That is nice but using a lab scope is good too. It's 2024 and technical advances make life easy. At the end of the day as long as you get the right diagnoses the first time that's what's important. Definitely respect your skills though 👏
Sadly, that’s true for the quality (lack there of) of parts Chevy put in this car. I’ve replaced most things in this car at least twice some parts more. Even the ECU/computer fried literally… The original battery didn’t last a week before it split open and leaked. Mine (2014) has 285k. The Scion Xa I drove for 9 years prior to this car had 326K and I barely had to replace any parts.
Yeah, everyone has to have some kind of budget and cars like these are not only cheaper to buy, but also to maintain and also good on gas. There is no perfect car for everybody, but if taken care of these will give a good life span and value per dollar.
I just had to see a mechanic about my 2012 Chevy Sonic lt hatchback with 33k miles. From the beginning when I got it, in April 2022, it was idling rough and the headlights were dimming with each jerk of the engine. There were no codes here either. This is the third car I've traded to in two years time and the manager that sold me the car was avoiding my phone calls, texts and emails and not fixing any issues I had with the car. He had promised he would fix any problems with the car, give me a power train warranty and lifetime oil changes so I was holding him to that. After contacting the company VP, he had the customer care department reach out to me. Kelly got me in to see someone in the service department. We went for a ride, sat in idle for a few minutes and it jerked... or misfired is what the mechanic called it. That's also what brought me to check out your video. I was having the same problem as your caption on this video. The mechanic says it was possibly due to bad gas. An elderly lady owned this car before me and it had been sitting up, unused for awhile. He reset something in it to relearn the gas and put a gas treatment in it. It's day three and it seems to be running ok thus far. No jerks/misfires as of yet. I'm not sure what will happen once this gas treatment is used up! Hopefully it was bad gas or some water in the tank and everything will be okay from here on out. It's such a piece of mind while idling at a red-light or waiting to merge into traffic. At least for now, I'm not worried about it dying on me! So where are you located at? I really wish you were nearby... I sure would feel confident having you as my mechanic! Just saying...
Great video. I love it. Hate tuh break it tuh yuh, I have a chevy sonic 2012 1.8L with 210,000 miles and still works great. This car is a Daewoo, modified by GM engineers when GM took over the Daewoo factory. I think the 1.8L engine was designed by some European countries. At 100,000 miles I would change out the Ignition coil anyways with an AC Delco or GM genuine and same with the valve cover gasket, I use FelPro and it works great.
@@Bond007er it's kinda low miles for changing out the spark plugs unless it was not iridium type. What were the old ones and what condition were they in?
Hey Jimmy, first time watcher here. My girlfriend has a 2012 Chevy sonic. Car has been misfiring lately, turbo has starting taking longer to kick in since it started tweaking out. Around the 2700-3000k RPM range she has lose of power. Will be doing spark plugs today and oil change. Car has also been making a loud whining sound which has been getting louder by the day. Thanks and the help would be appreciated! Great video by the way 🤘🏽
I would check the air tubes from the turbo to the throttle for leaks, also look for codes. A little spritz of brake clean around the clamps might help change engine speed to show leaks, just don't spray it near the exhaust while it's hot. If it has some miles, pulling codes and a compression test would likely be the first things I'd do.
Very similar problems with my 2014 1.8 l Sonic. Install the new coil pack ran fine until the next morning same problem brought it back checked it out it was the electrical connector to the new coil pack not the coil pack part of the connector the wire harness part so I used a little dielectric grease on the coil pack fittings and put it back together it works fine now
I have a 2014 Chevy sonic and ive replaced the crankshaft position sensor three times now after the guage stopped working and engine light came on. Just changed out crankshaft position sensor 5 days ago and its already given out again. What do you think could be causing that?
thank you for the video. A friend's car was smoking bad from tailpipe and engine running rough. local mechanic told them they'd need a $7000 engine replacement. I hauled it to my house and found oil in the pcv hose at the valve cover. cleaned oil from hose internal, smoking stopped. As you showed, I pulled dip stick and a lot a of air was sucking in the tube. Removed the oil cap and engine sputtered and died. I pulled valve cover to see the pcv. used my mouth and could blow and suck through the hose connection stub. I assume there some type of pcv valve in the circular moulded area in the valve cover. have you broken or cut open the diaphragm area to see what's in there?
Yeah, it’s a rubber diaphragm and when the tear, it will burn oil and leak from seals, all kinds of odd idle problems. New valve cover!!! Some vehicles you can replace the PCV baffle assembly, some it’s one part.
The PCV built into the valve cover on the 1.8 and the 1.4 Turbo engines in these cars is a known issue. GM upgraded the valve cover at some point so the replacements are better but still not great. My 2013 has just over 90k miles on it and recently started stumbling/shuttering at idle, not noticeable at higher RPMs and no check engine codes but noticeable loss of power as well. I'm planning to change the plugs this weekend as they have at least 50k miles on them and likely need it regardless. It might need a valve cover but they're running in the $50-$60 range so it's going to have to wait plus when the PCV fails it will almost always throw a code for a vacuum leak.
Daughters car is running rough and check engine light. Pvc was sucking and oil leaking. Replaced valve cover. Changed spark plugs. One of the springs had corrosion. What should i look for ? While car is running almost sounds like i can hear leak but heard to tell because engine running.
When I suspect a vacuum leak I sometimes use a stethoscope to pin point it, or spray water in the area and see if it changes how the engine runs. This helps show where to look closer.
Happy Thanksgiving! I have a question. I notice that this car has a direct ignition cassette. Back in the 90s SAAB ran a direct ignition on the 9000 series. They were pretty sensitive as to what spark plugs were used. If you ran anything other than the specific NGK plugs misfires would occur. You mentioned that you would have preferred to install AC Delco plugs over the Champions. Have you run into any misfire situations caused by the wrong spark plugs? Around the late 80s early 90s Bosch Platinums were all the rage. Many a 900 Turbo would come in popping and skipping. These cars ran a conventional ignition (standard coil, distributor, and wires). Sure enough we would pull the plugs and find Bosch Platinums all fouled up. A fresh set of NGK platinums and the car ran like new.
Yes, very possible. I’ve had a few vehicles that did not like plugs with slightly different resistance and it would cause all kinds of odd problems. One Chrysler Sebring we had was setting 02 codes and would misfire cold because of the incorrect spark plugs. Have to be on our toes!!!
2016 Chevy Sonic LT Hatchback 36,000 RPM shoots up to 6 1/2 if I try to go over 60, car feels like it's dragging, little engine shaking. No codes, no one has figured it out yet. Good starting point.
That sounds like something along the lines of major battery cable connections, a module that’s corrupted or an alternator putting out AC intermittently? It will be time consuming to pin that down for sure!
how much was too much vacuum on the dipstick looked like around 15psi I know the PCV valves fail often on the valve cover . if you pull the dipstick out while running and acts all rough then it's a good.sign it's leaking hissing too right ,?
Yeah, should be about 1-2 in vacuum and opening the cap or dipstick will vent the crankcase and change the way it runs if the valve cover is bad. Thanks for watching.
@@JimmyMakingitwork well with the car idling and Park I took the oil cap off and it had a whole lot of vacuum in the oil cap it started stumbling out and barely even idling when I take the dipstick out you can feel a little bit of pressure coming out of there I doubt if it's more than one or two PSI but I don't hear any whistling out of that PCV section on it valve cover but it does have quite a bit of vacuum sucking on that oil cap I have a booth gauge and it idles at around 20 HG in vacuum pretty much that's where it always did
having this same issue ive replace the compressor 3x in 5 years. i just replaced the compressor a month ago it went out again! now I'm learning I have a misfire. it stalls every other time when i hit the brakes.
It sounds like a similar problem. The compressor is possibly something to do with either oil in the system not being at the right level, or a condenser restriction making it work too hard. Also a slight possibility of parts that aren’t as good as they used to be. :( Hope you get it sorted!
My 2013 chevy sonic has been stalling at idle and idling rough, BUT it has also stalled while pulling into a parking lot right when I gave it gas and got up to 12 mph. The coil pack and plugs are less than 30k miles and I dont know what to do
@@JimmyMakingitwork Thank you for the information and the quick response ! I'm at 130k and the car and was considering getting into a new one, if this problem persist, would love your thoughts on if its worth to fix the sonic
Similar rough idle issues and I’ve had the valve cover, coil pack, plugs, coolant temp sensor, o2 upstream, alternator, injection and throttle body cleanings all in the last year (most last 4 months) and issues still persist. Been on and off issue for about 2 years but has been coming to a head lately so unnerving.
Hey Jimmy, I have a 2013 Chevy Sonic and just like this one I had to replace the ignition coil pack. I find that occasionally when I stop at a red light the car will do a very very small jerk that's hardly noticable and does not seem to affect the rpms. I've been having this problem both before and after replacing the coil. Do you have any idea whatsoever of what could be causing it or if it's even a problem? Thank you!
Hmmm, if you don't have a check engine light it may be unrelated to the electronics or be normal. Possibly suspension? If it happens just as you stop. If it happens while your stopped, it could be idle hunting that can happen when AC compressor cycles and alternator load changes, things like that.
@@JimmyMakingitwork it's only when I'm stopped at a light or something. Doesn't happen every time and it's quite light. Do you think it's worth getting checked out?
Do you mean when slowing down cause in that case it would most likely be shocks or your motor mounts. If it's when you're stopped, check your spark plugs and see if there is oil on them, then you might have a leaking valve cover which is common.
Have a question hope you can point me in the right direction. So when driving at freeway speeds and slowing down to about 40mph and then accelerating back up to speed it struggles and starts to make a clicking sound and sputtering like it wants to die and some smoke out the pipe . No codes . Runs fine before and after it happens. Have replaced valve cover ,purge ,coil pack , new cat. Replaced the thermostat housing twice. 120k any idea I appreciate if you take the time to read and reply
It sounds like an ignition misfire, but you did coils already? Maybe spark plugs. Might also want to check compression in the engine. Might be getting tired?
I have a question, so I have a 2014 Chevy sonic. The Catalytic converter is getting red hot and my car is blowing smoke once in a while what could that be a cause of.
Sounds like severe misfires or over fueling. Could also be a restricted cat. Possibly damaged by those problems. If the check engine light is blinking and it runs rough have it checked out asap! Towing is recommended. It might be too late for the Cat already.
Oh dang. I opened my dip stuck and air was sucking in. My uh, thing that's supposed to make a vacuum is loud so I thought that was it. But I don't have a vacuum tool like you to test it. So I guess I bought the wrong part for the problem. I'll still replace it. But, now I know it's most definitely that bigger piece.
The design of this crankcase system has a pcv breather or baffle built into the valve cover. So when the diaphragm ruptures in it the symptom is very similar to a vacuum leak, but without effecting the fuel trims very much, since it's pulling crankcase fumes rather than pure air. It can cause crankshaft seal noises, stalling, all kinds of odd symptoms also. Thanks for watching Daniel!
Why the whole valve cover? I've been dealing with the same car, same miles, misfire in 2. Oil was getting into the spark plug tubes, replaced spark plugs, then valve cover gasket and cleaned quite a bit of oil out of the boots in the coil, and spark plug tubes. Now it's got random misfire. May just be the cover and coil, like yours. Girlfriend's kid's car.
Yeah, they have a baffle and diaphragm in the valve cover for PCV. When it ruptures it cause noises, weird idle, lean codes like P0171 and P0300 random misfire codes. You can usually put your finger over the vent hole in the cap on the valve cover with it idling and feel a vacuum that you should not feel. Hope this helps.
@JimmyMakingitwork Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I did see what you're talking about when I was in there. It felt just like yours after I did the gasket, tons of vacuum in the crank case as well.
My 2014 chevy sonic has so many problem im fixing rhem one by one it drives smooth but the a.c dont work or fan and overheats has a misfire i changed the spark plugs coil pack still iver heats thing the wiring harness has an open somewhere i found a couple wires rubbing agansnt the body no broken wire taped with electrical tape think it shuts down functions my relays click but no function for the fan
Hi, I have a 2013 Chevy sonic that jolts forward when I’m in idle and has been making a sporadic high pitch whistling sound after driving it around. I just had a tune up and changed the oil. There’s a code 52 showing up but I’m not sure if these issues are related to the timing belt from my research. I appreciate any help!
Christina, I would pop the oil fill cap off while the whistle sound is happening and see if the noise changes. The code 52 is odd, is it a P0052? The engine in your car should have a timing chain and not a belt. If there is a problem with the chain the codes would be timing related like P0300 and similar. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment.
i just bough one of this none running, finicky little shts they are, i though the car had over heated and the heads warped but it has perfect compression, i don't know if the injectors are bad but there is fuel coming in, at this point i only have 3 things to test, the parskpulgs itself, the coils and the injectors. car doesn't want to start, don't know how to test the coil pack on this and i don't want to mess around and short something. how do i test the coil pack or should i just put new spark plugs and hope for the best. the car had a worn out valve cover gasket and the sparkplugs were drenched in oil from the coil side all the way up to the coil it self, i cleaned that up and it did manage to burn the oil but didn't remained running, it shut off and it won't start still. i am kind of stumped because i am not getting any codes exepmpt for a no communication to TCM. i know this cars have to have the right amount of fuel and oxygen or they'll do crazy things, should i just assume the coil pack is dead, i stil got to test the electric system and find out if it;s even getting power but i am sure it is
With no codes I use a scan tool to check for engine RPM in data while cranking. See if it sees the engine turning. After that I use a spark checker to see if the plugs are getting fire…if they are I try an alternate fuel source, like brake clean or ether…if no results after that I check compression.
I've have almost every component changed in engine. Having a hard vibration at cold temp start up but I press on the gas and it goes away. I'm clueless. I've have timing belt, camshaft and sensor, coil lack, throttle body, maf sensor, and oil change done. ??? Help
Is it setting codes? I always start with the basics, power and grounds circuit integrity. Battery condition. After that bring up misfire on a scan tool and see if it’s one cylinder or several? Hope this helps.
I just changed the valve cover coil pack and spark plugs on my sonic rs 2018 the car runs great but sometimes on a light it randomly gets a bit shaky mildly is that normal ? It also started when weather dropped I’ve read that when colder it is normal for engine to shake more. Also when car is on I pull dipstick out and seems like air comes out but I’ve changed everything I don’t get it. Next step I’m doing is adding a new intake manifold
Hello Ricky! The Sonics can sometimes have the baffle go out for PCV in The valve cover. There are some, depending on year, that can have a check valve go out in the manifold. The valve cover is “usually” the culprit in my experience, but either is certainly possible. The manifold issue is “usually” a clogged orifice that can be cleaned and a rubber valve that can make replacement necessary. Good luck! If I can help, let me know!
@@JimmyMakingitwork Trying to find info on the intake manifold check valve, as I've replaced the valve cover w/ pcv on my son's Sonic 1.8L, but it still chugs significantly with the dipstick or oil cap removed, has been randomly stalling at intersections, and just generally not idling well. I'm replacing the noisy motor mount this weekend, but would like to look at the intake manifold check valve if I can do a little advance research. Where should I be looking / cleaning on the intake?
Funny thing i’ve chevy cruze same engine 1.8L i’ve had same problem when pulling dipstick engine runs roughly and noise coming out of the valve cover, bought new cover from the dealership nothing changed!!
The 1.8 liter also has a check valve in the intake manifold, might need to check into that. The noise usually comes from air being drawn in past the crank seals. A squealing or whistling noise. Hope this helps.
Great video and instructional… my wife’s car, 2018 Sonic 1.8 has a rough idle, stalling and dying, had a thermostat go bad, replaced it, then showed vacuum leak, changed purge solenoid valve, fixed the code, now it has a rough idle. Any recommendations for the rough idle, no current code, suggestions? Thanks… gave a Sub and a Like!
If fuel trims are correcting at idle but not off idle it has a vacuum leak. I often cover the valve cover baffle with my hand to see if the diagram went out. Which means valve cover replacement. Hope this helps! Thank you!
It sounds like a possible torque convertor staying locked up, or a sticking transmission solenoid? Sometimes a fluid flush helps them, or an additive like LubeGuards ShutterGuard. Hope this helps!
Hi I have a 2013 sonic chevy and my car is running fine but somedays it won’t want to start and then my check engine light turns on after a few tries it start and once I turn off the car the check engine light is gone the next time I turn it on do you have an idea what’s going on?
This is usually a Cam/Crank Sensor or circuit problem involving it. Hard to say for sure without seeing the issue myself. I would get the problem to occur with a good scan tool on the car and see what happens during the issue, without turning off the key. Then test from there based on that data.
I drive a Chevy sonic 2013 and it started stalling when it rains, I had to jump start it twice, it starts running smooth for a while, then it stalls again and misfires when it gets cold and starts raining again, check engine light goes on and off
Probably bad coils, or insulator boots between the plugs and coils. Time to have a look and search for white ash spots around all the plugs and coils, also for carbon tracking on the plugs. It will look like hair melted onto the porcelain. Hope this helps.
What do you think maybe the reason why when I turn on my ac the rps get really high as if I was stepping on the gas? And sometimes when I get to a light it does the same thing even though I’m only stepping on the brake
That is unusual if it's a modern car? It might have a throttle body issue and I'd get it checked out asap if it's not controlling idle speeds correctly.
Most of the videos I seen it has the ground cable screwed on almost next to it but mine is underneath the battery should I try and find a better ground
I would check the fan mounting points and the radiator mounts as well if the fan is mounted to that. It is possible that vibration is being transmitted from contact in areas it should not touch?
The idle rpm can vary with conditions and engine temperature, but 550-800 is the common hot idle speed usually. In park and neutral the computer will limit engine speed to prevent damage, since an engine is designed to only rev at higher speed will working to move the vehicle. Hope this helps!
I have a 2015 chevy sonic LTZ with 60k miles. It stalled while driving down the road the other day and had to be towed. The mechanic said it wouldn't start for them but then "floored it" and it started. No error codes at all. I've read about stalling problems with sonics but with no error code...what should I do? :(
Problems like this are usually things like engine rpm dropping out from things like a bad sensor or sensor wiring, or battery cable connections, or even an ignition switch sometimes. It will take time and patience for a professional to sort out with no codes.
Which car was it, I can't remember one with the wrong anti-freeze/coolant recently. There are about 12 different ones now, so we have charts and manufacturer information to determine what goes where. The imports now use either Red, Blue, Green, Pink mostly. But there is an import green that is more transparent than the classic green coolant. :)
@@altpath They're likely using the Universal antifreeze that can mix with any color of antifreeze. That's what I use in my Chevy Sonic. It's not green but due to the yellowish color of the fill tank it kind of looks green.
@JimmyMakingitwork so I replaced the spark plugs and the code went away. however, I noticed that all the spark plugs had oil on them and it's currently leaking. It's like I'm fixing one problem to move on to the next
Have a 2015 Sonic, starts perfectly fine, had it running for a long time, then customer drove and later it started running rough and stalling at the light! Starts up quickly then starts to run rough, NO codes! Disconnected purgle valve and blocked off, still runs rough, no vacuum at all at dipstick, threw a 506 code - low rpm. Not sure what to check for? When cool starts fine, no issues, problem when warms up, any help would be much appreciated 🤔
Something like this I'd be looking to see if crank data drops off, although it would usually set a code. Could also be loosing ignition voltage and behaving like the key is turned off?
Nice to see a tech diagnose a problem without using a labscope. This is a real world diagnosis
Thanks very much! Keepin it real! Haha
That is nice but using a lab scope is good too. It's 2024 and technical advances make life easy. At the end of the day as long as you get the right diagnoses the first time that's what's important. Definitely respect your skills though 👏
Have this same car. Rocking 250k plus miles. It's a work horse. Having VERY similar issues. Hoping this video leads me to the promised land!
Usually carbon on the valves, spark plugs or a vacuum issue, like valve cover, PCV.
Tried this still ticking noise a small stall at acceleration was told it might be a air compressor?
Roughly 3 times the life expectancy...that was gold Jimmy lol. Happy Thanksgiving
Haha. Thanks very much! Happy thanksgiving!
Sadly, that’s true for the quality (lack there of) of parts Chevy put in this car.
I’ve replaced most things in this car at least twice some parts more. Even the ECU/computer fried literally…
The original battery didn’t last a week before it split open and leaked.
Mine (2014) has 285k. The Scion Xa I drove for 9 years prior to this car had 326K and I barely had to replace any parts.
Thank you for saying Choosing this type of car was a smart decision because I did the same thing and everybody gave me hell about it. Lol
Yeah, everyone has to have some kind of budget and cars like these are not only cheaper to buy, but also to maintain and also good on gas. There is no perfect car for everybody, but if taken care of these will give a good life span and value per dollar.
I just had to see a mechanic about my 2012 Chevy Sonic lt hatchback with 33k miles. From the beginning when I got it, in April 2022, it was idling rough and the headlights were dimming with each jerk of the engine. There were no codes here either. This is the third car I've traded to in two years time and the manager that sold me the car was avoiding my phone calls, texts and emails and not fixing any issues I had with the car. He had promised he would fix any problems with the car, give me a power train warranty and lifetime oil changes so I was holding him to that. After contacting the company VP, he had the customer care department reach out to me. Kelly got me in to see someone in the service department. We went for a ride, sat in idle for a few minutes and it jerked... or misfired is what the mechanic called it.
That's also what brought me to check out your video. I was having the same problem as your caption on this video. The mechanic says it was possibly due to bad gas. An elderly lady owned this car before me and it had been sitting up, unused for awhile. He reset something in it to relearn the gas and put a gas treatment in it. It's day three and it seems to be running ok thus far. No jerks/misfires as of yet. I'm not sure what will happen once this gas treatment is used up! Hopefully it was bad gas or some water in the tank and everything will be okay from here on out. It's such a piece of mind while idling at a red-light or waiting to merge into traffic. At least for now, I'm not worried about it dying on me!
So where are you located at? I really wish you were nearby... I sure would feel confident having you as my mechanic! Just saying...
Wow, seems like the gas will have you fixed up!
I am in Central Florida about 15 minutes from the rat…errr, mouse. :)
Great video. I love it. Hate tuh break it tuh yuh, I have a chevy sonic 2012 1.8L with 210,000 miles and still works great. This car is a Daewoo, modified by GM engineers when GM took over the Daewoo factory. I think the 1.8L engine was designed by some European countries. At 100,000 miles I would change out the Ignition coil anyways with an AC Delco or GM genuine and same with the valve cover gasket, I use FelPro and it works great.
Thanks Bob, appreciate the input!
I have a 2014 chevy sonic lt turbo and had to replace the spark plugs at 56k
@@Bond007er it's kinda low miles for changing out the spark plugs unless it was not iridium type. What were the old ones and what condition were they in?
Hey Jimmy, first time watcher here. My girlfriend has a 2012 Chevy sonic. Car has been misfiring lately, turbo has starting taking longer to kick in since it started tweaking out. Around the 2700-3000k RPM range she has lose of power. Will be doing spark plugs today and oil change. Car has also been making a loud whining sound which has been getting louder by the day. Thanks and the help would be appreciated! Great video by the way 🤘🏽
I would check the air tubes from the turbo to the throttle for leaks, also look for codes. A little spritz of brake clean around the clamps might help change engine speed to show leaks, just don't spray it near the exhaust while it's hot.
If it has some miles, pulling codes and a compression test would likely be the first things I'd do.
@@JimmyMakingitwork okay thank you! And it has 125k miles so she's up there. Will def check everything you suggested!
very informative Thank you
I love reading the comments I learned such a lot and I’m having similar issues as well
Glad it was helpful!
Very similar problems with my 2014 1.8 l Sonic. Install the new coil pack ran fine until the next morning same problem brought it back checked it out it was the electrical connector to the new coil pack not the coil pack part of the connector the wire harness part so I used a little dielectric grease on the coil pack fittings and put it back together it works fine now
Awesome, glad you got it sorted out!
Thanks for sharing the analysis and posting the video.
My pleasure! Thank you.
I have a 2014 Chevy sonic and ive replaced the crankshaft position sensor three times now after the guage stopped working and engine light came on.
Just changed out crankshaft position sensor 5 days ago and its already given out again. What do you think could be causing that?
Could also be a connector, or computer problem. Sometimes a wire can get rubbed thru on a bracket or bolt it passes. Have to look the harness over.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!!!
My pleasure! Thanks for the support!
Might I just say what an amazing Talent you have, such as SMART Brain. God Bless
Haha, thanks you for watching and leaving a comment! :)
thank you for the video. A friend's car was smoking bad from tailpipe and engine running rough. local mechanic told them they'd need a $7000 engine replacement. I hauled it to my house and found oil in the pcv hose at the valve cover. cleaned oil from hose internal, smoking stopped. As you showed, I pulled dip stick and a lot a of air was sucking in the tube. Removed the oil cap and engine sputtered and died. I pulled valve cover to see the pcv. used my mouth and could blow and suck through the hose connection stub. I assume there some type of pcv valve in the circular moulded area in the valve cover. have you broken or cut open the diaphragm area to see what's in there?
Yeah, it’s a rubber diaphragm and when the tear, it will burn oil and leak from seals, all kinds of odd idle problems. New valve cover!!! Some vehicles you can replace the PCV baffle assembly, some it’s one part.
Thanks for the info. It's great watching a good mechanic, with real life experience. Even better when that mechanic conveys their knowledge so easily
The PCV built into the valve cover on the 1.8 and the 1.4 Turbo engines in these cars is a known issue. GM upgraded the valve cover at some point so the replacements are better but still not great. My 2013 has just over 90k miles on it and recently started stumbling/shuttering at idle, not noticeable at higher RPMs and no check engine codes but noticeable loss of power as well. I'm planning to change the plugs this weekend as they have at least 50k miles on them and likely need it regardless. It might need a valve cover but they're running in the $50-$60 range so it's going to have to wait plus when the PCV fails it will almost always throw a code for a vacuum leak.
It also would be a good idea to add some fuel treatment or perform an induction service to reduce carbon on the valves. This often helps idle quality.
Champion spark plugs are made for disposable lawn mower engines and Chrysler's 😜
Rofl. Probably true.
Champions have no place in cars , have found them to be the culprit many times
Good job dude 👍🏼
Thank you!
Thank you Jimmy was a good help finding my sonic problem.🙂
You are welcome, thanks for watching!
Nice video as always a lot of info. Keep them coming.
Thanks, will do Carlos!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and all watching!
Same to you! Thank you so much John!
Daughters car is running rough and check engine light. Pvc was sucking and oil leaking. Replaced valve cover. Changed spark plugs. One of the springs had corrosion. What should i look for ? While car is running almost sounds like i can hear leak but heard to tell because engine running.
When I suspect a vacuum leak I sometimes use a stethoscope to pin point it, or spray water in the area and see if it changes how the engine runs. This helps show where to look closer.
Happy Thanksgiving! I have a question. I notice that this car has a direct ignition cassette. Back in the 90s SAAB ran a direct ignition on the 9000 series. They were pretty sensitive as to what spark plugs were used. If you ran anything other than the specific NGK plugs misfires would occur. You mentioned that you would have preferred to install AC Delco plugs over the Champions. Have you run into any misfire situations caused by the wrong spark plugs? Around the late 80s early 90s Bosch Platinums were all the rage. Many a 900 Turbo would come in popping and skipping. These cars ran a conventional ignition (standard coil, distributor, and wires). Sure enough we would pull the plugs and find Bosch Platinums all fouled up. A fresh set of NGK platinums and the car ran like new.
Yes, very possible. I’ve had a few vehicles that did not like plugs with slightly different resistance and it would cause all kinds of odd problems. One Chrysler Sebring we had was setting 02 codes and would misfire cold because of the incorrect spark plugs.
Have to be on our toes!!!
As a former sonic owner, replace the coil and the valve cover since the pvc valve is built into the cover and is non replaceable
Yeah. The dealer had a dozen in stock. High failure item, but not too expensive.
Thanks for watching!
One common problem with these engines is the manifold actuator arm wears out on the back of the engine
Interesting. I usually replace them for PCV issues.
Amazon and ebay sell aftermarket with brass ends. Replaced them and made it better
2016 Chevy Sonic LT Hatchback
36,000
RPM shoots up to 6 1/2 if I try to go over 60, car feels like it's dragging, little engine shaking.
No codes, no one has figured it out yet. Good starting point.
That sounds like something along the lines of major battery cable connections, a module that’s corrupted or an alternator putting out AC intermittently?
It will be time consuming to pin that down for sure!
how much was too much vacuum on the dipstick looked like around 15psi I know the PCV valves fail often on the valve cover .
if you pull the dipstick out while running and acts all rough then it's a good.sign it's leaking hissing too right ,?
Yeah, should be about 1-2 in vacuum and opening the cap or dipstick will vent the crankcase and change the way it runs if the valve cover is bad.
Thanks for watching.
@@JimmyMakingitwork well with the car idling and Park I took the oil cap off and it had a whole lot of vacuum in the oil cap it started stumbling out and barely even idling when I take the dipstick out you can feel a little bit of pressure coming out of there I doubt if it's more than one or two PSI but I don't hear any whistling out of that PCV section on it valve cover but it does have quite a bit of vacuum sucking on that oil cap I have a booth gauge and it idles at around 20 HG in vacuum pretty much that's where it always did
having this same issue ive replace the compressor 3x in 5 years. i just replaced the compressor a month ago it went out again! now I'm learning I have a misfire. it stalls every other time when i hit the brakes.
It sounds like a similar problem. The compressor is possibly something to do with either oil in the system not being at the right level, or a condenser restriction making it work too hard.
Also a slight possibility of parts that aren’t as good as they used to be. :(
Hope you get it sorted!
My 2013 chevy sonic has been stalling at idle and idling rough, BUT it has also stalled while pulling into a parking lot right when I gave it gas and got up to 12 mph. The coil pack and plugs are less than 30k miles and I dont know what to do
It sounds like you may have a vacuum leak. I'd bring it to a local shop if you don't usually work on it yourself.
@@JimmyMakingitwork Thank you for the information and the quick response ! I'm at 130k and the car and was considering getting into a new one, if this problem persist, would love your thoughts on if its worth to fix the sonic
Similar rough idle issues and I’ve had the valve cover, coil pack, plugs, coolant temp sensor, o2 upstream, alternator, injection and throttle body cleanings all in the last year (most last 4 months) and issues still persist. Been on and off issue for about 2 years but has been coming to a head lately so unnerving.
Hey Jimmy, I have a 2013 Chevy Sonic and just like this one I had to replace the ignition coil pack. I find that occasionally when I stop at a red light the car will do a very very small jerk that's hardly noticable and does not seem to affect the rpms. I've been having this problem both before and after replacing the coil. Do you have any idea whatsoever of what could be causing it or if it's even a problem?
Thank you!
Hmmm, if you don't have a check engine light it may be unrelated to the electronics or be normal. Possibly suspension? If it happens just as you stop. If it happens while your stopped, it could be idle hunting that can happen when AC compressor cycles and alternator load changes, things like that.
@@JimmyMakingitwork it's only when I'm stopped at a light or something. Doesn't happen every time and it's quite light. Do you think it's worth getting checked out?
My 2015 sonic does that too
I have the same issue.. what could be the culprit and how to fix it?
Do you mean when slowing down cause in that case it would most likely be shocks or your motor mounts. If it's when you're stopped, check your spark plugs and see if there is oil on them, then you might have a leaking valve cover which is common.
Have a question hope you can point me in the right direction. So when driving at freeway speeds and slowing down to about 40mph and then accelerating back up to speed it struggles and starts to make a clicking sound and sputtering like it wants to die and some smoke out the pipe . No codes . Runs fine before and after it happens. Have replaced valve cover ,purge ,coil pack , new cat. Replaced the thermostat housing twice. 120k any idea I appreciate if you take the time to read and reply
It sounds like an ignition misfire, but you did coils already? Maybe spark plugs. Might also want to check compression in the engine. Might be getting tired?
I have a question, so I have a 2014 Chevy sonic. The Catalytic converter is getting red hot and my car is blowing smoke once in a while what could that be a cause of.
Sounds like severe misfires or over fueling. Could also be a restricted cat. Possibly damaged by those problems. If the check engine light is blinking and it runs rough have it checked out asap! Towing is recommended. It might be too late for the Cat already.
Oh dang. I opened my dip stuck and air was sucking in. My uh, thing that's supposed to make a vacuum is loud so I thought that was it. But I don't have a vacuum tool like you to test it. So I guess I bought the wrong part for the problem. I'll still replace it. But, now I know it's most definitely that bigger piece.
Yeah the diaphragm ruptures in the valve cover and causes this issue, or a vacuum leak.
Ok, I gotta ask, why would the valve cover leaking cause excessive vacuum in the crankcase?
The design of this crankcase system has a pcv breather or baffle built into the valve cover. So when the diaphragm ruptures in it the symptom is very similar to a vacuum leak, but without effecting the fuel trims very much, since it's pulling crankcase fumes rather than pure air. It can cause crankshaft seal noises, stalling, all kinds of odd symptoms also.
Thanks for watching Daniel!
@@JimmyMakingitwork thanks Jimmy and thanks for posting, I always pick something up from your vids !
Why the whole valve cover? I've been dealing with the same car, same miles, misfire in 2. Oil was getting into the spark plug tubes, replaced spark plugs, then valve cover gasket and cleaned quite a bit of oil out of the boots in the coil, and spark plug tubes. Now it's got random misfire. May just be the cover and coil, like yours. Girlfriend's kid's car.
Yeah, they have a baffle and diaphragm in the valve cover for PCV. When it ruptures it cause noises, weird idle, lean codes like P0171 and P0300 random misfire codes. You can usually put your finger over the vent hole in the cap on the valve cover with it idling and feel a vacuum that you should not feel. Hope this helps.
@JimmyMakingitwork Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I did see what you're talking about when I was in there. It felt just like yours after I did the gasket, tons of vacuum in the crank case as well.
My 2014 chevy sonic has so many problem im fixing rhem one by one it drives smooth but the a.c dont work or fan and overheats has a misfire i changed the spark plugs coil pack still iver heats thing the wiring harness has an open somewhere i found a couple wires rubbing agansnt the body no broken wire taped with electrical tape think it shuts down functions my relays click but no function for the fan
These are bad for fan motors themselves. Either a tap or check for power and ground when the fan is commanded on.
Hi, I have a 2013 Chevy sonic that jolts forward when I’m in idle and has been making a sporadic high pitch whistling sound after driving it around. I just had a tune up and changed the oil. There’s a code 52 showing up but I’m not sure if these issues are related to the timing belt from my research. I appreciate any help!
Christina, I would pop the oil fill cap off while the whistle sound is happening and see if the noise changes. The code 52 is odd, is it a P0052? The engine in your car should have a timing chain and not a belt. If there is a problem with the chain the codes would be timing related like P0300 and similar.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment.
@@JimmyMakingitwork Unless I'm mistaken, I believe the 1.8L engine has a timing belt and the 1.4L Turbo engine has a timing chain.
I didn't catch it in the video, was the valve cover replaced or just the valve cover gasket?
The valve cover, it contains the PCV assembly.
i just bough one of this none running, finicky little shts they are, i though the car had over heated and the heads warped but it has perfect compression, i don't know if the injectors are bad but there is fuel coming in, at this point i only have 3 things to test, the parskpulgs itself, the coils and the injectors.
car doesn't want to start, don't know how to test the coil pack on this and i don't want to mess around and short something.
how do i test the coil pack or should i just put new spark plugs and hope for the best.
the car had a worn out valve cover gasket and the sparkplugs were drenched in oil from the coil side all the way up to the coil it self, i cleaned that up and it did manage to burn the oil but didn't remained running, it shut off and it won't start still.
i am kind of stumped because i am not getting any codes exepmpt for a no communication to TCM.
i know this cars have to have the right amount of fuel and oxygen or they'll do crazy things, should i just assume the coil pack is dead, i stil got to test the electric system and find out if it;s even getting power but i am sure it is
With no codes I use a scan tool to check for engine RPM in data while cranking. See if it sees the engine turning. After that I use a spark checker to see if the plugs are getting fire…if they are I try an alternate fuel source, like brake clean or ether…if no results after that I check compression.
I subscribed just cause he's too funny!!! "3x life expectancy!".. "Get use to me bitching"...
Haha, thanks very much!
good video
Thank you.
I've have almost every component changed in engine. Having a hard vibration at cold temp start up but I press on the gas and it goes away. I'm clueless. I've have timing belt, camshaft and sensor, coil lack, throttle body, maf sensor, and oil change done. ??? Help
Is it setting codes? I always start with the basics, power and grounds circuit integrity. Battery condition. After that bring up misfire on a scan tool and see if it’s one cylinder or several?
Hope this helps.
Very informative video.
Glad it was helpful!
I just changed the valve cover coil pack and spark plugs on my sonic rs 2018 the car runs great but sometimes on a light it randomly gets a bit shaky mildly is that normal ? It also started when weather dropped I’ve read that when colder it is normal for engine to shake more. Also when car is on I pull dipstick out and seems like air comes out but I’ve changed everything I don’t get it. Next step I’m doing is adding a new intake manifold
Hello Ricky!
The Sonics can sometimes have the baffle go out for PCV in The valve cover. There are some, depending on year, that can have a check valve go out in the manifold. The valve cover is “usually” the culprit in my experience, but either is certainly possible. The manifold issue is “usually” a clogged orifice that can be cleaned and a rubber valve that can make replacement necessary.
Good luck! If I can help, let me know!
@@JimmyMakingitwork Trying to find info on the intake manifold check valve, as I've replaced the valve cover w/ pcv on my son's Sonic 1.8L, but it still chugs significantly with the dipstick or oil cap removed, has been randomly stalling at intersections, and just generally not idling well. I'm replacing the noisy motor mount this weekend, but would like to look at the intake manifold check valve if I can do a little advance research. Where should I be looking / cleaning on the intake?
Hi! What silicone did you use?
I use Permatex Ultra gray.
Funny thing i’ve chevy cruze same engine 1.8L i’ve had same problem when pulling dipstick engine runs roughly and noise coming out of the valve cover, bought new cover from the dealership nothing changed!!
The 1.8 liter also has a check valve in the intake manifold, might need to check into that. The noise usually comes from air being drawn in past the crank seals. A squealing or whistling noise.
Hope this helps.
@@JimmyMakingitwork Thanks a lot for these information i’ll check on it hope it will solve my problem
Great video and instructional… my wife’s car, 2018 Sonic 1.8 has a rough idle, stalling and dying, had a thermostat go bad, replaced it, then showed vacuum leak, changed purge solenoid valve, fixed the code, now it has a rough idle. Any recommendations for the rough idle, no current code, suggestions? Thanks… gave a Sub and a Like!
If fuel trims are correcting at idle but not off idle it has a vacuum leak. I often cover the valve cover baffle with my hand to see if the diagram went out. Which means valve cover replacement.
Hope this helps!
Thank you!
Happy Thanksgiving Jimmy! 👍
Thanks Matt, Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Question? I have a 2013 Chevy sonic and it jerks when I stop at a red light. It’s like it wants to go HELPPPPP
It sounds like a possible torque convertor staying locked up, or a sticking transmission solenoid? Sometimes a fluid flush helps them, or an additive like LubeGuards ShutterGuard.
Hope this helps!
Hi I have a 2013 sonic chevy and my car is running fine but somedays it won’t want to start and then my check engine light turns on after a few tries it start and once I turn off the car the check engine light is gone the next time I turn it on do you have an idea what’s going on?
This is usually a Cam/Crank Sensor or circuit problem involving it. Hard to say for sure without seeing the issue myself. I would get the problem to occur with a good scan tool on the car and see what happens during the issue, without turning off the key. Then test from there based on that data.
Snap on fan boy!😃
Mmmmm, love, love, love!!!
I drive a Chevy sonic 2013 and it started stalling when it rains, I had to jump start it twice, it starts running smooth for a while, then it stalls again and misfires when it gets cold and starts raining again, check engine light goes on and off
Probably bad coils, or insulator boots between the plugs and coils. Time to have a look and search for white ash spots around all the plugs and coils, also for carbon tracking on the plugs. It will look like hair melted onto the porcelain.
Hope this helps.
What do you think maybe the reason why when I turn on my ac the rps get really high as if I was stepping on the gas? And sometimes when I get to a light it does the same thing even though I’m only stepping on the brake
That is unusual if it's a modern car? It might have a throttle body issue and I'd get it checked out asap if it's not controlling idle speeds correctly.
@@JimmyMakingitwork that’s what I was thinking but it does it more often when I turn my ac on and it also unlocks and locks my doors
You may have a power or ground cable problem, or a module acting up? I'd certainly have it looked at!
Most of the videos I seen it has the ground cable screwed on almost next to it but mine is underneath the battery should I try and find a better ground
I have a 2013 sonic and my I hate how my radiator fan sounds . It’s not really loud but it vibrates the car how can I make that go away
I would check the fan mounting points and the radiator mounts as well if the fan is mounted to that. It is possible that vibration is being transmitted from contact in areas it should not touch?
Hey. Where did you exactly order the valve cover from?
I believe we got this valve cover from the dealers parts department. They should also be available thru Napa.
@@JimmyMakingitwork thank you
And also is it normal for rpm to be between 600-1,000 at park ? And while in park car won’t go pass 3,000 rpm
The idle rpm can vary with conditions and engine temperature, but 550-800 is the common hot idle speed usually. In park and neutral the computer will limit engine speed to prevent damage, since an engine is designed to only rev at higher speed will working to move the vehicle.
Hope this helps!
Do you have the torque specs for these? Maybe I missed you say them. Also, you put silicone on the corners? Couldn't really tell. Thank you.
Yes I do put silicone anytime there are two parts joined together under the gasket. I believe the torque is 89 inch pounds.
@@JimmyMakingitwork oh okay, under all of it or just those corners. Appreciate the replies.
Sorry I don't get notices for second replies.
I only use RTV in joint areas, where 3 or more parts meet. Hope his helps.
@@JimmyMakingitwork You are fine. I did it, it was easy, No oil leaks, runs great. I appreciate it.
My 1.8 shakes or bucks when im accelerating but only around 50mph range then stops once i get past like 53 54mph
If there is a check engine light I’d look for codes for a direction. Could be anything from torque convertor shudder to light misfires.
Well good thing I have a valve cover gasket in my trunk😂😂
lol
@@JimmyMakingitwork I actually do though lmao
How much was all this for the customer..?
@@sarahmarable6370 about 400 bucks
Three times the life expectancy of the vehicle lol wow
Gotta call em as I see em.
I have a 2015 chevy sonic LTZ with 60k miles. It stalled while driving down the road the other day and had to be towed. The mechanic said it wouldn't start for them but then "floored it" and it started. No error codes at all. I've read about stalling problems with sonics but with no error code...what should I do? :(
Problems like this are usually things like engine rpm dropping out from things like a bad sensor or sensor wiring, or battery cable connections, or even an ignition switch sometimes.
It will take time and patience for a professional to sort out with no codes.
Same with me smh
Update?
Great video, but was definitely hard to hear with all the background noise
Yeah, this video I almost did not upload, poor audio. Most are much better. Thanks!
I got a Sonic with a check engine light. No one can figure it out. Code is the variable valve timing solenoid.
The solenoids go bad often, but I also check for metal debris in their screens. The screens sometimes come apart and jam the solenoids open.
@@JimmyMakingitwork They can't figure out why it keeps throwing that code. After they replace them. Light comes right back.
You never sad why it needed a valve cover, what vwas wrong with it?
The valve cover has a breather built in that goes bad and causes whistling noises, or oil burning and rough idle, lean codes sometimes.
Looks like that car has the wrong antifreeze. Not related to this issue, but that should not be green.
Which car was it, I can't remember one with the wrong anti-freeze/coolant recently. There are about 12 different ones now, so we have charts and manufacturer information to determine what goes where. The imports now use either Red, Blue, Green, Pink mostly. But there is an import green that is more transparent than the classic green coolant. :)
@@JimmyMakingitwork oh that one uses dex cool, it's a red/orange. Just thought it was funny with it.
That orange coolant is absolute GARBAGE it corrodes everything. Put the green stuff in there trust me!
@@altpath They're likely using the Universal antifreeze that can mix with any color of antifreeze. That's what I use in my Chevy Sonic. It's not green but due to the yellowish color of the fill tank it kind of looks green.
For one, look at that radiator fluid! That’s not Dexcool orange!
There are a few extended life coolants on the market now. The one we use mostly is gold and takes on the color of what it's added to.
@@JimmyMakingitwork why those engines got so hot?
Im having a cylinder 3 misfire right now
Uh oh. Move coil and plug see if it moves. If not injector or compression issue.
@@JimmyMakingitwork thank you sir
@JimmyMakingitwork so I replaced the spark plugs and the code went away. however, I noticed that all the spark plugs had oil on them and it's currently leaking. It's like I'm fixing one problem to move on to the next
Spark. Plugs could. Be bad mine went bad at 56k miles on my 2014
Yes, they can go bad also!
Im so sad I own this car
They have a few troubles, but really not bad cars once you sort them out.
@@JimmyMakingitwork well mine wont shift past 3rd gear lol
its not an aveo, whole different car. those who own those cars like them.
Thanks for watching.
Who’s gonna tell him 😂?
Have a 2015 Sonic, starts perfectly fine, had it running for a long time, then customer drove and later it started running rough and stalling at the light! Starts up quickly then starts to run rough, NO codes! Disconnected purgle valve and blocked off, still runs rough, no vacuum at all at dipstick, threw a 506 code - low rpm. Not sure what to check for? When cool starts fine, no issues, problem when warms up, any help would be much appreciated 🤔
Something like this I'd be looking to see if crank data drops off, although it would usually set a code. Could also be loosing ignition voltage and behaving like the key is turned off?
Same with me
So there shouldn't be any vacuum at all at the dipstick?!...
There is a measurement for it. Usually under 1”. Depending on the vehicle specifications. So a slight vacuum.