of the high ambient temperature performance problem. Make sure your coolant level is up to the mark also. Everything I've read here (and elsewhere), you really do need the 91 or 93 octane fuel and the proper plug gaps when the outside temperature goes above 90 degrees F.



Coolant is right where it needs to be, but I haven't been running the ac, it's kinda weak, and it bogs my engine down even worse. We've just been cruisin with the windows down, so I can't speak for the air shutting off.


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

blk88verde said:


> The Cruze was by far the most affected by heat soak car I have ever owned.





Bones said:


> I wish I had known this thing ran on premium gas and needed better plugs to run down here when I bought it. Starting to seem like I should have just kept dumping money into my Pontiac to keep it on the road.


It appears GM didn't figure out proper timing to get things decent for the Cruze on 87 until the 2014+ ECM tuning. The pre-2014 cars are definitely heavily affected by hot weather on 87 octane.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Bones said:


> Coolant is right where it needs to be, but I haven't been running the ac, it's kinda weak, and it bogs my engine down even worse. We've just been cruzen with the windows down, so I can't speak for the air shutting off.


There was an issue with early Cruzen where they appeared to be under filled with refrigerant at the factory. The symptom was weak A/C performance.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

I'll probably just deal with the ac issue when my wife complains. I don't like using the thing anyways, but i appreciate the heads up on the possible cause.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

A tune won't help with no power at low RPM. The ECU is pulling power because it's knocking from being heat soaked at a stop - these cars are pretty bad about it.

Throw away the stock plugs and put in some of those BKR8EIX plugs. My car is tons more drivable, even with the AC on, with them. My first summer, with improperly gapped plugs, and trying to run 87 octane, the car would just about stall or cut ALL power when pulling out in traffic - it was terrible. Now I have no issues darting across traffic to make a quick left turn.

I run 87/89 in cold weather, and 93 in summer months. I don't mind doing it just in summer months, but I, too, bought the car because I thought it would run fine on regular.

A little bit of Freon added and my A/C works pretty good for a small car.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

I have a 14 Eco 6 speed manual, engine runs well even in hot weather so long as I keep the engine running more than 1500 rpm, I live in Indiana so not very much hot weather here, I have only run 87 and it runs fine. Sounds like the older 1.4 doesn't run well on 87 in hot weather.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Indyeco6spd said:


> I have a 14 Eco 6 speed manual, engine runs well even in hot weather so long as I keep the engine running more than 1500 rpm, I live in Indiana so not very much hot weather here, I have only run 87 and it runs fine. Sounds like the older 1.4 doesn't run well on 87 in hot weather.


There was a programming change for the 2014s that make them run a lot better on low octane (87) gas and in hot weather.


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## cruzeman48 (Aug 18, 2013)

Hey Bones,
I have the same problem here in Az. I take it we have the same car ( 2013 AT , LTZ ) . I have re-gapped my plugs , had the recall for the ECU done, run Premium gas and still have the hesitation. The car runs great in the cooler weather. Still deciding if I want to trade it in for something else.


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## cruzeman48 (Aug 18, 2013)

where did you get the BKR8EIX plugs at?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Amazon.com. You can order them singly or in a four pack. The four pack was cheaper but the prices do change daily.


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## cruzeman48 (Aug 18, 2013)

Thanks. I'm gonna give it a try and see how they do. I hope I see a difference


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

When you say "sluggish" what exactly are we talking about? The Cruze's 0-30 isn't bad. But the 25-30 usually leaves something to be desired. (Which is to say that from a dead stop it's fine, but in traffic, it can be really lackluster.) It seems the ECU is slow in executing a downshift to give you the power you need.

If you can anticipate the need, you can use the slap stick to drop a gear first - and then it takes right off.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

sluggish as in it's almost to the point of stalling out. Has the occasional sputter, and has substantially less power than when it was 60F weather here.


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

Bones said:


> I'll probably just deal with the ac issue when my wife complains. I don't like using the thing anyways, but i appreciate the heads up on the possible cause.


Believe it or not...I'm with you on this! For the 10 or so days you COULD use the ac here in the midwest it's just not worth the money or loss of power to me. In the 4-1/2 years I've had my Cruze and driving 380-400 miles a week, I can honestly say I have used the AC less than 20 times. FWIW, once I get my car up to speed it is flawless and cruises as good as the best of them (and that's on 87 - 89 max octane).


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

I will stick with my Autolites double platinum with some meat on them for thermal conductivity that greatly helps with pre-ignition problems. And gaped to 26 mils.

Pumps around here say up to 10% ethanol whatever the hail this means, already got up to 0% ethanol using very low grade 80 octane fuel. Use only 91 octane not that the Cruze needs this, but is the only gas I can buy around here that is ethanol free.

I really am enjoying this warmer weather if I set the cruise at 65 mph can enjoy 46 mpg with my 2LT, paying as high as $4.50 a gallon for oxygen for this so-called winter gasoline. Another major problem is those short springs in the boots that can hang up in the shoulders, stretching them out about 3/8" prevents this, and look at all four so the ends of the springs are sticking out. Can tilt the coil module to see if the springs are seated properly on the plugs.

Brag all you want about NGK's, already had ceramic seal problems with these piece of crap causing blowby. I have the proper test equipment to test stuff like this. Also 30 years experience in designed ignition modules.

But do whatever you want to do. No skin off my nose, but always tests plugs before putting them in, regardless. Spark plugs have a 110 year old history, still clean them every 15-20K, still burning carbon that builds up on that center electrode giving a path to ground, carbon is highly conductive.


Ha, after 110 years, nobody has found a better way, but sure has been a bunch of worthless patents on this issue. Also put a thin coat of anti-seize on the threads and dielectric grease inside the boots. Former prevent electrolysis from binding steel to aluminum, another stupid idea, latter prevents the boots from baking on the plugs. No way to get on the end of those boots to pull them out, and like a Chinese finger puzzle, harder you pull the harder they grip. 

But do it your way.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Mazda claims to have a gasoline engine with a 16:1 compression that ignites the fuel without the use of spark plugs. 


Sent from the sexy electrician


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

money_man said:


> Mazda claims to have a gasoline engine with a 16:1 compression that ignites the fuel without the use of spark plugs.
> 
> 
> Sent from the sexy electrician


I've always wondered why they haven't tried this before. Harder to control than a diesel burn maybe? Too much variation? Hmm.


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## Falke401 (May 8, 2015)

I have a 2011 and a 2012 Cruze. Both have 1.4's. Same fuel (91 Octane), same spark plugs, both with around 90K miles. The 2011 seems to just run better in the heat, but both struggle a good bit when the temps get above 105. When it is around 115, both cars struggle a good bit under 2500 rpm. They idle great, no sputtering, but just no power and it feels like it takes a long time for the turbo to spool and get going. 

Phoenix summers FTL.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Bones said:


> sluggish as in it's almost to the point of stalling out. Has the occasional sputter, and has substantially less power than when it was 60F weather here.


I wonder if you have a vacuum leak that isn't large enough to set the P0171 code. Sitting at idle the only time I've had this type of problem was shortly before my car set the P0171 lean code.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

obermd said:


> I wonder if you have a vacuum leak that isn't large enough to set the P0171 code. Sitting at idle the only time I've had this type of problem was shortly before my car set the P0171 lean code.


I was wondering this too, but it's gotta be a small one, because no codes have popped up, and I couldn't find anything on any of the vacuum lines I could find. Either way, that one has me thinking it might be the issue. Going to call the dealership Monday and see how bad they want to rob me to look at it.


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## cruzeman48 (Aug 18, 2013)

How would you find a small vacuum that isn't throwing a code?


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

the oldschool way, pulling hoses and putting plugs on. How else? Is this just ******* logic I picked up through the years, or do other people do that?


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

I spray carb cleaner at things and listen for a surge in idle. 

On such a new car though, it's probably not a cracked vacuum hose.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Just a thought - reseat your oil dipstick.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

obermd said:


> Just a thought - reseat your oil dipstick.




Just tried that one, we'll see how it goes tomorrow. So far, I’ve gapped the plugs, checked every vac line I can find, added about a shot glass worth of coolant, and put in about a quarter of a tank of octane 91 gas(best they had near the house) and so far nothing is making a difference. I've scheduled an appointment for Friday with the dealership, mostly so I can bitch to someone, and plan on putting some more premium gas as soon as I burn down more of the tank. Guess we'll see how this week goes.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Bones said:


> put in about a quarter of a tank of octane 91 gas(best they had near the house) and so far nothing is making a difference.



A 1/4 tank will not raise the octane enough, you should have ran the tank lower. Even at half tank mixing 87 and 91 would only make 89 octane midgrade. I would recommend continuing using premium the next few tanks, but wait until 1/4 tank or less left before you fill up next time.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

obermd said:


> Bones,
> 
> If you haven't gotten the ECU recall done, get it done. This recall appears to also assist in hot weather.


It's funny I just realized I had the PI# for this forever, Is this the one they are using for this situation? #PI1052: Hesitation at high ambient temperature?


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Merc6 said:


> It's funny I just realized I had the PI# for this forever, Is this the one they are using for this situation? #PI1052: Hesitation at high ambient temperature?


No, we're talking about the one that came out in April for 2011-2014 1.4T Automatics. It's an emissions recall, but it's believed to make the early cars run more like the 2014 when it comes to 87 octane.

It's discussed in this thread: Dealer says there is recall coming

It's possible that one contains the prior bulletin you're referencing.

It's a recall, so it's free regardless of warranty.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Been reported in Wisconsin that over 3,500 gas stations have water in the gas. While other states are complaining about droughts, won't quit raining here. Sure had a major downpour yesterday.

Many of our airports had to switch to above ground tanks, put a huge fence around them with huge NO SMOKING signs, but gather its okay to use an acetylene torch.

When fuel injection came around, first tool I had to buy was one like this.










A good fuel pressure tester, water in the gas is an age old problem, in older vehicles used a glass bowl in the fuel line so you can see the water in that bowl, even had a drain on it, got rid of this, but not the problem.

With the fuel pump test with that clear hose, well I use a two quart Manson jar, hot wire the fuel pump, press on that release valve so you quickly learn if you have water in your gas. This really causes misfires and all the new spark plugs won't cure this. Yeah, I use a funnel and pour the good fuel back into the tank.

Another problem with ethanol is getting a bad mix with nothing but super low octane gas left, but doesn't cause misfires, but sure causes detonation, new problems we never had before. 

When I run across crap like this, file a complaint with my credit card company, usually get a full refund, but still have the problem, could run the tank dry and pour in only the top using five gallon cans. But toss in a can of Seafoam that helps, and burn that crap out of it. 

But letting the tank settle and using the fuel pump tester, water is heavier than gas, so with hot wiring the fuel pump, can get most of it out. Fuel pickup is at the bottom of the tank. Not saying this is your problem but could well be.

Still old school with engines, fuel, compression, ignition, ignition and valve timing, sure running into a bunch of idiots lately, no your brake pedal isn't low, ain't getting a code, what AH's for lack of a better word. But do need a scanner because don't know if I get a check engine light if its a loose gap cap or a failed EGR that can burn up the engine. Cruze ain't got an EGR, this is good.

Checking crankcase vacuum is new to me, never was done before, but is now. Use a rubber cone in the dipstick with my vacuum gauge. Should show around 18"/Hg at idle. Finding leaks is not new either, compressed air sure helps with leak down tests. Spraying with starter fluid is a great way to get burnt alive. 

Think the word is common sense.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

I doubt it's water in my fuel, the places I fill up haven't flooded since Tropical Storm Allison(about 14 years ago) But it could be a possibility. I'm also starting to wonder if the dealership i got it from installed the radiator and intercooler correctly after the dog incident(details in my gallery). It's running like a mild version of how it ran when I limped it home with the cooling system destroyed. Probably just something I'll have to deal with till I can afford to replace the car, but that could all change with the dealership appointment on Friday. As for running it down to a quarter tank, sorry, I've been trained not to do that during hurricane season,


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

ChevyGuy said:


> No, we're talking about the one that came out in April for 2011-2014 1.4T Automatics. It's an emissions recall, but it's believed to make the early cars run more like the 2014 when it comes to 87 octane.
> 
> It's discussed in this thread: Dealer says there is recall coming
> 
> ...


So they aren't the same. I tried for years to get that PI# done and ended up swapping plugs and getting in on a group buy for a tune to fix it.


I'm a 6MT so it wouldn't work for me to try that recall.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The ECU reflash is only for the automatics. The manuals have a different ECU programming.


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## dirt dauber (Dec 24, 2014)

my 2012 runs great here in the florida heat,especially after the ecu reflash,but in the last few weeks in the plus 100 degree heat,after I shut my engine off my fan has been running around 5 to 10 minutes cooling off my turbo
we really need a larger intercooler


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

dirt dauber said:


> my 2012 runs great here in the florida heat,especially after the ecu reflash,but in the last few weeks in the plus 100 degree heat,after I shut my engine off my fan has been running around 5 to 10 minutes cooling off my turbo
> we really need a larger intercooler


That's part of the software update - it is put in place to help keep oil from coking in the turbo return lines.

The intercooler works fine if the car is moving down the road - it's just sandwiched between the hot AC condensor and hot radiator, so heat soaks like crazy at a stop.


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## rcclockman (Jan 16, 2012)

Ya the Cruze Sucks when its 80f and up that for sure! JBlackburn I wonder if we put in an aftermarket Pusher fan in to help with heat soak ?!


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

rcclockman said:


> Ya the Cruze Sucks when its 80f and up that for sure! JBlackburn I wonder if we put in an aftermarket Pusher fan in to help with heat soak ?!


Some tuners kick the radiator fan up a speed or two. But I don't think it would do much good if it's still pulling really hot air through the AC condenser and radiator. 

If you had an aftermarket inter cooler with a fan behind it, kinda like people do with off road transmission coolers, that would probably help.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

Well, Just got back from my appointment with the dealership, and I can atleast say the service staff were helpful and saved me some money. Rather than charge me the $125 diagnosis fee, the guy I was working with opted to ride with me and tell me whether it was performing as usual, or if he noticed anything wrong. Atleast I didn't have to pay anything. Per the service dude, the car is performing the way all of the cruzes on the lot perform. Sadly to me, this means that I'm stuck with a car that can't perform to a level that feels correct to me until I can afford to get rid of the 2013 LT. So basically I have a paid in full disappointment that runs sloppy and weak as **** in the weather that we have for 3/4 of the year down here. Needless to say, I'm never making the mistake of buying a small turbocharged engine ever again. Sorry this sounds all negative, but I was really hoping this was something fixable, so it's got me a little riled up.


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## dirt dauber (Dec 24, 2014)

bones,
the diagnostic fee here in florida is $89.00 and will be refunded if the faulty part is covered under warranty.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Bones said:


> Well, Just got back from my appointment with the dealership, and I can atleast say the service staff were helpful and saved me some money. Rather than charge me the $125 diagnosis fee, the guy I was working with opted to ride with me and tell me whether it was performing as usual, or if he noticed anything wrong. Atleast I didn't have to pay anything. Per the service dude, the car is performing the way all of the cruzes on the lot perform. Sadly to me, this means that I'm stuck with a car that can't perform to a level that feels correct to me until I can afford to get rid of the 2013 LT. So basically I have a paid in full disappointment that runs sloppy and weak as **** in the weather that we have for 3/4 of the year down here. Needless to say, I'm never making the mistake of buying a small turbocharged engine ever again. Sorry this sounds all negative, but I was really hoping this was something fixable, so it's got me a little riled up.


It is fixable. See our Hestitation...Gone thread. 

Throw out the useless crap stock spark plugs and change them for the BKR7E-4644 plugs for $10 and see if you notice a change in drivability. If that works, after summer's over, change up to the BKR8EIX-2668 (iridium) plugs that are slightly more pricey.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

If I trusted the car to make the I10 East trip, I'd do that. They'd cover the fee under warranty here too if there was an issue, but the guy was so confident that this is just how they run here that he even offered to let me test drive other Cruze's on the lot to show me that they all run this way. I declined because I didn't want to get more aggravated. I was never expecting power out of this car, just a smooth running engine, and I got neither. Sorry i'm venting so much at you, just agitated.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Bones, do what jblackburn suggested. I have run both of those plugs in my 2012 ECO MT in the Denver high altitude heat and there's a big difference. The OEM plugs are designed for longevity, not for drivability.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Bones said:


> I was never expecting power out of this car, just a smooth running engine, and I got neither. Sorry i'm venting so much at you, just agitated.


Lack of power is one thing, but "rough" is another. Under what conditions is it running rough? While it can lack power and make you nervous about passing or on-ramps, it should never give you doubts about being able to make a road trip and get you back home.

I notice looking at your posts that the car's been in a accident. It might be worth looking at the Service Tech, know it all = fail thread - his intercooler pipe popped off leaving him with no boost. But the ECM did a good job of compensating for it. So I'm wondering if when your car was fixed they failed to get it connected properly and you're running a 1.4NA instead of the 1.4T you bought.


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## hawkeye (Mar 31, 2012)

I would agree that something els is wrong. We have temps in the 80s and 90s, and I run 89 octane on the stock plugs. I get the slow response when trying to dart across an intersection, but after about a 1 second delay the turbo kicks in and not too many people would consider the acceleration that takes place as dangerous.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

hawkeye said:


> I get the slow response when trying to dart across an intersection, but after about a 1 second delay the turbo kicks in and not too many people would consider the acceleration that takes place as dangerous.


Yeah, my experience has been that when you hit the accelerator, it seems like the ECM tries to ask for more torque, doesn't get it, and finally gives up and commands a downshift and you're on your way. The driver's impression is that the car ignores you for that one second. It's dangerous only if your driving habits are tuned for a muscle car that will leap on command.

Some have referred to spark blow out that can happen under some conditions - but that's a clue to switch plugs.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

As for the repair, I've double checked it, (dealership didn't want to look at it without charging me, so screw that) but nothing looks out of place. Everything looks like it's holding. as for the rough running, it shifts hard as **** and shakes a bit when you have the accelerator all the way down(only way to make that car merge onto the freeway) With all of that, it feels like it's a ticking time bomb waiting to destroy itself. Again, the people at the dealership said it's functioning like every other cruze on the lot(he even said that i'm lucky i don't have the sonic, because it's even worse.) at about 94 outside, it's just slow, bogged down, and unresponsive in the acceleration department. all this week we started getting up a little higher (today is about 98ish) and it pulls the extra rough stuff then. Feels like when it shifts that it's trying to reach the right RPM to hit the shift point the computer wants and just can't quite make it till it finally gets over the hump. During the time of the appointment it was high 80s out, so it wasn't as severe, and i tried to get an appointment around noon, but they just couldn't make it happen. At this point, i've pretty much decided to quit worrying about it, and drive it till it breaks. If it dies mid merge on the freeway, hopefully all those airbags that are in this thing will work. I'm more than done with this car. Last time I had a car that acted up like this, the dealerships fleeced me anyways, didn't find the issue, and I eventually got it sorted out myself.


Edit: Keep in mind, the terms Rough, Sluggish etc are all in relation to how it drove in October when I got it, Both before and after the accident.(ran the same at that point) For the Shifting issue that's developed, Hard as **** is not an exaggeration in relation to how every other automatic i've ever been in has shifted. Feels like a little version of when you stomp the gas in a car with a large engine with high torque and you get that seat slam action. Sorry had to add a bit of explanation, because sometimes my language gets a bit colourful.


Edit again: the drive it till it breaks comment is entirely just me being mad. Sorry about that, but this thing has me all kinds of worked up. If it wasn't my only car, I probably would have it all taken apart right now,sold it, or shot it out of anger. more than likely I'll just have to keep driving it till I can afford something else, or until it starts throwing codes. Even my old Dynasty ran better than this, and it was a $500 car with a bunch of parts missing or rigged on.

Again, sorry for the aggravation/anger towards the car.


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## rcclockman (Jan 16, 2012)

Easy fix bones, Just run straight 100 octane, and you will think its 40 degrees outside....


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

If this thing had a bored out 350 under the hood, I wouldn't be so pissed about running 100 octane. but burnin high octane just to get dust thrown in my face by every for focus in town leaves a bad taste in my mouth


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Bones said:


> If this thing had a bored out 350 under the hood, I wouldn't be so pissed about running 100 octane. but burnin high octane just to get dust thrown in my face by every for focus in town leaves a bad taste in my mouth


This is why GM's marketing division insisted that Chevy's engineers figure out how to make an engine designed for 91 octane (KRD code) safely run on 87 octane. However, I suspect your problem isn't related so much to octane as it is heat soak and spark plugs that don't dissipate heat very well. There's nothing you can do about the heat soak but you can go with a better spark plug.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

ordering up some BKR8EIX-2668 this week, going to just go for it and see how it goes. Tried 6 autoparts stores today, and they didn't have anything better than the stock ones. and almost every clerk said "well, the OE plugs here are listed as iridium, doubt you'll do much better than that". That's probably a part of why i dropped so many angry post in here.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Make sure they're gapped at 0.029" and put them in.


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## mjspiess (Nov 11, 2013)

I just ordered some BKR8EIX-2668 from eBay for $27 shipped. Couldn't find any place cheaper. My car initially ran much better, but started misfiring again, so I checked the springs in the coil pack & 3 out of 4 were jammed. I haven't tested it out again, but I'm guessing no more misfires or sluggish behavior.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

Just a suggestion. I would think about finding another dealer. If your car is still under bumper to bumper warranty, any suggestion of charging you is just nonsense. I would drive a new Cruze and compare how it drives in the extreme heat vs your car. I have 14 Eco 6 speed and just drove to Chicago from Indy and the car got almost 45 mpg but it was no warmer than 75 out and rain. My only complaint is the lack of better lumbar support. Love the car and how it performs. 

Keep at it and hope the new plugs help.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

out of bumper to bumper, still some powertrain warranty left, but that only helps for part of it, and you know they'll find a way to say it's not covered.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Bones, anytime you take the ignition rail off you need to verify the springs aren't stuck against the boots.


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## Bones (Jun 30, 2015)

obermd said:


> Bones, anytime you take the ignition rail off you need to verify the springs aren't stuck against the boots.


Planning on double checking that when I throw in the new plugs. Everything looked fine on em when I adjusted the gaps last go arounds


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

Bones said:


> Planning on double checking that when I throw in the new plugs. Everything looked fine on em when I adjusted the gaps last go around


I just installed a set of the NGK 2688 BKR8EIXs today gapped at .029 and the car is running top notch. I bought mine off Amazon for @ $27 also. I double checked my springs just to make sure. One time I had one spring bent up a little. Give it a go and let us know if it helps.


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## pL2014 (Dec 29, 2013)

Man, I think I'm glad I live in MI and that I have a '14. Hasn't hit 90F this year and I have zero issues like this. I also find it interesting that the Cruze has come with 7 heat range iridium plugs and people seem to think the 8 heat range (colder plugs) are better. The owners manual for the '14 says to use AC Delco 41-122 plugs which are actually NGK IFR6Z7G (a hotter plug). Mine came with the 7 heat range despite what the manual said. I switched to the 6 heat range like the manual says and haven't noticed any difference. Running too hot a plug can lead to pre-detonation (knock) and I certainly haven't noticed that. Running too cold a plug causes carbon buildup, but I've heard no one running BKR8EIX plugs say they've noticed carbon buildup. Perhaps the 1.4T is fairly forgiving to spark plug heat range.


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