Holden Cruze Problems

This is a slightly tricky one because while both the SRi and SRi-V were fitted with the same engine, this point in time marked a change in specification. Around March of 2013, Holden switched the SRi and SRi-V engines form the 1.4-litre unit to the 1.6-litre unit. The automatic transmission was updated with a sport-shift mode and predictive down shifting, although physically the automatic and manual transmissions were carried over to the 1.6-litre version.

On the surface, this sounds like a viable swap, but you could run into wiring and computer problems in trying to make what was a 1.4-litre car `talk’ to the 1.6-litre engine. The 1.6-litre engine also used direct fuel injection, so you’d need the entire engine management system and computer to go with the swap. There may also be physical differences in things like airbox design and exhaust locations, too, so you need to drag out the tape measure and make an assessment based on measurements and facts. However, if your 2013 car was one from later in that year, it will already have the 1.6-litre engine and the swap to an engine from a 2014 car should be pretty straightforward.

Any time you have a soft brake pedal, you also have the potential for sudden brake failure. On that basis, you really shouldn’t drive this car anywhere, just in case the entire system decides to fail at the worst possible moment.

Meantime, the noise you’re hearing could be the sound of a leaking brake booster which is losing vacuum and, therefore, braking pressure. But if that was the case, you’d expect the brake pedal to go hard and require more effort to push it, not the other way around.

In many cases, a soft brake pedal is an indication of air in the system. The system should be full of brake fluid, not a combination of fluid and air. That’s because brake fluid is incompressible and, therefore, transfers all the braking force to the brake pads and rotors, stopping the car effectively. Air, on the other hand, is very compressible, and its presence will take away the brakes’ efficiency leading to the soft pedal you’re feeling. But it’s not just a soft pedal; you’ll also experience longer stopping distances and less outright braking power when you need it in an emergency.

Your car may need a brake overhaul, new brake fluid or perhaps just a process called bleeding (where the air is removed from the system). Either way, don’t drive it any farther.

This model Cruze used a toothed rubber timing belt, rather than a timing chain. Holden recommended the belt be changed at 90,000km intervals. It’s not a job to ignore, either, as a snapped timing belt will often turn the engine to junk in an instant.

A cracked turbocharger intake pipe is a pretty common problem as this tubing has to withstand high temperatures and the force of the turbo’s boost. You really wouldn’t bother trying to fix this, and a replacement piece of tubing is the proper fix.

Just make sure you get the right piece of tubing as there are different pipes of different shapes that run between the turbocharger and intercooler, and the intercooler and the engine. It’s quite possible to change these yourself, but modern engine bays can be pretty tight and you might find it’s a fiddlier job than you imagined.

While you’re in there, check the condition of the clamps that secure the tubing, too. You may wish to replace them at the same time. I’ve seen replacement pipe kits for anywhere from $200 to $300 for this make and model. Online sellers are plentiful, but conventional parts stores should also be able to help you out.

I’ll assume by 'in' you mean the fan that blows climate-controlled air into the cabin and not the fan that cools the radiator under the bonnet. Like anything else powered by an electric motor, these should be almost silent, although the sound of the actual air rushing through the trunking (heater plumbing) and out through the vents can usually be heard when the fan is running full blast.

The most common causes for this noise to change are a failed bearing in the motor which will also potentially affect its running speed, or something foreign caught in the fan’s blades (leaves and dross from parking under trees is a common cause of this).

Cleaning out the fan’s trunking and/or replacing the fan is the solution, but in some cases, this involves fairly major disassembly of the car’s dashboard and a huge labour bill.

The official oil recommendation for this vehicle is a fully synthetic 5W30 grade oil. If the engine is in good condition, this is the best oil to use. The X-factor in all of this, of course, is the relatively high mileage your car has covered. As engines wear, and perhaps begin to consume a bit more oil between oil-changes, the conventional wisdom has been to use a slightly thicker oil. A 10W40 would be the logical choice here.

But the turbocharged Cruze engine, like a lot of modern engines, uses some pretty fine oilways that may not be compatible with the thicker 10W40. Examples of this include the oilways that lubricate the turbocharger’s bearing and also the ones that allow the variable valve timing to operate properly. Unless the engine is showing real signs of wear, sticking with the 5W30 oil is definitely the best advice.

These little LED info-screens have been part of dashboards for years now, and they’re a known problem in many makes and models. There are specialist repairers who can either fix the screen you have or remove the dud one and fit a new one. Making sure the odometer still reads to car’s correct mileage is the trick.

Actually, that’s an important point, because a correctly working odometer is a roadworthy item. And one that flashes on and off randomly is definitely not working properly and is, therefore, making the car technically unroadworthy.

This shouldn’t be a difficult job and it’s a good task to ease yourself into maintaining your own vehicle. The simplest way to do this is to replace the entire blade and spine assembly. This will cost more than replacing just the rubber blade, but is very easy with just one catch to unclip (where the blade pivots on the wiper arm) before the whole assembly can be removed and replaced. You can google tutorial videos on this take which take you through the whole process. It should take only a couple of minutes.

If you’re really stumped by this, some parts stores offer a free fitting service for things like wiper blades. You may have to buy a new pair of blades to access this service, however. But if you watch the process and take note of how it works, you’ll be able to change your own blades in the future.

The first conclusion many mechanics will arrive at is that the engine’s head gasket has blown, allowing the oil and coolant to mix. Have a look at the dipstick. If the engine oil is milky, then this is a very real possibility. Perhaps when the cylinder head was replaced, the gasket has not sealed properly.

But if the oil cooler was replaced because it was leaking into the radiator (which is pretty common) then you might find that the oil you’re still seeing is just residual oil from the previous failure, and not a problem at all. Even so, it would be wise to replace the coolant and flush the system to try to eradicate all traces of the old oil.

A workshop can perform a chemical-based test to see if the head gasket is leaking. It’s worth the relatively small cost to rule this out and begin to look elsewhere.

The most problematic of the Cruze transmissions were the six-speed automatic fitted to Cruzes built between 2011 and 2013. Holden actually instituted a special repair program for owners of these cars and extended the warranty period on those that had been repaired under the terms of that program.

The 2015 car you’re looking at should not have these problems, but the Cruze itself was plague by a long list of other faults including oil and coolant leaks, overheating, cracked cylinder heads and more. To be fair, the later the build date, the less likely the problems were to occur, but any Cruze needs a careful, independent inspection before money changes hands.