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Trembling at idle

182K views 525 replies 136 participants last post by  goofygoober 
#1 ·
My 2.0T has a tendency to tremble at idle. I've switched to premium gas with no results. Also it doesn't alway happen, very irregular. Any ideas?
 
#70 ·
Yeah the trembling has to be something else as it's not only with the 2.0T but the 3.6 as well as reported in this thread. My guess is the idle is simply set to low for some cars or some other feature/flaw messing with the idle of the car.

My question to those that have it bad - Does it happen when you first stop at say a light or in traffic or does it happen when you first start to move from a stop or moving slow? I feel a little bump from time to time after I come to a complete stop and sit. However some say they have actually stalled in the middle of an intersection or in traffic which makes me think you were not at a complete stop but moving. Maybe I'm reading it wrong but please can you confirm?

If I let off the brake at a complete stop (just ease up on it a bit) my idle goes up a bit (maybe 200 rpms) then when I press the brake it goes back down. I will see if I can get a log of the idle over the weekend to see if it shows anything like the idle dropping to a certain number causing the bump then back up.

To those that have this issue there is a way to log it and also get a video of it happening and you don't have to do much of anything to get the log. I use a PLX BlueTooth ODB2 adapter as well as the Torque app on my Android. Whats cool about this is that you can setup things to log and film it at the same time. You can set the logging to start automatically when the app detects a connection to the Bluetooth. On top of this you can get a windshield mount and put your phone in it and record the entire thing live. So not only can you get a log of the idle and maybe fuel pressure or whatever PID you think might be an issue, but you can actually file live the stumble or stall. All of this information is copied up to a website with your entire trip in Google Earth from the start/stop of the log and you can check the log file at any point within that trip.

I know that sounds complicated but really it's not once you figure it out. It might be a good way for those with the bad issues to log/film the issue so the dealer can see it happening in real time. Total cost for me was about $100 and I got the bluetooth ODB2 adapter at Fry's.


Here is an example of what I'm talking about. This is what the video will look like.


 
#73 ·
lol whoah cant believe the issues here.

*knock on wood* my cars fantastic, does the trunk opening have anything to do with the QUE? i dont have que and my trunk never opens on its own nor do I have window rolling issues.

Also, my 2.0T does vibrate.. but it doesn't ever stall.. I have a manual if that matters.

My buddy has a 2.0T cobalt SS and his car trmbles at idle as well.
 
#74 ·
This may or may not be the cause of the problems you are describing, but I had a trembling problem for about a year on my Saab 9-3 2.0T. It would tremble in the morning when backing out of the driveway and several times at stoplights, although it never stalled. In the morning, when I rounded a corner with my foot off the gas, it would take a few seconds to gather itself when I re-applied gas, sort of turbo lag on steroids. Since I was way out of warranty, I thought it was a problem I could live with and I did for almost a year.

Then, my relatively new battery (year and a half) failed completely. When they put in a new battery, magically all of the trembling and other problems went away. My theory is was so weak it was causing the alternator to work overtime. The load imposed by the alternator load, along with the lower voltage in the car caused the engine to tremble.
 
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#84 ·
Build 10/12 -- 2.5 engine -- brief hiccups and stumbles since getting the car in December. No stalls. Some days it never occurs. Dealer spoke with Cadillac Technical Assistance and was told Cadillac is aware of the issue and it's under investigation. As of now, no fix.
 
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#86 ·
@Hair Slinger -- I feel for you and I wish you luck. I'm also dealing with a host of electrical gremlins. Some have been solved but new ones keep popping up. Re your trunk and window issues -- the 2012 Buick Lacrosse, when it first came out, had body control module issues, specifically, the G205 circuit. Trunks and windows would open by themselves, lights would go on and in some cases, the engines started by themselves in the middle of the night. Food for thought for your dealer.
 
#87 ·
I wouldn't bury the ATS over this, its a minor issue that I'm sure will get resolved. Even if my car stalled once or twice I wouldn't flip as long as it fired back up.. on the basis that cadillac was fixing it (which I'm sure they will), we did after all buy a BRAND new car series, theres bound to be a bug that didn't get caught, and I'm ok with it as long as its minor and they're gonna fix it, its not like Toyota where the accelerators got a mind of there own.

again.. mine hasn't stalled, I just noticed a weird dip in RPM's then it came back... but other than that my car is perfect (no cue) and I really have nothing to complain about.. if anything.. I have nothing by praise for this car


my buddy got his 2.0T tuned and he said the idle stumbling i gone.. it HAS to be an A/F problem wich is EASILY fixed.
 
#88 ·
I agree 100%.

My gut says that Cadillac was too aggressive with tuning the ATS for fuel economy and performance. To squeeze out a little more fuel economy they probably set the idle RPMs as low as possible which causes the engine to run just above it's rough spot and almost near it's stall zone. Should be a simple software fix for most of us.
 
#91 ·
Thanks for all e input you guys! I am a Cadillac fan!! I just got a bad one :(
I have a lot to share, but I need to let my dealership know first. Sometimes people who work on our cars do not
tell us everything... Just like most people in everyday life. My first visit to my dealership was because I saw smoke
Coming from under my hood close to the windshield drivers side. I knew it was smoke, not steam and I could smell something electrical. The dealership said it was because it was cold outside. My car ran much better before that
day. I did call also because it shook back and forth while at idle too. Something did happen under my hood that
day, and more after that day.
I am a car lover, always have been. I've grown up with drag racing, muscle cars, classic cars, and street rods...
My first car was a 67 mustang...my fastest was a 73 4 speed convertible vette, the coolest to me was my
57 T-bird that my husband restored from ground up. With a hard and soft top! But it was tough driving the 33
Street rod ZZ top looking car..
I'm telling you, something is wrong with my pretty ATS 2.0 turbo. I leased it first because it was pretty, it's a Cadillac , to me the most luxurious American made car, I stepped out of a 2010 luxury SRX 6cy, into a 2.0 turbo trying
to be conservative on fuel, ect.. I called my car zippy when I first got it, I was impressed by how quick it was and
How it handled... I don't know exactly what happened, but something did.
I'm not as mad as I am disappointed that no one from GM has helped me, and my dealership. Once in a while a bad car happens.. I truly feel un safe.
 
#92 ·
I experienced the shake just yesterday for the first time. I have felt the tremble before and believe me it's not like the shake. The shake for me felt like the car was lifting at different ends rocking from the left rear to the front right at an angle. The whole car bucked like this for about 10 secs then settled. It was quite strange. Just imaging being in a earthquake of moderate size in your car, that is what if felt like. I'm not even sure it was engine related to be honest as the shake was not from the front. Maybe the automatic shocks? Again it felt like it was at an angle from left rear to front right. Strange I know. Maybe the motor mounts? Hell I have no clue.

What is really strange though is that after my car did it, it ran smoother than it ever ran before. I swear after this happened at the next stop lights the car idled so smooth it scared me. I was expecting the tremble at least, but nothing. Smooth like butter.

To be perfectly honest, I don't want to experience the shake again. This happened while the car was cold and driven for less than a couple blocks. Not much else I can give you. I stopped at a stop sign with no problem and made a left, about 20ft I slowed at a light then made a right then about 300 yards I stopped at another light to make a left and that's when I got the shake. The temp gauge was a little over the first bar past cold. The car actually bucks like a horse back and forth, not a tremble but a pretty damn violent shake that if you experience it you WILL know the difference.
 
#94 ·
My car has never trembled, but it has stalled three times. The first time was when it was on it's first tankful, which was regular, and it happened as I was coasting into my garage after having depressed the clutch. The next two times were with premium gas, and each time it was while coasting to a stop, and after having depressed the clutch. It has never happened when taking off, only when coasting to a stop, after depressing the clutch. It does seem that there is a bit too little fuel at idle. Hopefully, it can be corrected with improved software.
 
#96 ·
CarolinaCaddy...It's not fair that any of us have to stay in these cars. I'm not giving up! I have shot video, and I have gotten audio. I put a digital recorder in my car over night. No kidding..the
QUE came on, made its TaDah noise, then went off. Also there was a ticking sound most of the time, like a clock. My car has rocked side to side aka the tremble... every time I drive it. Cold
or warmed up, sitting at stop lights, or in park in my driveway. Smoke came from under my hood... not steam, but smoke. Not all of the ATS cars are lemons.. I think quality control might play a role.. who knows. We can't give up. GM told me that I was the only one to have a problem with the 2.0 turbo.. I guess they are not reading these pages. Maybe they should spend the money we did and lease a Cadillac ATS 2.0 Turbo!!!! I dare them to!!
All muck muck aside... I'm not giving up! My car has been in 6 times since Jan 16th... and a total of over 30 days.. My state law says Lemon. I say they give us our money back, take the cars back too, before someone gets hurt!!
 
#97 ·
You guys shouldn't give up!

Hair Slinger - what did the lawyer say? Now that you have video and audio, can you show the dealer what is happening? Do you have another dealer to go to besides the one you already tried? If you saw smoke from under the hood, there might be visible damage to an electrical control unit under the hood. If you can show the dealer visible damage, they can't argue with you.

Carolina Caddy and ZR1Mom - have either of you gotten the ECU software upgrade yet? Wondering if that makes any difference.
 
#98 ·
The strangest thing with mine is that after that one time I actually had the rocking back and forth......my car has not driven better. No more trembling at lights, no more rocking, smooth idle and the gears don't seem to fight each other anymore. Weird but crossing my fingers that it stays this way.
 
#99 ·
Well, the lawyer was disappointing. They said what GM said. If the dealer does not say there is a problem, then they can't help. In other words, if the dealer can not reproduce the problems, then no one will help. I go in Thursday for my dealer to replace a tire and rim.. one of the people who drove my car to see if it would shake, tremble, or rock back and forth, or die.. one of them bit a curb hard enough on my car that it really took a chunk out of my wheel and was so hard it cut my tire!! Nice hu? Not to mention how I had to use leather cleaner to clean the grease off of my light slate color seats. So when I pick up my car Thursday I will show them the video, and the audio. It is their own employee that said my wires had melted. The dealership never acknowledged that at all... even after I told them I saw and smelled smoke back in January Any way... I don't understand why Any one should have to go through any of the things we have all been through. These are cars... who ever makes them should replace them!! I own my business, and if any one ever has a problem with products, or something one of my employees have done, I would not hesitate to take it back, replace it.. I would definitely make it right. I have done it several times, sending products back, refunding.... We all have better things to do with out
worrying if our vehicle is going to do something crazy each day we drive them... I can say, mine runs terrible.. it chokes even when driving down the highway. I had high expectations for Cadillac on this one... I feel very let down, and taken advantage of in a bad way :(
 
#100 ·
Well, the lawyer was disappointing. They said what GM said. If the dealer does not say there is a problem, then they can't help. In other words, if the dealer can not reproduce the problems, then no one will help.
You definitely need a new lawyer. You do understand that neither GM or the dealer want to eat the cost of a car? Of course they will try to avoid it. Your lawyer is to help you win against them, in court if necessary. Saying no one (which would include him) will help is just silly. That's like saying nobody could be prosecuted for a crime unless they confess.

Get a decent lawyer. And good luck. It sounds like you have a very winnable lemon law case.
 
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