GM 1.4 Ecotec Failure
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Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
How can people be so stupid ?
Pretty much. No doubt abused...I'm around Ecotec engines a lot, and that was from pure abuse/lack of care.
It's reasons like this that GM has considered up their dexos blend to a full syn ( basically Mobil Super Syn) While their is that once in a while issue, most issues of this nature are a simple lack of care...
How can people be so stupid ?
Pretty much. No doubt abused...I'm around Ecotec engines a lot, and that was from pure abuse/lack of care.
It's reasons like this that GM has considered up their dexos blend to a full syn ( basically Mobil Super Syn) While their is that once in a while issue, most issues of this nature are a simple lack of care...
Originally Posted By: GutsyGecko
I don't get it. I thought the olm on the cruze could push 10k on a dexos blend? How did that much happen in 13k!?
Easy, stomp on it after not adding any oil in 13,000 miles. Especially the first 13,000 when it had a better chance of using oil.
I don't get it. I thought the olm on the cruze could push 10k on a dexos blend? How did that much happen in 13k!?
Easy, stomp on it after not adding any oil in 13,000 miles. Especially the first 13,000 when it had a better chance of using oil.
I noticed on our 2012 Cruze the water temp gets up to 224°F cruising at highway speeds. So that is pretty warm compared to the norm of 190 in most vehicles.
Also, could there have been an injector issue and it had high fuel dilution, basically killing the oil and causing it to sludge up like that? Would have nice to have had an UOA to see exactly what the condition of the oil was.
Also, could there have been an injector issue and it had high fuel dilution, basically killing the oil and causing it to sludge up like that? Would have nice to have had an UOA to see exactly what the condition of the oil was.
Originally Posted By: wolf_06
wonder what the OLM was saying...
19%
wonder what the OLM was saying...
19%
I know on my 2013 Cruze Eco doing basically all highway mileage, I was at ~13% @6500 miles. That would put me at 0% at 7500 miles if my math is right. I also thought the Cruze runs at higher than normal oil temps.
Sunnyinhollister,
Yes. Our 2013 Cruzes, whether MT equipped, like yours, or AT, like mine, have revised OLM calibration, unlike this earlier model.
So it's pure speculation as to how low the OLM was, but I still believe it had hit 0% sometime before this mess occurred.
The 1.4L Turbo has active cooling, like the new 2.5L Ecotec engine. It utilizes an electric heating unit mounted internally on the thermostat housing. The ECU allows the water temperature to rise during light load conditions to lower emissions and slightly improve gas mileage.
As the load increases, the coil is energized, heating the housing, "tricking" the internal wax pellet of the thermostat to open the thermostat valve, just as if the coolant temperature had raised. This lowers the coolant temperature, particularly that flowing to the heads, which all GM engines do now, reverse cooling. The heads cool off, limiting detonation, and lowering octane requirements. As the water passes through the head coolant passages and absorbs heat, then enters the block at higher temperatures now. A hot block is a stable, happy, low wearing block.
The engine also has a water/oil heat exchanger. Coolant is routed around the cartridge oil filter housing, warming the oil on startup, when the oil is cold. Later during hot engine operation, especially under boost, as the oil temperature rises, due to horsepower being created, and the oil jets spraying oil on the pistons keeping them relatively cool, the water/oil heat exchanger keeps the oil-water delta within 10 degrees fahrenheit.
Cool stuff.
Gary
Yes. Our 2013 Cruzes, whether MT equipped, like yours, or AT, like mine, have revised OLM calibration, unlike this earlier model.
So it's pure speculation as to how low the OLM was, but I still believe it had hit 0% sometime before this mess occurred.
The 1.4L Turbo has active cooling, like the new 2.5L Ecotec engine. It utilizes an electric heating unit mounted internally on the thermostat housing. The ECU allows the water temperature to rise during light load conditions to lower emissions and slightly improve gas mileage.
As the load increases, the coil is energized, heating the housing, "tricking" the internal wax pellet of the thermostat to open the thermostat valve, just as if the coolant temperature had raised. This lowers the coolant temperature, particularly that flowing to the heads, which all GM engines do now, reverse cooling. The heads cool off, limiting detonation, and lowering octane requirements. As the water passes through the head coolant passages and absorbs heat, then enters the block at higher temperatures now. A hot block is a stable, happy, low wearing block.
The engine also has a water/oil heat exchanger. Coolant is routed around the cartridge oil filter housing, warming the oil on startup, when the oil is cold. Later during hot engine operation, especially under boost, as the oil temperature rises, due to horsepower being created, and the oil jets spraying oil on the pistons keeping them relatively cool, the water/oil heat exchanger keeps the oil-water delta within 10 degrees fahrenheit.
Cool stuff.
Gary
Tucson,
I'm with you on a OLM reading of less than zero. I also wonder if this was factory fill or some cheap bulk dino. Makes one think with that much build up in just 13k miles.
I'm with you on a OLM reading of less than zero. I also wonder if this was factory fill or some cheap bulk dino. Makes one think with that much build up in just 13k miles.
Couldn't have been a FF. That's too nasty, must have been a cheap dino.
BULLSEYE OIL?!
friend of mine has a cruze with the 1.4.
at 15 thousand miles the engine was leaking oil so bad they had to pull the motor out to fix the leak, he didn't say where it was from.
then three thousand miles or so later the water pump went out.
he also says when its really cold it barely throws any heat out.
I'll stick with my fords.
at 15 thousand miles the engine was leaking oil so bad they had to pull the motor out to fix the leak, he didn't say where it was from.
then three thousand miles or so later the water pump went out.
he also says when its really cold it barely throws any heat out.
I'll stick with my fords.
Yeah, I heard Fords Never break down! Brilliant.
We also know of a Cruze with some foibles, but they were minor baloney compared to this. In our friend's car the issues were compounded by poor stealership service.
We also know of a Cruze with some foibles, but they were minor baloney compared to this. In our friend's car the issues were compounded by poor stealership service.
Did somebody drop a digit? 13,000 miles is really 130,000 miles, 113,000, etc....
Hard to believe this is really 13,000 unless somebody drained the FF and replaced it with SA oil, or put 13,000 miles on at 2 miles a day.
Hard to believe this is really 13,000 unless somebody drained the FF and replaced it with SA oil, or put 13,000 miles on at 2 miles a day.
It's not that the oil was never changed, it's the fact that the oil level was never checked or added to. Oil deteriorates very quickly when you're down to your last quart, especially in a turbo application. If the owner had just kept the oil topped off, it would have been fine. Not ideal, but it would have lived much longer. Now, more than ever, people are very distracted and busy with their lives. They never check their oil. Many think the low oil pressure (red light) means that's when it's oil change time. OLM lights are routinely ignored for months, as are CEL's. This new generation of kids has no interest in cars or the mechanical part of it, they only care about Twitter, Facebook, Smartphone apps, etc. A car gets them from point A to B and is just another appliance, like a refrigerator. Adding to the problem, many cars are leased - so it's just a long term rental - let the next guy worry about maintenance. No ownership = no responsibility. Put gas in and go. When it has to get towed, then they address the problem. Sorry, society is really high tech and up to speed on the latest gadgets and trends, but when it comes right down to it, we're dumb as heck. Just look at who gets elected over and over.
Amen
Originally Posted By: bigt61
It's not that the oil was never changed, it's the fact that the oil level was never checked or added to. Oil deteriorates very quickly when you're down to your last quart, especially in a turbo application. If the owner had just kept the oil topped off, it would have been fine. Not ideal, but it would have lived much longer. Now, more than ever, people are very distracted and busy with their lives. They never check their oil. Many think the low oil pressure (red light) means that's when it's oil change time. OLM lights are routinely ignored for months, as are CEL's. This new generation of kids has no interest in cars or the mechanical part of it, they only care about Twitter, Facebook, Smartphone apps, etc. A car gets them from point A to B and is just another appliance, like a refrigerator. Adding to the problem, many cars are leased - so it's just a long term rental - let the next guy worry about maintenance. No ownership = no responsibility. Put gas in and go. When it has to get towed, then they address the problem. Sorry, society is really high tech and up to speed on the latest gadgets and trends, but when it comes right down to it, we're dumb as heck. Just look at who gets elected over and over.
LOL...that's a lot of rant & blame for a guy not changing his oil....
It's not that the oil was never changed, it's the fact that the oil level was never checked or added to. Oil deteriorates very quickly when you're down to your last quart, especially in a turbo application. If the owner had just kept the oil topped off, it would have been fine. Not ideal, but it would have lived much longer. Now, more than ever, people are very distracted and busy with their lives. They never check their oil. Many think the low oil pressure (red light) means that's when it's oil change time. OLM lights are routinely ignored for months, as are CEL's. This new generation of kids has no interest in cars or the mechanical part of it, they only care about Twitter, Facebook, Smartphone apps, etc. A car gets them from point A to B and is just another appliance, like a refrigerator. Adding to the problem, many cars are leased - so it's just a long term rental - let the next guy worry about maintenance. No ownership = no responsibility. Put gas in and go. When it has to get towed, then they address the problem. Sorry, society is really high tech and up to speed on the latest gadgets and trends, but when it comes right down to it, we're dumb as heck. Just look at who gets elected over and over.
LOL...that's a lot of rant & blame for a guy not changing his oil....
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