# Cruze fires



## GoldenCruze (Dec 18, 2011)

There's another thread on the news saying something about the fires.


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## izzyizz (Mar 11, 2012)

H3R Performance HalGuard Clean Agent Automotive Fire Extinguishers


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

I saw it on Good Morning america, its under investigation... (sigh)


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## SilverCruzer (Nov 30, 2010)

By the way...

Its TWO Cruzes, not SIX



The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received two reports of fires in the 2011 Cruze. In both cases, owners reported that the fires began while the cars were moving, and in both cases the cars were destroyed.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

SilverCruzer said:


> By the way...
> 
> Its TWO Cruzes, not SIX
> 
> ...


The article I saw last night after hearing the news on ABC said SIX Cruzes. Whatever the number, ONE is too many!


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## Cruzemeister (Mar 22, 2011)

Here we go.... I knew somehow that the pleasure of reigning as a top seller would wind up in smoke..... but literally? Sheesh.... can't wait for the excuses to start rolling in .... My lease is up in 2014. I don't drive much. I think I'm going to defect from GM this time. Not that they didn't try hard this time around, but, a dark cloud seems to follow them no matter what they do. If you dig around in the dirt (online) they've had many problems with many models that never seem to get reported in consumer reports. Corvette is an example. My Cobalt was another.


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## GoldenCruze (Dec 18, 2011)

So far it's a handful of cars catching fire out of the many thousands that are on the roads. I'm not going to lose any sleep over this. I'm certain that no matter what the make or model of car made and produced in mass quantities past and present, that there have been some that caught fire for whatever reason. It's just that these days the media tries to play it up.


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## charlie_t (Nov 24, 2010)

I came across some interesting speculation that they were oil fires. One of them happend after a recent oil change - don't know about the other. the writer believes that oil was spilled in the process of changing the filter and it was not cleaned up after. That spilled oil drips on the manifold. Sounds plausible especially since both fires happened while the car was under way. The writer also said that GM has issued a bulletin about changing the filter. It would be nice if that turns out to be the case.


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## DEcruze (Apr 29, 2011)

Yay not only does mine stink, now it's flammable. Hahahaha. Smh.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

charlie_t said:


> I came across some interesting speculation that they were oil fires. One of them happend after a recent oil change - don't know about the other. the writer believes that oil was spilled in the process of changing the filter and it was not cleaned up after. That spilled oil drips on the manifold. Sounds plausible especially since both fires happened while the car was under way. The writer also said that GM has issued a bulletin about changing the filter. It would be nice if that turns out to be the case.


In all of the years, I've been changing oil in cars (started in 1965), I've never seen one that you didn't need to wipe up when you pulled the oil filter for changing. If this is spilled, or leaking oil following an oil change at the dealerships, then they aren't doing it right. I just hope the cause is really communicated and not just swept behind the corporate veil.


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## weimerrj (Dec 4, 2011)

charlie_t said:


> I came across some interesting speculation that they were oil fires. One of them happend after a recent oil change - don't know about the other. the writer believes that oil was spilled in the process of changing the filter and it was not cleaned up after. That spilled oil drips on the manifold. Sounds plausible especially since both fires happened while the car was under way. The writer also said that GM has issued a bulletin about changing the filter. It would be nice if that turns out to be the case.


Although it's hardly a scientific sample, every car fire discussed here included the phrase "the dealership changed the oil last week", or some variation thereof.

I don't know abut the 1.8, but the 1.4's oil filter is in a convenient, yet tight, spot accesible from the top of the engine compartment and not too far away from the exhaust manifold. It's also a cartridge and not a conventional spin-on. I spilled some oil when I removed my filter, and there is a place for a small amount to pool directly below. I cleaned it up, of course. and replaced the o-ring with the new one and made sure it was oiled properly. 

I've heard it could be oil, but it could also be gas, as someone here surmised. It takes a bit of contortion to get the element out and the new one in. It is possible that a fuel line could be damaged.


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## magoo3 (Apr 10, 2011)

4 of the cars were jeeps. I just saw thison abc7 in Cali


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

I did a quick search here and found THREE Cruzes from members whose cars caught on fire-December 21, 2011Fleshwounded Junior MemberJoin Date Dec 2011 Posts2December 22, 2011Ann1172 Junior MemberJoin Date Dec 2011 Posts4March 29, 2012 CrispyCruze Junior MemberJoin Date Mar 2012 LocationVancouver BCPosts3Two of these three mentioned that they had oil changes recently. I'm pretty sure that there were more fires listed in this forum.Sorry for the way this has posted. I tried to correctly space it, but it's not working.


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## CHUV (Jun 25, 2011)

some jeeps are also catching fire as well... not just GM here...


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## Lynne70 (Apr 3, 2012)

Could it be two separate issues though? They are two different Vehicles, and two different engines. 

I've been wondering about the oil change. When we had the first one done on ours, I noticed a small amount of oil on the driveway about a day or two later. The oil levels and everything else seem fine but if it is hitting the manifold and someone forgot to tighten something properly it could be a cause.


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## Mobile Security (Apr 3, 2012)

Hey! 

We have 3 chev cruzes in our fleet for work, one of them went up in fire and smoke on 02 April 2012... The member of my staff was driving along and someone pulled up beside him to tell him that the car was on fire.

The vehicle was immediately pulled over, some contents were removed and then the fire dept arrived moments later. The fire was hot enough for the Rad and many other parts of the car to melt away. The fire wall did its job and prevented the rest of the car to go up. It was noted on his report that no check engine lights were on when he was warned about the fire.

The vehicle was 2011 Chev Cruze 1.8L Canadian Model last 4 on the VIN # is 5956..... 

Happy Cruzing !!!! Practice your pull over and bugg out techniques!


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## eagleco (May 3, 2011)

If the fires turn out to be related to spilled oil from recent oil changes, I just hope this doesn't result in GM relocating the filter down to the bottom of the engine where any spilled oil would just land "harmlessly" on the ground. 

The filter on the 1.4 is in such a great location for changes. And if the housing cover is unscrewed and left alone for a minute, the oil will drain out into the oil pan, and no oil will be spilled when the filter is removed. Unscrewing the cover, releases a valve which allows the oil to drain into the pan. I changed my oil and filter yesterday, and didn't spill a single drop. 

The German designed, Hengst oil filtration system is a major improvement over reaching up from underneath, unscrewing a filter in an awkward location, and having hot oil run down my arm, as it did when I changed the filter on my Mazda 3. Audi uses the same type of Hengst oil filter housing that is used on our "lowly" Cruze.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

eagleco said:


> The German designed, Hengst oil filtration system is a major improvement over reaching up from underneath, unscrewing a filter in an awkward location, and having hot oil run down my arm, as it did when I changed the filter on my Mazda 3. Audi uses the same type of Hengst oil filter housing that is used on our "lowly" Cruze.


The oil filter on my '65 Corvair was a cartridge located on the top of the motor just inside the "hood" opening. Very easy to get to, but also easy to spill, or dribble, oil while you were extracting things. Since it was so easy to get to, it was also easy to clean up any spillage. It was just a case of being careful, just like in the Cruze.


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## ChevyCruzeLTZ (Apr 7, 2011)

weimerrj said:


> Although it's hardly a scientific sample, every car fire discussed here included the phrase "the dealership changed the oil last week", or some variation thereof.
> 
> 
> > Of the two Cruzes listed in the NHTSA investigation, one had the oil changed very recently before the fire, the other had 4,000 miles and 3 months since the last oil change when it caught on fire.


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