# Gear Backlash in New Cruze - a engineering error>



## Craze Ramesha (Sep 15, 2012)

New Cruze has gear backlash, in my opinion there is a engineering flaw! I bought a new cruze in the last week - 6 gear manual transmission - with clutch operation I, feel a mild mechanical shock at the Gear Change Lever and at every Accelerator Pedal operatin the Gear lever moves forth and back.

I, did take up this with GM Engineers in India, they are defiant and afraid of accepting and solving the issue.

TO make sure if observation is unique or common with other Cruze drivers and expectation from any auto user is this issue normal or a short coming?


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## tecollins1 (Nov 6, 2011)

Nice first post/thread...............:/


Sent from iPhone 4


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## chrissn89 (Feb 29, 2012)

My Holden Cruze (Australia) has this same issue.


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

tecollins1 said:


> Nice first post/thread...............:/
> 
> 
> Sent from iPhone 4


Haha very true lol cant get enough of them trolls they so funny

Sent from my MB886 using AutoGuide.Com Free App


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

jakkaroo said:


> Haha very true lol cant get enough of them trolls they so funny
> 
> Sent from my MB886 using AutoGuide.Com Free App


I'm not convinced this user is a troll. We've had...strange issues reported in cars overseas. This particular one comes from India. 



To the original poster, have you tried contacting Chevrolet or General Motors directly to file a case with them? That would be the only advice I can offer.


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## tecollins1 (Nov 6, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> I'm not convinced this user is a troll.


@ the time of my 1st post he only had one sentence (less than 8 words) after I posted he'd edited his original post and added the 3 paragraphs.


Sent from iPhone 4


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## Craze Ramesha (Sep 15, 2012)

I had left the car with the garage for 5 days and engineers from GM attended to it, their answer is the way car has been engineered(and is the case with all New Cruze's and the power train assembly comes from US) and I need to get used to this(Overlook this issue!), and asked for an assurance letter that this issue wouldn't result in additional wear and tear! but they wouldn't give one!.

I, want to appeal to Consumer Court, hence wanted to make sure if, my experience is not an odd one, and the behaviour of the power train wouldn't be really affecting the performance in a longer run like say 100,000+ Kms!


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Some shifting of the gear lever is normal with a manual transmission. If it happens especially in 4th, that's a known issue on the Cruze manual, at least here in N. America. 

Also, this is a "clunky" transmission. It's not as smooth as a Honda or Toyota gearbox, and won't ever be.


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## Hoon (Mar 18, 2012)

The 4th gear thing gets better with wear. 

My car had a good amount of vibration in the shifter at 1,500 miles, at 10K it's a lot smoother. I don't even really notice it any more.


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## Craze Ramesha (Sep 15, 2012)

I feel consoled that with the usage & wear it becomes smoother!


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

My 6 speed manual is pretty smooth. Maybe the guy could compare how his works against a different brand new Cruze. If they feel about the same it could be a characteristic of the car. I think my transmission was built in Austria.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Craze Ramesha said:


> New Cruze has gear backlash, in my opinion there is a engineering flaw! I bought a new cruze in the last week - 6 gear manual transmission - with clutch operation I, feel a mild mechanical shock at the Gear Change Lever and at every Accelerator Pedal operatin the Gear lever moves forth and back.
> 
> I, did take up this with GM Engineers in India, they are defiant and afraid of accepting and solving the issue.
> 
> TO make sure if observation is unique or common with other Cruze drivers and expectation from any auto user is this issue normal or a short coming?


First - welcome to CruzeTalk.

Now for your gears. I can feel my ECO MT doing the same thing if I leave my hand lightly on the shifter while I reengage the clutch pad. This is a normal seating of the gearbox as the syncromesh centers the gearing at the end of the shift. Every manual transmission I have driven (multiple Alfa Romeos, a couple of BMWs and Suburus, my Lancer GTS, both my Fieros, and my son's LS MT) does this. Most people adjust to this quickly and soon afterwards forget about it. Sort of like living where the wind blows constantly - it becomes part of the background noise. The Cruze's gearbox just happens to be one of the more noticable for this gear centering. In the Cruze, 4th gear happens to be the worst offender of this centering. However, there shouldn't be excessive vibration once this stick adjustment is completed. The excessive vibration that some Cruze owners have reported in 4th gear is not normal - fortunately it tends to lesson over time.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Every car ever does this.


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## Craze Ramesha (Sep 15, 2012)

That's not my experience with Ford and Honda, I own


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

The transmission shifter is connected to the transmission by a cable, and when you torque that gear under engine load, the shifter and cable moves a little bit. 

My best friend's 2005 Civic does it, and my 88 Accord, 85 Saab, and my mom's 2007 Accord and 74 BMW all do it when you hit the gas. I think my Cruze moves a little bit in 2nd and 4th if your hand is on the shifter. Of course, it gets worse with age as tolerances wear down a little, but I don't think it's anything out-of-the-ordinary.


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## Craze Ramesha (Sep 15, 2012)

But mine is a brand new 2 lts Cruze, as you said with age there could be movement and vibrations, but it is not conceivable to have on a brand new car


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Actually I think the Cruze's stick movements and vibration lesson as the car ages, at least up through the 15,000 miles I'm approaching.


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## bartonmd (Jun 30, 2011)

Almost every car I've ever driven has done this. I worked at an oil change place when I was in school, and pulled in and out thousands of cars, and the only ones that did not do it were the ones with horribly vague shifters that were annoying to drive.

As an Engineer, myself (Not for an auto company), I find that most of the time when somebody says "there is an engineering flaw with this car" that really means "I don't know how this is supposed to work, but I don't like it." What you're describing is NOT gear backlash. That's something completely different. What you're describing is the movement of the engine in the rubber mounts transmitting some motion to the shifter. As several have said, this is normal.

ETA: Have you ever driven a rear wheel drive car, or a truck, with the shifter sticking out the top of the transmission? The shifter on my truck moves 3cm when I take off, when I'm towing a trailer. 

Mike


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## Craze Ramesha (Sep 15, 2012)

Your knowledge and explanations are great! I'm an engineer as well but not mechanical or automobile, as you almost said it's the feel of transmission system at the shifter, this is not at all felt with Ford with me. In India Cruze(they sell only 2 lts engine), is positioned as a premium sedan, and on Indian roads one needs to change the gears and accelarator very often, so almost the hands are continuously rested on the shifter, so feeling the vibrations many times for few kilometers is disgusting that's where I'm coming to the point.


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## Craze Ramesha (Sep 15, 2012)

From what Mike explains in the thread above, I, imagine due to excess movement of the engine(because it's a new one) that gets transmitted through the trasmission system including the power trains, the vibration is is still felt on the gear shifter, this seems to even dangerous as it could cause more wear and tear on the whole transmission and power train systems, as the engine becomes smoother due to run-in, the movement of the engine gets reduced and hence the reduced vibration! I hope my understanding is right!


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## Craze Ramesha (Sep 15, 2012)

Any suggestions, to get GM experts throw some light on to this!


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

I checked this weekend when I was stuck in stop-and-go traffic and bored. My Cruze moves the shifter slightly whenever I step on or let go of the gas.

Again, completely NORMAL for any car!

The "4th gear rattle" people notice in Eco's is there on the LT too. Y'all must be lugging your engines at under 1200 RPM, though...


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## Craze Ramesha (Sep 15, 2012)

Are you suggesting that we step up the engine revolution to more than 1200 before I' put on a gear? but I've experienced this movement even at 2400rpm+ on sixth gear with accleration peddle on/off!!!!!! I'm surprised if it's normal!.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Different symptoms; please ignore that part.

Nope, the stick moving when on/off the gas is normal.


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## Craze Ramesha (Sep 15, 2012)

Let me post the response to my escalation with GM Team in India,

Me: Could you please confirm to me that the movement of Gear shift is normal
Them: We don't do it that way
Me: That's not a reason
Them: We never give reasons
Me: Nothing you say means Anything!(disgust, anger, helplesness reaction!)
Them: That's how we've always done it.


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

Looks to be plagerized from today's Dilbert.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Craze Ramesha said:


> Let me post the response to my escalation with GM Team in India,
> 
> Me: Could you please confirm to me that the movement of Gear shift is normal
> Them: We don't do it that way
> ...


Must be the same call center Dell uses in India. I get the same response when I call Dell tech support and get someone in India.


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## SkidooSteve12 (Jul 5, 2012)

Why not go to the dealer and drive 3 or 4 other similar package cars to compare???


Haven't you ever seen a motor revved up while sitting in Park/Neutral with the hood open? A motor can move quite a bit with the torque and this movement is transferred right to the transmission that it is bolted to. That is why a motor has rubber motor mounts.




Dale_K said:


> Looks to be plagerized from today's Dilbert.


LOL!!!


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## Craze Ramesha (Sep 15, 2012)

this response from GM Post sales team


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## Craze Ramesha (Sep 15, 2012)

Dale_K said:


> Looks to be plagerized from today's Dilbert.


A Quote from "Picasso" - "Good Artists copy, great artists steal", combining ideas from different places in unexpected ways produces great results.


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## SkidooSteve12 (Jul 5, 2012)

Craze Ramesha said:


> Let me post the response to my escalation with GM Team in India,
> 
> Me: Could you please confirm to me that the movement of Gear shift is normal
> Them: We don't do it that way
> ...





Dale_K said:


> Looks to be plagerized from today's Dilbert.



http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2012-09-26/


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Trololololololol


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