LE2 Turbo DI in 2nd Generation Cruze

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Finally traded in our 2010 Malibu LT before it became a total money pit and got a great deal on a 2nd gen Cruze.

The question is the LE2 in the new Cruze is turbo direct injected, and I can't find many people talking about it yet. Of course my biggest concern is LSPI and dilution. We moved to 93 octane off the bat and I still log a bit of KR under boost (1 - 2 degrees) and wrote that off as protection in the tune or maps from running 87 octane. Thing makes some monster torque for such a tiny engine. It's pretty great!

Cruzetalk.com isn't really much help for the newer models. I do understand there isn't nearly as many 2nd gen as 1st in the wild. I know the LE2 is a clean slate engine design from the LUJ/LUV Family 0, so my information is limited.

Anyone had time to play with these engines yet, or even better run different oil?
 
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The LE2 is prime candidate for LSPI, so be careful with it. It would be worse in a heavier vehicle, such as the Malibu. High octane fuel, low volatility oil, minimize Calcium content, and PCV foul air catch cans are all possible solutions we talk about on BITOG. How is the programming on the transmission? Does it tend to hold higher gears at low engine speeds, forcing it to lug below 2000 rpm?
 
Not sure my 2015 Trax 1.4 is the same motor as yours but living in the Rockies the standard grade of regular is 85 octane which we ran for the first couple of years. After re-reading the owners manual recommending 87 octane I started running it. My wife who drives the car and notices nothing at all said the performance was much better (I didn't tell her I changed the fuel octane, I fill the tank each week) and MPG went up between 2-3 MPG. The 6 speed A/T in the Trax is a gem, it keeps the motor in the powerband all the time. Love this motor, it will pull Eisenhower Tunnel at 75mph all day long.
 
I believe the engine in your Trax is the port-injected 1.4T used since 2011 in the Cruze and Sonic. I wonder what the trans./final drive ratios are like compared to the Cruze? If it's geared lower that could make the 1.4 even more fun. But anyway, don't mean to hijack.
 
My bad, for some reason I always thought it was direct injected. Might have to pay more attention next time I look under the hood!
 
On my 2013 the PCV is built into a composite valve cover that's $100 on eBay - think I needed one around 80k but dealer did it for free and changed the hose array too.
Wonder if having a catch can ahead of that would make them last allot longer.
 
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
The LE2 is prime candidate for LSPI, so be careful with it. It would be worse in a heavier vehicle, such as the Malibu. High octane fuel, low volatility oil, minimize Calcium content, and PCV foul air catch cans are all possible solutions we talk about on BITOG. How is the programming on the transmission? Does it tend to hold higher gears at low engine speeds, forcing it to lug below 2000 rpm?


It does tach very low. It's easy to command a downshift however. I never feel like I'm lugging and have no audible sound that it is experiencing anything. I usually call a downshift on hills, which I'm not sure is the right thing to do.
 
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