# Pulsating/Vibration at idle



## jp06ty (Feb 21, 2011)

I have a 1.4t Cruze, and I have notice the same pulsating /vibrating.

I can feel the vibrations when I'm idling at a stop. The vibrating can also be heard, although it is very quiet

I've used the the AC mildly.

Hope this is normal!

EDIT

Also, at roughly 1500 miles.

Everything with the car has been great so far!


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## audog (Apr 28, 2011)

3300 miles, LTZ and no vibration or pulsation at idle. With or without the AC.


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## vitgia78 (Mar 9, 2011)

The same with me at hot weather (above 36oC), I think that the vibration comes from AC


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## tehcor (Mar 30, 2011)

vitgia78 said:


> The same with me at hot weather (above 36oC), I think that the vibration comes from AC


i have this too..you can hear a rhytmic noise with it too. i had onstar run a diag when i first started hearing it and it came back clear. i live in AZ so i use AC quite a bit and that hasnt helped. not sure what it is as it seems to be coming from somewhere against the firewall..cant tell if top or bottom end. ive just wrote it off as being the cars quirk..

edit: oh and its a 1.4t and im just over 7500 miles. its been like this since roughly 3k miles..never notice it causing problems tho.


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## vitgia78 (Mar 9, 2011)

Recent days, my car has more rough vibration at idle. I had some changes with my car before, such as:
- Change stock spark plugs to Denso Iridium IK20
- Remove air pipe

After restoring to stock spark plugs (NGK), I feel less vibration than using IK20 at idle. In fact that I don't like stock spark plugs because Denso Iridium is smoother than NGK and I had no vibration with IK20 few months ago, so that how can I resolve this matter? 
Is cleaning idle Air Control the way to resolve this? And how can to disconnect and clean iAC?

Please help me, I hate vibration


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## STUDLEE (Jul 6, 2011)

maybe coming from the fan?


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## vitgia78 (Mar 9, 2011)

STUDLEE said:


> maybe coming from the fan?


I don't think so, because it comes from AC load. If AC load much, the vibration will be occured.


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

I've heard this myself on the new Cruze I bought only yesterday. It's only happened once so far - in the garage with the A/C off. Kind of a light rumbling that repeats about every 3/4 second. The motor was hot after some hot weather driving.

I saw an item on GM Techlink about an engine noise but I don't know if it's the same thing I'm hearing. The fix is supposedly to remove the oil filter for the solenoid that activates the variable camshaft timing.

Whatever it is please keep this thread going and if you solve the problem post up the answer so I can get my car fixed too.


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

This is the techlink item I found about an engine rattle on several GM models including the Cruze. I don't know if this is related to the sound this thread is talking about.

2008-2011
Astra, Aveo, Cruze, Wave - Engine lack of power with DTCs P0011, P0014, P000A, P000B, P0012, P0015 or engine rattle noise
Remove the oil filters from the camshaft position actuator solenoid valves
Don't replace the camshaft position actuator solenoid valves
10-06-04-016


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## vitgia78 (Mar 9, 2011)

Dale_K said:


> This is the techlink item I found about an engine rattle on several GM models including the Cruze. I don't know if this is related to the sound this thread is talking about.
> 
> 2008-2011
> Astra, Aveo, Cruze, Wave - Engine lack of power with DTCs P0011, P0014, P000A, P000B, P0012, P0015 or engine rattle noise
> ...


Thanks Dale_K very much, is this normal oil filter or another filters at another positions? 
In my case, I've cleaned throtle body, MAF and changed another spark plugs but it's still in rough vibration. Sometimes, when my car engine is warmed, the enginre torque climbs to 1000 rpm at Neutral and can not decrease to normal position (appro. 800 rpm). 
Yesterday, I broke manifold absolute pressure sensor by myself and found that the torque can be in normal position  (still in check engine). In my friend case, he's changed many sensors but the car was still in vibration, at last he found that the vibration came from big fan mount


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

I don't know the answers to your questions except I'm sure the filter referenced is not the normal engine oil filter but instead something specific for the camshaft phasing system.

I was able to recreate the rhythmic thrumming sound on my car again last evening during fully warmed up idling conditions. It's a pretty soft sound that's coming from the exhaust manifold or something else near the A/C compressor.


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## jb0441 (Jun 16, 2011)

I too am having a similar problem. There is a 3/4 to 1 second repetitive pulsating vibration at idle and at slow speeds. I can not tell if it's still going when the a/c is on or at higher speeds since its so quiet. I'm at about 3300 miles with an LTZ. Sounds like it is coming from the firewall area and more "underneath" the engine. Kinda worrying me a bit!


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## vitgia78 (Mar 9, 2011)

After changing Map sensor, the vibration seems to be less than before, however I found that my car vibration came from my grounding kit connection.


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

My car is still making this same repetitive rumbling sound so I checked it out a little more. I think it's coming from the A/C compressor and it does it most noticiably when the A/C is off, which is sort of odd. 

I took a very big screwdriver and used it like a stethoscope and tested different items. The A/C compressor is where the sound is loudest. But i can also hear it on the A/C refrigerant lines almost as loud as the compressor housing. Funny but the sound gets a lot less when I turn the A/C on. The sound in the A/C lines changes to a steady swoosh/rumble instead of the loud pulsing sound.

The A/C works fine but I'm going to take it to the dealer soon and ask them to check into it. I don't like unusual noises on a new car.


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## ch200200 (Jun 21, 2011)

*Problem solved? New AC compressor installed*

Well... I had enough of it and went to a different dealer whom immediatly confirmed that the vibration was not typical. They said "they think" its the AC compressor so they orderd it up and after a few days it was installed... 5 hour install BTW really? Overcharging GM? 

So far so good!!!!!!! but we will see. No vibrating at all and overall it runs a lot smoother. If the mystery vibration dosn't come back then it looks like GM will be replacing a crap load of compressors. 

I will keep you updated. As of now no problems but we will see.


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## thevoid (Aug 1, 2011)

Does anyone with this problem have an Eco? They come with a different compressor.

Accessory belt drive problems can be hard to diagnose, but the stethoscpoe method is a great start. Keep us all informed.


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## LucyCruze (Jul 1, 2011)

thevoid said:


> Does anyone with this problem have an Eco? They come with a different compressor.
> 
> Accessory belt drive problems can be hard to diagnose, but the stethoscpoe method is a great start. Keep us all informed.


I have a 2011 Eco AT and I think mine does the same thing that people are describing in this thread. I notice most often in the evening when I leave work. I start it up and sit there a second, plug in my iPhone, send a text, blah blah blah -- no rumbles. Drive 60 feet to the end of the driveway, stop and wait on traffic to clear so I can turn out -- it gets the rumbles. The car sort of sounds different and my rearview mirror shakes.

It doesn't rumble anymore after that and I haven't noticed it rumbling in the morning or afternoon yet. This happens with my A/C off, though I'm not sure if it does it with the A/C on too. I'll check when I leave work tonight.


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## babycare (Aug 10, 2011)

This noise is making me a Mad Hatter!!! 3535 Miles on our Cruze and the noise is getting worse. It sounds like a metallic heartbeat (Heartbeat of America??...HMMM) and it is grinding as it does. At first I thought it was the calipers catching, but I was sitting at a stop light and the noise kicked in full gear. It is August, so we have been using that AC every time we drive it. My steering wheel, seat and pedals are pulsating. We are making an appointment with our dealer today, but this is not the only problem we have had.
Car went in after two days for the transmission. We own a 2500 Silverado and a Tahoe, so when they told me that the clunking transmission and failure to engage into 3rd gear was just the computer trying to adjust to our driving, sounded like a load of junk. Now, as we go uphill the car bogs down and yep, the transmission still clunks into gear sometimes on flat ground. 
We have a wierd metalllic 'ting' as it switches gears as well. I have taken to driving with the radio off so I can log the noises and when the occur. 
Will post an update, but this is more than what our dealers telling us.


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## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

my manual eco makes a type of rumbling sound that happens only after the ac is turned on. It seems the faster i drive the more noticeable the sound is. If I turn the AC off while driving the sound will slowly dissipate. My issue sounds opposite of what others are posting here but who knows.


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

I just got home from the dealer about this problem. They confirmed it is the A/C compressor and have ordered a replacement unit. I'm pretty pleased that they didn't try to dodge the issue. I'll post an update after the new compressor is installed, probably about a week. They gave me the car back until the part comes in.


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

Just got back from the dealer after the A/C compressor replacement. It did not totally fix the problem but the noise is less than before. The service advisor said they called GM tech folks and GM is aware that some people have a noise and that sometimes the noise is fixed with a compressor replacement but other times the noise persists even with the new compressor.

So I'm happy with my dealer but a little dissapointed with GM. Maybe they'll discover a fix eventually. This is not a problem that's driving me crazy because I only hear it at idle with a hot motor and the A/C switched off. It doesn't seem to affect the A/C cooling power. 

But replacing the compressor is not a guaranteed magic bullet fix for the problem.


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## 619CRUZN (Jul 18, 2011)

Just got the compressor replaced as well, but the problem is still there and in full force, it must be something else. I dont think we should leave the issue alone, if we do nothing will get done, we must keep persisting. I don't feel good about paying 30k for a car that sounds this way. Do you?


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## George2417 (Oct 20, 2011)

I just purchased a 2012 Cruze LTZ with the RS package. I feel/hear the same vibration noise in park and in idle.

Cant figure out what it is.

I dont hear anything when im accelerating or driving. It doesnt make sense to me that changing the ac compressor would change anything.


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## Sassy'11 (Apr 13, 2011)

Mine does it too when the engine is hot, but the sound goes away when I turn the AC on.


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## audiobahnman (Sep 2, 2011)

2011 LS auto 3500miles mine has done this since day one


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## 619CRUZN (Jul 18, 2011)

*K Guys I got the noise on Video*
















i took 3 different video/ audio from my cell, cause i wasnt sure if it was going to work. You may need to put on headphones to distinctly hear the noise. In the background you will hear a grinding off balance noise that repeatedly comes in and out. 

I dropped off my car on Tuesday (2nd) time for the same problem.
First time they said they replaced the AC compressor, but as time went by the noise got louder and louder, and happened more consistently, till it did it every single time I drove the car. 

Dealership called me today and said the put in a new AC compressor again and that they think it took care of the problem. GM actually had an engineer come from Northern CA to come look at my car. (I live in San Diego)

So if you think these videos may be helpful please feel free to use them. Thankfully the manager at my dealership is cooperative and soooo helpful. He had done everything in his power to make this situation right. 

I cant wait to get my Cruze back and see if it fixed the problem.


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## Sassy'11 (Apr 13, 2011)

Sorry guys for not updating. I took my girl to the dealer, he didnt hear it right away but thats because he didnt have her warm enough. After we drove around a bit, he heard the noise,.. He diagnosed it as the AC Compressor. The noise went away when I turned the AC on. anywho, they replaced the compressor and she is no longer noisey


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## mkaiser74 (May 27, 2016)

Hello,

I am experiencing the same pulsating/idle with using AC and after shutting AC off. Just started to use AC couple of days ago and this pulsating/Idle started. I own a 2015 Chevy Cruze Eco which purchased about a month ago, First time Chevy owner.

Thank you!!


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## onestep (Nov 5, 2020)

ch200200 said:


> *Problem solved? New AC compressor installed*
> 
> Well... I had enough of it and went to a different dealer whom immediatly confirmed that the vibration was not typical. They said "they think" its the AC compressor so they orderd it up and after a few days it was installed... 5 hour install BTW really? Overcharging GM?
> 
> ...


thats a big one to throw or is it just spill.


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