what did you do to your Sonic today?

[Ricekila]

Nice sunny day here on crap-island -- sooooooooooooo --

Oil change & filter --

Drivers side axle replacement -- no more ticking on right turns --

Drained & replaced trans fluid --

Front brake pads replaced --

Fresh hatch lift pistons --

While I was crawling underneath I noticed no cotter pin on the right ball joint ---- and the castle nut wasn't really tight ------- now theres no rattling on the bumps -- :banana:

Greased every fitting I could find --

Half way through giving the interior a good suck --- I pooped out ---- next week -- :sadbanana:

 

[Turbonic]

I read that the Sonic doesn’t have the delay valve. I’m assuming it has one?

yes they absolutely do, and an accumulator diaphragm that I'll be removing soon

 

[SnotRocketRS]

Made myself a little spoiler. I'll be adding a center piece soon

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[sinnerone]

Walked into garage after a 3 month vacation and had a large puddle of coolant under and around my sonic. Replace my water pump. 135k miles and it's the third pump. A rather easy job for a 4 cyl. Not much room in the Sonic engine bay. The biggest pain was searching for the 3/8 in. extension I dropped under the radiator.

I did not want the hassle taking it to the dealer for the warranty replacement due to this corona crap. I do live 45 min from the nearest GM dealership.

The pump was around $30 with gaskets. I had a couple of jugs of dexcool in the garage.

Basic tools, e torx sockets, Q-wrench and a floor jack.

 

[mire]

I’m gonna cheat a little since it wasn’t done today.

Installed a Kenwood TK-8360HU-K UHF commercial two-way radio and a trunk life mount Larsen 1/4 wave antenna.

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[Ravenousjoe]

All around servicing to the engine and fuel system done today (and earlier in the week).

Added in a bottle of seafoam, with a full tank for 94 Octane fuel at the beginning of the week, added 5 fl.oz of seafoam to the crankcase about 300kms before today's oil change with some good synthetic.

Also performed an intake valve cleaning using SeaFoam spray, got a whole bunch of white smoke for 5 minutes of aggressive driving, check engine light flashed for a bit while driving, then after it was all out of the system, the white smoke in the exhaust was gone, the check engine light was gone, and had a much smoother running 1.8L. At idle it made the biggest difference. No more vibrations in the cabin, and much better feeling power curve. Biggest recommendation for anyone that does a lot of city driving, or just has a vehicle running a bit rough.

Little Blue is pushing 100,000 km, so onto the xmission fluid next.

 

[lkz6678]

Replaced rear shocks (10x more difficult than I thought it would be).
Removed passenger front door lock actuator (10x more difficult than I thought it would be). Ordered a used one for $20 on Ebay. Waiting for it to get here.
Oil & filter change.
Removed front seats, vacuumed the interior. Found $0.90 in change and 12 pesos under the seats.

 

[lkz6678]

Replaced the door actuator today. Problem fixed. It was taking 2 presses on my remote for the passenger side door to lock or unlock.

 

[Gotta_Go_Fast]

FMIC Installed

Just installed the RacerX FMIC. I noticed a decent difference in top end power and consistency across the rev range. I don't currently have a way to measure intake temps but I imagine that they've dropped a bit. Definitely a good buy, especially if you live in a hot climate like I do. The welds on it are awesome and it was a fairly easy install. I also installed their shifter bushings at the same time and that helped crisp up the shifts a bit. They're currently running a 15% off sale with free shipping, so now might be a good time to pick something up from them. Make sure you clean off the hose on the passenger side, some blowby likes to chill in it.
:banana:

 

[lkz6678]

Replaced the vapor canister purge control valve (CEL code P0496). Geez, this is my second Sonic and I replaced the same part on my other Sonic at exactly the same mileage. Does Chevrolet design the part to fail at exactly 61k miles???

Replaced some front door panel retainer clips. p/n 11547602

 

[Cori]

Took in my 2018 1.8l for a burnt oil smell, they told me they'll replace the pistons...

What!?

...under warranty. Nice!

Let's hope this is a cure and not a symptom.

 

[wpgsonic]

Never heard of that issue.Even more surprising on a 2018! Have you checked the oil level and noticed if it has been consuming oil as well?

 

[JTee2017]

Me neither.

There must be more than a "burnt oil smell".
Details are needed for this to make any sense.

 

[McD6113]

Quarantine Projects...

Today I installed a ZZP 2.5" midpipe to replace my broken stock midpipe. I also got their 2.5" catback to match and I chose to get a resonator with it. I couldn't believe how smoothly the install went (especially NOT breaking the stock downpipe studs or O2 sensor :banana: ). I'm pretty sure it was more difficult getting the stock exhaust out than it was putting the new ZZP one in. I am super impressed with the quality of all the parts. As for the sound, outside the car it's deeper at idle and just a little louder than stock when revving. Inside the car it has a nice rumble down low and no drone while cruising, which is exactly what I was looking for.

Cheating a little, but I also changed the oil in the transmission on Monday. I went with Amsoil Synchromesh MTF and it shifts better now than it did when it was brand new.

Next up on the quarantine projects list are to install my CruzeKits V3 PCV fix kit, replace the leaking front crankshaft seal, install a 4H-Tech short-throw shifter, fix the rust spot that started on the left rear wheel arch, and maybe I'll finally get around to installing the oil catch can I bought a year and a half ago.

 

[Gotta_Go_Fast]

Today I installed a ZZP 2.5" midpipe to replace my broken stock midpipe. I also got their 2.5" catback to match and I chose to get a resonator with it. I couldn't believe how smoothly the install went (especially NOT breaking the stock downpipe studs or O2 sensor :banana: ). I'm pretty sure it was more difficult getting the stock exhaust out than it was putting the new ZZP one in. I am super impressed with the quality of all the parts. As for the sound, outside the car it's deeper at idle and just a little louder than stock when revving. Inside the car it has a nice rumble down low and no drone while cruising, which is exactly what I was looking for.

Cheating a little, but I also changed the oil in the transmission on Monday. I went with Amsoil Synchromesh MTF and it shifts better now than it did when it was brand new.

Next up on the quarantine projects list are to install my CruzeKits V3 PCV fix kit, replace the leaking front crankshaft seal, install a 4H-Tech short-throw shifter, fix the rust spot that started on the left rear wheel arch, and maybe I'll finally get around to installing the oil catch can I bought a year and a half ago.

I just threw the V3 kit on my car and if you still have the check valve in place, make sure you push it through with a metal pick. Mine was stuck and I couldn’t get the clip in place.


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[McD6113]

I just threw the V3 kit on my car and if you still have the check valve in place, make sure you push it through with a metal pick. Mine was stuck and I couldn’t get the clip in place.


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Thanks for the tip! I know in the comments for the instruction video it was mentioned to break it off with the tip of a screwdriver, but I didn't imagine it would just fall out (especially if it's gunked up.).

On another note, my 4H-Tech shifter from BNR came a day early! :banana:
I can't believe how much better it is! I feel like I bought a brand new car this week...

 

[Gotta_Go_Fast]

Thanks for the tip! I know in the comments for the instruction video it was mentioned to break it off with the tip of a screwdriver, but I didn't imagine it would just fall out (especially if it's gunked up.).

On another note, my 4H-Tech shifter from BNR came a day early! :banana:
I can't believe how much better it is! I feel like I bought a brand new car this week...

I posted about it in the Cruze forum if you want to take a gander at what I did.
https://www.cruzetalk.com/threads/somehow-i-messed-up-the-pcv-fix-install.247263/

I’m glad you like the new shifter. It looks cool! I was thinking about getting either that or the cable clamp from ZZP. What do you think would be better?


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[Cori]

There must be more than a "burnt oil smell".
Details are needed for this to make any sense.

Well, my bad for not elaborating.
Indeed, oil was lost, when I checked at first only the tip of the dipstick was wet. I took my wife's Jeep to get a quart so I could go to the dealer. They noticed the smell/stench, topped it off and said check it every morning before I drive. 6 days later I'm back for a check, haven't even driven 100 miles, it had lost a pint. Yikes! I only have 19,750 on it.

At this point the lead mechanic says they had seen a few other 1.8's with leaks past the piston rings, so I'm scheduled to bring it in this coming Wednesday, and to continue to check my oil level and have them top it if it drops.

 

[McD6113]

I posted about it in the Cruze forum if you want to take a gander at what I did.
https://www.cruzetalk.com/threads/somehow-i-messed-up-the-pcv-fix-install.247263/

I’m glad you like the new shifter. It looks cool! I was thinking about getting either that or the cable clamp from ZZP. What do you think would be better?


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I'd recommend changing the oil in the transmission to start, if you haven't already. I couldn't believe how much smoother mine felt after I swapped mine over to Amsoil Sychromesh. The high RPM grinds stopped too. I think the stock oil is just too light. With the shifter, the throws are noticeably shorter than stock and feel very solid. I also have ZZP shifter bushings that I've been running for a few years and there is zero slop in the shifter now. To be honest, I think my Sonic now shifts better than my old Mustang GT did with a Hurst Billet/Plus shifter and modified clutch cable.

Ultimately, your decision is going to depend on what you're looking for in your shifts. The cable clamp should definitely give you better shift feel, but it will also retain the stock throw length that you're used to. The short throw shifter really tightens everything up, but it could take a little more getting used to and it's more than double the price.

 

[McD6113]

Sorry for double posting. Today I did the CruzeKits V3 PCV fix kit. When I pulled the PCV hose off, there was no sign of the orange check valve in the manifold. I stuck a 90 degree pick in and it went right through the hole. My car has been leaking a lot of oil lately, running rough, getting terrible fuel mileage, and the brakes have been soft so I'm really glad I got it. I'm also really surprised it didn't have a check engine light on... It drives so much better now. I didn't realize how much that stupid little rubber disk actually affects. It's like driving a new car again.

I also decided to tweak the alignment of my new ZZP catback and I got the tips almost flush with the rear bumper. I think it looks significantly better now than it did after initial install. I also discovered that the mid pipe to cat-back flange was leaking so I sealed it up with some red RTV. That got rid of nearly all the drone I was noticing from my new exhaust setup. All in all, the Sonic got lots of love today. My Racer X engine rotation delete kit came today too, but I don't know when I'll get around to installing it yet.

I also need to wash my car... It's pretty filthy...