Hello from Portland Oregon :)

[kaceyellis]

Sooooo I found this forum whilst searching for information on my 2013 Chevy Sonic LT, cause Im soooo frustrated!!

My car has been a pretty good car since I owned it (I got it when it was born - it had 7 miles on it) - have done regular oil changes etc. No major issues. Several years ago it came up the check engine light and I took it to the Chevy dealership in town - and they wanted over $3k to fix a myriad of issues. I didnt have them do it. I instead took it to a different dealership who said that it was due to a recall on some tube or hose or something. They fixed it for free. Never had another issue until just recently.

My car has 88K miles on it.

About a month ago, after I had filled the tank I had a difficult time getting my car to start. It took about a minute or two. I wasnt sure why - figured it was a 'one off'.

3 weeks ago - it happened again... but this time it took about 2 or 3 min to start. I was concerned... then a couple days later the check engine light came on.

I took it to O'Reillys auto parts store and the code came up a P0496. I took it to Firestone (as they are the ones who change my tires etc) and they said it was an Evap something. I said 'ok' and paid a diagnostic fee of $116 to find out exactly what was wrong with it.

They called back and said that it needed to replace the Fuel tank - and the CPV48 Canister Solenoid. They said it was misfiring so replaced my spark plugs. They said it needed a fuel system cleaning, so did that. They also said I needed my brake fluid replaced... so did that. That all was $800.

I took it home and went and filled it up and it took almost 10 min to restart it!!

I went right back to Firestone and left it (again.. and once again renting a car to get around).

They said it was : " Upon prior diagnostic purge valve had proper vaccuum as result of replacing purge solenoid, the purge valve malfunctioned as a result of not purging at the proper time" so they said it needed the evap canister purge solenoid replaced. They said they would eat the cost of the part but I would need to pay labour of $58. So I said 'ok'.

I brought it home and a day later, the check engine light came on - I took it to O'Reillys and it came up the P0171 'system too lean bank 1" code.

I called Firestone who said that the P0171 was a totally different system than the P0496 Evap system - but as a courtesy they would check it out and see what was going on. They called me back and said that the Air Intake Hose was cracked. They said the part was $213 but that as a courtesy they would eat the cost of the hose, but I would need to pay the $58 labour charge. I said 'ok'.

I (again) rented a car while they were fixing that and then picked my car up the next day.

The following day the check engine light came on - I took it to (you guessed it) O'Reillys... and it came up the P0171 system too lean bank 1 code... again!! The O'Reillys fellow looked under the hood and said it did look like the hose had been replaced... and couldnt see anything else going on.

I called Firestone. They said to bring it back in. They again reiterated that it was a totally different system than the Evap system and at that point I explained that MANY things I read online suggested that the P0496 and the P0171 will code hand in hand... so I dont feel it is a completely separate system.

They said to bring it in (Im taking it in on Thursday) and they said they will provide a rental car at their expense this time...

My Question is: Does this sound familiar to anyone else with my kind of car? AND: what was the outcome of any work done... etc etc.

Any insight, inspiration, experience or knowledge will be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards
Kacey

Update: Yesterday evening the Check Engine Light turned off... I have been looking online and it seems that it will do that, with a P0171 code, even if the issue persists.

 

[orangeltz13]

sorry for your issues

I have a 2013 Sonic. It is the 1.4 MT hatch back. When my check engine light came on I took it to O'riely's and they gave me a code as well as a part number. I bought the part and installed it myself with help from a You-Tube video. I reset the system and the check engine light come on again. This time I took it to Tuffy Auto care and found that my pcv was bad. They replaced it and I have not had any other issues. I don't trust the code scanners at the automotive part stores or Firestone. I have had positive results from Goodyear and Belle Tire if you don't want to go back to the dealership. It sounds like you have lots of time and money invested at Firestone so you may want to give them one more chance at fixing your car. If they can't find an answer I would look at a difference repair shop. This may sound ***ist, but take a man with you when you go to the repair shop. Good luck.

 

[kaceyellis]

Oh thank you so much for that tip! I didnt want to have firestone scan it, because at the moment I dont trust what they would say would come up. But it didnt occur to me that the scanners at OReillys might not be accurate!

I will see what Firestone says... and if it doesnt make sense, I will take it to Goodyear (theres one the next town over from me)

And yeah... I was thinking about taking my (grown) son with me next time - he took shop in high school... and whilst he isnt a mechanic, he knows more about what he's talking about than I do And yeah... that doesnt sound ***ist at all... it just is the way it seems to be sometimes

thank you so much Orangeltz13 !

 

[JeffOpp]

I had a similar issue last summer. After my daughter filled up with gas her 2015 Sonic LT Wouldn't start (though it eventually would). I assumed it was a faulty gas cap. Replaced it but symptoms persisted. After using a code reader at Autozone, I had similar codes as you with the same suggested fix. Fortunately, a 2nd Autozone sales associate recognized the symptom and said, "Sonic, Cruze?" Then directed me to the pcv valve. Well under $100 for the part and 15 minutes of my time was far more appealing than dropping the gas tank.

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[kaceyellis]

JeffOpp thank you! That is something Orangeltz13 had mentioned too! I was just reading posts about the pcv - it sounds like it could possibly be that on my car as well!!
Im going to look at youtube videos and see how difficult it might be to do myself
(as an aside... I am NOT at all experienced doing car stuff myself... but I did change the headlights in my car all by myself!! and I figure thats a start... easy as it was to do for most people lol)

Thank you

 

[JeffOpp]

Your 2013 symptoms are so similar to mine i would be shocked if this isn't the problem. It's pretty easy to do (I'm not very mechanically inclined) and certainly your adult son would do it in 15 minutes. Keep me posted...I hope your problem will be solved.

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[kaceyellis]

I will!! Thank you ))

 

[kaceyellis]

Update on P0171 Code

Well.. I dropped my car back off at Firestone this morning - and asked them specifically to check the PCV Valve. They said they would.

A couple hours later they called me and went through a long winded explanation of how the P0171 isnt part of the P0496 check engine light that I originally brought it in for... etc etc etc

Bottom line... is that they determined it *could* most likely be the Mass Air Flow.... for which the cost would be... $293 plus labour.

I asked if they had checked the PCV valve.. and he said no. I asked him to please do that. He said he would and would call me back.

A tad bit later he called back and said that the PCV valve is part of the PCV cover on my vehicle and that he doesnt know if he can get the valve separately or not. I asked him if he had checked the valve and he said... no but that he was just about to... but that 138 people with the P0171 lean bank 1 error code had said it was the MAF and 137 had said it was the 02 sensor. I said that MANNNNNNY people with MY car (2013 Chevy sonic and 2014 Chevy cruze) had said that it ERRONEOUSLY came up as the MAF and the 02 when in fact it was the PCV valve. I asked him to please check it and then get back to me.

Several hours later he called back and started talking about the price of the MAF and O2. I asked him about the PCV valve and he said that it had a 'tiny bit of by blow' (or blow by.. something like that) and I asked him what blow by (or by blow) was and he said it was that vaccuum sucking.. but it was only a tiny bit.

He said that it would be $197 for the PCV valve and $107 for labour (so essentially $300). I said that I can get the PCV for around $45 and it would take me about 30 min to install it myself. He said 'oh'. He then said that he could do some kind of Throttle body and fuel injector cleaning for .. I think it was around $100 - because he said it *could* be due to the gunk buildup in those areas.

I told him that I have already dropped almost $1k on this issue.. and that I really dont have another couple hundred bucks I want to put into it. I thanked him and said that I will be picking my car up and will take care of it myself. He said he hopes the PCV valve fixes it.. but that if it doesnt it could be the MAF or the o2.

So Im on my way to go pick my car up.... Now I just need to find an independant mechanic who has the tools I need to do the job myself
Ive been watching about 100 hours of Youtube videos and I read an article that someone in here posted on how to do it... and it doesnt look toooo terribly difficult... so Im pretty sure I can do it myself.... (koff koff... we'll see LOL)

 

[JeffOpp]

Well.. I dropped my car back off at Firestone this morning - and asked them specifically to check the PCV Valve. They said they would.



A couple hours later they called me and went through a long winded explanation of how the P0171 isnt part of the P0496 check engine light that I originally brought it in for... etc etc etc



Bottom line... is that they determined it *could* most likely be the Mass Air Flow.... for which the cost would be... $293 plus labour.



I asked if they had checked the PCV valve.. and he said no. I asked him to please do that. He said he would and would call me back.



A tad bit later he called back and said that the PCV valve is part of the PCV cover on my vehicle and that he doesnt know if he can get the valve separately or not. I asked him if he had checked the valve and he said... no but that he was just about to... but that 138 people with the P0171 lean bank 1 error code had said it was the MAF and 137 had said it was the 02 sensor. I said that MANNNNNNY people with MY car (2013 Chevy sonic and 2014 Chevy cruze) had said that it ERRONEOUSLY came up as the MAF and the 02 when in fact it was the PCV valve. I asked him to please check it and then get back to me.



Several hours later he called back and started talking about the price of the MAF and O2. I asked him about the PCV valve and he said that it had a 'tiny bit of by blow' (or blow by.. something like that) and I asked him what blow by (or by blow) was and he said it was that vaccuum sucking.. but it was only a tiny bit.



He said that it would be $197 for the PCV valve and $107 for labour (so essentially $300). I said that I can get the PCV for around $45 and it would take me about 30 min to install it myself. He said 'oh'. He then said that he could do some kind of Throttle body and fuel injector cleaning for .. I think it was around $100 - because he said it *could* be due to the gunk buildup in those areas.



I told him that I have already dropped almost $1k on this issue.. and that I really dont have another couple hundred bucks I want to put into it. I thanked him and said that I will be picking my car up and will take care of it myself. He said he hopes the PCV valve fixes it.. but that if it doesnt it could be the MAF or the o2.



So Im on my way to go pick my car up.... Now I just need to find an independant mechanic who has the tools I need to do the job myself

Ive been watching about 100 hours of Youtube videos and I read an article that someone in here posted on how to do it... and it doesnt look toooo terribly difficult... so Im pretty sure I can do it myself.... (koff koff... we'll see LOL)

Wow. What a nightmare experience. In the long run you may want to try and find another mechanic. I hope you are able to resolve this problem with as little (more) expense as possible. Keep me posted!

Best

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[kaceyellis]

Update on the sage lol

Well... so I chickened out and ended up making an appt with the Chevy Dealership in Beaverton (by the way... they are wonderful!) And they checked the car over from tail to nose....

Here is what they found:

The MAF and O2 sensor that Firestone wanted me to have them replace (at another $800+) were fine.

The PCV was working fine.

HOWEVER.... they found the elbow fitting on the Brake Booster Vaccuum hose was leaking. The 'lean' condition was at 33% and when he blocked the hose, it went back down to 10% (which apparently is where it is supposed to be).

He is going to call my extended warranty and see if they will cover it. I have to wait a week because the hose isnt readily available and needs to be shipped from Memphis. If the warranty doesnt cover it... its $468 which I feel is ok (thats for diagnostic, parts and repair).

On another note... he told me that the Air Intake Hose for my car - had a recall notice on it, and my car was still within the (120,000) warranty period. So Firestone should not have charged me anything for that (I paid labor and they 'ate' the cost of the part). Im not sure if they did that because they knew it was on a recall list... so never did eat the cost of the part... and hoped to get the labor out of me anyway... or if they are just not knowledgeable. It irks me tho.

Anyway... I get to pick my car up.. and take it back next week - at least (hopefully) I know what the issue is now

Second Update: So Carr Chevy called me back... the mechanic (Irving) called my extended warranty and its being covered!!!!!!! He said that IF this doesnt fix it all... they can get anything further covered as well under... something like 'subsequential something or other'. Anyway... all I have to pay is my deductible ($100) ... I started to cry (yeah.. Im a girl LOL)

 

[SuperFudd]

Why would Firestone say the intake hose was $213 when my Chevy dealer says it is $126.73? Perhaps that includes the cost of sending some one to the Chevy dealer to get it. Anyhow, $126.73 is what my dealer charged me yesterday for that hose. It is generally half that on ebay, etc. I prefer a dealership for diagnostics since they have probably seen a problem many times before unlike most folks at any non dealership such as Firestone.

 

[JeffOpp]

This was the best outcome after what you've experienced. The price must include labor but that seems excessive. Tin to look for a reputable Chevy mechanic in your area. Dealers are great but they tend to be overpriced...but not in comparison to Firestone.

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[kaceyellis]

This was the best outcome after what you've experienced. The price must include labor but that seems excessive. Tin to look for a reputable Chevy mechanic in your area. Dealers are great but they tend to be overpriced...but not in comparison to Firestone.

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Nope - the labour was on top of that cost. I paid for the labour at $57.

I did find the Chevy Dealership about 30 min away from me who is wonderful! Ive had my car home several weeks from being fixed by him and (knock on wood) so far so good!

Ive submitted the receipts from Firestone to my extended warranty company in the hopes of realizing back some of my out of pocket. They said it would take 4 - 6 weeks to decide... so mid May -ish. That money sure would come in handy right about now! lol
Thank you, everyone for all your help and insight with this!!
Kacey

 

[JeffOpp]

I hope that you are reimbursed for that prior expense. Yep, especially now! My car has been running rough the last day. Code p0303. Cylinder 3 misfire. Could as simple as a vacuum leak or much worse. I couldn't resolve it so it goes my mechanic Tuesday. Fingers crossed

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