2012 Equinox driveability issues

My non-car friends with the deceased Kia replaced it with a 2012 Equinox.  About 100,000 miles on it (I think).

A couple weeks ago he asked me to drive it because it was acting a little oddly:

1)  It sounded like a small Asian diesel at idle and low revs.

2)  Sitting a stoplight, you could feel it rhythmically surging against the brakes ever so slightly.  The tach was barely wobbling, but you could feel it.

Apparently it needed oil, which cured #1.  Probably.  I think.  Not sure if it's still doing the surging bit or not, because it's developed a bigger problem:

When cold, it seems to have problems taking light throttle - it poops out and needs a restart.  Heavier throttle prevents it from actually stalling, but it's still not happy.  Condition seems to improve as temperature comes up, but doesn't go away 100%.

They got home, parked it for 90 minutes or so, and condition came back on restart.

Thoughts?

So, it seems they bought an extended warranty when they bought the car, and it seems to have proven useful.

The car was diagnosed with failure of a cam actuator.  Both were replaced for a copay of $100.  While they had it, the dealer did an O2 sensor recall as well.  So far it seems cured.

On another note, what the best procedure for getting another fob key for early-tens GM products?  Is that a dealer-only item, or can they get an automotive locksmith to furnish and program one?

Thanks!

It depends on the locksmith. Not all are the same. Franchise ones are the better bet.

Dealer is the easy button with proof of ownership and photo id.

The rattling and surging at idle and stalling sounds like failing timing chains. The tensioner on those is pressurized by oil, so what happens is that they get burning oil at an astonishing rate (also a known issue that requires replacing pistons and rings), then the tensioner doesn't properly hold tension on the chains and they flail around and stretch and saw through the guides before jumping timing. Seen it about a billion times. 

The fact that it needed oil means that it probably needs pistons and rings.

Putting actuators in it might have cured it temporarily, but my bet is that it will eventually end up needing timing chains and all the guides. Possibly the balance shaft chain as well. Also, I suspect that it was the was actuator control solenoids they replaced, not the actuators themselves. The control solenoids just slide down into the valve cover and bolt in and can be replaced in 10 minutes, while the actuators are part of the cam gears and require removing the front cover and diving into the timing.

My condolences to your friends, those generation Equinox/Terrains are just. the. worst. On top of the aforementioned timing chain and piston problems, they also freeze up condensation in the PVC system and blow the rear main seal out and then kill the engine, and the transfer cases are known to a'splode without any sort of warning and the transfer case is only serviceable as an entire assembly (I actually got dragged to court once by a woman over those damn transfer cases)

What engine is in it?

My mothers 2011 3.0 V6 went 110k without any issues before selling it to a neighbor. Several years later no problems other than the t-box.

In reply to Gearheadotaku (Forum Supporter) :

I believe it's the smaller 4 cylinder.  At least I assume it is, because these folks are the most non-car people imaginable.  Literally their only criteria is that it holds their stuff and gets them from Point A to B in reasonable comfort.

In reply to NickD :

Thanks for your input.  I was kind of afraid of all that, but they didn't really ask me before they bought it.  Unfortunately they bought it to replace a Kia Sorento that burned excessive oil and eventually lunched the engine.  Sounds like they've gotten themselves into the same predicament.

I believe you are right, it was just the control solenoids.

Is there a TSB for the pistons and rings?  Or any kind of good will program?  Because he told me it was low on oil, and adding some made the rattle shut up (at least for now).  I will advise him to read the terms of the extended warranty very carefully.

In reply to Duke :

There is a special coverage on it but "this special coverage covers the condition described above for a period of 7 years and 6 months or 120,000 miles (193,000 km), whichever occurs first, from the date the vehicle was originally placed in service, regardless of ownership." So being a 2012, it's outside the terms of the special coverage. That was to replace rod/piston assemblies and all the timing chains and guides after doing oil consumption tracking (you brought the car back to the dealership every 1000 miles and they checked it and topped it off. Usage of over 1 quart per 2000 miles failed). At least if they take it to a dealership, the dealership should at least know what it needs and be able to knock it out pretty easily. Like, we had guys that could pull an Equinox in the morning, tear it down and have it running by 2pm. The Special Coverage was #16118-01: Special Coverage - Excessive Engine Oil Consumption for whatever that's worth. Also, if it's burning oil in significant amounts, I wouldn't be surprised if the catalytic converter is smoked too. We had plenty of those where you would drop the converter down when you pulled the head and it'd be all crumbling inside.

Later models have a larger oil hole in the head to provide more oil to the cam actuators, there are many problems with these engines.  My coworker just spent thousands trying to get his running correctly even after a new and updated motor.

Good Luck

In reply to NickD :

Gee, and people are afraid of VWs lol. 

In reply to Slippery :

The weird thing is that the 2.4L Ecotec was a good, if uninspiring, engine in Malibus and Veranos and other applications, but put one in an Equinox or Terrain and it was the most wretched engine you ever did see. I remember when they first started getting old enough to start giving trouble, the one tech remarked "These'll be lining our wallets for years to come." He wasn't wrong.

OK, thanks for all the input, peeps.

Look at the suspension mounts where they attach to the frame. The frame will rust like crazy to the point where the mounts break off.  If rusty, move it on before they fail.

To be fair, it seems like a problem Ecotecs I have seen were habitually 5-10k over for their oil change per sticker.   A quart every 3000mi is still bad if you go 15k between oil changes and never open the hood.

Is it an interference engine?  I assume so.

In reply to Duke :

Yes. And I've seen them interfere quite a few times. We had one once where it was run low on oil and jumped timing and had a piston-to-valve spatial dispute. Our tech looked at it and wanted to just put either a new or used engine in it. The customer's aftermarket warranty though, wanted him to put pistons, rods, timing chains, and valves in it. He tears it all down and we sent the head out to a machine shop to have it fully checked out. They found that, on top of the split cam followers and bent valves, the camshafts were bowed and the head was cracked around where the cam caps bolted to the cylinder head, that's how hard this thing slammed the pistons into the heads. So the warranty company also ended up buy a new fully loaded cylinder head. By the time the warranty company was done, basically the only thing left of the engine was the block and crankshaft. So they maybe spent a mite less money than buying a new engine in parts, but shelled out a E36 M3load more in labor.

Bad vehicles attract bad previous owners. Then they're super cheap on the secondary market. Non-Honda/Toyota crossovers are going to be filling the junkyards SOON. They will be bursting with them. The JYs might end up just completely scrapping them rather than trying to sell the parts. I'm sure there will be some engines we can use for other things though.

NickD said:

In reply to Slippery :

The weird thing is that the 2.4L Ecotec was a good, if uninspiring, engine in Malibus and Veranos and other applications, but put one in an Equinox or Terrain and it was the most wretched engine you ever did see. I remember when they first started getting old enough to start giving trouble, the one tech remarked "These'll be lining our wallets for years to come." He wasn't wrong.

These days it's SOP to add 500cc to the engine or a turbo in order to deal with the weight, larger wheels and tires, extra crap left in the vehicle at all times and wind resistance when going from a car to a crossover but back then it wasn't always. So I feel the engines were overstressed.