Hey guys, this is my first real post, so hopefully I can get all the info on the first try.
I purchased my used 2013 LTZ Hatchback 1.4 turbo 6 speed manual in October of 2014. On Thanksgiving 2014, my wife and I were driving from Minneapolis, MN to Appleton, WI in sub-zero temps when I noticed a substantial lose in power. I could not accelerate to more than 75 mph at WOT. Going up hills, my speed dropped below 70. Eventually, the check engine light came on. I dropped my Sonic off the next day at Bergstroms Chevrolet in Neenah, WI. The tech found an underboost code (P0299), and determined that the waste gate was sticking; waste gate actuator wouldn’t budge. The turbo assembly was replaced at ~35K miles and all was back to normal…for a while.
In late December of 2015, my wife and I were driving from Minneapolis to Grand Forks, ND, in single digit temps, when again I notice a loss in power. Not as severe as the first time, but notable. My UltraGauge indicated a maximum boost pressure of ~5psi; typically I see 10 – 12 psi at WOT. During my daily commute to work later that week (150 miles round trip at ~78 mph) in sub-zero temps, the power loss became substantial, with max boost pressures around 2 – 3psi. So to get the ECU to through the P0299 code, I dropped into 5th and floored it. I dropped it off at Gateway Chevrolet in Fargo, ND the next day. Service tech again found an issue with the waste gate and replaced the turbo assembly at ~72K miles.
After a few days of driving (roughly 500 miles) I noted power loss and reduced boost pressures. Maximum attainable engine load on the UltraGauge was ~80% with boost pressure maxing out at 3 psi; hitting 100% has never been an issue with a properly operating turbo. Going down the on-ramp this morning at temps below -10F, boost pressures were climbing up to ~5.5psi, then suddenly I lost all boost and the check engine light came on; it felt like the ECU went into limp home mode. My Sonic is again at the dealership for I’m sure another turbo at ~75K miles.
The common denominator of all my turbo failures is cold air temps, below 0F. Has anyone had issues similar to this??? Am I working the 1.4T too hard; 78mph for 2 hours a day? I would really appreciate it if Chevrolet Customer Care would chime in and let me know what my options are, because at this rate, I’ll be replacing the turbo every time the temps dip below 0f, which happens all the time in northern ND/MN. Do lemon laws apply to used vehicles? Any insight is much appreciated.
I purchased my used 2013 LTZ Hatchback 1.4 turbo 6 speed manual in October of 2014. On Thanksgiving 2014, my wife and I were driving from Minneapolis, MN to Appleton, WI in sub-zero temps when I noticed a substantial lose in power. I could not accelerate to more than 75 mph at WOT. Going up hills, my speed dropped below 70. Eventually, the check engine light came on. I dropped my Sonic off the next day at Bergstroms Chevrolet in Neenah, WI. The tech found an underboost code (P0299), and determined that the waste gate was sticking; waste gate actuator wouldn’t budge. The turbo assembly was replaced at ~35K miles and all was back to normal…for a while.
In late December of 2015, my wife and I were driving from Minneapolis to Grand Forks, ND, in single digit temps, when again I notice a loss in power. Not as severe as the first time, but notable. My UltraGauge indicated a maximum boost pressure of ~5psi; typically I see 10 – 12 psi at WOT. During my daily commute to work later that week (150 miles round trip at ~78 mph) in sub-zero temps, the power loss became substantial, with max boost pressures around 2 – 3psi. So to get the ECU to through the P0299 code, I dropped into 5th and floored it. I dropped it off at Gateway Chevrolet in Fargo, ND the next day. Service tech again found an issue with the waste gate and replaced the turbo assembly at ~72K miles.
After a few days of driving (roughly 500 miles) I noted power loss and reduced boost pressures. Maximum attainable engine load on the UltraGauge was ~80% with boost pressure maxing out at 3 psi; hitting 100% has never been an issue with a properly operating turbo. Going down the on-ramp this morning at temps below -10F, boost pressures were climbing up to ~5.5psi, then suddenly I lost all boost and the check engine light came on; it felt like the ECU went into limp home mode. My Sonic is again at the dealership for I’m sure another turbo at ~75K miles.
The common denominator of all my turbo failures is cold air temps, below 0F. Has anyone had issues similar to this??? Am I working the 1.4T too hard; 78mph for 2 hours a day? I would really appreciate it if Chevrolet Customer Care would chime in and let me know what my options are, because at this rate, I’ll be replacing the turbo every time the temps dip below 0f, which happens all the time in northern ND/MN. Do lemon laws apply to used vehicles? Any insight is much appreciated.