Why?

[barry98 0]

Ok here is the deal. I purchased a 2013 spark from a co-workers mom. Mom had bought it new and has all documented service performed at the purchase dealership. 2019 Moms husband pasted away and she desided to sale the car because she did not need multiple vehicles. Car has less than 50k at time I purchased it. I enjoy the car up till a week ago when one morning on the way to work the check engine light comes on, the stability traction light comes on and the car would not go over 60. As most I do the normal thing of googling the issue to see if I can get an idea of what possibly could be wrong. Upon search I find hundreds of complaints of the same thing and no one getting any answers. So I take it to the dealer. I tell service manager what it's doing to which he shakes his head and continues my sentence obviously aware of an issue with this model. I tell him I have seen many comments and post about it and could they check it. This was Wednesday morning.  Friday morning they call and tell me either rebuild or new engine is the only solution. ????... A vehicle with 60k and always properly serviced needs a new 6k motor? I call BS!!!!  I need some assistance in resolution before seeking legal advice.  Would like to just have it fixed but why should I pay the full bill?....A little help here.....

[Bobby MSME 100]

My seat of the pants guess is dirty carbon deposits on valves. 

That will cause misfiring and CEL (Check Engine Light) to pop up.

Has a compression check been made?

How about the spark plugs & coil?

First try using something like Seafoam engine cleaner.

Since the car was properly serviced, engine wear is unlikely cause.

If that does not work,

Find a good mechanic shop and have the valves cleaned if dirty

or replaced if pitted and burned.

Should be lot less expensive than a new engine.

Edited November 24, 2019 by Bobby MSME

[LittleBlue! 102]

On 11/22/2019 at 9:39 PM, barry98 said:

Ok here is the deal. I purchased a 2013 spark from a co-workers mom. Mom had bought it new and has all documented service performed at the purchase dealership. 2019 Moms husband pasted away and she desided to sale the car because she did not need multiple vehicles. Car has less than 50k at time I purchased it. I enjoy the car up till a week ago when one morning on the way to work the check engine light comes on, the stability traction light comes on and the car would not go over 60. As most I do the normal thing of googling the issue to see if I can get an idea of what possibly could be wrong. Upon search I find hundreds of complaints of the same thing and no one getting any answers. So I take it to the dealer. I tell service manager what it's doing to which he shakes his head and continues my sentence obviously aware of an issue with this model. I tell him I have seen many comments and post about it and could they check it. This was Wednesday morning.  Friday morning they call and tell me either rebuild or new engine is the only solution. ????... A vehicle with 60k and always properly serviced needs a new 6k motor? I call BS!!!!  I need some assistance in resolution before seeking legal advice.  Would like to just have it fixed but why should I pay the full bill?....A little help here.....

I would be curious what the code for the check engine light is. You can go to an auto parts store like auto zone or o'Reillys and borrow a obd2 scanner for free. They usually just hold your license if anything. Scan the car and right down those codes. That will give you a better idea of what is going on. Did the dealership tell you what codes came up?

[Ray Dockrey 97]

I agree with Blue. What code? Was the check engine light flashing or just on? If it was flashing then its an active misfire. If it was just on then it could be anything. The first thing you should have done it retrieved the code and then did some searching. Always arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible before taking it somewhere to be fixed whether its the dealership or an independent garage. Most of the time if I have to take my car in I know whats wrong or at least have an idea. That way I know when they start feeding me a bunch of crap. 

 

As far as getting a lawyer you are wasting your money. You bought a used car from an individual. You have no leg to stand on. Sure the engine shouldn't go bad at 60K but it happens. And if you had done some research ahead of time you would have known the 13's were prone to engine issues like this. Gm replaced a bunch of them under warranty. That was why the PCV recall was done to help alleviate the engine replacement issue. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by Ray Dockrey

[Bobby MSME 100]

I found this OldGearHead's post from 2017...might be relevant for your issues, especially the PCV valve issue with 2013 Sparks.

 

"Just the flashing CEL is an emission issue...could be misfiring due to fouled plug, bad coil, fouled MAS and a whole host of mostly non-critical issues. Does the engine idle smoothly? Does it drive OK with normal power..if so, you can most likely drive the distance to a dealer. I am assuming you had the PCV recall done? "

[Ray Dockrey 97]

2 hours ago, Bobby MSME said:

I found this OldGearHead's post from 2017...might be relevant for your issues, especially the PCV valve issue with 2013 Sparks.

 

"Just the flashing CEL is an emission issue...could be misfiring due to fouled plug, bad coil, fouled MAS and a whole host of mostly non-critical issues. Does the engine idle smoothly? Does it drive OK with normal power..if so, you can most likely drive the distance to a dealer. I am assuming you had the PCV recall done? "

Actually he had it backwards. If its flashing then it is critical because it is in a misfire condition. This can cause damage to the engine. If its solid then it can be driven and could be a number of things. The other things mentioned is correct. This is one of many articles I found on misfires. 

 

Flashing Check Engine Light

The rule of thumb is that if the check engine light is flashing, you can't keep driving the car. It's an emergency. Often it indicates an engine misfire. If you keep driving, you will likely cause irreversible damage, mostly to the (expensive) catalytic converter.