Car shaking while idle

[cleverbot]

Mine is a MT as well.

 

[Chevrolet Customer Care]

This has been happening to me since I brought it with 15k on it. It has gotten worse the colder it gets. Brought it back to the dealer twice. Both times that couldn't replicate it. Now it is getting worse. Thinking about taking it to another dealer. I fear looking stupid though bringing it back 3 times for a problem they cant replicate..................

Hey there,

If you need any assistance in possibly reaching out to a second dealership for another opinion, I would be happy to help. Let me know in a private message!

Patsy G
Chevrolet Customer Care

 

[Blue Moon Sonic]

If this has been said before I'm sorry for repeating this. Make sure if you have the 1.4t that you have iridium plugs gaped to .28 and the 1.8 should be at .30. I could be wrong on the 1.8L so correct me if i am wrong.

 

[pounamu]

This is my problem exactly - starts within about 5 minutes of start up; shakes at a red light while my foot is on the brakes. Gets worse in cold weather.
If anyone gets a satisfactory fix for this, PLEASE let us know. This is not normal.

 

[pounamu]

By the way, I wonder how many people need to complain about the same issue for Chevrolet to actually look into it. Like, seriously, maybe we can get a petition going or something. Or do they only do it when someone dies or gets injured?

 

[mihaipas]

Forgot to mention: the shaking feels a lot like a big truck passing by on a bridge. The car seems to want to go forward and can't. I keep wondering if the breaks are going to fail one day and it will jump into the car in front of me.

Here's an update on this issue. I took it to a dealership three months ago. They said they could not find anything wrong with it and that they could not reproduce the problem. But, when I drove it home, I noticed that it was not shaking as bad as before. For about two months the shaking at the stop light has been very faint. I think they did something to it and it worked for a while. I do not know what though...
In the past month it has been getting gradually worst to the point where in the last couple of days it's been very bad. The car shakes pretty strong. It's almost like the idle is too low and it's going to stall and the computer compensates by revving it up just a bit. I'll take it to the dealership again to see what they say.

 

[SuperFudd]

I have noticed this a couple of times, mildly and briefly.

 

[mihaipas]

Here's an update on this issue. I took it to a dealership three months ago. They said they could not find anything wrong with it and that they could not reproduce the problem. But, when I drove it home, I noticed that it was not shaking as bad as before. For about two months the shaking at the stop light has been very faint. I think they did something to it and it worked for a while. I do not know what though...
In the past month it has been getting gradually worst to the point where in the last couple of days it's been very bad. The car shakes pretty strong. It's almost like the idle is too low and it's going to stall and the computer compensates by revving it up just a bit. I'll take it to the dealership again to see what they say.

{UPDATE}
I got the car back from the Chevrolet dealership/ service center yesterday. I had four issues with it:
1) Shaking while idle
They did nothing on this. They said they could not reproduce the problem so they left it at that. This was the second time I took the car in for that problem.
Looking on carcomplaints(dot)com I found a Technical Service Bulletin for 2013 Sonics that describes the problem I’m having. I was expecting the service center to do at least that TSB to remedy the problem. Here’s the TSB:
TSB #PI0928
NHTSA ID #10052020
Date Announced:
MARCH 01 2013
Summary: GM: SOME CUSTOMERS MAY REPORT A BUMP, SURGE OR VIBRATION AT IDLE WITH THEIR FOOT ON THE BRAKE. *JS

2) Grinding noise from rear of the car when braking. They said they did nothing on it. I cannot hear it as loud as before I took the car in. So they DID something, probably not the right thing though. Also looking on the site I mentioned before, I found a Technical Service Bulletin that describes the problem. Here it is:
TSB #PIC-5781-A
NHTSA ID #10054212
Date Announced:
NOVEMBER 01 2013
Summary: CHEVROLET: ROTATIONAL NOISE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE WHEN BRAKING, IN REAR DRUM BRAKE AREA AND NEED TO REPLACE BOTH REAR BRAKE DRUM AND SHOES ON BOTH SIDES. MODEL 2012-2013 SONIC. *PE

3) High pitch noise (chirping sound) from air blower fan/motor. This happens infrequently, when I have the air on speed 1 and 2. It is very annoying when it happens; I can’t stand the noise so I have to either crank up the speed or turn it off completely. I made sure that the service clerk put notes about this in the service request. The Service guys did nothing on this issues. They said they could not reproduce it and left it at that.
4) Lost one of the two little plastic brackets holding the plastic interior trunk lid to the pivots sticking out from the sides of the car. I wanted to buy it. Apparently they do not sell just that part. I have to buy the whole trunk lid.
So, in conclusion, I am very disappointed by the Chevrolet service. I suspect they will drag this on until my warranty expires (it has 25k miles on it so far) and then they will tell me “Oh yeah, we know about those issues. We even have TSBs on them. It will be $X,000 to fix them.”
I bought this car with high hopes. Seems to be a very nice car until you run into problems like these. Shame...

 

[PocketRocket]

My car has this feeling that some of these posts talk about. There is no way it can be spark plugs. Spark plug issues would only make the engine stutter. This feeling is the entire car trying to lunge forward over and over for 5-10 seconds. It would make more sense if it was the transmission or something. The wheels literally try to go forward. Its not just a "shake at idle". This feeling goes through the entire drivetrain. I have an auto 1.4t and everytime it happens to me I just click it up into neutral and it goes right away. Which makes me think even more that it might be something with the trans. The whole car actually lunges forward. Not just a shake. Big difference.

 

[lugnut]

I'm a new member to this site, and I noticed the SAME problem with my Sonic. It's also a 2013 LT1 1.8 with auto trans. I currently have 8360 miles on it. It happens after I start car up after sitting overnight and drive to first stop light about a block away. When I stop, it stumbles briefly, then quits. I haven't noticed it doing this at any other time, such as after store shopping, then restarting. Dealership could not duplicate, so nothing done. No error codes or warning lights come on with this problem. I first thought it was because my car was kept outside and the computer was adjusting the fuel/air mixture or something, but I've moved and car is kept in a heated 64 degree garage now and it still does this. So you are not alone.

 

[SuperFudd]

Some posts to this forum claim the car shifts to neutral when stopped. Perhaps that is only on the 2012s? I am sure my 2013 (see below) doesn't and I do occasionally feel that minor "surge". If it was in neutral there would be no surge.
Here is a thought. What if it is a computer firmware issue and the shift to neutral was programed out but not fully effectively, causing the surge?

 

[Danglin709]

I have a 2014 Sonic LT 1.8 AT 9200 miles and i have the same issue it seems to idle rough and its getting poor mileage about three months ago at 7000 miles it threw a CEL and went into limp mode had to be towed into the dealership and needed a coil pack replaced they said there was water in the coil valley?? and it corroded one of the packs. now its doing it again with no CEL. Also and likely related full throttle in AUTO mode the car stumbles on the 1-2 shift and thee 2-3 shift

 

[benoit230]

Some of these symptoms sound like the symptoms I had with a previous car. My driver and passenger side motor mounts were shot, I never got a look at the tranny mount though.

 

[semperteneo]

My car has this feeling that some of these posts talk about. There is no way it can be spark plugs. Spark plug issues would only make the engine stutter. This feeling is the entire car trying to lunge forward over and over for 5-10 seconds. It would make more sense if it was the transmission or something. The wheels literally try to go forward. Its not just a "shake at idle". This feeling goes through the entire drivetrain. I have an auto 1.4t and everytime it happens to me I just click it up into neutral and it goes right away. Which makes me think even more that it might be something with the trans. The whole car actually lunges forward. Not just a shake. Big difference.

This.

It happens to me after a cold start, but not consistently. 2014 1.4 auto, owned from 15-20k so far.

Not diggin' it.

 

[Ms.DannyStone]

my car is doing it again now that its starting to get cold outside.. why only when its cold?

 

[mingo]

This doesn't look good, add me to the list. My 1.8 auto does it as well. The first few times I thought it was just me. I've also got the rotational sound and a crazy whine randomly on acceleration.

 

[dan_s2k]

{UPDATE}
I got the car back from the Chevrolet dealership/ service center yesterday. I had four issues with it:
1)Shaking while idle
They did nothing on this. They said they could not reproduce the problem so they left it at that. This was the second time I took the car in for that problem.
Looking on carcomplaints(dot)com I found a Technical Service Bulletin for 2013 Sonics that describes the problem I’m having. I was expecting the service center to do at least that TSB to remedy the problem. Here’s the TSB:
TSB #PI0928
NHTSA ID #10052020
Date Announced:
MARCH 01 2013
Summary: GM: SOME CUSTOMERS MAY REPORT A BUMP, SURGE OR VIBRATION AT IDLE WITH THEIR FOOT ON THE BRAKE. *JS

2)Grinding noise from rear of the car when braking. They said they did nothing on it. I cannot hear it as loud as before I took the car in. So they DID something, probably not the right thing though. Also looking on the site I mentioned before, I found a Technical Service Bulletin that describes the problem. Here it is:
TSB #PIC-5781-A
NHTSA ID #10054212
Date Announced:
NOVEMBER 01 2013
Summary: CHEVROLET: ROTATIONAL NOISE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE WHEN BRAKING, IN REAR DRUM BRAKE AREA AND NEED TO REPLACE BOTH REAR BRAKE DRUM AND SHOES ON BOTH SIDES. MODEL 2012-2013 SONIC. *PE

3)High pitch noise (chirping sound) from air blower fan/motor. This happens infrequently, when I have the air on speed 1 and 2. It is very annoying when it happens; I can’t stand the noise so I have to either crank up the speed or turn it off completely. I made sure that the service clerk put notes about this in the service request. The Service guys did nothing on this issues. They said they could not reproduce it and left it at that.
4)Lost one of the two little plastic brackets holding the plastic interior trunk lid to the pivots sticking out from the sides of the car. I wanted to buy it. Apparently they do not sell just that part. I have to buy the whole trunk lid.
So, in conclusion, I am very disappointed by the Chevrolet service. I suspect they will drag this on until my warranty expires (it has 25k miles on it so far) and then they will tell me “Oh yeah, we know about those issues. We even have TSBs on them. It will be $X,000 to fix them.”
I bought this car with high hopes. Seems to be a very nice car until you run into problems like these. Shame...

I have all the probleme you mentioned on my girlfriend 2012 suckit 1.8 auto + a lost of coolant they can't find even with colorant --__-- every time the dealer said we can't do nothing comeback when your coolant tank will be empty we will check it AGAIN crappy gm service

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[$ub$onic]

I have all the probleme you mentioned on my girlfriend 2012 suckit 1.8 auto + a lost of coolant they can't find even with colorant --__-- every time the dealer said we can't do nothing comeback when your coolant tank will be empty we will check it AGAIN crappy gm service

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

If they can't find the leak, it's more then likely internal. 1.8's have seen a few warped heads. It's not common but can by a issue.


And it's not GM's fault your dealer is crap. Try a more competent dealer. If it continues, contact GM directly and file a compliant against the dealer, they get it taken care of.

 

[dan_s2k]

Unfortunately all other dealer other dealer in an reasonable area are in lock-out so ... And contact gma couple of time once for the vibration and they call me two a three ti e for the collant but they said like the dealer no chek engine, when we put some pressure un the collant tank we dont see any leak orpressure drop, and they put a uv stuf in the coolant and dont see it anywhere . i m looking to sell it in short futur and mynext car will not be a gm for sure

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Luv2xlr8]

It's something with these 1.8/1.4 motors, a couple of ppl I asked about their sonic and trax and encores have these coolant issue. I think GM knows but can't figure the problem or they just don't want to recall the problem and that they know but will lose lots of time/money/ customers. That's what I'm assuming.