# Chevy Cruze 14 1LT chirping noise



## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

Look right below at the page bottom for 'Similar Threads'. I see 20 posts and a Video too you might want to review


----------



## rabbitav (Nov 15, 2016)

Hi I have the same issue... I took it in for a repair for the chirping noise and they said it was a worn belt.. ok.. Told them to replace the belt AT THE COST OF $200.00. ... Picked up the car and drove to the store... HAHAHAH. Still There. Took it back and the head machanic came out and pulled out my dip stick and the chirping was gone!!!!! He told me it was do to a faulty design in the rear main seal of the oil pan and the chirping was caused by air bEing sucked into to motor.. WOW I said.. Then he told me not to worry.. HAHAHAHAHAH. I said really.. Ok This was in front of the service writer as well. Neither one offered to give me a refund for the belt I DID NOT NEED.. So I and never going back to Silver Star Chevy in Thousand Oaks.. I am shopping at Mercedes Benz... I also told the manager and he did NOTHING!!!!! I AM DONE WITH CHEVY AND ALL THE LIES.. GOOD LUCK CRUZE OWNERS....


----------



## spaycace (Feb 9, 2012)

rabbitav said:


> Hi I have the same issue... I took it in for a repair for the chirping noise and they said it was a worn belt.. ok.. Told them to replace the belt AT THE COST OF $200.00. ... Picked up the car and drove to the store... HAHAHAH. Still There. Took it back and the head machanic came out and pulled out my dip stick and the chirping was gone!!!!! He told me it was do to a faulty design in the rear main seal of the oil pan and the chirping was caused by air bEing sucked into to motor.. WOW I said.. Then he told me not to worry.. HAHAHAHAHAH. I said really.. Ok This was in front of the service writer as well. Neither one offered to give me a refund for the belt I DID NOT NEED.. So I and never going back to Silver Star Chevy in Thousand Oaks.. I am shopping at Mercedes Benz... I also told the manager and he did NOTHING!!!!! I AM DONE WITH CHEVY AND ALL THE LIES.. GOOD LUCK CRUZE OWNERS....


Well then, good luck with your "breakdown free" Benz ... LOL I highly encourage you to peruse the MB forums out there, as well as look at other sources of information about repair costs (as well as unexpected breakdowns), and "least reliable cars" lists, because Mercedes and BMW are on each and every one of them that I've seen. I've also talked with many owners personally, and each of them has talked about expensive repairs unexpectedly, on the average of about once per year. I can't speak for you, but if I KNEW I were thinking about purchasing a car that has a known breakdown regularity, I'd be looking elsewhere for sure, especially at the price you pay for the MB nameplate. You'll have to keep us informed about your new purchase and the first time it breaks down, let us know the cost and time the dealer has the car to repair it ...


----------



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

rabbitav said:


> Hi I have the same issue... I took it in for a repair for the chirping noise and they said it was a worn belt.. ok.. Told them to replace the belt AT THE COST OF $200.00. ... Picked up the car and drove to the store... HAHAHAH. Still There. Took it back and the head machanic came out and pulled out my dip stick and the chirping was gone!!!!! He told me it was do to a faulty design in the rear main seal of the oil pan and the chirping was caused by air bEing sucked into to motor.. WOW I said.. Then he told me not to worry.. HAHAHAHAHAH. I said really.. Ok This was in front of the service writer as well. Neither one offered to give me a refund for the belt I DID NOT NEED.. So I and never going back to Silver Star Chevy in Thousand Oaks.. I am shopping at Mercedes Benz... I also told the manager and he did NOTHING!!!!! I AM DONE WITH CHEVY AND ALL THE LIES.. GOOD LUCK CRUZE OWNERS....



Now that you have gotten that off of your chest and yelled at the very group who may have been able to help you...good luck at Mercedes.


----------



## p.cruze.14 (Oct 5, 2018)

UPDATE * I had the problem narrowed down to the water pump after breaking the thing apart and I had it checked out by another shop just to be sure. Lucky for me the water pump is covered by the 5 year Chevy warranty so I'm waiting ont the dealer to set a date to get my car fixed. I'll post another update if having the water pump replaced fixes the problem. Thank you guys for the input


----------



## eddiefromcali (Aug 21, 2017)

chirps are usually loose spark plugs, crank seal or a bearing in a pulley/pump....in that order.


----------



## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Chirping...check for a loose plug(s).

Steady squeal at idle...remove dipstick while engine is running......noise gone...likely front (belt side) crank seal. 
Noise still there.....water pump or other belt driven component.....loose belt tensioner, lift belt off any pully so it hangs free from the crankshaft pulley and start engine.....noise gone? water pump or alternator or a/c pulley bearing or tensioner.....anything the belt turns is suspect once the crank seal has been ruled out.

Rob


----------



## briant (Nov 8, 2016)

I had this exactly same problem. Luckily it's covered under powertrain warranty. I didn't have to pay anything to have it fixed.


----------



## Fadclt (Jan 9, 2018)

Cant just replace the gasket. Must replace cover and gasket. Might need new oil dipstick too. Known problem on the gen 1. That's why it cost so much to repair.


----------



## eddiefromcali (Aug 21, 2017)

Fadclt said:


> Cant just replace the gasket. Must replace cover and gasket. Might need new oil dipstick too. Known problem on the gen 1. That's why it cost so much to repair.













you can def change out the valve cover gasket itself....doubt it would fix the chirping though


----------



## joegoad1 (Nov 3, 2016)

I had the same issue, along with a very rough idle. Valve gasket was the culprit, luckily I am still under an extended warranty and this was covered. There was also a stuck valve, which resulted in another trip for repair. This time out of pocket was $100 deductible, but majority covered under warranty. Good luck.


----------



## [email protected] (Sep 11, 2018)

The chirping is coming from spring in spark plug boot not aligned with spark plug . Remove coil pack and check all your spark plug boots that springs are aligned correctly


----------



## jmlo96 (May 2, 2015)

I agree with Robby. My bet is on crank seal. Its a very common issue on Cruzes. Mine went bad around 25k. It sounds like a mouse squeaking.


----------



## p.cruze.14 (Oct 5, 2018)

UPDATE * It was both the crank seal and a leak coming from the water pump, got both fixed now the chirping is gone. Thanks all for the imput.


----------



## djones8365 (Oct 11, 2016)

thanks


----------



## Cruze86 (Sep 10, 2019)

rabbitav said:


> Hi I have the same issue... I took it in for a repair for the chirping noise and they said it was a worn belt.. ok.. Told them to replace the belt AT THE COST OF $200.00. ... Picked up the car and drove to the store... HAHAHAH. Still There. Took it back and the head machanic came out and pulled out my dip stick and the chirping was gone!!!!! He told me it was do to a faulty design in the rear main seal of the oil pan and the chirping was caused by air bEing sucked into to motor.. WOW I said.. Then he told me not to worry.. HAHAHAHAHAH. I said really.. Ok This was in front of the service writer as well. Neither one offered to give me a refund for the belt I DID NOT NEED.. So I and never going back to Silver Star Chevy in Thousand Oaks.. I am shopping at Mercedes Benz... I also told the manager and he did NOTHING!!!!! I AM DONE WITH CHEVY AND ALL THE LIES.. GOOD LUCK CRUZE OWNERS....





Maybe a dumb question but did the head mechanic say there was anything to do about the faulty design?


----------



## Buick2015 (Oct 25, 2019)

I have same problem. Chirping noise at idle, been going on for 6-8 mos, it stops when I take out the dipstick, I was told the valve cover needs replacing and the seal. Not sure if this solves the faulty design issue and I've learned the noise will come back even after replacing these 2 at the tune of $500.


----------



## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

Buick2015 said:


> I have same problem. Chirping noise at idle, been going on for 6-8 mos, it stops when I take out the dipstick, I was told the valve cover needs replacing and the seal. Not sure if this solves the faulty design issue and I've learned the noise will come back even after replacing these 2 at the tune of $500.


No, what fixes it is getting one of these before replacing them: https://cruzekits.com/about-pcv-fix-kits


----------



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

I recently had the valve cover replaced and thought all was well, but noooo, I just had the tensioner, the belt and the crank seal replaced. I just need to install the kit I have on the spare intake I also have and cross my fingers now.


----------



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

I think mine might be the alternator pulley. Anyone know a way to test to see if it is failing?


----------



## halbert1 (Jun 13, 2019)

My 14 LT has been chirping for a while--coming up on 100K miles. Belt tensioner and belt have been replaced, along with the water pump (recall replacement). None have stopped it. It's getting worse. For a while, it would only show up under load after driving for 15-20 minutes, now it's there at idle. It sure sounds like it's related to belt speed--usually it goes away above 1200 rpm or so (or gets drowned out by driving noise)


----------



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

i ordered a new alternator , rebuilt actually, and intake gasket from Autozone yesterday using "Treat4You" in the code box, netting 20% off and free next day shipping. Still a bit high, but all the GM websites with better pricing were not sure when it would ship do to the strike and the warranty is not as good anyways. Mine'll be installed Friday so I'll post then about the results. I also plan on installing an XtremeRevolution kit modified intake and also pulling the valve cover to look at a possible issue with the valves ticking.

I am going to try and get video before and after for the noises if possible, but the weather is pretty crappy right now.


----------



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

I just ran across this by accident. To update, I ended up installing a fix kit, re-gapping my plugs, installing a new crank seal, installing a new idler and a serpentine belt. While some of this was preventative and some was needed, the main culprit in making noise was that a bolt was broken off. It was one of the AC compressor bracket bolts.


----------



## dmtdon (Aug 19, 2016)

eddiefromcali said:


> chirps are usually loose spark plugs, crank seal or a bearing in a pulley/pump....in that order.


chirps are usually loose spark plugs, crank seal or a bearing in a pulley/pump....in that order. 
I believe its the pulley on the compressor or down in that area. Its a steady chirp when the A/C is on . Is it an easy fix. The a/c runs fine.


----------



## Rickyg0672 (May 24, 2018)

i had same problem bought an after market valve cover and chirping began loud as ever, changed valve cover to OEM havent heard chirping since


----------



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Rickyg0672 said:


> i had same problem bought an after market valve cover and chirping began loud as ever, changed valve cover to OEM havent heard chirping since


Are you sure that was not due to a gasket leak on the first one?


----------



## Rachel m (May 28, 2020)

p.cruze.14 said:


> Hey guys, so I had my car diagnosed for a chirping noise. Basically, the mechanic told me it was the valve cover gasket that needed to be replaced and oviously gave me an outrageous price to fix it. I went ahead and ordered the part directly from GM and replaced ity self but the chirping noise is still there. So now I don't know what it is that is causing it. if anyone had this problem before, I can really use some help .


i know that didn’t fix it but I own a gen 2 Cruze I am also a service advisor for Chevy. On the gen 1 your PCV is in you valve cover. They are crazy common to fail multiple times in its life and cause a chirp noise. they are apart of the valve cover. Obviously it didn’t fix your concern but it is common.


----------



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

The vacuum PCV valve is in the intake. The boost PCV valve is at the turbo. I think you are referring to the PCV vacuum regulator.

*2011-2016 Cruze Limited 1.4L PCV System Explained*


----------



## Rickyg0672 (May 24, 2018)

Blasirl said:


> Are you sure that was not due to a gasket leak on the first one?


Absolutly positive


----------



## GAL1LE0 (Sep 2, 2020)

just an FYI, Chevy is paying for the pcv fix. got a letter in the mail a week ago about it. my car has been chirping for a while now, and the chirping goes away when i pull out the dipstick, and i can hear a slight sucking of air coming from the cover. I would assume that with the pcv not working correctly, it takes away the vaccumm needed by the crank seal causing it to both leak and create the chirping sound. 

and every now and then i would get an underboost event and was thinking it was that common wastegate issue or turbo crack. but today my car threw all the codes related to the pcv, fuel trim lean, the p1101 and one other i think for the MAP sensor or pressure, which led me to here. thankfully my wife reminded me about the letter, so getting that taken care of tuesday. fingers crossed this fixes the issues. 

but then again, i kinda want the underboost issue still... cuz then i can justify the zzperformance turbo and wastegate kit.... don't tell my wife...


----------



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

GAL1LE0 said:


> just an FYI, Chevy is paying for the pcv fix. got a letter in the mail a week ago about it. my car has been chirping for a while now, and the chirping goes away when i pull out the dipstick, and i can hear a slight sucking of air coming from the cover. I would assume that with the pcv not working correctly, it takes away the vaccumm needed by the crank seal causing it to both leak and create the chirping sound.
> 
> and every now and then i would get an underboost event and was thinking it was that common wastegate issue or turbo crack. but today my car threw all the codes related to the pcv, fuel trim lean, the p1101 and one other i think for the MAP sensor or pressure, which led me to here. thankfully my wife reminded me about the letter, so getting that taken care of tuesday. fingers crossed this fixes the issues.
> 
> but then again, i kinda want the underboost issue still... cuz then i can justify the zzperformance turbo and wastegate kit.... don't tell my wife...


Welcome Aboard!

I just posted this a minute ago and decided to copy and paste that reply:

_The diaphragm they are referring to is the (PCV) vacuum regulator on the valve (camshaft) cover, the round portion on the rear driver side of the valve cover. The actual PCV valve causing the issue (there are two of them) is the orange nipple you may have read about located in the intake manifold. _Read more in the link reposted in post 29 above_. The fix you received will more than likely only be temporary. When the leak allows the crankcase to become over pressurized again, it may blow the regulator out again and/or the front crank seal, and/or cause oil to start to blow by possibly including out the valve cover, the oil pan , CPASV seals and other areas. Or you might be one of the lucky ones and it will hold. Roughly $75 and minimal time and effort is cheap insurance. I've had mine installed for some time now and have no more issues._

www.Cruzekits.com

Your underboost condition is probably from the PCV valve leaking. It controls the transition from boost to vacuum in a way. The crank seal is probably leaking due to the crankcase being overpressurized. 

Keep in mind, the turbo, the waste gate actuator and the blow off/ bypass valve will require a tune (as a disclaimer there are some who seem to think the actuator and the BPV/BOV do not need a tune). The turbo will also require a number of other mods (read expensive) as well.


----------



## StormShepherd (Jan 29, 2017)

rabbitav said:


> Hi I have the same issue... I took it in for a repair for the chirping noise and they said it was a worn belt.. ok.. Told them to replace the belt AT THE COST OF $200.00. ... Picked up the car and drove to the store... HAHAHAH. Still There. Took it back and the head machanic came out and pulled out my dip stick and the chirping was gone!!!!! He told me it was do to a faulty design in the rear main seal of the oil pan and the chirping was caused by air bEing sucked into to motor.. WOW I said.. Then he told me not to worry.. HAHAHAHAHAH. I said really.. Ok This was in front of the service writer as well. Neither one offered to give me a refund for the belt I DID NOT NEED.. So I and never going back to Silver Star Chevy in Thousand Oaks.. I am shopping at Mercedes Benz... I also told the manager and he did NOTHING!!!!! I AM DONE WITH CHEVY AND ALL THE LIES.. GOOD LUCK CRUZE OWNERS....


Rofl no. It's either the front crank seal or the camshaft cover PCV diaphragm. The serpentine belt being $200 probably including the $100 for the misdiagnosis.


----------



## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

rabbitav said:


> Hi I have the same issue... I took it in for a repair for the chirping noise and they said it was a worn belt.. ok.. Told them to replace the belt AT THE COST OF $200.00. ... Picked up the car and drove to the store... HAHAHAH. Still There. Took it back and the head machanic came out and pulled out my dip stick and the chirping was gone!!!!! He told me it was do to a faulty design in the rear main seal of the oil pan and the chirping was caused by air bEing sucked into to motor.. WOW I said.. Then he told me not to worry.. HAHAHAHAHAH. I said really.. Ok This was in front of the service writer as well. Neither one offered to give me a refund for the belt I DID NOT NEED.. So I and never going back to Silver Star Chevy in Thousand Oaks.. I am shopping at Mercedes Benz... I also told the manager and he did NOTHING!!!!! I AM DONE WITH CHEVY AND ALL THE LIES.. GOOD LUCK CRUZE OWNERS....


What, a service department just threw parts at a problem to see if it would go away without an actual diagnosis or confirmation that the part is bad? Never heard of that a day in my life 

In all seriousness, issue you described and the poor customer service behind it is why I do not like going to dealers for anything. But it's not just dealers, many private shops operate this way as well. That's why I ask them "Do you guarantee this will fix the issue". If they say no then walk away. Many times they just want to start trying parts. A better answer they can give is "I don't know what's causing it".

I have a small shop by my home that I took an older car we owned to a couple times, to diagnose very difficult to find issues, and both times we were not charged because he couldn't be certain what the fix is so he said they couldn't do anything without just starting to test parts. At least he was honest and didn't charge me. Ended up selling that vehicle though. Good shops do exist but they are hard to find.


----------



## Wayne jr (Jun 23, 2021)

p.cruze.14 said:


> Hey guys, so I had my car diagnosed for a chirping noise. Basically, the mechanic told me it was the valve cover gasket that needed to be replaced and oviously gave me an outrageous price to fix it. I went ahead and ordered the part directly from GM and replaced ity self but the chirping noise is still there. So now I don't know what it is that is causing it. if anyone had this problem before, I can really use some help .


Well, might be really late but mine was loose spark plug. But in any event it sure is far better with the few problems there are with these than some other manufacturer problems. My suggestion is read make list to check off and if not doing repair self find a reasonable shop.. Best to all!


----------



## Wayne jr (Jun 23, 2021)

Buick2015 said:


> I have same problem. Chirping noise at idle, been going on for 6-8 mos, it stops when I take out the dipstick, I was told the valve cover needs replacing and the seal. Not sure if this solves the faulty design issue and I've learned the noise will come back even after replacing these 2 at the tune of $500.


Valve cover under 100 and see videos be cautious and do yourself.. Best!!


----------



## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Wayne jr said:


> Well, might be really late but mine was loose spark plug. But in any event it sure is far better with the few problems there are with these than some other manufacturer problems. My suggestion is read make list to check off and if not doing repair self find a reasonable shop.. Best to all!


Welcome Aboard!

Don't forget to introduce yourself and your Cruze here.


Remember to vote:

Spring 2021 MOTM Voting Thread
Spring 2021 COTM Voting Thread

and then consider running for either or both in the next run!


----------



## Cush (Sep 24, 2021)

My 2014 Chevy Cruze 1.4L had a chirping for months that became an overwhelming screeching noise. After $$$ hundreds of dollars and nearly a year later I was told it was the camshaft about to go. Found this video on YouTube 



 couldn't believe it was this simple. 1 of the 4 spark plugs worked its way very loose and that was my only problem. Put in 4 new plugs and fixed a years frustration in 10 mins. Hopefully this will help someone.


----------

