Retired old Gearhead

According to a Chevrolet service bulletin, the most common cause of the oil burning issue on some Chevy engines is stuck oil control rings. Generally the stuck oil control rings (lower ring on piston) are the result of excessive oil on the cylinder walls and this excessive oil can come from the PCV system and/or the AFM pressure relief valve in the oil pan. Upon inspection of an engine experiencing this problem, you will typically see an oil-fouled spark plug. Although excessive oil may also show up in the intake manifold. Symptoms include sluggish performance as well as excessive oil cons

What kind of oil are you using and what is your oil change frequency?

Like 'Large-Bob', I too have quite a few years engine experience (40+)...everything from motorcycle to aircraft rotary piston 'poppers' and all those in between. Like Bob, I have no experience with VVT and also did some research on the VVT systems and problems associated with that. Due to the VVT, tight tolerances, high compression and high temp engine, oil condition is critical on the Spark engine. Unlike the older push-rod engines the Spark engine cannot tolerate ANY kind of sludge build-up or off timing to any degree. Checking under the filler cap is the most simple way to check for sl

At a recent visit to my GM dealer I popped the hood of a new 2014 Spark 1LT in the showroom. I noticed a big difference in the A/C compressor assembly. It had what appeared to be a different compressor, bigger clutch and some other modules on top of the compressor topped off by a small heat shield. Looks like they may have resolved the A/C issue in the later build 2014's as the earlier builds of the 2014 don't have that. I'll snap a pix & post it next I am by the dealer.

Good point Greg. Keep your invoices. The 3 page invoice/documentation I received included all the details including the error with the oil as well as all previous service history, including delivery date and mileage, remaining oil life of 52% , service codes, tech & service adviser names, part # codes, cost and credits as well as a notation "excessive delays- re wrong oil put in car.*code 904 internal (N/C to customer) + Code 904 internal (N/C) on next oil & tire rotation. $50 credit on any future service or part". I scanned the pages to PDF for my records. Fortunately my dealer

Update: Had my oil changed at the dealer. I specified 5w20 synthetic-Dexos. Drove for about 150 mi. and found the gas mileage poor and upon parking found a rough idle. Checked the work order. They had done the oil change with 100% Synthetic top of the line Dexos® approved oil. Castrol SLX. Only problem was: they used 10w30. OOPS! Called dealer to explain we need 5W20. Came back to dealer and they were very accommodating in that they replaced the oil and filter with the correct type and issued me a free oil change, next time around, tire rotation and a $50 credit. My point here is..make

From what I know about high compression VVT engines (Spark is 10.5), clean thin oil plays an important part in these high temperature engines. Until the issue is diagnosed and resolved it might be a good idea to use a high quality 5w20 and change the oil/filter at the 50% oil life indicator mark, specially if the oil appears dirty to the degree that it no longer has the 'amber' color or appears 'sooty'. I have just done exactly that and had it done at my GM dealer asking to have the oil that is exactly to the specs (Dexos) that GM specifies. This will cover me in case I run into the issue and

My Mechanic has heard from a reliable source in the industry contacts he has that GM is looking at the VVT system regarding the oil burning issue. This includes timing control sensors, blocked oil ports etc. Improper timing can result in an intake valve being cracked by piston contact and some users have had this happen. Most issues seem to pop up around 25K so he is thinking oil sludge blocking some control ports and has seen a very similar issue on Toyota's some years back. Non of this has been verified (except the Toyota issue) as GM is quite secretive (officially) regarding unresol

Thanx austex04! Talked to my mechanic about this issue and since his son has a 2013 Spark he is also interested in this issue. He has contacts all over the car industry and emailed me that the issue is becoming more common now that the Sparks sold in 2013 are starting to get into the 25K mi range. Seems to be a warped #4 sleeve or crack issue #4 cyl is most common. Could be due to car running lean or advanced timing or poor cooling at the #4 location. A bad sensor could cause any of these problems...still he says that from the feedback he has gotten, due to the complexity of the engine design

I'm sure all members would be VERY interested to know how many 2013 owners who have over 25K-miles are NOT having the excessive oil consumption issue. The reason I ask is that I am wondering if this is a design flaw in ALL the 2013 engines. Any 2014 owners with 25k+mi please chime in as well. This would give us a better idea what is going on and if this issue was corrected in the 2014 units. Also please state whether you have a manual or auto trans. as well as the build date if you have that handy. This little survey could be very useful in determining how widespread this issue is.

I'm sure all members would be VERY interested to know how many 2013 owners who have over 25K-miles are NOT having the excessive oil consumption issue. The reason I ask is that I am wondering if this is a design flaw in ALL the 2013 engines. Any 2014 owners with 25k+mi please chime in as well. This would give us a better idea what is going on and if this issue was corrected in the 2014 units. Also please state whether you have a manual or auto trans. as well as the build date if you have that handy. This little survey could be very useful in determining how widespread this issue is.

My 2013 Spark 1LT, auto, build date 01.2013 uses about 1/4 Qt of 5w20 non-dexos Mobil Super 1000 premium rated ILSAC GF-5 per 7,000 Mi. Other car, Chevy SS V8 has similar usage. I consider this normal compared to vehicles owned in the past. I drive the Spark hard and cruise at 75-80mph.

The 'Knock Sensor' not only alerts the user to a possible ignition problem but also adjusts the timing to try to correct the problem. A faulty sensor is even worse as it will constantly adjust the timing to resolve a non existent problem resulting in reduced performance. This sensor should be replaced ASAP and not just cleared each time. If the 'Check Engine' light came on due to, say, a loose gas cap, well, then no big deal and do a reset. I would push to have it replaced as it is not a big or costly job as it is a module threaded into the engine block. In the meantime check for perfor

A small engine like this is very sensitive to ambient temp, humidity and speed. I find a huge difference between cruising at 60mph and 75mph. In my V8 car the difference is hardly noticeable. The car has very little torque so wind resistance or hills become a greater factor than a bigger engine with more torque.

A private sale will certainly always get you a better price if you do it carefully. Stick to your 'low point' price, be willing to spend some time and do it with some 'flare'. A dealer can get a bunch of daily rental, low mileage, current year Sparks for $8K or less from a rental fleet turnover sale or auction. They will usually mark them up to around $13,899 expecting to sell at $13K with the buyer feeling good thinking they got a great deal having knocked the dealer down $899. Make sure your car is spotless inside and out, use some tire shine and clean the engine compartment to new condition

I'm really curious about the reasons you chose a Spark over another vehicle. OK...I guess I should go first.. We are both retired. We don't do any long road trips as we get discounted air travel (retired from airline). We wanted a small, inexpensive second car to replace my wife's old V8 SUV that could be used for short trips to Miami Beach, around town or the Keys from our home in South Miami. Parking in Miami, in particular Miami Beach, is hard to find so the small Spark fits the little spaces where others don't. The MyLink was a big deal as we can voice activate calls. The car handled well

Gossamer says : "First of all, ANY change of the engine - even if it is something as simple as putting different heads on a motor can change things a lot" I agree. The 2013 Spark was completely redone for the US market and can't really be compared to a 2012 overseas market version. As far as the problems Gossamer has posted regarding his car and his dealings with GM, well, those problems should be fixed to the point where his car performs to specs within 'reason', by 'reason' I mean that the variables are how the car is driven (gas mileage), climate etc..you get my drift.

I agree with the Big-Bob! The supplied kit is good only for a small puncture but anything more than that would require a tow to a dealer or a garage that may or may not have your tire size in stock. If you were in a rural area on a road trip, or an area without cell reception...well you get my drift.

As long as it is in spray form and not foam it should work equally well. I have used ArmorAll - Original® spray designed for interior car use on the engine compartment on other vehicles for years with good results. I just happened to have the Turtle Tire Shine® on hand as I was using it on my older Chevy SS big tires and the Turtle product was cheaper. Just don't use WD-40 as it contains solvents. •Here is a link to products I like that may help you decide what is best for your needs: http://www.armorall.com/product-types/protectants/

Ataristic said "angstrom thin paint that chips easily". I agree. We have numerous paint chips on the left and right side of the hood. Most just down to white primer. but some right down to metal. Never had that before on any car I have owned. I just clean the chipped spots with rubbing alcohol and place a drop of red touch-up paint to prevent rust starting. Poor quality and very thin paint combined with airflow attracts the little rock particles since the airflow is directed to that area rather than over the side flares of the hood. This car is not our pride and joy and basically we just drive

Here's a tip to keep your engine compartment looking like new: The salty air in Miami causes aluminum surfaces to oxidize. Looks like whitish/gray powder on aluminum surfaces. I decided to use a 'rubber safe' tire dressing that comes in a spray bottle to spray the exposed area of the engine and and all the tubes and hoses. Engine and all rubber/plastic/etc looks like new and the thin coating keeps it that way without harming the rubber or plastic areas. Avoid the belts. It's been about a month since the application over the entire engine compartment and all components are clean, shiny and cor

Here's a short video of our dealer's new way of dealing with recalls.: http://devour.com/video/car-grinder/

Bluer101 said: "They started with compressors. Then had expansion valves. Then the blend door pieces. Then software. Then the clueless dealers with all types of magic fixes including it's operating correctly." I sorta agree..very confusing as to what exactly is causing the A/C issue. Surely the fix must be the same for all units that have the exact same problem. Some of the fixes that are currently being done include the evaporator temp sensor. That sorta makes sense as it is the sensor that controls cycling I/O, however that is a huge job to replace that part due to the location unde

Since this forum is monitored by GM Customer Service reps, 'making some noise' about issues you have is not a bad idea as it informs other members of issues as well as the GM reps. If no one complained or explained issues they have like the common A/C issue it may have taken longer for GM to address this problem.

Indeed the Dexos® branded synthetic oils are very good and will most likely last a bit longer before changes than conventional oils. I find the prices for those oils too high and do my own changes using Mobil Super 1000 conventional 5w20. A 5 qt. jug costs me about $20. I change it at 5K miles regardless of what the oil life indicator says. Comes out looking fairly clean & the car burns practically zero oil. This is a very good quality oil and my mechanic, whom I trust after 20+ yrs of dealing with his shop, recommended this as an excellent alternative to the much more expensive Dexos® oil