# Cruze NOT starting - AC off DUE to High Engine TEMP



## Brian4Cruze (Feb 7, 2015)

Hi,
I have 2013 Chevy Cruze Automatic with about 85000 miles on it. A week ago it wouldn't start, the engine was turning over but wouldn't start. I replaced the battery, same thing. Let the car sit overnight stated first try, but AC off Due to High Engine temp. Turned the car off then back on. It went away. Used the car all week, No problems.

A week later had the same problem not stating. Got it started and the message appears again. Both times the engine is cold. The Fans is at high, turning it off and on didn't help. Ended up overheating on the was to a repair shop. NOT a Dealer. I'm about 45 miles away from a dealer. They are replacing the temp sensors, Thermostat, and thermostat housing. He knows the temp sensor is bad and somehow not letting the car start!

Wanted to hear your thoughts or if you heard of this???

Thanks!
Brian


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## lakemg (Dec 26, 2015)

When you say the fan is at high, are you referring to the engine cooling fan or the A/C fan? I assume engine cooling fan. When it overheated, did it truly overheat in that it was steaming with a loss of coolant or did it simply shutdown and the temperature gauge showed that it was overheated with no evidence of steaming/loss of coolant? Just asking these questions to see if it was simply a sensor issue or something else causing the issue.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

This is indicative of a thermostat issue. Covered by your Power Train warranty.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Brian4Cruze said:


> He knows the temp sensor is bad and somehow not letting the car start!


Well, I suppose that's possible. If the computer thinks the engine is warm, it's going to have trouble doing a cold start.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

ChevyGuy said:


> Well, I suppose that's possible. If the computer thinks the engine is warm, it's going to have trouble doing a cold start.


Yup, coolant temp sensor did this on my old car. Didn't run rich enough to get it to start on a cold engine.


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## Brian4Cruze (Feb 7, 2015)

Sorry, yes it was the engine cooling fan. I didn't truly overheat. The thermostat gauge was showing hot. There wasn't any steaming. After shutting the car off the was coolant leaking on the ground(not a lot of coolant).


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Brian4Cruze said:


> Sorry, yes it was the engine cooling fan. I didn't truly overheat. The thermostat gauge was showing hot. There wasn't any steaming. After shutting the car off the was coolant leaking on the ground(not a lot of coolant).


My guess is still a failed thermostat. While this can happen to any car the 1.8L Cruze (LS) is especially prone to this failure.


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## Brian4Cruze (Feb 7, 2015)

Today they replaced the coolant temp sensor. The mechanic called me and said the car was fixed and ready. He closed early but left the car out side. I arrived there about 4 hours after he closed, well.... The car wouldn't start. I didn't have any time to mess with the car. So I left it there. Any suggestions on what to replace next????


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Brian4Cruze said:


> Any suggestions on what to replace next????


Let the mechanic dig into it. There's lots of things it could be. I can't remember any that are common to the Cruze.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Also leaning toward the ETC sensor, they have a negative temperature coefficient, the hotter it gets the lower its resistance. Good shop manuals show the resistance versus temperature curve, ha, now a good question if the Cruze shop manual show this. A thermometer and an ohmmeter is all you need to check these out

Its rare that the sensor itself shorts out, far more common is a real high resistance when the element burns up indicating a very high resistance, with this problem, never get into ECU so-called closed loop mode.

But not uncommon for the two wires leading to the ECU to short out for very low resistance, this I what I would be checking for. These shorts can also be erratic further verifying your symptoms. 

Some vehicles share the ETC sensor for both the ECU and the temperature gauge, while others use a dedicated sensor for just the temperature gauge. Now a good question is what is our Cruze doing. In most good shop manuals, can learn this in a few seconds, but not with this crazy shop manual they provided with the Cruze, designed to drive a guy nuts.

Anybody here know whether the ETC is shared or not?


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## Brian4Cruze (Feb 7, 2015)

I went by the shop this morning, even though they were closed for the Holiday. The car started on the first try!! Well not without AC/off Due to High Engine Temp no the display!!!! Put the keys back in the car and wet home....I'm going there this morning let them know what happened. They are going to have to DIG into this one. I'll keep you posted.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Using the Helms shop manual, appears to be four temperature sensors in the Cruze 1.4L engine.

One if for ambient located by the left fog lamp, shows ambient temperature on the radio and somehow connected to the AC compressor control.

For coolant, three of them, and was able to locate them on my Cruze.

One is located on the right edge of the radiator, this is good, and explains why the temperature gauge is constant. For years, using the ECT engine sensor to save a buck for radiator fan control, but ended up in constant thermal cycling of the engines between 195 and 235*F. Radiator fan wouldn't kick on until the cooling system was just about ready to blow its cork. And with an aluminum head with seven times the expansion rate of a cast iron block, would get head gasket problems if not even a cracked head.

They claim another one is buried in the thermostat, I know there is a heater in there, but wasn't aware of also a temperature sensor, they call this temperature sensor #1, is shown on one itty bitty circuit diagram, but where it goes from there is anyone's good guess.

The other engine coolant temperature sensor is locate on the water outlet at the lower center of the rear of the engine above the bell housing and is temperature sensor #2. Again, shown on an electrical diagram going into a rectangular box with really not much identification as to what this block is.

We know we have two temperature readouts, on the DTC and the gauge, DTC is just a block really not showing any inputs, and can't even find the analog gauge anywhere, but only plowing through over 3000 pages of constantly repeated safety information. Only option I can see is to test each one, still can't find the resistance versus temperature charts. Ha, replace it with a know good one kind of BS. Not bad if you have a whole bunch of cars to take one out of, but if you do, will also be wrecking those cars as well, can't remove any of the coolant sensors without spilling coolant all over the place.

What a bunch of idiots wrote these manuals, how about a complete fold out circuit diagram even with ranges and voltages, should include scope patterns as well. Solid state, do not test is stupid.

No wonder why these expert mechanics dealer claim they have know nothing.


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## Brian4Cruze (Feb 7, 2015)

Update - 1/14 My Cruze was towed from my mechanic shop to a Dealer. My mechanic thought is was the computer. Different codes were coming up. He didn't charge me anything. So I called Chevy they towed it for free to McGuire Chevy in Newton, NJ. They replaced the water pump and out of range coolant temp sensor for Free. The Dealer was great! Picked up the car Monday night(1/11/16). The dealer called me today to see if the car was good. So far so Good!!!


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Brian4Cruze said:


> Update - 1/14 My Cruze was towed from my mechanic shop to a Dealer. My mechanic thought is was the computer. Different codes were coming up. He didn't charge me anything. So I called Chevy they towed it for free to McGuire Chevy in Newton, NJ. They replaced the water pump and out of range coolant temp sensor for Free. The Dealer was great! Picked up the car Monday night(1/11/16). The dealer called me today to see if the car was good. So far so Good!!!


Great news!

Starts off the New Year on the right foot.

Thanks for the follow up.

Rob


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Ha, with four temperature sensors, three for cooling, which of those three did he replace?


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