# Brand new Cruze, acceleration issues?



## racer114 (Nov 7, 2010)

Check out the transmission TSB in the service section. Mine does this when cold, but not after it is warmed up.


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## jaygeo1 (Nov 10, 2010)

*Sluggish throttle response....*

I understand, now that we have 235 miles on our Cruze, what you are experiencing. But IMO, we need to remember that what's going on here is we have a tiny 1.4 engine pulling a heavier than normal (class wise) vehicle coupled to a 6-speed auto trans. To make things even more complex this 1.4 has a turbo to give it power when needed. If the transmission was the prior 4 speed auto I don't think we would be noticing this complaint mentioned so often. Now, we all know the 6-speed trans is the way to go. But, can you imagine the programing in the PCM necessary to operate this powertrain at: Best* Power*- Best Fuel *Economy*-Best* Driveability*? This is why we feel the slow response sometimes when we push the throttle down. The PCM is following the programing numbers to try and fulfill the three objectives mentioned above. I'm wondering how well the upcoming* ECO model* will tolerate drivers ignoring the* "shift Light"* (6-speed manual) and wondering why they're getting mpg numbers that are lower than expected._ It's going to be interesting to see how *this *scenario works out._


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## jlalill (Nov 1, 2010)

fyi..when i had the service update done for thermostat/trans...the 'lag' has gone away..although i haven't tried to duplicate it...weather's been a little rough to put it to the floor...


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## sedanman (Dec 10, 2010)

Weather is pretty bad out so I'm not driving it today but I read the TSB thread and the post about the transmission update:

*Subject:**Harsh Upshift /Downshift, Delayed Downshifts, Delayed Shift from Park to Drive, Bump Feel When Brake is Released *


*Models:**2011 Chevrolet Cruze *
*Equipped with 6T40 (RPO MH8) Automatic Transmission *
*Vehicles Built Prior to VIN Breakpoint B7137814
*
My Vin ends in B7140841 so I guess mine was built after the update? I haven't experienced those symptoms, just a delay in acceleration. I don't think it's due to the transmission because the engine doesn't even try to accelerate, in other words the tach doesn't move and the engine sound doesn't change. It is as if I didn't stomp on the accelerator even though I did.
*
*​


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## gordio (Nov 26, 2010)

Is it possibly the turbo lag? how bad is the lag?


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## trol (Dec 4, 2010)

My Vin is B711...... does that TSB mean the update will be done by the dealer when I bring it in or I have to complain of issues first?


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## bigredcruze (Nov 15, 2010)

It has more to do with how GM is handling the power and the transmission. It takes time to switch through all the gears. Our SUV is a Traverse and it lags and brings power up as it needs it. The Traction Control and stability control have allot to do with this as well.

It's all working together to provide as smooth and safe ride as possible.

Also you cannot turn the Stability control off so it will always affect the power output truing to control the ride.

I bet people have turned off the traction control and still notice it feels like it's on. That is the other system still running.


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## sedanman (Dec 10, 2010)

Well I drove the car today and don't notice any lag anymore. I'm guessing either the 93 octane fuel I mixed in there or something else took care of it. Maybe a knock sensor too new and too sensitive? To be honest I'm not sure how the knock sensor detects knocking.

To answer one of the questions on how bad it was. I pushed the gas pedal about 1/4 the way down (maybe a little less) and could count 1-2 seconds before the car would even begin to accelerate. It was really very noticeable and wasn't turbo lag or transmission lag which is more subtle.

Thanks for all the replies.


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## bpipe95 (Nov 1, 2010)

you can turn the stability control off, you just need to push once for TC off, then push and hold and stability comes off. What you can not turn off is Torque managment, or the required half second shift times. (at least with out some sort of aftermarket custom reflash).


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## jlalill (Nov 1, 2010)

sedanman said:


> Well I drove the car today and don't notice any lag anymore. I'm guessing either the 93 octane fuel I mixed in there or something else took care of it. Maybe a knock sensor too new and too sensitive? To be honest I'm not sure how the knock sensor detects knocking.
> 
> To answer one of the questions on how bad it was. I pushed the gas pedal about 1/4 the way down (maybe a little less) and could count 1-2 seconds before the car would even begin to accelerate. It was really very noticeable and wasn't turbo lag or transmission lag which is more subtle.
> 
> Thanks for all the replies.


that's exactly what i experienced until i had the service update done...now that missed acceleration is gone


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## Forbidden Love (Feb 17, 2011)

*Has it gotten any better?*



sedanman said:


> So I got my brand new 2011 Cruze 2LT last week. Been driving it around a bit and I notice the acceleration is intermittently spotty. What I mean is I press the gas pedal, and sometimes it accelerates fine but once in a while it lags, then it takes off.
> 
> If I didn't know any better I would think the TPS (throttle position sensor) needs replacing, but it's a brand new car so that can't be it.
> 
> ...


 
I've had my Cruze for over 2 wks and am experiencing the same acceleration lag. I hate it! I've been reading a lot and found out that after a few hundred miles, this prob should get better.

How much mileage do you have and has your prob gotten better? I have a lil over 200 and can still feel it. Are you still changing the gas? Thanks.


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## robertbick (Jan 1, 2011)

Only have 125 miles on my Cruze and there is no lag or harsh shifting. I do notice a delayed up shift while cold which is normal. I assume my newer VIN (B7168***) built in January has the latest updates.


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

It's a 17 second car stock so you shouldn't expect to much. Also I'm sure GM adressed this with their reflash. Allow the aftermarket to catch up or get one of the reflashes that are out now and I"m sure you'll feel different. =P


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## Uns69 (Jan 30, 2011)

robertbick said:


> Only have 125 miles on my Cruze and there is no lag or harsh shifting. I do notice a delayed up shift while cold which is normal. I assume my newer VIN (B7168***) built in January has the latest updates.


There is a new TSB for the transmission reflash dated 2/4/11. The old TSB from November is no longer in the system.


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## robertbick (Jan 1, 2011)

Uns69 said:


> There is a new TSB for the transmission reflash dated 2/4/11. The old TSB from November is no longer in the system.


I might already have it since I picked up the car 2/11/11. I really doesn't matter to me since I have no issues.


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## avenue (Feb 7, 2011)

robertbick said:


> I might already have it since I picked up the car 2/11/11. I really doesn't matter to me since I have no issues.


I got the car around the same time. The salesman said all of the cars in the lot should have had everything taken care of, but I want to be sure. So, I'll probably call later today.


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## robertbick (Jan 1, 2011)

avenue said:


> I got the car around the same time. The salesman said all of the cars in the lot should have had everything taken care of, but I want to be sure. So, I'll probably call later today.


Talk to the Service department. Salesmen are LIARS.


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## avenue (Feb 7, 2011)

robertbick said:


> Talk to the Service department. Salesmen are LIARS.


I'll call them first. Yeah, I didn't know if the dealership would really take twenty cars in the service area each time there is a little problem. So, I have a feeling it isn't fixed. But, maybe it is. I don't know, but I'll report back and let you all know!


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## 72buickgs (Mar 20, 2011)

i have the LS model with the 6 sp auto. 1.8 L. Here is what i have experienced. when the powertrain is cold, the transmission is "long" in shifting, most noticebly, from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd. When the tranny warms, the shifting improves.
however, another problem exists. if u accelerate from a standing stop, the engine hesitates for about 1/2 a second or more before the engine responds to the accelerate request. this is of course, throttle by wire, and this condition should not exist. i wonder if the sensor (potentiometer) at the accererator pedal is malfunctioning.
anyone experience thers probelms?


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

72buickgs said:


> i have the LS model with the 6 sp auto. 1.8 L. Here is what i have experienced. when the powertrain is cold, the transmission is "long" in shifting, most noticebly, from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd.


...normal, nature of the "cold-blooded hydraulics" in the tranny. To combat this, each gear-shift is "held" longer to warm-up the engine/tranny quicker.



72buickgs said:


> When the tranny warms, the shifting improves. however, another problem exists. if u accelerate from a standing stop, the engine hesitates for about 1/2 a second or more before the engine responds to the accelerate request.


...also normal, due to the "neutral at stop" action of the transmission software (for better economy).

...the "between gear" shifting may/may not be correctable, depending upon whether TCM reprogramming has already been done or not.


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## cruzers (Dec 13, 2010)

72buickgs said:


> i have the ls model with the 6 sp auto. 1.8 L. Here is what i have experienced. when the powertrain is cold, the transmission is "long" in shifting, most noticebly, from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd. When the tranny warms, the shifting improves.
> however, another problem exists. if u accelerate from a standing stop, the engine hesitates for about 1/2 a second or more before the engine responds to the accelerate request. this is of course, throttle by wire, and this condition should not exist. i wonder if the sensor (potentiometer) at the accererator pedal is malfunctioning.
> anyone experience thers probelms?



I think what you're experiencing, from a stand still the cruze is designed to go into neutral while stopped in Drive mode, to save fuel. When you release the brake pedal their is a second delay, because the transmission is engaging into gear again.


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## Uns69 (Jan 30, 2011)

72buickgs said:


> i have the LS model with the 6 sp auto. 1.8 L. Here is what i have experienced. when the powertrain is cold, the transmission is "long" in shifting, most noticebly, from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd. When the tranny warms, the shifting improves.
> however, another problem exists. if u accelerate from a standing stop, the engine hesitates for about 1/2 a second or more before the engine responds to the accelerate request. this is of course, throttle by wire, and this condition should not exist. i wonder if the sensor (potentiometer) at the accererator pedal is malfunctioning.
> anyone experience thers probelms?


 
I have had the 2/4 reflash done and the above issue is better for the most part. However, there are still times when the hesitstion is very bad. For some reason it never engages the same way. Sometimes its not so bad and other times its so bad that it feels like I just did a neutral drop. Its a very inconsistant transmission IMO.


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## JGA (Mar 15, 2011)

Uns69 said:


> There is a new TSB for the transmission reflash dated 2/4/11. The old TSB from November is no longer in the system.


Do you have the TSB number?


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## PizzaCruze (Mar 12, 2011)

Uns69 said:


> I have had the 2/4 reflash done and the above issue is better for the most part. However, there are still times when the hesitstion is very bad. For some reason it never engages the same way. Sometimes its not so bad and other times its so bad that it feels like I just did a neutral drop. Its a very inconsistant transmission IMO.



Based off of what you just said... Our car automatically shifts into neutral when the brake is depressed for ?5 Seconds?, therefore hammering the gas pedal as soon as the light turns green, of course your going to feel like you did a neutral drop b/c you did .. if you want to be able to hammer your pedal at every light shift it into Manual Mode so the tranny doesnt shift in neutral


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## Uns69 (Jan 30, 2011)

JGA said:


> Do you have the TSB number?


 
I don't have a tsb# All I know is the TSB is dated 2/4/2011


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## Uns69 (Jan 30, 2011)

PizzaCruze said:


> Based off of what you just said... Our car automatically shifts into neutral when the brake is depressed for ?5 Seconds?, therefore hammering the gas pedal as soon as the light turns green, of course your going to feel like you did a neutral drop b/c you did .. if you want to be able to hammer your pedal at every light shift it into Manual Mode so the tranny doesnt shift in neutral


I never said anything about "hammering" the gas pedal. This is normal driving. 
When you take your foot off the brake, you should feel the trans engage and you take off normally.
Sometimes you don't feel it engage until you give it gas. The revs increase before the trans engages. 
However, this has become less an issue since I have almost 2000 miles on it. The trans seems to have gotten better over the last 500 miles.......Just like 70AARCuda said it would. It was pretty bad for the first 1k.


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## jrsmith84 (Feb 26, 2011)

The transmission has adaptive shift at first it has to learn how you drive before it can shift 100% effectively. GM doesn't specify exact millage when working at optimum shifts, I would think by the time your cruze is due for oil change it would be better. There is also a transmission control module reprogram for some, once reprogrammed the learn mode is refreshed and back to beginning of learn sequence. The adapt function is continuous to maintain shift points.


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## John02 (Apr 11, 2011)

sedanman said:


> Well I drove the car today and don't notice any lag anymore. I'm guessing either the 93 octane fuel I mixed in there or something else took care of it. Maybe a knock sensor too new and too sensitive? To be honest I'm not sure how the knock sensor detects knocking.
> 
> To answer one of the questions on how bad it was. I pushed the gas pedal about 1/4 the way down (maybe a little less) and could count 1-2 seconds before the car would even begin to accelerate. It was really very noticeable and wasn't turbo lag or transmission lag which is more subtle.
> 
> Thanks for all the replies.


I've been thinking of buying a Cruze, so I took one for a test drive yesterday and experienced the same issue you are describing. I was happy with everything else besides this, but the 2 second delay is a deal breaker if it lasts.

So I was curious, how does your car behave now? Is the lag still there? less now? non-existent? It sounds like some people have said it gets better over time and some people say the TSB's may help. Was just curious if you had any more info since you are describing the same issue I experienced.

I would love to get a Cruze, but this is a question I hope to get answered, first. Thanks in advance.


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