Cold Start- Gas Fouling Spark Plugs, Flickering Oil Light, Check Engine Light

[petrified.rabbit]

How do I test for that? We do have oil on the spark plugs...

Would that also cause the flickering oil light?

you need a cylinder leak down tester, and an air compressor. IT works like a compression tester, but you pressurize the cylinder yourself (over pressurize if you will) and the check for leaks into the other systems.

if the oil is leaking, it could..

[Gemsnake65]

Oil changes were done every 3,000 miles. Our personal mechanic, said that Toyota and Nissan have the same kind of issue, no one has never figured it out. HE does not believe that the valves are bad. He believes this car is just a LEMON!

[Chevy Customer Svc]

Gemsnake65,
We're very sorry to read about the frustrations you've encountered with your 2005 Aveo. Have you had any luck getting this addressed since your last post?
Sarah (Assisting Vanessa), Chevrolet Customer Service

[Gemsnake65]

The Mechanic has it and is evaluating it. Compression in the valves are good so he is pretty sure it is a Fuel Delivery problem..not the valves. Relating back to the original thought that the computer recall that we were never notified of is the foundation of all the problems...AND THANK YOU GM!! Now that you demanded I take it to the dealership for diagnostics, I can't even use it as a TRADE IN!! YOU GUYS SUCK!

[waynek20047]

I have been having lots of unusual codes for my 2005 Aveo LS, misfires, hard to start only when cool or cold, and it just won’t start at times. It acts as if the engine gets flooded when it fails to start. All of these issues began after my car overheated badly (on my daughter) because the plastic water inlet for the thermostat separated (a manufacturer defect in my opinion) a common problem on these vehicles as I have discovered. I have since replaced practically ever electrical sensor on the engine and I am still having trouble starting at times. Especially, after it has been sitting for a while and has cooled down. NEVER a starting problem when the engine is warm.
A few weeks ago it would not start at all as I was leaving from work on afternoon. I had the problem even after installing new iridium spark plugs. They were fouling-out within the first few thousand miles of being installed.

I took (had towed) the 05 Aveo to a decent mechanic to have the problem diagnosed by professionals. They kept the car several days chasing down codes which still pointed to things I'd already replaced. In the end they replaced the air conditioner sensor, the oil seals around the spark plugs, and installed new plugs and wires and the vehicle ran fine for several weeks. The only problem I noticed was the coolant level keeps going down with no obvious external leaks.

After reading a post somewhere about a possible leak into a cylinder caused by some failure because of overheating, it all made sense. I added a bottle or Bars gasket and intake sealer to the coolant two days ago and the vehicle is running better than it has in a very long time. Ever since the overheating incident happened.

Like so many of you have posted, error codes are just an indicator of where something wrong happened. The code may not point to the actual CAUSE of the error. I feel fairly confident that the coolant getting into one or more of the cylinders caused by the internal water pressure pushing through a crack or failed gasket of some sort as the engine cools down (allowing the crack/gap to expand) has been causing my misfire errors, hard start and ultimately the no start problems.
If your Aveo has overheated, and your engine coolant goes down, you could have a similar issue. I will keep you guys posted as I continue to drive the Aveo.

[Gemsnake65]

I really hope we can find enough people with similiar problems to possibly pursue a class action.

[avguy]

I really hope we can find enough people with similiar problems to possibly pursue a class action.

Don't want to rain on your parade, even though we KNOW the plastic housing fails like clockwork, and has probably caused many overheats and significant engine damage. The early 7 gen Honda Civic had a systemic auto transmission problem, due to the use of inferior clutches, and an inaccessible filter. Honda (yes, the one with the great reputation), just ignored all of the commotion, and quietly upgraded the clutches in subsequent years, without ever admitting anything or paying a dime to anyone. Not much chance unless someone can prove a safety issue exists.

[waynek20047]

I really hope we can find enough people with similiar problems to possibly pursue a class action.

I agree there is not much we can expect GM to do. Can't really prove it absolutely causes a safety problem.

I'm just looking to save other owners the frustration and expense of treating the symptoms instead of the problem. In my case the realy problem seems to have been coolant leaking into the piston cylinder when the engine cooled down. The coolant would foul the plug causing a misfire and eventually flooding the cylinder with fuel. Stopping the leak is the only thing that solved my problem. I spent way too much on parts and diagnostic fees before discovering the "real problem".
If you are loosing ANY coolant make sure you solve that problem first.

[JusteR]

For what its worth, I chased a blown head gasket/cracked block for 2 years before it was finally enough to hydro-lock the motor. I had done compression tests, leakage tests, dye tests. It was only losing coolant overnight and I was only adding a quart a month towards the end. never white smoke, only smelled like a leak once every couple of months.

never tore that motor down to confirm, but i had enough of that car and got rid of it.