Home › Forums › Stay Dirty Lounge › Service and Repair Questions Answered Here › my 2012 chevy sonic engine noise
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April 19, 2013 at 7:05 pm #516259
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April 19, 2013 at 9:57 pm #516279
How many miles does it have?
There seems to be a common issue with both the Sonic’s and Cruze’s with the motor mounts coming loose and making a rattling sound of sort. It could be that. It could also be injector noise (as I have heard that the injectors are quite noticeable for the Sonic and Cruze). But is sounds more like it may be valvetrain, which is why I am asking how many miles. I know for a fact that on the earlier Ecotec’s, lack of oil changes can cause the timing chain tensioner to fail (or sometimes the chain gets stretched from rough usage). If that were the case in this problem, the timing may be off just enough for the valves to barely tap the pistons (as the intakes open 15 degrees before TDC).
But before going too far and taking stuff apart to find the issue, I’d suggest checking all of your mounts. Typically I have seen 2 mounts (head to the chassis and oil pan to the subframe) on the engine and 2 on the transmission (one towards the driver’s feet on top and one towards the fog/headlight on the bottom).
April 19, 2013 at 10:03 pm #516280it has 3678 miles on it.
April 19, 2013 at 10:14 pm #516288I would check the mounts (I edited my first post for more information from my experiences with the Ecotec’s and what I have heard about the Sonic’s and Cruze’s with the 1.8l)
April 19, 2013 at 10:21 pm #516290[quote=”pittspeng” post=56943]I would check the mounts (I edited my first post for more information from my experiences with the Ecotec’s and what I have heard about the Sonic’s and Cruze’s with the 1.8l)[/quote]
so it can be a bad motor mount. also while you are helping me when i turn the radiator fan by hand squeaks is this normal. when i talk to the dealership about my problems they said no codes no problems with the car. they said they would not open the hood if there is no codes.
April 19, 2013 at 10:33 pm #516295Unlikely a mount would be bad. Just the bolts may be loose. Check the bushings for cracks (which being just less than 2 years old, it’s highly unlikely) while looking at the mounts to see if they need replacing. As for checking if the mounts are tight, you will need the following size sockets/wrenches (98% of the time): 13mm, 15mm, and 18mm.
April 19, 2013 at 10:41 pm #516297[quote=”pittspeng” post=56947]Unlikely a mount would be bad. Just the bolts may be loose. Check the bushings for cracks (which being just less than 2 years old, it’s highly unlikely) while looking at the mounts to see if they need replacing. As for checking if the mounts are tight, you will need the following size sockets/wrenches (98% of the time): 13mm, 15mm, and 18mm.[/quote]
i checked over ever thing the best i could. since i am not that much of a car guy. more of a computer guy. ever thing looks good. i just like to get to the bottom of way a new car has problems like this. my last car was a 2011 cruze and it had a new transmission put on and it was drinking coolant. and the dealership say it was normal for a car to do that. so when i came to them for help they said they would not touch my sonic.
April 19, 2013 at 10:51 pm #516300If you don’t have much knowledge on cars and the dealership won’t touch it, I’d suggest taking it to a reputable shop in your town that will check the mounts over. Most shops will be honest and not try to rip you off. But just in case, verbally say you just want to have a technician check the mounts if they are loose or damaged. If they say one is damaged, get proof. Ask for them to show you the damaged mount (you can even go so far as to watch them take the mount off or you can crawl/walk under if it’s safe).
As for dealerships, some will do everything in their power to avoid warranty work because it loses them money. So they may secretly have an idea but say it’s fine so if something happens outside of warranty and it’s a big job, they can rake in the money. Now it’s almost never the case, but once in the blue moon it can be.
April 19, 2013 at 10:58 pm #516302[quote=”pittspeng” post=56952]If you don’t have much knowledge on cars and the dealership won’t touch it, I’d suggest taking it to a reputable shop in your town that will check the mounts over. Most shops will be honest and not try to rip you off. But just in case, verbally say you just want to have a technician check the mounts if they are loose or damaged. If they say one is damaged, get proof. Ask for them to show you the damaged mount (you can even go so far as to watch them take the mount off or you can crawl/walk under if it’s safe).
As for dealerships, some will do everything in their power to avoid warranty work because it loses them money. So they may secretly have an idea but say it’s fine so if something happens outside of warranty and it’s a big job, they can rake in the money. Now it’s almost never the case, but once in the blue moon it can be.[/quote]
where i live there is no good reputable shop. also will they charge to look at the motor mount.
April 19, 2013 at 11:05 pm #516310Another possibility is that you could call the dealership in the next town over and see if they would take a look at it for you and try to figure out the problem. If there is no luck there, then you could attempt to look at it yourself and try to tighten the bolts. I have listed, in a post earlier, the locations of the mounts so they are easier for you to find all 4.
April 19, 2013 at 11:20 pm #516317sounds like the valves need adjustment.
April 19, 2013 at 11:45 pm #516323:cheer:
April 20, 2013 at 12:18 am #516333Yes. I stated in my first post that the earlier models of the Ecotec engines had a problem with the tensioner. It is possible that the tensioner was bad from the factory or that a guide may have broken or came loose.
April 20, 2013 at 12:22 am #516338Also, you cannot really adjust the valves themselves because they have overhead camshafts. The components are as follows: Hydraulic lifters, roller rockers, valves, and camshafts. The roller rockers rest on top of the valves and the hydraulic lifters. As the camshaft spins, it pushes down on the roller rocker which in turn pushes the valves down. The lifters (or lash adjusters) sit in little holes in the head (the lifters are about 1″ tall and 1/4″ wide).
April 20, 2013 at 12:41 am #516342:cheer:
April 20, 2013 at 12:49 am #516344If it gets louder or you have drivability problems, stop driving it. Getting it checked out and solved as soon as possible would be the best idea.
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