# The ULTIMATE CEL of CEL's



## 2014DieselCruze (Aug 24, 2016)

I've seen a lot of cruze diesel Check Engine Light (CEL) posts on this forum, just wondering if anyone has seen these types of CEL problems this many times:

Purchased 01/2014, the Chevy Exchange, Lake Bluff, IL.

1st CEL approx 2500 miles. Took user manual advice and changed diesel vendor source and drove about 150 miles and multiple startup and engine off cycles until CEL cleared.

2nd CEL approx 4900 miles; technician pulled code stating force DPF regen. Technician forced regen resulted in shop filled with blue smoke, due to turbocharger seal failure. Turbo replaced. (note: I asked service manager what the impact oil or coolant blown out of exhaust would have on downstream sensors; he said the exhaust system was built to take that).

3rd CEL 5,020 miles - NOX sensor, position 1

4th service call 7,077 miles - car inop, would not start. No CEL indication, engine stumble or any kind of warning of pending car failure; just failed to start. Lucky for me I was about 1 mile from the nearest chevy dealer; a "short" walk. Dealership had car for about 3 weeks, said they had GM engineer in the shop to look at car why the diesels were repeating CEL's and why my car wouldn't start. Replaced plugged catalytic converter.

Car ran for more than 10,000 miles until the next CEL failure (#5 resulting in service call). This was an unidentified terminal replacement at 17,524 miles. 

6th CEL; 17,848: engine control module reprogramming with SPS.

7th CEL: 18,175: heated oxygen sensor replacement.

8th CEL: 22,280: NOX sensor replacement, position 1.

9th CEL: 33,863: Heated Oxygen Sensor replacement position 1.

10th CEL: 34818: Exhaust temperature sensor, position 2.

Guess what popped up today (08/23/2016), just UNDER 36,000? you guessed it: CEL. 

Car is driven 50 miles round trip every weekday, about 1/2 hwy the other 1/2 suburban stop n go. Was recommended to drive the car like a crazy Italian to get RPM's up and clean out exhaust. That worked until my first speeding ticket :-(

Most diesel fuel sold around here is mixed with corn squeezings (biodiesel); but I don't hear about VW or Audi or mercedes or other diesels with all these CELs using the same fuel. With all of those sensors going bad; are the sensors really that poor of a quality or is the service technician maybe just cleaning the sensor rather than replacing the part with new?

Love the car, love the driving performance but this car requires more maintenance than a soviet era Trabant. With all this time at the service center, I'm seeing my friendly GM service crew more than my children. Car is on the hairy edge of 36,000 miles; thinking it's time to abandon this dog.


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## chevrasaki (May 1, 2015)

Wow, that list of issues would rival my Cobalt's endless problems after it was in an accident and improperly repaired. Would this qualify for the lemon law in your state?


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Not to nitpick but Trabant is East German. Not Soviet. They demonstrated typical German reliability. 

Plus VW and Audi diesels don't give MIL because their emissions equipment doesn't function legally.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

I think it would be a good idea to get Chevrolet customer support rep here involved, someone else can chime in as to how to make that happen. I sort of question the dealer that is doing your service, this many cel is just insane.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

2014DieselCruze said:


> Technician forced regen resulted in shop filled with blue smoke, due to turbocharger seal failure. Turbo replaced. (note: I asked service manager what the impact oil or coolant blown out of exhaust would have on downstream sensors; he said the exhaust system was built to take that).


My BS meter is redlined. Normal amounts, yes. But if reaches levels high enough to have visible smoke - I have my doubts. Especially for the cat. After all, its job is to clean the exhaust and with all that oil, there's more then it can do.


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## Cruz15 (Mar 17, 2016)

You dont need to drive fast, just keep rpms around 2500 for 20 mins to clean the exhaust.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I'd trade that lemon in as fast as possible.


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## DslGate (Jun 29, 2016)

2014DieselCruze said:


> I've seen a lot of cruze diesel Check Engine Light (CEL) posts on this forum, just wondering if anyone has seen these types of CEL problems this many times:
> 
> Purchased 01/2014, the Chevy Exchange, Lake Bluff, IL.
> 
> ...


 @2014DieselCruze , You and I are just a few miles from one another . We should get together to compare CEL issue notes. Who is servicing your 14?? Perhaps that's part of issue? PM me if you'd like. 

Are you you getting frequent regens as well or do you not have a SC2? I'm regenning about every 50-60 miles right now. If you get the chance and are up in Wisconsin, you may be able to get some Kwik Trip Premium diesel near Kenosha or can try Volo's Phillips 66 which has non-bio diesel.


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## DslGate (Jun 29, 2016)

IndyDiesel said:


> I think it would be a good idea to get Chevrolet customer support rep here involved, someone else can chime in as to how to make that happen. I sort of question the dealer that is doing your service,* this many cel is just insane*.



No, it's par for the course. I had three consecutive CELs over 3 weeks. As I'm pulling into service bay on CEL#2, guy in back of me with a 14 CTD is also pulling in for you guessed it, a CEL as well. Chevy Customer Service tells me to call them and their suggestion: "try another dealer."


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Wow! My first guess is unmetered air coming in like from loose intake clamps. but it seems like as if the turbo seal blew and sent all that crap through the exhaust system, that ALL of your sensors have been contaminated. 

I would be frustrated too if my car had done this. In fact, I probably would have jumped ship as well. Have you talked to a Lemon Law lawyer? The lemon law process is tedious and painful, but maybe it can offer you some financial relief. I wouldn't tell anybody on here if you decide to take that route though. All assistance from GM ceases once you mention the L word.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Talk the the service manager (not advisor) at that dealership and find out why they haven't called GM TAC for assistance yet. The techs are just treating the symptom, not the cause.


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## kmfinley93 (Oct 2, 2015)

Honestly I wouldn't bother with GM Customer care on here. Their 5 to 7 day response time seems to work out so that by the time they get around to talking to you, you've already had the "current" CEL fixed and already paid YET ANOTHER deductible (in my case)... 

... Attempting to tell them that my issue isn't the one single CEL, it's the entire car and the vast amount of issues that surround it felt like wasting my breath. I was simply told that they could not help me if I was not currently experiencing any issues. Pulling out my hair... 


I think that the customer care that monitors media is simply to ease your frustrations by offering kind words and scheduling an appointment for you... 


I really hate feeling like I'm constantly GM bashing, but honestly, 90% of my experiences have been on the south side of average when it comes to dealing with my FOUR dealerships, customer care, etc.


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

It sounds to me like all of the problems in the OP trace back to the blown turbo seal. When that quantity of engine oil goes into the DPF, DOC, and SCR, they become irreparably fouled, along with damage to every sensor along the way. It will continue to do this until a complete exhaust replacement or a full delete is performed.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

kmfinley93 said:


> Honestly I wouldn't bother with GM Customer care on here. Their 5 to 7 day response time seems to work out so that by the time they get around to talking to you, you've already had the "current" CEL fixed and already paid YET ANOTHER deductible (in my case)...
> 
> ... Attempting to tell them that my issue isn't the one single CEL, it's the entire car and the vast amount of issues that surround it felt like wasting my breath. I was simply told that they could not help me if I was not currently experiencing any issues. Pulling out my hair...
> 
> ...


I can appreciate why you feel this way; however, if we don't complain at a higher level than the dealer we are unhappy with this emission system and the issues, I am concerned nothing changes and in some cases the dealer gets a hall pass and maybe they are doing something wrong and this gets an special team involved. Maybe I am wrong but that is the hope.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

revjpeterson said:


> It sounds to me like all of the problems in the OP trace back to the blown turbo seal. When that quantity of engine oil goes into the DPF, DOC, and SCR, they become irreparably fouled, along with damage to every sensor along the way. It will continue to do this until a complete exhaust replacement or a full delete is performed.


I think this is the case. Unfortunately, I don't think it would be possible to get it all replaced under warranty.


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