A/c Power loss - Sticky Gears

[TheFallenAngel12]

Ok, i looked and searched before starting this so i appologize if this has already been started somewhere else or in the wrong location...
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A/c Power loss and Sticky Gears...

I have been experiencing with my 2012 LT2 Sonic Sedan with the 1.8L when the a/c is on a sudden drop of power from the engine, more than the usual drop of power one would experience when running the a/c unit. Such a loss of power that it will take forever to accelerate and get up to speed. Boggs like crazy and so forth. To some its not a big deal, but to me it is very much a big deal as this problem has caused me to almost get hit countless times from the RPM's dropping way down and the car snail like slowly picking up speed.

So I called up my dealership and set up an appointment to have it looked at. Along with the problem i have been experiencing with my sonic having a hard time shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear, sticking and high revving. Granted with some pedal play it finally shifts but thats not the point.
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Today i took it in and had a tech guy ride along with me on a test drive to show him what it was doing. Explained everything to him along the ride, it bogged down several times while on the test run. He took note of it, then we went back to the dealership. They took everything apart and looked it over but to no luck they could not figure out what would cause the engine to do what it was doing. they checked the gears in the transmission and everything checked out ok. verdict, nothing found this time with the a/c and sticky gears...
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They did however find there was an update to the ECU Engine Calibration System and updated that for me. They told me to keep a note of what its doing and try to document it if possible since it wouldnt really do what it was doing when they had it. if it persists to happen, contact them back and they would call in a Certified Service Tech from GM itself to look over my sonic for me. They were sincerely sorry they couldnt figure out what the cause of these problems were and were very nice about the whole situation.

So i got in my sonic and left... 2 miles away from the dealership... Boggs like crazy and takes forever to get up to speed. And now, the gears stick even more than before. 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 4th... Revvs up the rpms and doesnt shift, the only way it shifts is if you pull off the gas pedal and then press on it again a couple times. then it shifts. So as of this point. no definite answers yet on why the 1.8 engines run so poorly.

Hope this helps out anyone who finds this a/c situation a major problem like i do... Ive owned many 4cyl engine vehicles and none of them ever ran this poorly just because the air conditioner was on!!

 

[Luv2xlr8]

I've got the same issues as you and they could not find anything as well. I'll just wait until more ppl complain and maybe they will investigate more thoroughly and may have some recalls or something.

 

[lambertsonic]

is your sonic an automatic ?

 

[TheFallenAngel12]

yes mine is the 6spd automatic. Im done with this pos 1.8 engine! im talking to my dealership about getting rid of it and getting me into a 1.4 turbo sonic. Or i may wait and save up my money and get a 2013 1.4turbo sonic because ive read on here alot of the features we paid for on the 2012 sonics will be standard on the 2013 sonics! so i feel screwed over by GM at this point. Either way im getting out of this 1.8 sonic. Tired of the weak engine thats unable to perform like its suppose to.

 

[Chevrolet Customer Care]

Ok, i looked and searched before starting this so i appologize if this has already been started somewhere else or in the wrong location...
---------------------------------------
A/c Power loss and Sticky Gears...

I have been experiencing with my 2012 LT2 Sonic Sedan with the 1.8L when the a/c is on a sudden drop of power from the engine, more than the usual drop of power one would experience when running the a/c unit. Such a loss of power that it will take forever to accelerate and get up to speed. Boggs like crazy and so forth. To some its not a big deal, but to me it is very much a big deal as this problem has caused me to almost get hit countless times from the RPM's dropping way down and the car snail like slowly picking up speed.

So I called up my dealership and set up an appointment to have it looked at. Along with the problem i have been experiencing with my sonic having a hard time shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear, sticking and high revving. Granted with some pedal play it finally shifts but thats not the point.
--------------------------------------------------------
Today i took it in and had a tech guy ride along with me on a test drive to show him what it was doing. Explained everything to him along the ride, it bogged down several times while on the test run. He took note of it, then we went back to the dealership. They took everything apart and looked it over but to no luck they could not figure out what would cause the engine to do what it was doing. they checked the gears in the transmission and everything checked out ok. verdict, nothing found this time with the a/c and sticky gears...
----------------------------------------------------------
They did however find there was an update to the ECU Engine Calibration System and updated that for me. They told me to keep a note of what its doing and try to document it if possible since it wouldnt really do what it was doing when they had it. if it persists to happen, contact them back and they would call in a Certified Service Tech from GM itself to look over my sonic for me. They were sincerely sorry they couldnt figure out what the cause of these problems were and were very nice about the whole situation.

So i got in my sonic and left... 2 miles away from the dealership... Boggs like crazy and takes forever to get up to speed. And now, the gears stick even more than before. 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 4th... Revvs up the rpms and doesnt shift, the only way it shifts is if you pull off the gas pedal and then press on it again a couple times. then it shifts. So as of this point. no definite answers yet on why the 1.8 engines run so poorly.

Hope this helps out anyone who finds this a/c situation a major problem like i do... Ive owned many 4cyl engine vehicles and none of them ever ran this poorly just because the air conditioner was on!!

I'm sorry you are experiencing this with your Sonic vehicle. Would you please PM the last 8-digits of your VIN, so I may look into this further for you?

I look forward to your reply.

Louis (assisting Vanessa)
GM Customer Service

 

[seanp1]

Sorry to hear about your issues, man.

* mental note to self - Do not get a 1.8*

 

[TheFallenAngel12]

Sorry to hear about your issues, man.

* mental note to self - Do not get a 1.8*

Yes, you would be wise to steer clear of the 1.8 engine. it is nothing but full of bugs and issues that GM needs to sort out sooner than later. The 1.4 Turbo Engine on the other hand i havent heard hardly, if any, problems at all with it. If you want a sonic. Best bet is to buy the 1.4 engine. it is well worth the money you pay for it. Better built, Better MPG, and all around Better options and upgrades and is very reliable from what i read.

When i first test drove my 1.8 sonic. none of these problems happend. it wasnt til a month after having it the motor and trans started acting up on me. Its sad, a new car just turns to garbage just like that in no time flat. the car itself i love. I just HATE the 1.8 engine!

 

[TheFallenAngel12]

Just would like to also state that all these problems i am having with the 1.8 motor are happening below 3,000 Miles. I havent even hit 2,800 miles yet!!! Sorry to those that find me rude, i am just highly disappointed in this motor. It didnt act like this in the test drive. The car itself, everything is great. just needs a better base engine. Chevy and GM Needs to kill the 1.8 engine and build a new base engine that can handel doing the simple tasks of powering both the car and the A/c at the same time without loosing significant power when accellerating.

I think this is sad, but i am honestly at this point missing my 2000 Pontiac Sunfire Sedan 2.2L 4 cyl i traded in for this 1.8 POS engine sonic.
I had done to my sunfire a AEM Cold Air Intake, Magna-flow Hi-Flow Catalytic converter and downpipe. A Full Exhaust, a Pacesetter Monza Performance System. Upgraded spark Plugs and wires. Stronger ignition coils. the next step was to get the pacesetter headers to complete the exhaust system. Then i was gonna save up and buy the Supercharger they had out for it. that car was a beast. survived storms and winters like you wouldnt ever believe. Drove amazing in the snow. The only reason i decided to move on was it had 112,000 miles on it. I didnt think the engine could hold the upgrade of a supercharger anymore at that point. damnit i wish i never got rid of that car. had it for 8years strong. Was the best car i ever had!

 

[Luv2xlr8]

Every day i feel the same way as you do, i my self have the 1.8L 6spd auto tranny and im experiencing the same symptoms as you are. "Oh good this slow a*s person is driving so slow in front of me on the left lane. Here let me turn off my A/C and pass him and turn it back on afterwards" that is what i say to my self each time i need to pass a car. I've never seen a car do this. Yes you do lose some power when the A/C is on but not like 30-40% from what it seems like. I just don't know what to do at this point.

 

[robinsonmac]

I have the same issue, but I have a 1.8, MT. my car looses a lot of power & stutters like it's burning bad gas. Also as soon as I take my foot of the gas power loss is very apparent & the stuttering is the greatest. Calling to schedule service tomorrow. This will be the 3rd time since April the car is going in for service...... Driver aide window wind noise is getting worse too.

 

[TheFallenAngel12]

@ luv2xlr8 ~ i feel your pain with this car. The a/c issue is a total pain in the rear. And i too feel we should not have to turn off our a/c just to accelerate when its on. I had to do it yesterday when i was driving around. I took off from a stop sign and the car started to bogg down, and i had a car approaching pretty quick. So i had to turn off my a/c just to get it to move like it should and not get hit.
@robinsonmac ~ thats definetly not a good thing to have happen. I have been in the dealership 3 times for the a/c problem and never get results.
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speaking of dealerships. I want to update you all on my visit to the dealership last week. I took a tech on a drive, showed them what it was doing and then had them look the car over thoroughly! in the end they couldnt find anything out of place or that would signal a flag of a problem. So thats still a mystery. They did however find something else... When they scanned my ecu they found an update to the Engine calibration system and updated it. Since that calibration update. The car still acts up with the a/c on, but not as bad. I feel the main issue with the 1.8 loosing so much power is the extreme heat built up in the engine bay. My sonics engine bay is always very hot! would explain why i get hot air when the system is off thru my vents. Its got nowhere to go but thru the vents. So the engine is getting smothered by the heat, thus performing poorly. Figure out a way to cool the engine bay and engine more. I bet our problem gets solved. Just my hunch on this.

 

[SuperFudd]

Might the heat thing be related to the, whats it called? Engine aerodymamic pan or bottom cover or...? Either it's existance or deletion?
Or not.

 

[vstilly]

stuck in 4th gear plus windshield leaks brand new car

Probably the worst car i have ever purchased and 100% not happy with chevy at all. The car definitely doesnt want to shift out of gears, the air conditioning isnt always a guarantee to work & the windshield leaked so much water that they are replacing the floor and all. im just disgusted with this vehicle. might i add the car has been there 3 times already and they say this is all :"normal" minues the windsheild leaking. OH and also it has 2500 miles on it as well. Brand new...HATE THIS CAR

 

[SSpeckerwood]

Try to return it under the lemon law

 

[AndrewGS]

Everyone calm down. Not every car that comes out of the factory can be 100% perfect. If you aren't getting satisfactory service from your dealer try another or contact GM. Check into the local Lemon Laws and try to get GM to buy back the car if they can't fix it.

I can totally understand your frustration and I know how inconvenient car problems can be, but give GM a chance to make it right.

 

[TheFallenAngel12]

Everyone calm down. Not every car that comes out of the factory can be 100% perfect. If you aren't getting satisfactory service from your dealer try another or contact GM. Check into the local Lemon Laws and try to get GM to buy back the car if they can't fix it.

I can totally understand your frustration and I know how inconvenient car problems can be, but give GM a chance to make it right.

Well I cant speak for the other guy that has had leaking problems and so forth... That sucks and you dont deserve to buy a new car and have that happen. Wish you the best of luck in getting that turned in for a new one...
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But back to my sonic. Yes, I have had issues with mine. and The car has acted up here and there. But Since the last visit to my dealership and them installing that ECU Engine Calibration Update. My sonic has been slowly but surely loosening up and not having such a hard time with things. Yes the gears stick, but it can easily be adverted buy simply easing off the gas as the RPMs hit its peak for that gear, roughly 2500 to 3000 in that area and just ease off the gas and back into it and the transmission will shift. This tranny requires a little more than just pushing down on the gas and going. All Parts of learning a *NEW* car. I admit i was a little hasty with my comments and thoughts about the vehicle at first. but i have learned to figure this thing out.

As for the A/c Problem. yeah it does suck and boggs the car down. But after the ECU Update, it doesnt do it as often, hardly ever now. but to get a better result with it on, simply start off with it on 3 or 4 to get it cool, then turn it back down to 2 and the car wont bogg as bad if any. Plus i feel once i get the K&N Air Filter i bought put in and do the Exhaust upgrade i have planned for next spring i shouldnt have much if any problems with the bogging anymore. and My car is now approaching the 3000 mi mark and the closer it gets the more its starting to act normal. Its all a learning process, esp if you have driven all used vehicles below 2006 the whole time. These newer cars have ALOT more technology in them and require some adjustments. Im all good with mine now. Id say these 2012's have some breaking in time involved with them. 3000 mi must be a starting point of it being broke in enough to calm down and drive normally.

 

[bmiles]

I'm sorry, but what do you all really expect? It is a 1.8 L engine, i mean hell damn near every vehicle bogs with the A/C on, it takes that more power to run the A/C compressor. The car has to pull in heat that is already there in the car, the Freon in the car has to run through the air compressor and through all the lines and everything else, when a Car A/C is not on, the pulley that runs over the a/c compressor is freed up, but when you turn it on there is so much more your car has to do and create cold air. It happens in all cars! Yeah some it is less noticeable only because BIGGER Engines have more power to run the compressor which makes it less noticealbe..

I Mean come on, we are talking a 1.8L Eco tech engine here, i dunno why everyone complains, turn the A/C off if you want power. Your dealing with low pressure and high pressure gases here.

 

[yosis]

for the A/c Problem. yeah it does suck and boggs the car down. But after the ECU Update, it doesnt do it as often, hardly ever now. but to get a better result with it on, simply start off with it on 3 or 4 to get it cool, then turn it back down to 2 and the car wont bogg as bad if any. Plus i feel once i get the K&N Air Filter i bought put in and do the Exhaust upgrade i have planned for next spring i shouldnt have much if any problems with the bogging anymore. and My car is now approaching the 3000 mi mark and the closer it gets the more its starting to act normal. Its all a learning process, esp if you have driven all used vehicles below 2006 the whole time. These newer cars have ALOT more technology in them and require some adjustments. Im all good with mine now. Id say these 2012's have some breaking in time involved with them. 3000 mi must be a starting point of it being broke in enough to calm down and drive normally.

I really think that doing the an exhaust upgrade won't help with your current problem more than likely it is going to make it worse. The exhaust on the sonic is some where 1 1/4 in., just going up to a full two inches on the exhaust system will throw your fuel/ air ratio off

 

[inm]

Just chime in by saying I have no problem at all with my 1.8L

Sure, it has more power loss than my dad's 5.2L Silverado, but lets face it. That's a 5.2L. It has power to spare. The 1.8L has little power as it is, you're GOING to have power loss.

That being said, even with AC/ on full blast, it doesn't take me long at all to get up to speed on 288 (Which is 65 miles per hour). Even on the shortest of merge lanes, I have no problem getting to speed within that area.

 

[yosis]

That's very true. I am having the same problems that FallenAngel is having I'm nowhere near 5k. on my sonic and I also have transmission slips up/down shifting at 2nd and 3rd gear. I don't drive my sonic like I stole it just normal driving.