New car new problem! (Reposted)

[Slow-But-Fast]

Hello! I had originally put this in the intro forum but realized there was a trouble shooting forum. So I basically copied and pasted the other forum to this one.

Im Slow-But-Fast (SbF) which is how I feel when I drive the Aveo, haha. I got a 2006 Aveo Lt hatchback (123k) in late June 2016 so I could commute to school (80 miles one way). I had predicted to put 30,000 miles a year on this car. Commuting is cheaper than renting an apartment near my school. I bought the car because it was suppose to have great gas mileage (30mpg) and it was suppose to be very affortable (< $3k).

Both are wrong. In the beginning I was getting about 24mpg but that was because I wasnt driving to school yet. Once the Fall came I started getting 22mpg then averaged 18-20mpg. I had changed the oil before school and again during winter. I had already put about 10k miles on it!!

During the summer I got an ultra guage which is suppose to tell you "live" information such as your ave. Mpg, instant mpg, miles driven, fuel used, read and reset trouble codes and much more. The ultra guage was not calibrated right. It kept on saying I was getting 27 mpg but I was actually getting 22 or 24 (at the time). It would also say that I had driven farther or shorter than what my trip meter stated. I calculated my mpg every time I fill up my tank and the ultra guage was only right once after some recalibrations but thats it. The reason why I got the ultra guage was to help me with increasing my mpg by letting me know how I am driving but its inaccurate. Anyway thats another issue for another day...

My current issue is that Im getting trouble codes. On 12/14/16 I got 9 trouble codes mainly about the o2 sensors and the trottle position sensors.
They are:
P2106, p2110, p2135, p1516, p0134, p0133, p0131, p0138, p0137.

I remember during the last few weeks of the Fall semester I had forward jerking motions while driving over 60+ mph. I noticed that they appeared once I started to put less pressure on the gas pedal or that I was driving at a constant speed with a constant pressure on the gas pedal. I did use my cruze control alot but since the jerking not any more. I noticed that the jerking would stop once I started putting more pressure on the gas pedal which would increase my mph but once the speed matched the pressure I put on the pedal the car would jerk. So I would constantly have to let my foot off the pedal (which stopped the jerking) and accelerate again until I was going too fast. Doing this for an hour was not fun.

I had stalled several times on the parkway- where it wouldnt accelerate any more no matter how many times I pressed on the pedal; hopefully there werent any cars near me. I had let the car completely turned off for a few minutes then started it again. Sometimes the jerking would stop after I resetted the trouble codes. Maybe a minute later and the engine light would come back on and I would also get that jerking motion.

I had the o2 problems since mid summer but got the jerking issues in late November- December. I did replace both os2 sensors in the late summer but I still have the problems. My dad, who had worked on cars and knows alot about cars, had said that I had a exhaust leaks that caused the os2 codes. This made sense since that was one of the main causes for all the os2 issues. I did have exhaust leaks which I tried to fix but failed to do. I had recently got my exhaust pipes replaced. All piping from the catalytic converter (not including) to the tail pipe was replaced a week or so ago.

Im still getting the jerking motion and the trouble codes:
P2135, p2297, p0134, p0131, p0138, p0133(pending)

Im also getting 16-18mpg.
I would like to know if there is something I can test so I know how to fix my trouble codes and to increase my mpg.

I look forward to interacting the Aveo community!

Thank you in advance,
SbF

[Salto_Jorge]

Have you looked at the fuel filter ? Are you running cheap regular fuel ? How is the timing belt (any idea how many times it was replaced ) ?

[Slow-But-Fast]

I was thinking about changing the fuel filter but I actually haven't looked at anything. I suppose Im running cheap fuel, but sometimes I put top tier feul. Im also not sure when the timing belt was replaced. I know the serpetine belt was replaced 100k.

Thank you for replying!!

[avguy]

You should remove, clean, and examine the throttle body. If there is an issue with the TPS, you'll need to replace the entire throttle body, because that part was integrated into the TB starting with your '06.

[Slow-But-Fast]

You should remove, clean, and examine the throttle body. If there is an issue with the TPS, you'll need to replace the entire throttle body, because that part was integrated into the TB starting with your '06.

Thank you for replying!
I have cleaned the intake valve with throttle cleaner. I nearly used half a can and lots of rags. This was probably between late December and early January. It was really dirty. (See attachment-taken on 12/23/16)

Which throttle body should I get? (local)
Tech Smart Electronic Throttle Body S20037: Advance Auto Parts

ACDelco Throttle Body C7000410291ACD: Advance Auto Parts

Or should I wait to get something from online?
http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/c...ttle+body,6472

Should I get the AC Delco OEM throttle body?


Is there any way to test if the throttle body is bad- as if its the main root of the problem? Or could it just be that the other factors are making my throttle body bad? If the latter is correct than the new throttle body would eventually go bad since the other factors weren't resulted correctly.

[avguy]

If this were mine, I would not just replace the TB without doing as much testing as possible first. I'd want to get static and also load testing done on the battery, vacuum gauge readings, compression test numbers, and realtime OBD datastream values (fuel trim, etc) as well. Then, if nothing good happens with all of that, I'd begin doing multi-meter testing of all parts related to those codes (TPS, IAC, etc.).

If you're not up for that, and just want to hang on a TB, sorry I can't offer anything there because I've never seen any feedback reported for that part in the aftermarket.

[Slow-But-Fast]

Im willing to to do any test. I just need guidance on how to do them, how to understand what the data means and all the tests that are needed to figure out the problems. Thank you for the advice!

Are you able to direct me to information and/or instructions that I can use to perform these tests?

[avguy]

As there are so many voltage codes, I'd do the battery test first. Static (not running) battery should read around 12.6V. Then start it up and run it a couple of minutes with nothing switched on, and measure the baseline running voltage, which should be somewhere in the range of 13.5-14.5V. Then have a helper turn things on, one-at-a-time, while you continue to monitor the battery voltage. Every time something is switched on, you'll probably see a brief voltage drop, and then it should bounce right back to the baseline and remain steady. Hit the battery with the maximum possible load by leaving everything turned on as you run through the testing. You're looking to confirm that the voltage remains at the baseline regardless of what the load on it is.

[Slow-But-Fast]

Sorry I havent reaponded in awhile... I dont really feel comfortable doing a battery test in the rain and it has been raining for a few days now. I'll let you know when I get my results.

When you say "have a helper turn things on", do you mean have someone turn on the fan from off to on (1), then 2, then 3 and so on? Defrost rear button? Recycle air button?

Im also curious on how a battery would affect the other problems I'm having.

Thank you so much!

[avguy]

Yes, everything gets switched on to 'max', one-at-a-time, and is left on at that setting. Do the wipers last, and have a spray water bottle on hand to keep the wipers wet while they're operating.

The reason for the battery test is that modern vehicles have many sensitive electronic components, and are highly dependent on having a good source of electricity. I've read numerous reports on various forums describing all types of issues being resolved simply by replacing a bad battery or alternator. Although I wouldn't be expecting this to be the issue, it's such a quick and easy test to do that I generally run through at least an abbreviated version of it every time I get a code on one of our vehicles.

Another quick and easy test you can also do is, with the engine running, gently move all of the wires and vacuum hoses that you can safely reach. You're listening for any change in rpms or performance while moving stuff around. Doing this test can flush out a bad/loose connector/wire, or a loose or broken hose.

If this quick and easy stuff doesn't bring any joy, then it's on to the more time consuming testing.