I heard that the Ecotecs have a problem with the timing chain?
I know one guy who had to replace it like 2 times already.

Anyone know anything about this?

thats what i was afraid of. though it was because they change my oil for the first time. i check on the service site from gm and i didnt find anything on the bulletins. i saw 1 thing about a cylinder bore liner that can cause an engine to overheat or unsual knocking, etc. that was the closest problem i could find. for my 2nd oil change ill go get it checked. ill be keeping you guys updated on that.

i hate when my engine sounds like a diesel when its not

We have 13,100 on our 2003 LS Sport Sedan, it is starting to experience the suspension noises in the front. I also am feeling some weird vibrations on the pedals while driving that seem to be coming from the suspension/front axle. I also noticed that the ECOs suck up too much gas, but we have solved it in the sedan. We are using BOSCH +4 (4459) which really fit the 2.2L SOHV j-bodies and other GM vehicles. We have a 98 2.2L Sedan and get at least 380-440 miles out of a full tank all I have on it are +4s, WAI, OBX muffler. I expected more gas economy from the ECOs. My 5spd Coupe is a gas guzzler. I am waiting to try new +4s in it to see if there is a difference, and also try the new Denso Iridiums that were custom made for the ECOs. I tried NGK V-power and Iridiums but they suck in the ECOs since they were designed for the regular 2.2L.

By the way, has anyone tried the spark boot springs from RKSport?? Where can I buy the B&M short throw shifter for cheap??
Has AEM release the real cold-air intake system yet?

Well with 36,367 KM's, I must say that I guess I should feel honoured that I fit into the majority of people with that funny weird noise coming from the suspension.

My CD player also stopped working which was at a rather bad time cause I was travelling through some great wilderness and the only radio station I could get was the CBC French station up here in the great white north! It made for a very lonely trip!

For some reason, my rear tail lights burnt out! Not at the same time, but they both expired!

Also, after I had done some extensive rewiring for the neon lights both in and outside my car, I get told that GM has a recall on the wiring harnesses for my Pontiac! But they did the recall and asked no questions about all my rewiring work!

For some reason I have already gone through a set of brakes and rotors in the front and have to replace the brake shoes in the back! Of course! I go to the dealership and see what they say. Two separate Pontiac Dealerships sell me the wrong size AC Delco rear shoes and then they tell me that they (AC Delco) does not make a brake shoe for the '03 Sunfire. Therefore I would have to go with OEM which costs $247.00 (Canadian) and that is before I would get hit with the 15% tax!Needless to say, I am looking into a Rear Disc Conversion for my car! Ifigure it may roughly add up to the same cost of the OEM rear shoes!
<br>

Winter is Among Us!

ive only had 2 issues..... sometimes mine wont start first try not a big problem doesnt throw any codes... then the other is sometimes the god damn shifter will get stuck while trying to shift gears like get stuck on whatever seperates each gear... oh ya and a 3rd problem not too big of a deal but the clutch is a lil testy at times sometimes it wants to be pushed all the way to the floor or it will grind a small bit going into a gear... i still need to have it looked at but most of the time its fine.

ya i got the same problem when i try to shift in 1st gear when im at idle its impossible. i got to shift to 4th gear and go back to 1st and its ok. but thats not a big deal.

Supsension noises never heard of a noise coming from there but i found that the top screws of both struts are not well tited. so i took out my ratchet and its better then before. might be just that.

well, i have the 02 Ls Sport, and i did have the clunk from the front strut while turning, but it cleared up, no more sounds, went through 3 sets of pads, and 2 sets of rotors in 21,000. i do have a shine with the motor RPM's while on De-acceleration no big deal, just annoying on quiet days, i have really good gas mileage, went to Tn, from chicago, wich is a 500 plus mile trip each way, and i filled up twice there, and twice back. trans is starting to shudder a little (auto) but no big deal only once and a while, and i have N2O on the car for 12 runs, and i have not had a problem. but one big deal i have is a weird BOV sound when i start the car on cold starts. i was told it might be the starter. havent tried it, and its once and a while. so no biggie. but so far so good, and i love the car!! would not give it up for anything!!!! take care guys!!!

mike z <br>

Well i got an 2002 Ls Sport Sedan (EcoTec) and it's an automatic, I got only 10,000 miles on the car and so far my radio stopped working, turned out to be a loose connection. And of course sometimes when I am coming to a stop my car hesitates to stop and feels like it wants to die, that only happens when I am listening to the radio though. So I am assuming that it is an electrical problem. Otherwise I love my ecotec !

02 Ls Sport EcoTec

Ive got 9,000 miles on mine (04 Cavalier) and the suspension seems to make a squeak when I turn to the right in reverse and some times when on bumpy roads, its weird, beacuse I always turn that way, have to to get out of parking spot at house, so I dont know.........................

I've had probs with the turn signal/brake lamp bulb on the left side (3 bulbs in less than a year), but I hear there is a recall, or a TSB on that. Every once in a while the idle drops, but does not stall A/C on or not. The famous "pop" noise happens now and again for me also.
The shifter does get sticky sometimes, but no big deal IMO.
I also get a whiff of what smells like coolant, but no visible probs.
Everything is intermittent on my car, no real problems at 19K so far.
My MPG is nothing short of average, depends on how I drive it.
I think we have "gremlins" with the ECO, and will prove to be quirky motors.
Hopefully I get most problems fixed before the warranty is up, but nothing has surfaced yet.
On the side, I just found this site, and I believe it will be very helpful, I like my ECO so far, and the potential is there with these engines, but as in the past, GM 4 bangers have had issues, so we'll see as the miles pile up.

UPDATE ON 03 LS SPORT COUPE AND 03 LS SPORT SEDAN

COUPE (ABOUT 4,500 MILES) 5SPEED <BOUGHT 9/16/03>
HAVEN'T HAD THE CAR SHUT OFF ANYMORE, BUT DO GET THE COOLANT SMELL LATELY, BUT SEE NO VISUAL LEAKS, I DISCOVERED MY CLUTCH CLAVE CYLINDER RES. TANK HOSE IS MISSING A CLAMP, SO THAT HAS A SLOW LEAK. GAS MILEAGE VARIES DEPENDING ON MY WILD DRIVING, BUT AVERAGES ABOUT 300 MILES WITH THE STOCK SPARK PLUGS. I STILL GET THE FUNNY NOISES WHILE TURNING. THE BRAKES ON THIS ONE ARE STILL GOOD. (SEDAN THEY SUCK ESPECIALLY IF WET FROM RAIN OR CAR WASH). CLUTCH SHIFTER IS WEIRD AT TIMES. THE USUAL VIBRATIONS IN THE CABIN (DON'T FEEL THEM IN THE AUTOMATIC SEDAN). ENGINE RUNS HOTTER WITH ROYAL PURPLE 10W-30 OIL vs FACTORY OIL. ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON OIL?? NO ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS YET (SEDAN HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS). I DID EXPERIENCE THAT DIESEL SOUND YESTERDAY. HOPE THEY DO ALL IMPORTANT RECALLS SOON, AND WARRANTY WORK BEFORE MY WARRANTY IS UP. I GUESS WE DO HAVE GREMLINS IN OUR CARS. IT ALL DEPENDS WHAT DAY OF THE WEEK THEY WERE MADE I GUESS. THE BEST DAY TO HAVE A CAR BUILT IS WEDNESDAY SINCE IT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. MONDAY AND FRIDAY CARS HAVE THE MOST GREMLINS. I MIGHT TRY THE BOSCH 4459 +4s THIS WEEKEND WHEN I GO FROM JACKSONVILLE, FLA TO NEW JERSEY TO SEE HOW MUCH MILEAGE I CAN GET WITH THEM ON THE HIGHWAY AND CITY.

SEDAN (ABOUT 15,000 MILES) AUTOMATIC <BOUGHT 02/13/03>
FIRST PROBLEM SHUTTING OFF WHILE STOPPING OR TAKING OFF WHICH HAS STOPPED, THEN THE HEADLIGHT/CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH, AND ALL SOCKETS HAD TO BE REPLACED WITHIN FIRST FOUR MONTHS(DON'T REMEMBER WHEN). THE SWITCH WAS OILY AND MY BULBS WOULD BURN OUT OR WORK WHEN THEY FELT LIKE IT. I'VE HEARD OF OTHER PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCHES AND SOCKETS. THE BRAKES SUCK ON THE SEDAN, IT SEEMS TO HAVE WASTED TOO FAST, AND IF THEY GET THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF WATER ON THEM, IT DOESN'T WANT TO STOP. I'VE GONE THRU STOP SIGNS AND RED LIGHTS BECAUSE IT TOOK TOO LONG TO STOP. I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS AN ABS PROBLEM OR WHAT? I DO NOT GET THE FUNNY SUSPENSION/TRANNY NOISES LIKE IN THE 5SPEED, ANYMORE! SINCE I DON'T DRIVE IT ANYMORE, DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. MY GIRL DRIVES IT AND SHE IS NOT AS PICKY AS I AM. I DO NOT HAVE THE COOLANT SMELL YET EITHER.

at around 5000km i @!#$ the syncro and around 8000kms second finally went.... i had the stock tires burnt off so i put kumho ecsta 711 on b4 i took it in and they warrantied it but there was rubber all stuck to the inner fender and they said if it happens again like this my tranny wouldn't be warrantied anymore lol

At 80k, The only things i've had are the Saturn Recall for all the L Series for the ignition module. And thats been it.

For oil, I use Mobil 1 5w-30. I put it in as soon as the car reached 5000 miles and the car runs a tad cooler and the oil is not as dark when you change it at 3000. That means it is not braking down as fast. Hope this helps.

Had my first problem today (@ 10,100miles) but it was more of tire prob, seeing as how it got a huge hole tore in it by an irrigation pipe buried under the snow...................guess its off to the tire center tomorrow morning, by the way, did you guys notice how freakin ridiculous our spare tires look when on the cars front end.................its hilarious!!!! <br>

I've got a 2003 cavalier coupe 5-speed (base) with 20,000 km's

1) Idleing problem!!
2) once and a while, shifting will be stiff and I'll rarely not be able to get into 1st
3) no noises that I know of, I play my music really loud so I wouldn't know if ther was any??
4) vibrates.

that's about it. <br>

visit my website
http://www.cardomain.com/id/mike03redcav

Well, sometimes I go to get into my car and it seems REALLY low. That may be my air ride, though...

The seats are much more comfortable than any other J I've ridden in. But that may be my Tenzos...

The engine sounds way louder now than it did when I bought it. It might be finally breaking in. Or it could be my custom exhaust and intake...

It seems to shift really smoothly too. But that could be the B&M shifter I put in...

But seriously, I haven't had any major issues with it. She's taking real good care of me after 4800 miles and 1 oil change... Not bad for an 03...
<br>

I also am feeling some weird vibrations on the pedals while driving that seem to be coming from the suspension/front axle. [/quote wrote:

Well, I have an 04 LS Sport Coupe with 7,500 miles, and I have a misterious slight vibration in the cabin and felt in steering wheel at speeds over 65, but smooth as a baby under 65. Took it to the dealer ( I HATE DEALERS, I MEAN STEALERS) they can't find anything, they balenced and rotated all the wheel's, checked the rims, and suspension and said nothing wrong. I think I'm gonna take it back and insist they take a ride with me and then park the car there until they fix the problem; and of-course get a free rental car... lol ... Other than the little vibration, I did have a problem the other day with it starting which was really weird, I went to start it and it just turned over (never did that before) then tried again and started right up. Ive heard this on this post before, sounds like a future recall, possibly. I did notice the day and time my car went through the factory line; it was on 10/13/03 at 11:45pm.. hope this was the start of a new shift and not the end of one! lol .. Other than those two problems I really like the car. I just upgraded my tires to a Yokohoma performacnce type tire and the handeling is much better than the stocks.

heres my problems with my 03...

1) get a clunking noise in the rear and front suspension from time to time. Usually while going over a bump or making a turn

2) had a few crazy startups. seemed like it hesitated. tried the second time and started right up.

3) seen my rpms fluctuate time to time while sitting at a stop sign or at a red light. no AC was on.

4) theres been a couple times where ive got a wiff of a smell like my car just farted... is that the coolant smell some of you experience? usually when im in reverse and stick my head out the window to park. its kinda like when you farted while running the mile in high school. when you stop running it catches up with you and WHAM!

do these symptoms seem pretty common? are there any other recalls?
i know theres a recall out that supposed to fix the idling problem. i registered with mygmlink.com and theres a recall that pops up but no info. just says take it to the dealer.


also if i was to the car in and have work done it to try and fix some of my problems would they give me a rental or do i have to ask? never had to do it before, just wondering how that goes since i got my new first car. also is it free?

let me know what you guys think about my problems....

later peeps

heres my problems with my 03...

1) get a clunking noise in the rear and front suspension from time to time. Usually while going over a bump or making a turn

2) had a few crazy startups. seemed like it hesitated. tried the second time and started right up.

3) seen my rpms fluctuate time to time while sitting at a stop sign or at a red light. no AC was on.

4) theres been a couple times where ive got a wiff of a smell like my car just farted... is that the coolant smell some of you experience? usually when im in reverse and stick my head out the window to park. its kinda like when you farted while running the mile in high school. when you stop running it catches up with you and WHAM!

do these symptoms seem pretty common? are there any other recalls?
i know theres a recall out that supposed to fix the idling problem. i registered with mygmlink.com and theres a recall that pops up but no info. just says take it to the dealer.


also if i was to the car in and have work done it to try and fix some of my problems would they give me a rental or do i have to ask? never had to do it before, just wondering how that goes since i got my new first car. also is it free?

let me know what you guys think about my problems....

later peeps

my bad for the double post. computer messed up

"3) seen my rpms fluctuate time to time while sitting at a stop sign or at a red light. no AC was on."


mine does the same.. I've taken it to the dealer twice.. they just say no problems found.. if you watch the tachometer, you can see it jump.. but yet the dealer was unable to see it..

I'm gonna try another dealer next time..

I've had my wheels balanced 3 times in 8k miles.. and one tire replaced, and my steering still vibrates at over 65 also..

I had a rental 03 cavalier when my car was in the shop a few months ago, and it had all the same problems.. i doubt its just us

I also have a 03 cavy, the clunking could be the strut mount it isn't a recall it is just a fyi kind of thing.

I had the bad suspension noise when i would turn to the left, it sounded like i was runnin over a rock and sounded pretty loud. I took it to the dealer and they fixed it.

Also the control cable for the hvac that changes the flap in the dash so heat goes out vents/floor/defogger. Well it took a poo the cable broke because they said "there was to much foam around the flap so access wear was put on the selector cable." But that is now fixed but some how the tec that did it forgot to put 2 screws in my dash somewere and now my @!#$ rattles (also could be rattling due to my subs.)

Once in a while my powersteering pump makes nasty @!#$ noise, for anybody who has been around older 5.0 mustangs. The nasty @!#$ whine that they make well mine makes kinda the same kill me noise.

As for anything else, I change my oil every 2,000 miles and have used nothing but Mobile 1 Synthetic 5w-30.

I have a 2004 LS Sport 5-Speed with about 500 miles on it and I'm noticing my clutch pedal rattling...

Aaron Dowen wrote:I have a 2004 LS Sport 5-Speed with about 500 miles on it and I'm noticing my clutch pedal rattling...

there is a bulletin on that here it goes...

NOTE: the problem is the same for the 2004

--------------------------------------------------------
Clutch Pedal Buzz or Vibration (Replace Clutch Actuator Pipe) #02-07-31-003A - (09/29/2003)
Clutch Pedal Buzz or Vibration (Replace Clutch Actuator Pipe)
2000-03 Chevrolet Cavalier

2000-03 Pontiac Sunfire

with Manual Transmission -- RPOs M86 or M94

This bulletin is being revised to include newly designed parts. Please discard Corporate Bulletin #02-07-31-003 (Section 07-Transmission/Transaxle).

Condition
Some customers may comment on a clutch pedal buzz or vibration usually felt during mid travel while releasing or engaging the clutch. This condition may also be noticed if the customer "rides" or rests their foot on the clutch pedal, which is not a recommended practice.

Cause
The natural engine harmonics or vibrations that can be felt through the clutch release system may cause this condition.

Correction
A new clutch actuator pipe, which includes a damper, has been developed to reduce the vibration. Replace the clutch actuator pipe using the procedure and part numbers listed below.

Remove the air cleaner outlet duct.
Disconnect the battery cables and remove the battery.
Remove the relay center push in retainer.
Disconnect the relay battery feed cable from the upper air cleaner cover retaining clips.
Position the relay center away from the air cleaner assembly.
Remove the push in retainer from air cleaner assembly to the battery tray.
Remove the air cleaner assembly from the vehicle.
Remove the clip and disconnect the clutch actuator pipe from the master cylinder.
Remove the clip and disconnect the clutch actuator pipe from the actuator.
Remove the old clutch actuator pipe.
Install the new clutch actuator pipe, P/N 12580748, into position.
Connect the new clutch actuator pipe to the master cylinder and install the clip.
Connect the new clutch actuator pipe to the actuator and install the clip.



Install retaining bracket,P/N 12588319, with bolt, P/N 22598028, and nut, P/N 11514596, as shown above. Tighten
Tighten the nut and bolt to 10N·m(2.25 lb ft).

Slide the pin part of the air cleaner assembly into the bracket hole on the left strut tower.
Position and install the air cleaner inlet over the resonator neck.
Install the push in retainer from the air cleaner to the battery tray.
Install the relay center and the push in retainer.
Connect the relay battery feed cable into the upper air cleaner cover retaining clips.
Install the battery.
Install the air cleaner outlet duct.
Bleed the hydraulic clutch system.
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