# Car not coming up to proper temperature



## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

A couple of quick questions:

1) Has anyone touched the cooling system?

2) How long are you driving (not idling) the engine when you observe the low temperature?

3) Are you running the HVAC system fan at speeds three or higher?

4) Have you noticed the radiator fan on?


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Tomko said:


> 3) Are you running the HVAC system fan at speeds three or higher?


The reason for this question is that the Cruze has such a small efficient engine, that it won't come up to temperature if the heater fan speed is too high. This isn't your dad's 409. You're going to have to nurse what little heat it produces.


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## Slammed2014Eco (Feb 13, 2014)

Last year here in Denver we had a week long period where we were under -20f and I had to let it warm up for quite awhile without the heater being on and once I started driving kept it under 2 on the fan speed in order for it to fully warm up, might want to try that I know Obermd and myself have gone over this conversation quite a few times lol.


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## Hazlitt777 (Nov 2, 2013)

Tomko said:


> A couple of quick questions:
> 
> 1) Has anyone touched the cooling system?
> 
> ...


No to 1 and 4. 15 minutes to 2. And I don't remember as to 3. 

There was one time it got over half the way to being in the proper heat range, and then it went backward. That is what made me ask this question. I think I have a problem.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Hazlitt777 said:


> No to 1 and 4. 15 minutes to 2. And I don't remember as to 3.
> 
> There was one time it got over half the way to being in the proper heat range, and then it went backward. That is what made me ask this question. I think I have a problem.


My 2012 ECO MT won't get to full operating temperature at 0F if I have the fan on 3 or 4 unless I'm cruzing on the highway. If I sit at a stop light I can actually watch the digital temperature gauge (the 2011s and early 2012s had a digital readout) drop about 10F per 15-20 seconds when the fan is set as low as 2. This is normal for the car because the engine is so efficient and small.


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## Hazlitt777 (Nov 2, 2013)

I can't believe it. I wouldn't have believed it without seeing it. It's 2 F here in Green Bay. I drove in 3rd at 30 miles per hour, till I got on the highway and went 70 in 5th. I got it heated up to the proper operating temperature finally. Then I put the heat on wide open on setting 6 and literally watched the temperature gauge go backward very quickly!

Then back in the 30 mph zone I could only keep it in range when i had it on setting 3 of the heat if I kept it in 3rd gear. When I set it on setting two, then I could put it in fourth gear and keep it in the proper heat range.

Wow. This engine is almost a little too efficient! Thanks guys. At least nothings wrong with the thermostat. 

From now on, after starting it up in cold weather, I think I will keep the heat on setting one, and drive a gear or two lower than normal till she heats up. I don't like running a car cold too long.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

This cold snap just began, what, three days ago?

I am surprised the forum isn't loaded with 'My car won't heat up' questions..........usually three days generates three pages!

It is supposed to get above 25f this Wednesday.......the car'll start making OK heat again, heh heh.

Rob


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## Hazlitt777 (Nov 2, 2013)

Laugh it up. But I guess one doesn't have to worry about this car overheating. Just crank the heat to wide open on a hot summer day and you won't even need a radiator.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Robby said:


> This cold snap just began, what, three days ago?
> 
> I am surprised the forum isn't loaded with 'My car won't heat up' questions..........usually three days generates three pages!
> 
> ...


Agreed. Usually by this time of the winter we have half a dozen threads on this.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Hazlitt777 said:


> Laugh it up. But I guess one doesn't have to worry about this car overheating. Just crank the heat to wide open on a hot summer day and you won't even need a radiator.


Thus the shutters on the ECO and CTD lower grill. Actually I think the ECOs may have a slight advantage here in the winter - once closed the lower grill will only reopen if needed for engine cooling.


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## chevrasaki (May 1, 2015)

I have an ultra-gauge to monitor my car temperatures and I've noticed that the gauge next to the gas gauge stops moving and sits in its normal "up to temp" position when my UG says coolant is only at 175F degrees. This takes about 15 minutes of idling/driving the car with no heat. But my car isn't actually done heating up. It takes an additional 15 minutes driving around with no heat to finish warming up to it's final spot 226F degrees before the thermostat responds and it starts cooling back down to stay within the 218F -226F window it normally sits in. The cruze gauge will doesn't move at all between 175F and 226F. And If I turn my heater on fan speed 2 or more when the cruze's gauge says its up to temp (175F), it will take an extremely long time to reach the full 218-226. Especially if I am sitting at a traffic light or using the engine very lightly, it will actually start to cool back down with the heater on above fan position 2. 

I've noticed if let the car warm up for about 15 minutes, you can turn the heater fan speed on position 1 and it produces a little heat but the engine continues to gain heat. once you have been driving for more than 30 minutes with the heater at 1 or 0, then your car should be completely up to temperature and you can turn the heat on full blast if you want. 

What this car really needs is a standard engine block heater.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

obermd said:


> My 2012 ECO MT won't get to full operating temperature at 0F if I have the fan on 3 or 4 unless I'm cruzing on the highway. If I sit at a stop light I can actually watch the digital temperature gauge (the 2011s and early 2012s had a digital readout) drop about 10F per 15-20 seconds when the fan is set as low as 2. This is normal for the car because the engine is so efficient and small.


When it is 0 or below this exactly how mine operates. I drive the highway in the morning a little bit to work and the gauge goes to the normal warm mark and then when I get closer to work downtown and sit at stop lights the gauge actually goes a few tics cooler. This realy only when it is extreme cold single digits or below.


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## lakemg (Dec 26, 2015)

My car is doing the same thing. It's just the cold weather. We were seeing single digits in Cincy today. Engine struggled to heat up but finally did so.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The first mile of my daily commute is slightly downhill. I start my car, link up my phone for Bluetooth music, and then start driving. I keep the engine speed as low as I can for the first mile literally shifting to idle all the way to 6th gear.


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

Just a note on HVAC fan speed: The OP has a 2014, which would have the 6 fan settings as opposed to the older 4 fan settings it seems some commenters have in mind. On the 6-speed fan, setting 3, and even setting 4 in most cases, won't kill the car's ability to warm up. It's 5 and 6 that really suck the heat away from the engine. 

I didn't catch anywhere on the thread whether the OP's Cruze is a Diesel or a gas model, but the Diesels can be really tough to get and keep warm, even with the shutters. On days like today, I rarely reach operating temp in less than 15 minutes, and the temp gauge drops at stop lights through the first half hour. I've even pulled into town after two hours on the road, and the temp gauge will still drop two marks while idling in the time it takes me to use the restroom and pick up a Red Bull.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

My son has a 2013 ECO MT. Here's the fan speed comparisons


201220131122334546

His setting 6 is almost exactly my setting 4. The two setting 3s are also nearly identical. There's a huge gap in the 2011 and 2012 between fan speeds 3 and 4.


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## Slammed2014Eco (Feb 13, 2014)

obermd said:


> My son has a 2013 ECO MT. Here's the fan speed comparisons
> 
> 
> 201220131122334546
> ...


We've been really lucky this winter thus far, but anything for me in the Eco over 2 fan speed would cause my car to take forever to heat up. When I was working in DTC I didn't even get half way to warm by the time I got to work which was about a 20 min drive or so.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

obermd said:


> Thus the shutters on the ECO and CTD lower grill. Actually I think the ECOs may have a slight advantage here in the winter - once closed the lower grill will only reopen if needed for engine cooling.


Mine usually get packed with ice/snow so opening would be pointless. 

Old Pics


After car wash in 70*F garage over night













In 17*F or so outside snow










































This one day, 20 minute drive didn't melt the snow on the condenser.













obermd said:


> My son has a 2013 ECO MT. Here's the fan speed comparisons
> 
> 
> 201220131122334546
> ...


You also have the LTZ with 8 settings, haven't really tried to compare them to the others.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Hazlitt777 said:


> From now on, after starting it up in cold weather, I think I will keep the heat on setting one, and drive a gear or two lower than normal till she heats up.


I never use above fan speed 2 in the winter and no longer have any issues with the car heating up and maintaining heat. Fan 2 is more than enough to defrost the windows and once I'm above 180F typically set it to floor heat and crack the front windows so nothing fogs up(I have weathertech vent visors). After about 30 minutes I have to turn the blue/red heat knob back to between 1/2 and 3/4 so I don't get cooked out of the car. 

Even when the engine is first fully warmed up on fan 2 it can still feel a bit cold in the car for some time, however I would rather deal with a slightly warm car for 10 minutes rather than a car that's cold or constantly cooling off 100% of my drive. Even when around 0F or below my cars engine is fully warmed up on fan 2 with any combination of idling(remote start) or driving within 15 minutes.


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## ssnscruzeeco2015 (Dec 29, 2014)

Folks,this is a 15 Eco, with no opening above the bowtie, a small opening about thesize of a license plate, below the bowtie, and active shutters at the bottomfor the intercooler.

Enclosed below is a picture of my current grill blocks. Yes the upper one willbe replaced with something better next season.

Notice the cover at the opening at the bottom opening. Fair to say that most ofmy grill openings are covered, I am also monitoring return radiator hose with a10 dollar digital thermometer, with a sensor wrapped with pipe insulation andstrapped to the hard plastic connection by the engine. (highlighted)

At highway speeds in -8 degree Celsius the radiator return temperature onlyreads between 11 and 14 degrees, even after hill climbing.

I don't notice the fan running much other than running AC in defog mode, but itdoes not impact the temperature read on the hose. The fact that the car fogs upso easily is annoying and another thing that I need to address, be nice tomanually disable the AC in defog and defrost modes.
I do not idle my car to warm it up. might only run for a few seconds before it starts rolling, I have my oil pan heater thermostat cut off the cable and the car get warmed up by about 8 degrees after 3 hours of use in the morning. It takes me about 4 Kms of driving before i get to the first 1/4, at which point the cabin fan is operated beyond 2 but not past 3 until fully warmed up, which on my Cruze is about one tick mark below 1/2. Please note my care ECT hovers around 106 to 110 degrees when heated up and operating on the highway, with or without grill blocks.

The grill blocks have accelerated warmup and enable a more stable temperature especially during DFCO mode.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Once I hit 1/4 on the temp gauge or 160, I crank the heater to 2 or 3. Heat for me > heat for the engine.


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## UpstateNYBill (Jan 14, 2012)

Hazlitt777 said:


> Laugh it up. But I guess one doesn't have to worry about this car overheating. Just crank the heat to wide open on a hot summer day and you won't even need a radiator.


I used this exact strategy last winter to get my Cruze home so I could fix it when I discovered that my thermostat gasket was leaking. It only leaked badly when the thermostat was open.


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## ssnscruzeeco2015 (Dec 29, 2014)

it would be interesting to determine how open the thermostat ever gets...., This car is seems prepared for the range of temperatures that could be thrown at it, under load.

Considering on my car with the installed grill blocks and the 90 deg C drop across the radiator indicates a very low flow, at -8 deg C ambient air. 

Just want to mention that I poured in a bottle of Hy-Per Lube Super Coolant, I wish I had monitored the radiater hose before hand to measure the delta.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

jblackburn said:


> Heat for me > heat for the engine.


However, there's a old saying "a cold engine is an old engine". You may have accelerated wear if it's not up to operating temperature.

A Grill block would probably be a good idea to improve both.


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## Hazlitt777 (Nov 2, 2013)

ChevyGuy said:


> However, there's a old saying "a cold engine is an old engine". You may have accelerated wear if it's not up to operating temperature.
> 
> A Grill block would probably be a good idea to improve both.


I don't see any harm to keeping it in a lower gear so as to keep the engine at 2000 rpms when it is cold. That will warm it up, and yet not be putting the rpms so high as to harm the engine. That may be the best solution.


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## Jewel Red 5 (Feb 5, 2011)

Funny you guys can't get it to temp. mine won't stay cool, My 2011 1.4 auto LTZ after water outlet replaced and recall update mine goes up to 233 on my scan gauge even as high as 243 and fan is on high. Yes coolant is full and system was burped several times. I don't get it it was 8 degrees last nite on highway temp got to 233 pulled over and opened hood fan was engage why won't the thermostat open sooner to cool motor fan should not be on at 8 degrees out. I even removed the 2 blank spacers a few years ago on the side of the grill that blocks some air from getting to radiator. Been back to dealer 4 times was told car is running normal. I don't think so also just so happens my powertrain warranty runs out next week how convenient.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Jewel Red 5 said:


> Funny you guys can't get it to temp. mine won't stay cool, My 2011 1.4 auto LTZ after water outlet replaced and recall update mine goes up to 233 on my scan gauge even as high as 243 and fan is on high. Yes coolant is full and system was burped several times. I don't get it it was 8 degrees last nite on highway temp got to 233 pulled over and opened hood fan was engage why won't the thermostat open sooner to cool motor fan should not be on at 8 degrees out. I even removed the 2 blank spacers a few years ago on the side of the grill that blocks some air from getting to radiator. Been back to dealer 4 times was told car is running normal. I don't think so also just so happens my powertrain warranty runs out next week how convenient.


Feel the radiator hoses once you pass 230. The top should be hot and bottom one warm at least. If they're not, your thermostat is not opening, or at least as much as it should be.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

ChevyGuy said:


> However, there's a old saying "a cold engine is an old engine". You may have accelerated wear if it's not up to operating temperature.
> 
> A Grill block would probably be a good idea to improve both.


Nah. I just drive short distances. At 160-180F, I reckon the engine's just fine. Heater to that point is kept off, as it just takes it longer to warm up.


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## Christopher_2 (Jul 31, 2012)

Yep, I live in MN and it was -15 this morning. I remote start Brittany, give her a few minutes to get things lubed up. Then I drive her down the highway at 58mph for 12 miles and she warms up. Turning the heater on high while driving 58MPH temp drops a little but does fine. Pull into town at a stop light and I can watch the temp fall. But by then the interior is warm and I can turn the fan speed down.


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## _MerF_ (Mar 24, 2015)

Do our thermostats just remain wide-open or something? The fan should be irrelevant because the thermostat should regulate the amount of coolant that is flowing through the system.

Unless that process doesn't work like it used to?


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

_MerF_ said:


> Do our thermostats just remain wide-open or something? The fan should be irrelevant because the thermostat should regulate the amount of coolant that is flowing through the system.
> 
> Unless that process doesn't work like it used to?


No, it's closed until the wax ring is melted (the "electronic" part of this thermostat is that the car has a built-in heater to melt that ring when it wants to command the thermostat to open, e.g., a demand for power or high load in the summer).

However, if a thermostat spring or something failed, I guess it might not open enough/at all, and the car not knowing that, begins to run the cooling fan in an attempt to provide more airflow across the radiator.

Usually they're built to fail in the open position, though.


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## Christopher_2 (Jul 31, 2012)

Most of us are talking about the fan on the heater core used to heat the interior of the car, the one that controls how much air flow you get inside the cabin of the vehicle. A heater core is a small radiator that uses the waste heat from the engine to warm the inside of the car. Problem is there is there may not be enough waste heat at temperatures of -15 degrees F to heat the car, that small heater core and fan cool the motor. 



_MerF_ said:


> Do our thermostats just remain wide-open or something? The fan should be irrelevant because the thermostat should regulate the amount of coolant that is flowing through the system.
> 
> Unless that process doesn't work like it used to?


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## Jewel Red 5 (Feb 5, 2011)

jblackburn said:


> Feel the radiator hoses once you pass 230. The top should be hot and bottom one warm at least. If they're not, your thermostat is not opening, or at least as much as it should be.


Your right the bottom hose is cool not warm so is it the thermostat or the sensor on top of thermostat.


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## _MerF_ (Mar 24, 2015)

Christopher_2 said:


> Most of us are talking about the fan on the heater core used to heat the interior of the car, the one that controls how much air flow you get inside the cabin of the vehicle. A heater core is a small radiator that uses the waste heat from the engine to warm the inside of the car. Problem is there is there may not be enough waste heat at temperatures of -15 degrees F to heat the car, that small heater core and fan cool the motor.


Yeah I was following that. My point was that the heater core only gets as hot as the coolant (and likewise, the engine). So if the thermostat is wide open and coolant is constantly flowing the engine can never reach it's ideal operating temp, therefore the heater core will never warm up enough to heat the air in the cabin.


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## txcruze26 (Jul 7, 2015)

so my girlfriend got her cruze in july, since then, the car temp gauge always gets to the last notch right before the middle, is this normal?


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

txcruze26 said:


> so my girlfriend got her cruze in july, since then, the car temp gauge always gets to the last notch right before the middle, is this normal?


One tick "cold" of middle is absolutely normal. That's it's "home".


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## txcruze26 (Jul 7, 2015)

ChevyGuy said:


> One tick "cold" of middle is absolutely normal. That's it's "home".


thanks for the info!


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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

ChevyGuy said:


> However, there's a old saying "a cold engine is an old engine". You may have accelerated wear if it's not up to operating temperature.
> 
> A Grill block would probably be a good idea to improve both.


With conventional oil yes. Not so much anymore with the Dexos and Synthetic oils.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

AutumnCruzeRS said:


> With conventional oil yes. Not so much anymore with the Dexos and Synthetic oils.


Perhaps. As I recall the point of the saying was that the engine didn't fit together quite right - much like an old engine.


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## newsguy99 (May 24, 2013)

Something you may want to check.. You're coolant level. We have 8 Sonics.. 3 were not putting any heat out.. Quick fix. Add Coolant to the surge tank, and PRESTO.. HEAT!!!
The reason I talk about that, these are the LT models, and share the same engine as the Cruze does.


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## Hazlitt777 (Nov 2, 2013)

_MerF_ said:


> Yeah I was following that. My point was that the heater core only gets as hot as the coolant (and likewise, the engine). So if the thermostat is wide open and coolant is constantly flowing the engine can never reach it's ideal operating temp, therefore the heater core will never warm up enough to heat the air in the cabin.


No the whole point is that the thermostat isn't opening because the engine is too cold...and still the engine can't get up to the proper operating temperature if one has the cabin heater on too soon or too high while tooling around in town.


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## _MerF_ (Mar 24, 2015)

Hazlitt777 said:


> No the whole point is that the thermostat isn't opening because the engine is too cold...and still the engine can't get up to the proper operating temperature if one has the cabin heater on too soon or too high while tooling around in town.


Fair enough.


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## Sabrina007 (Feb 17, 2021)

Hey everyone I have 15 Cruze 1.4 turbo when idle it stays cold and then engine doesn’t reach opprating temp. I idle my car for 2 hours and still blows cold air and remains down on my temp gauge. We have put 3 different thermostats in now. When I drive it the engine warms up but as soon as I return to idle the temp drops and blows cold air. Help


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## Christopher_2 (Jul 31, 2012)

Sabrina007 said:


> Hey everyone I have 15 Cruze 1.4 turbo when idle it stays cold and then engine doesn’t reach opprating temp. I idle my car for 2 hours and still blows cold air and remains down on my temp gauge. We have put 3 different thermostats in now. When I drive it the engine warms up but as soon as I return to idle the temp drops and blows cold air. Help


If it's cold enough outside the car will cool off idling, not enough waste energy. What kind of temperatures are you talking about? It's been below zero here and my car will not warm up idling either it's a common issue.


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## Sabrina007 (Feb 17, 2021)

Christopher_2 said:


> If it's cold enough outside the car will cool off idling, not enough waste energy. What kind of temperatures are you talking about? It's been below zero here and my car will not warm up idling either it's a common issue.


After 2 hours of idling is not normal. It has been cold but my car sleeps in an insulated warm garage and I also work at a mechanics shop and the tech all agree something is not right. It has never done this before in the winter.


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## Christopher_2 (Jul 31, 2012)

All I can give you is my experience. I have two of these cars and have owned both since 2011 and 2016. A 2011 and a 2015, at idle when it’s 0*F out and either car is idling with the fan on medium to high I can watch the car cool off. If the car is cold it will barely move off of cold. Once I pull out of the drive and get a mile or two down the road my car is up to temperature and can turn the heater up while driving. They’ve always been that way.


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## Christopher_2 (Jul 31, 2012)

Slow engine warm-up Cruze Eco??


Has anyone noticed that it takes way too long for the cruze eco to reach operating temp???? Been watching my own temp gauge since you can't relie on the OEM gauge, not true temp, it freezes at 1 tick before 1/2 and stays there and this is not what is really happening engine temp wise!!!! I...




www.cruzetalk.com





Here is another thread with the same scenario.


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