Holden Cruze Engine Problems

If the car in question has the 1.8-litre engine, then this is definitely a known problem. Plenty of these engines suffered cracked cylinder heads which could allow the engine's oil and coolant to mix, producing the symptoms you saw. Holden actually issued a service program to replace the cylinder heads and other components to address the problem.

The other major cause of these symptoms is a failure of the transmission's cooling system. This actually piggy-backs on to the engine's cooling system (they use the same radiator) but if the transmission cooler fails, it can allow transmission fluid into the radiator and coolant into the transmission. Eventually, this will destroy the transmission both mechanically and electronically.

The gasket in question is probably the head gasket and when this fails, it can allow the engine oil and coolant to mix, which is why you’re seeing oil in the coolant expansion tank. If you check the engine’s oil dipstick, you may find that coolant has found its way into the sump, mixing with the oil as well, giving the latter a milky quality rather than appearing clear and clean.

This would have been a potential warranty claim back when the car was new, but at 11 years of age – even with your low mileage – it would be a miracle if Holden agreed to fix it as part of a warranty job.

A cracked turbocharger intake pipe is a pretty common problem as this tubing has to withstand high temperatures and the force of the turbo’s boost. You really wouldn’t bother trying to fix this, and a replacement piece of tubing is the proper fix.

Just make sure you get the right piece of tubing as there are different pipes of different shapes that run between the turbocharger and intercooler, and the intercooler and the engine. It’s quite possible to change these yourself, but modern engine bays can be pretty tight and you might find it’s a fiddlier job than you imagined.

While you’re in there, check the condition of the clamps that secure the tubing, too. You may wish to replace them at the same time. I’ve seen replacement pipe kits for anywhere from $200 to $300 for this make and model. Online sellers are plentiful, but conventional parts stores should also be able to help you out.

This model Cruze used a toothed rubber timing belt, rather than a timing chain. Holden recommended the belt be changed at 90,000km intervals. It’s not a job to ignore, either, as a snapped timing belt will often turn the engine to junk in an instant.

Most mechanics would go back to basics for this one. With the engine running, you place the leads of a volt-meter across the terminals of the battery. This will tell you how much power the alternator is putting into the battery to keep the latter charged. You want to see a figure of up to about 14.5 volts, and anything less than about 13 volts suggests the alternator is struggling.

If you get a low reading, try the test with the engine just off idle as this can sometimes wake the alternator up and get it pulling its weight. Don’t forget to do the test with all the lights ad stereo off, and the air-conditioning switched off, too.

The first conclusion many mechanics will arrive at is that the engine’s head gasket has blown, allowing the oil and coolant to mix. Have a look at the dipstick. If the engine oil is milky, then this is a very real possibility. Perhaps when the cylinder head was replaced, the gasket has not sealed properly.

But if the oil cooler was replaced because it was leaking into the radiator (which is pretty common) then you might find that the oil you’re still seeing is just residual oil from the previous failure, and not a problem at all. Even so, it would be wise to replace the coolant and flush the system to try to eradicate all traces of the old oil.

A workshop can perform a chemical-based test to see if the head gasket is leaking. It’s worth the relatively small cost to rule this out and begin to look elsewhere.

I can only hope so. Trying to start an engine with an obvious and large fuel leak like the one you’ve described is really tempting fate. This leak needs to be fixed before attempting to start or drive the vehicle as it’s a major fire hazard.

Even turning on the ignition will have the pump spraying fuel everywhere from the leak, so I’d disconnect the battery until the hose is repaired and the leak stopped. There’s a chance the computer has detected the lack of fuel pressure, but whether that’s what is preventing the engine turning over is another thing. You may have multiple problems.

You’re right that error code P0171 on this car equals an engine that is running too lean. That is, There’s either not enough fuel or too much air in the cylinders. On this engine, many owners have found that the PCV valve can fail, but also that the rocker cover itself can contribute to vacuum leaks. If you can hear air hissing anywhere, then a vacuum leak somewhere around the engine is a pretty good bet.

But let’s not forget that a lean mixture can be caused by not enough fuel, as well as too much air. In which case a check of the fuel filter, fuel pump delivery volume and pressure are warranted. You can also get a lean error code from a faulty or dirty MAF sensor in the engine’s intake system.

The recommended coolant for this model Holden Cruze is the common, red OAT (Organic Acid Technology) coolant. This is actually really important to get right as the wrong type of coolant can damage the engine over time. The red OAT coolant is also a long-life product, so it’s the one to use.

As far as engine oil goes, the recommended grade is a fully-synthetic 5W30. Don’t forget to change the oil filter, too, as putting clean oil back through a dirty filter makes no sense at all.

All these products should be readily available at any decent auto part store, or you can buy them online form a variety of outlets.

The official oil recommendation for this vehicle is a fully synthetic 5W30 grade oil. If the engine is in good condition, this is the best oil to use. The X-factor in all of this, of course, is the relatively high mileage your car has covered. As engines wear, and perhaps begin to consume a bit more oil between oil-changes, the conventional wisdom has been to use a slightly thicker oil. A 10W40 would be the logical choice here.

But the turbocharged Cruze engine, like a lot of modern engines, uses some pretty fine oilways that may not be compatible with the thicker 10W40. Examples of this include the oilways that lubricate the turbocharger’s bearing and also the ones that allow the variable valve timing to operate properly. Unless the engine is showing real signs of wear, sticking with the 5W30 oil is definitely the best advice.