# My 1.4 is now the most un-reliable GM car I have had so far :(



## Gnfanatic (Oct 2, 2013)

2014 Cruze Eco, 68K miles. No mods and been using Amsoil since first 1500 miles of break in.

The good:
No electrical issues
Does not use any oil
Quiet and solid interior
Auto trans never gave me an issue

The bad:
Valve cover leak at 25k miles 
Coil pack at 30K
Valve cover again at 50k mile
Belt tensioner needs replacement due to noise.

Now I have a P0302 code  Engine runs very rough.I will check the plug on #2 also check the coil pack. I am very worried it is a cracked piston  I thought GM fixed the piston issue n the earlier models?


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## Cruzen Vegas (Aug 27, 2015)

your under warranty who cares!


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

When the second valve cover was replaced did your service department check the intake manifold's orange check valve? If not on your next visit have them do so as this is apparently the root cause of the PCV valve failures.


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## Gnfanatic (Oct 2, 2013)

obermd said:


> When the second valve cover was replaced did your service department check the intake manifold's orange check valve? If not on your next visit have them do so as this is apparently the root cause of the PCV valve failures.


OB, I replaced the second valve cover and bought the new revised one from AC delco. I could have sworn they revised the pcv valve in it?? How do I verify??

thanks man!


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Take a look at http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/34-g...urbo-intake-manifold-pcv-check-valve-fix.html.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Guess you never owned a 4-6-8 gas or a Caddy disel, could also mention the Corvair or the Chevette.

Can't argue about that plastic camshaft cover, 15 bolts hold it in, if you install it yourself, can clean the head, coat both sides of that gasket with Permatex non-hardening gasket maker, and put one drop of Loctite removable on each bolt thread. Torque is 71 inch pounds, what's a torque wrench? But even if done right, luck to get 40K miles out of it, its plastic and exposed to a lot of engine heat. Super easy to replace an not very expensive.

PCV is nothing but a check valve on lets flow toward the air cleaner to the turbo intake line. Carries blowby that is reduced by adding some kind of carbon remover to the gas tank around every 4K miles, I just stick with Seafoam. Can also keep that valve from closing due to the crap its expected to carry. For years since the early 60's never replaced one, just cleaned them out with choke and carb cleaner, have to admit, plastic is new to me. For my 454, new on is about a buck and a half, is metal.

They also suck, litterally, 454 valve cover had a filter underneath, guess the engineers figured this was not necessary in the Cruze, I sure didn't find one. This block oil, so if you do remove the air intake to the turbo, will find oil in there. But I guess not enough to be concerned about.

Ignition coils are an autotransformer, few turns of a heavy gauge wire for the so called primary current, a bunch of turns for the secondary, when a transistor is switched off, that magnetic field collapses at a very high rate and induces a very high voltage in that so-called secondary winding. If that voltage is not terminated where it should be, that can breakdown the insulation, a varnish between two adjacent coils, so called shorted turn. That turn can eat up all the engery that is intended for the spark plug. You cannot check this out with an ohmmeter.

Now the strikes against this, so coiled springs inside of the boots are too short, where that spring can get hung up on the inside of that boot due to its shoulder. Stretching out the springs about 3/8" helps to prevent this. If hung up on the shoulder produces a large gap with the consequence of getting a shorter turn, have to replace the entire coil module. See the price is coming down to the 80 buck range.

Another cause is excessive spark plug gap, not instantaneous, but definitely stresses those coils, 28 mil gap is sufficient, prefer 25, used to design this stuff. Worse case is a misfire, puts raw gas into the cat that is augmented by the O2 sensor, sees excessive oxygen, and enriches the other three cylinders, a very destructive chain reaction. Also carbons up the piston rings, more blowby getting back to PCV problems.

No the only problem, carbon builds up on that center spark plug insulator and shorts that spark to ground. I clean my plugs every 15k miles, super easy on a four cylinder, use Seafoam, and just don't have these kind of problems.

Do have problems with drunks driving large SUV's, really can't find a solution for this. Any suggestions are welcome besides leaving my compact vehicles in the showroom. But am in the market for a used Abrams tank.


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## Lazer (Feb 14, 2016)

NickD said:


> Guess you never owned a 4
> 
> I owned two Chevy Chevettes, they were two of most reliable cars I every owned,easy to work on ,took several cross country trips in them back in the day., guess it is how you take care of your vehicle's.


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## Gnfanatic (Oct 2, 2013)

Ob. Thanks for the excellent post. Is the pcv valve system covered under the powertrain warranty? At this point I am not sure if it the valvw cover, pvc or cracked piston.


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## Gnfanatic (Oct 2, 2013)

Nick, not sure how to take your post. I have installed the valve cover myself and yes I know what a torque wrench is. I have several CDI pieces and snapon . I have been wrenching since I was a kid and have some fast cars. You do not know me so do not question on how I take care of my cars. This car has only 68k miles and having these many issues and shithead dealers is unacceptable.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

The piston issues were never fixed. Hopefully it's just a coil pack or something. Valve cover/PCV would not cause a misfire.

I think the 1.4 is one of the most unreliable engines GM has made since the 80's at least. The 2.8T V6 may take the cake for the worst, though. Despite being taken care of, they have a ton of stupid (and common) issues. Some people have had great luck with them, and some have had horrid luck with them. There doesn't seem to be any real trend that causes it (like timing chains on the 3.6 due to poor maintenance). There were a lot of engineering flaws, and a lot seems to fail to cost-cutting for what was supposed to be the up-level engine in a cheap car.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

jblackburn said:


> The piston issues were never fixed. Hopefully it's just a coil pack or something. Valve cover/PCV would not cause a misfire.
> 
> I think the 1.4 is one of the most unreliable engines GM has made since the 80's at least. The 2.8T V6 may take the cake for the worst, though. Despite being taken care of, they have a ton of stupid (and common) issues. Some people have had great luck with them, and some have had horrid luck with them. There doesn't seem to be any real trend that causes it (like timing chains on the 3.6 due to poor maintenance). There were a lot of engineering flaws, and a lot seems to fail to cost-cutting for what was supposed to be the up-level engine in a cheap car.



lol I don't consider 20,000 dollars cheap. but that may be just me. 

I think part of the problem was that it was new technology and the dealers didn't know what to do. 
I also think the old oil standard wasn't up to what this engine does day in day out. 
Too bad the 4 million mile testing didn't find the problems. lol


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

jsusanka said:


> lol I don't consider 20,000 dollars cheap. but that may be just me.
> 
> I think part of the problem was that it was new technology and the dealers didn't know what to do.
> I also think the old oil standard wasn't up to what this engine does day in day out.
> Too bad the 4 million mile testing didn't find the problems. lol


Well, one of the bottom-level cars in their lineup. They certainly are cheap on the used market these days.

Oil quality really doesn't account for any of the issues but the occasional turbo failure. The glaring issues with the setup - piston failures, water pump failures, water outlet thing leaking, and the stupid PCV system design with an un-replaceable check valve in the intake and that disc in the intake manifold - are all engineering flaws that were never corrected. 

If I were to go back to 2012 again, I'd have bought the LS with the 1.8. It's lethargic and thirsty, but at least they're mostly reliable.

Other parts of the car that I'd had issues with on previous cars were actually reasonably well engineered on the Cruze - e.g. suspension components, fit and finish, etc. At 5 years old, I didn't have a single squeak, clunk, or rattle on the interior. Getting ready to send in the last payment on the Camry, and there are interior rattles everywhere, but the engine's been fine.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

jblackburn said:


> Well, one of the bottom-level cars in their lineup. They certainly are cheap on the used market these days.
> 
> Oil quality really doesn't account for any of the issues but the occasional turbo failure. The glaring issues with the setup - piston failures, water pump failures, water outlet thing leaking, and the stupid PCV system design with an un-replaceable check valve in the intake and that disc in the intake manifold - are all engineering flaws that were never corrected.
> 
> ...


To me the used car market is a racket. Why should car cost less or more whether you are trading it in or selling privately, 
Dealers can ask 10,000 for my cruze if they it have on the lot but I can only get between 6,000 and 8,000 trade in. 

mafia wishes it could better. 

I think everything you mentioned except the water pump could be related to oil quality and changing times. We all know that with emissions programming they changed the OLM to get the oil changed more frequently. 
That is why I say that about new technology. But who knows. My cruze would get an A+ if it wasn't for the water pump. Knock on wood. I think body panel alignment was pretty poor from the factory. The suspension and brakes seem solid.


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

jblackburn said:


> Well, one of the bottom-level cars in their lineup. They certainly are cheap on the used market these days.
> 
> Oil quality really doesn't account for any of the issues but the occasional turbo failure. The glaring issues with the setup - piston failures, water pump failures, water outlet thing leaking, and the stupid PCV system design with an un-replaceable check valve in the intake and that disc in the intake manifold - are all engineering flaws that were never corrected.
> 
> ...



1.8 issues are becoming more common as they age, needs timing belt replacement at 100k, and as you mentioned slower and less fuel efficient. The 1st gen 1.4Ts may have some issues, but I would still take it over the 1.8 every day of the week.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

jsusanka said:


> To me the used car market is a racket. Why should car cost less or more whether you are trading it in or selling privately, Dealers can ask 10,000 for my cruze if they it have on the lot but I can only get between 6,000 and 8,000 trade in.


That's because dealers don't work for free. They don't sell as many items per day as a grocery store, so they have to make more per car. Given the low "barrier to entry" to become a used car dealer, if it was possible to stay in business on a thinner margin, someone would be doing it.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Gnfanatic said:


> Ob. Thanks for the excellent post. Is the pcv valve system covered under the powertrain warranty? At this point I am not sure if it the valvw cover, pvc or cracked piston.


All three are covered by the powertrain warranty.


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## Gnfanatic (Oct 2, 2013)

Thanks guys. If the coil pack and plugs do not fix it then I will bring it to the dealer who just replaced my leaky oil cooler ; (. I am not sure if it is a misfire or the car is pulling timing. It usually happens after 3k rpms or acceleration on highway.


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## Gnfanatic (Oct 2, 2013)

Well guys, I have a good news. ALL the spark plugs needed replacement, the electrode on each plug was half gone. I am not sure why but I never had plugs fail at 66k miles. I replaced them with fac pieces gapped at 032. NO hesitation, no misfire, nothing. Idles like new and power is back!

thanks for all your help on this, I appreciate it!


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

Gnfanatic said:


> Well guys, I have a good news. ALL the spark plugs needed replacement, the electrode on each plug was half gone. I am not sure why but I never had plugs fail at 66k miles. I replaced them with fac pieces gapped at 032. NO hesitation, no misfire, nothing. Idles like new and power is back!
> 
> thanks for all your help on this, I appreciate it!


Glad they found it - I wonder what would cause the electrode on each plug be half gone - interesting.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Gnfanatic said:


> Well guys, I have a good news. ALL the spark plugs needed replacement, the electrode on each plug was half gone. I am not sure why but I never had plugs fail at 66k miles. I replaced them with fac pieces gapped at 032. NO hesitation, no misfire, nothing. Idles like new and power is back!
> 
> thanks for all your help on this, I appreciate it!


The spark plugs for the 2013 and later gen 1 Cruze are only rated for 60K miles. The 2011 and 2012 were rated for 100K miles.


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