2020 Chevy Malibu 1.5L TOTAL MELTDOWN at Just 98,000 miles! I Thought GM FIXED This Problem.

[@CoryRwtfyt]

Your description of the average Malibu driver is spot on.

[@hewhohugs]

Right, it was like I was on i270 LOL

[@Samsquanch6969]

​@@hewhohugsevery frickin morning lol

[@zxggwrt]

It was perfect. And could be applied to other cars as well. Maybe one that starts with and ends with an A!

[@ianriggs]

That made me laugh out loud

[@ahsmeg4069]

No, it's not. He's being far too kind. He has to to avoid being demonetized.

[@williamcap2236]

Uncle Rodney didn't show but uncle Melton DID !

[@module79l28]

And he came specifically for the family barbecue! 😂

[@theunknown7683]

It's been a minute since I seen him.

[@billgraff4809]

Your description of the average Malibu driver is not only hilarious, it's also accurate. Love it.

[@theorenhobart]

i think he got inspiration from stephen colberts 'meanwhile' intro

[@ronaldrist5985]

Ive got a 2010 malibu. Bought it new. Never ever have had any repairs on it. V-6 w/6 speed auto.

[@ianriggs]

@@ronaldrist5985 nice! Hope it continues to treat you well

[@WalkiTalki]

@@ronaldrist5985 Thats the one to get. Ive ridden in my neighbor's and it is nice. But he is very focused on maintaince for everything. His car, yard and house are the perfect example of responsibility. Ive never seen the 1.5ltr but I'd buy the 3.6, especially if he was selling it. He did the water pump and timing chain two years ago and has never had a problem that I know of since.

[@otisgray2622]

Living in Southern Az I may have seen I few of those🤔

[@garytull7730]

98,000 miles. Just about due for that first oil change.

[@robertslegers257]

What do you mean It had a Valvoline oil filter it was in the quick lube at least once.

[@olanderdecastro52]

Nah…it’ll be fine for another 25,000. Just don’t drive on the highway. You can still make that thing work with a misfiring piston with a giant hole in it. Just turn the radio up so you don’t have to hear that chuka chuka boom boom from the engine skipping a couple of cylinders. All good!

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Nah 100k is the sweet spot. If you achieve that elusive level you're introduced to loosey goosey suspension and about two transmission in 😂

[@metalted6128]

Mobile one says right on the bottle, good for 20,000 miles!!! Never do that!! No!!! Folks!! I’ll do 5k max. Don’t care if it can go longer.

[@apollo7557]

150k if you’re a Kia driver

[@bobbyvarnell9350]

I’m currently working on a 2017 Malibu because the wife smoked a deer at about 45mph, these little engines are pretty easy to work on, the only thing I have had to do engine wise so far is replace the vacuum pump. It currently has 165,000 miles, and the engine still runs like a watch, but I’m pretty religious about changing the oil every 3000 miles.

[@apollo7557]

Who could’ve guessed? Changing the oil is GOOD for the engine? What??

[@chuckgladfelter]

Yeah, GM powertrains seem to be decent for the most part but they need service. I have confidence in my Cadillac XT4 with the 2.0 motor.

[@syloui]

yea they're reliable if you ignore the oil life indicator on the dash and change your oil based on the miles, something most GM owners don't do (GM wants them to trust the built in oil life indicator so they can sell more engines)

[@toddhowe427]

"If you think you hate it now, just wait until you drive one".

[@raymondcanessa7208]

Vacation (1983)

[@gregs9555]

😂 good one!

[@apollo7557]

Perfect description of half of modern cars

[@raymondcanessa7208]

@@apollo7557 turbo gdi

[@SSgt-]

I’ve got a 2020 Malibu with this engine. My mother bought it shortly before she quit driving so at a year old with 1,400 miles on it I started using it for my road car. Three years and 60k miles later still works good. Oil changes with synthetic oil every 5k and CVT service at 45k.

[@absurdengineering]

That’s the thing - modern engines have tiny tolerances and clean oil is imperative. Once there’s junk in the oil, things start going bad very quickly.

[@_Lassic_]

I'm starting to think the newer modern engines aren't bad at all actually. They just reqire regular maintenance, or they explode.

[@dannyrbailey]

An owner that actually cares about maintenance can cover the inherent flaws of a motor. Good for you actually taking care of your car. I’m sure an owner like you can give it a longer life than most people who see cars as disposable/ optional to take care of/ don’t understand maintenance at all

[@LabCat]

"That's a nice timing chain! Zero karat!" That one got me.

[@Shadows-RC]

I don't get it

[@GeneCash]

I'm in the middle of replacing the clutch basket on my FJR-1300... discovered the basket times the engine balancer! Thanks for not telling me that in the service manual, Yamaha. Asked myself "what would Eric do??" Used a compression gauge to find #1 on compression instead of draining the coolant & pulling the valve cover.

[@PaulG.x]

Using a dowel down the spark plug hole is more precise

[@stevebot]

@@PaulG.xDial indicator, same process for timing some old machines with points. Advance isn’t in degrees, it’s in thousandths.

[@dawnpoint]

I chucked a water pump across the parking lot in your honor last night. Stupid thing was an aftermarket crap pump in a Lexus engine that failed after 15k miles. Luckily it just leaked a ton and had some play, didn't blow the engine up... But it got the Eric Chuck.

[@JHargraves1182]

I’m not much of a GM fan but these are pretty good little engines. People don’t realize that you cant go 10,000 miles on an oil change with these small turbo engines. Change your oil every 4-5,000 miles and they can last a long time.

[@craigbomer8962]

I consider myself EXTREMELY lucky with my wife's 2016 Malibu. I learned about the piston melting issues shortly after she bought it with 18k miles on it and I flashed in the software fix after seeing it hadn't been done by the Chevrolet dealership that sold it(I worked for a credit lot chain that maintained subscriptions for GM factory programming, among others). It now has 120ish thousand miles on it without issue, but I'm maintaining the thing to an obsessive degree to keep the engine happy. Time will tell lol.

[@eponymous7910]

No better time to get rid of it than when it's running! Be thankful it's lasted that long

[@calebarneson9191]

The previous reply to this is spot on. Get rid of it now while you can get the most from it

[@s126695]

You need to keep it and see how your efforts pay off. Really if you sell it what are you going to get for it.... A few nickels?????

[@ryanthompson2893]

It should be alright. Just keep the oil changed every 3k

[@bradlyhunt7240]

I have the same model and year with 200,000 miles your car will be fine. They had an issue when they first came out with pre ignition but the ECM reflash fixed it. Also 3-5000 mile oil changes are key for any vehicle, I’d replace that vacuum pump from time to time also.

[@platinumtoast]

Oh yeah I remember those piston recalls like it was yesterday, it was so wild seeing a brand new (2016) Gen 2 Cruze come in to the shop for a complete engine out. Made me glad to be a C tech doing LOF's all day XD

[@jsmccarl]

Lack of science was disturbing….

[@theorenhobart]

or in stah wahs lingo : 'i find your lack of science disturbing'

[@markcoveryourassets]

@@theorenhobartthat sounds like Vader. Would the Jedi master be, “science your lack of disturbing I find.” ?

[@jsmccarl]

@ He says “for science “ in every video when checking connecting rods. He forgot this time

[@JohnEvans-ct6mz]

I’m impressed this engine went 90k miles. In 2017, I rebuilt/replaced 4 of these engines in a month. They all had between 10 and 20k miles. A month later I left GM and never looked back.

[@gvet47]

I wonder who assembled the piston rings and lined up the ring gaps in line. Were the gaps even widder than spec? What engines were recalled for piston ring problems? Subaru?

[@itchyprince3793]

@@gvet47 Initial assembly has nothing to do with the ring gaps being lined up at the time of failure. The rings rotate in the bore while the engine is running, although I’m not sure what the correlation is between the failure and the rings being lined up.

[@Sohryu-Asuka-Langley]

Even naturally aspirated (as in some Chinese cars) they have problems with knocking! The turbo versions in Europe also have problems with LSPI and crank end float. Remember that Europe's regular gas is America's premium grade. In my experience this is a terrible, pathetic engine that makes the 1.0 Ecoboost look like a Toyota!

[@JohnEvans-ct6mz]

@@gvet47Audi recalled all of their ‘08-‘11 2.0 TFSI engines for oil consumption because of the rings. I work for VW/Audi now.😂 What can I say, I enjoy a challenge. As for the rings being lined up, I never saw that on the ones I worked on. May be coincidence, who knows? Most of the issues with these engines are internals that just can’t take the pounding. The Equinox has the same engine but with 180 HP instead of 160ish.

[@BillMalcolm-tn3kq]

What European cars have this engine? Cannot be very many at all. GM left the European market in 2017 when they flogged Opel to Peugeot, which later became Stellantis. Peugeot rapidly put their own engines in "Opels" and flung the GM stuff away. GM left Europe when they could no longer compete, their tails between their legs, when they felt forced to sell because they couldn't make any money any more -- i.e, lousy sales. They left Thailand for the same reason, plus Australia, leaving only Daewoo GM in South Koreaa nd the Cina operations. GM had just built a factory in the Czech Republic in Europe to make this crappo 1.5, and the 1.2 triples that they now shove in the Buick Encore. But being GM and having no corporate clue about "money", they also made a factory at Daewoo to make these two engines, the three and the four, and I didn't look it up but they probably make some in China as well. GM doesn't have a clue -- I'd bet there has been a negative return on investment on the engine factories. They could make way more of these things than they need or can sell. So no Euro cars have these engines anymore and haven't for some time. The die cast open deck cheapo block was GM's first foray into total crappery. Of course, everyone else makes open deck crap blocks as well, so GM just joined the crowd. Look at the two awful Toyota engines this channel has torn down recently made this way, the A25A and the Prius engine, both gone between the center cylinders. Enough said about this GM horror and its amateur tuning and melted pistons. Avoid. Yes, and that means in the Equinox and derivatives as well. The Honda 1.5 turbo is a buzzy little thumper droner in the CRV, Civic and Accord, and had problems maintaining temperature when it first came out -- damn thing couldn't defrost ice off the windshield, but they sort of fixed that. My 2019 Mazda still has a pathetic defroster for similar reasons, I'd guess. I don't like the Honda thrummer, but it's better than this load of GM garbage, and has up to 40 more hp in the SI without melting pistons. Finally, NO, European regular gas is not the same as US premium. The Europeans measure octane a different way that adds about 4 points to the rating compared to the US octane system. I thought anyone with a clue knew this. It was common knowledge a decade ago. See for random example: www.etuners.gr/fuel/ The US is different from the rest of the world, but then we still sell gas by the gallon instead of by litre, and cannot even spell that right, using liter.

[@broeheemed32]

The Malibu's very popular for carjackin' and taking on high-speed police chases. "What I did?!!! Call my mama!!!"

[@piggy310]

Lol the shower bonnet brigade

[@ceejaemckay4097]

Another Saturday teardown well Sunday for me in New Zealand Thanks for another great video

[@theprobeius]

Whenever Eric says "the next first thing" I always laugh thinking of the Car Talk brothers saying "on the third half of our show"

[@mlentsch]

I love watching you work while I sit here...Do I have projects? Yes - yes I do.

[@suprakillavr4]

No idea how I missed your were in STL, lol. 100% that's how every malibu and altima is driven here, on top of 20K+ mile oil change intervals

[@piggy310]

Usually there's a pitbull or two

[@liver.flush.maestro]

No plastic valve cover, no wet belts, surprising!

[@zxggwrt]

Not for nothing but I’d own one of these at least if I knew it was good to begin with. Everyone needs an extra car.

[@liver.flush.maestro]

@@zxggwrt yeah, and no plastic oil pan. The only minus is DI I think.

[@solderbuff]

This engine looks nice, doesn't it?

[@thes2kguy]

And only 3 melted pistons with less than 100k miles, the perfect engine!

[@chuckgladfelter]

I test drove a Malibu before I ended up buying a Cadillac. It was a really nice car that was almost 10K cheaper than the Caddy. I believe with good maintenance and maybe premium fuel it would hold up as well as anything. They have a nicer ride and more comfy seats for sure than a Camry. Also enough legroom and I'm 6'5".

[@eptdy]

Our standards have changed so much. There's so many 60k and 70k cars that stopped being driven during their hayday in the 60s 70s and 80s that have had to be revived. Only in the 90s did cars causally pass 100k. Older cars did it after a full engine rebuild usually.

[@jsh6952]

I have owned 3 full sized mid-70s Fords and one mid-70s Mercury Marquis that all exceeded 300k miles without rebuilds. The Merc and 2 of the LTDs had the 400, and the 3rd LTD had the 460. The big block got destroyed in a t-bone collision. The Merc launched a push rod through the hood but still ran on 7 cylinders, the 2 remaining LTDs were retired due to frame cracks, the motors still ran.

[@JohnSmith-pl2bk]

My 1975 Datsun 120Y (B210) was sold still in good mechanical and body shape @ 228km (141k miles) in 1988. 3000 mile oil changes max, Shell 20w50, always new plugs and points at 6,000 miles. New valve stem seals every 50k miles Deglaze of the bores and new Japanese piston rings @ 180km (111k miles...) with PM of a new clutch. Usual cruise @ 4000rpm, almost every 100 miles 20 miles was spent @ 5000rpm ... and one time when the carb iced the throttle plates wide open and I mistimed depressing the clutch while switching the ignition off I saw it came back through 8,000rpm....

[@patrickmorrissey2271]

Nice job. You didn't do the test?? For science???

[@red_ben3487]

he thought we wouldn't notice... for shame.

[@johnmccormack3024]

OMG!! No science!

[@videos-for-friends]

I have a coworker who was a GM tech for 30+ years. He was around when these Malibus came out, he said he could probably pull one apart and put it back together with his eyes closed and one arm behind his back… he’s also one helluva transmission tech. I watched him pull the 4L60-E out of my truck in less than 30 minutes, rebuild was complete in 2 hours, another 30 minutes to reinstall. You needed a forklift to pick my jaw up off the floor 😂

[@loydisham6492]

I have a '99 Malibu Base 4 cylinder with well over 186,000 on the clock; 25,602 when I bought it 11/2000. Still had some factory warranty on it. Bought the Lifetime oil service for $298, and the extended warranty for about $1500. Used the warranty once for a $650 alternator replacement with a $100 deductible. The years of savings on the oil changes covered the remaining cost of the warranty in my estimation. It has been the best car I have ever owned (also the newest), (now it is the oldest car I ever owned!). It was in nearly pristine condition when I bought it. Kept up on the oil service, 4 /yr.. Never went over 1500 miles per change. only had 22 mile round trip to work 5 days a week mostly. Miles were low also because it took most of my income to make the payments, so did not drive it much early on! Only a couple of things I didn't and still don't like is the water pump inside the engine and no transmission dipstick. It has a lot of extras that the base model doesn't always come with standard; AC, electric windows and locks. DRL NRL, cruise control. I know it is the base body because there is no rear pass through. Always kept up with all of the maintenance, good tires, and front disc brake jobs as necessary. Have needed three front brake jobs, the rears are drum, and to this day my local tire shops say they are still around 50%, so the rear shoes have never been replaced.

[@geneva760]

Looking after it pays off. CHEERS from AUSTRALIA

[@LrulestheworldM8]

You have an Oldsmobile Quad 4 car, also known as the 2.4l twin cam. The original 4 cylinder that GM has based all of its future 4 cylinder engines off of. The reason why it's such a good motor is that it was built with quality parts, and tuned by a team of people that knew its limits. 150hp and 150 ft lb without a turbo is an amazing feat, even by today's standards. And it's the benchmark that I use when looking at new cars. The passing of Oldsmobile meant no more new engines have been made by GM or 'new GM'. "New GM' is now using world engines from China and Korea because they have nothing left. The only old program still running is the V8 program. Everything else has been abandoned or reused. And it shows. It's sad, but this is the path they chose after the bailouts. I don't see the company being around once the CCP is done with them.

[@TML34]

Thank goodness you found those priceless timing chain guides! 😅

[@Herbertti3]

I can finally watch these videos with peace of mind. Got myself brand new corolla.

[@pcwizzy460]

Nope, those cars blow up too. lmfao

[@flynlr]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ3ck2WMp6Z2kMU

[@BillMalcolm-tn3kq]

No chance. Check out the dynamic Force A25A Camry POS torn down here recently. The Corolla has the smaller 2l version. But with three oil squirters instead of two. Bet that'll make a big difference. Not. Your local grapevine on Toyota reliability is about 15 years or more out-of-date. These dynamic Force engines are just a cylinder head development on the old block architecture, which produced that 73K mile Prius engine failure the other week. If you baby these modern engines with extra oil changes and driving like grandma, they'll probably last, though. Then, with any luck, a decade from now, you may be able to say, "Who was that crazy guy who said Toyota quality had slipped?" And I'd be happy for you. But let's face it, what are the chances? It's like Teslas. Oh, they say, electric motors never go wrong. Right.

[@stevebollinger3463]

Really does't look like a bad engine in terms of design to operate and work on. Easy to disassemble, doesn't have the timing on the wrong end of the block, etc. Kinda hard to look past them melting their own pistons though. It's nice for an engine to be fixable, but running properly is more important.

[@cirian75]

Looks to be a well designed engine, this was 100% owner abuse.

[@hotshtsr20]

I had one as a rental on a road trip. Being a nerd, I had the coolant temps on the display while climbing a grade in 100*+ ambient temps at 80mph. I felt sorry for it when the coolant temps hit 240*, but the car was still delivering 100% of the power. I doubt it would’ve shut down before melty melt.

[@KevinMiller-lh9ur]

Rented a Malibu a few months ago and it is classified as a full size car. It was very roomy inside and drove nice. Dont know what engine was under hood, but it sure beat the Audi A3 we rented the year before in inside space.

[@richardwarfield7386]

Classified as a full size but identified as a POS

[@KevinMiller-lh9ur]

@@richardwarfield7386It was a nice car to drive in my opinion. Not saying I would buy one. Beat the Audi A3 in interior space and ease of getting in and out of for 4 adults.

[@solderbuff]

It's a nice looking car too. I always think of buying one when I see it.

[@s126695]

I also rented one and I thought the same. Nice car, roomy, good daily driver... Never would I own a German car.

[@hotshtsr20]

Same thing. I’ve always had a fast sports car type thing in the stable. Driving the Malibu… I didn’t hate it. Saying a lot for me.

[@AlexanderFigliola]

I love when you throw the timing chain guides.

[@maxcoldest7196]

42 yrs in the maint/ repair business... We (old dudes who rule!), have said for many yrs....there are going to be premature problems with these turbo engines. A definite sacrifice of longevity!!

[@jeffclark2725]

Very good engine teardown, agreed on how fast catastrophic failures can occur thumbs up,great video

[@felixcosty]

Thanks for the video. 2018 Chevy Malibu own, 60,000km and oil changes twice a year or 5000Km which ever comes first.

[@lordcorgi6481]

GM figured people still buy their cars with cheap plastics, so they figured they'd make pistons out of cheap metal too 🤣

[@robertwest3093]

One of the more interesting piston meltdowns I’ve seen on your channel. Keep ‘em coming!

[@edwardhegarty750]

Carfax is not always a good measure of good or bad maintenance. I do all of my own maintenance so my vehicles would not show a history there.

[@Techcensorshipbot]

You can actually manually add these to your car in carfax for all of the general maintenance. Pretty cool if you’re into that kind of thing.

[@evoman44]

@@edwardhegarty750 The main issue with these engines is that they actually require synthetic oil to prevent the oil from breaking down due to the higher heat that turbocharged engine produce. These engines should also only be ran with premium fuel to prevent detonation. Most sporty turbo charged cars require that for those same reasons. So unless the car was owned by an educated car guy I would not buy it.

[@petermbrid]

I actually had one of these come into my dealership with 238k on the clock and original engine, ran spot on and was a taxi driver, clearly took care of his car

[@ronaldwilkinson6685]

They say that if you smack the head of the head bolts with a punch and hammer it shocks them and they come loose easier. We used to have issues getting the bolts out of the 4, 5, 6 cylinder inline GM engines in the mid 2000's when we'd snap off bolts trying to get them loose.

[@jeffreybrockmansr9854]

I do all of my own oil changes and maintenance. I don't report oil changes when I go to the store pickup the oil and filter and change it. I change oil between 3000 and 4000. If I've had to make a trip to in-laws (1100 miles one way), then it gets done at 4000. My Crown Vic had 225,000 and the only issue was I had to replace the intake manifold. Other than that, regular maintenance. It had the original trans, as well. My son was involved in an accident with my car. That's why is gone.

[@lukevillareal6243]

I bought a 2025 Malibu with this engine and have about 7000 miles on it and so far so good. I plan on driving until the wheels fall off, so to achieve this I’ve already changed the oil twice and plan to change the CVT fluid at least every 20k. If it breaks down I’ll be sure to send it to you because I know it won’t be from lack of maintenance.

[@TranceFur]

I’ve got a 2022 Malibu company car that I beat the piss out of and change its oil every 8000-10,000 miles. No CVT oil changes yet. It’s at 63,000 miles and still drives like it’s brand new, so I bet yours will hold up wonderfully 😉

[@joepotatoface7791]

Yeah i drive a 2018 Chevy malibu and that cvt transmission feels like its already about to blow at almost 39k miles. Did the fluid change at 32k and now i just hope the car will make it to 100k at least

[@flippersreef]

With the 08 gen you didn’t change the transmission fluid, EVER! Gm called it “for the lifetime of the car” fluid! You didn’t change it! If a headlight went out, you had to take the whole front of the car off to access the light housing!

[@evoman44]

@@lukevillareal6243 I highly recommend using premium fuel only to prevent piston damage or worse. High octane fuel prevents detonation which leads to knock which then leads to damage. Excess heat exposure in hot summer days can also elevate the chances of detention happening. That is the main reason why most sporty turbo charged cars require premium fuel. I currently own a turbo 2005 Subaru WRX with 140k miles that is still running strong on premium fuel.

[@lukevillareal6243]

@@evoman44 I see. I may switch to using premium only. I only use Shell fuel and Costco once in a while since it’s also Top Tier. I think something that also contributes to LSPI is using oil high in calcium, so using API SP oil should go a long way in reducing that

[@wraithette01]

"Now I gotta get down" Thank you for another great video, Eric - love your work!

[@tachometer74]

Someday you'll need to show us your beautiful chain collection.

[@markcoveryourassets]

Zero karat comment was great, wasn’t it?

[@Coupegt84]

I think we need to start buying up the timing chains…. Eric is doing something mysterious with them. There’s never any talk about what he’s doing, what he’s using them for. Does he collect them? My bet is that he’s welding up a mechanic’s version of the Iron Throne from “Game of Thrones”, using chains instead of swords. He’s holding out on us, we need to force his hand. Who’s with me???!? =)

[@leebuck180]

never mind the turbo or the melted pistons, the REAL engine killer at the 21:30 mark is the raised oil plug "nut" that prevents all the oil (and sludge) from draining. If the Silverados have this design steel oil pan, no wonder the engine failures. the new Duramaxs have this design oil pan, can be replaced with an aftermarket pan!

[@Matt-s3q]

Legit one of the best channels on KZbin!

[@craigdowney6438]

A friend bought an old cavalier with high miles and burning oil. he said "I don't need to change oil, it does it by itself".

[@josholsen6985]

I never changed the oil in my high school sh*tbox. The rear main did it for me.

[@mattt198654321]

I cannot imagine having a 3 or 4 year old car with an engine that's blown. I'd be so p*ssed off.

[@haydenc2742]

I bet you don't treat your vehicles like crap...and drive like a fucktard...

[@EBIndy]

Not if you buy a General Mediocrity product.

[@cuoresportivo155]

this owner was begging for it though. I wonder if it had a tune on it aswell.

[@pr3modeling239]

Speaking as a 27 year tech... then don't buy anything made in the last 5 years. These things aren't made to last AT ALL. In fact, nothing made after 2005 is. I tell all my customers, if you own an older car, just hang onto it, take care of it and keep it running as long as you possibly can. Nobody makes anything worth paying a single dime for anymore.

[@ischmidt]

If they'd changed the oil more than like twice in 98,000 miles it'd be in better shape.

[@poptartmcjelly7054]

To be honest, despite the failure, this looks like a well designed and well built engine. If not for the ignition issue i think it would be quite reliable and long lasting.

[@khillsy4489]

I may be a bit different, but I find these videos very calming. Thank you for that. 👍👏👏👏🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@anthonymarcello1265]

You know, once you think about it, it really is the domestic Altima. Heh.

[@CaptainSpadaro]

1:35 the 1.5 was mated to a 6AT in the 2016-18 cars. That said, you're more or less spot on about the the description of the average Malibu, though most of the ones I've seen haven't been that bad, thankfully. It's a shame because the current gen 'bu is a decent looking car; I've driven a couple of 2.0T cars and they move decently for what they are.

[@auntbarbara5576]

These cars should be rentals at most.

[@chuckgladfelter]

They're actually decent cars if maintained but a lot of rental fleets use them.

[@maxcoldest7196]

LOVE your description of Malibu's on the road!! Great stuff!

[@marathoner43]

Thanks for the Saturday night entertainment Eric. Nice to see some malice in the combustion palace again.

[@bilphil74]

Eric, please try to get one of each of these engines. I would love to see you tear down a 2.4 SRT4 that came in the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser GT with the aluminum intake. If you can get your hands on one. Also the 1.8 that is in the 2016 Chevy Sonic. Great video as usual.

[@AbbStar1989]

Hello from Queensland, Australia! Eric makes my Sunday afternoon fantastic. Quick question. When is it Blues' birthday? I would like to get him/her something nice.

[@markbeiser]

If you have a turbo engine, use 93 octane folks, ignore manufacturers saying 87 is ok, you don't want the engine management riding the knock sensors.

[@91CavGT5]

I’ve tried to explain this to relatives but it always falls on deaf ears because “it says 87 octane is ok”. Even though I’m a retired ASE certified mechanic, they don’t care and know better than me. It is SOOOO FRUSTRATING!!!!

[@josholsen6985]

Thanks for the info. I was under the impression that direct injection had an injection sequence to avoid knock.

[@91CavGT5]

@@josholsen6985 it does to a certain extent, but due to the finer atomization of the fuel due to exponentially higher fuel pressures, and due to the injection event occurring right before spark occurs, the room for error is INCREDIBLY small. So just because it can run on 87 octane with 15 psi of boost on a 10.0:1 compression engine, doesn’t mean it is a good idea to do so. My wife’s car, a 1.4L naturally aspirated engine with port injection, recommends 91 octane but 87 octane is acceptable. I always put 93 octane in it and it runs noticeably smoother than 87 octane.

[@aaronblankenship1741]

100% Rockstar advice. Also if you cannot afford to put Super in your Turbo equipped car you also cannot afford that vehicle, period. This is the the exact result of folks dont know what they are getting themselves into before buying a vehicle... and the lack of it shows here in this video. Ive never had a turbo motor go down using 93 octane and changing oil every 5k miles, never.

[@absurdengineering]

There’s a way to confirm it: gas mileage should improve going from regular to premium. It will because at higher octane it doesn’t need as much fuel to keep the engine from knocking. This is also true for some NA engines. Volvo I6 is a prime example.

[@matthewhamrick1099]

I had a 16 malibu with that engine. No problems. Traded at 50k Also had a 20 equinox with that engine. Traded at 33k and got more than I paid for it new however the dealer driver totaled it within an hour of the sale.

[@goodkill1]

1:21 love that intro of the Malibu 😂

[@user-kn3sv6jg4h]

We need that on a T-shirt.

[@erikmullen4421]

We had one of those in a 16 Malibu that the vacuum pump locked up and broke the alignment dowel in the exhaust cam sprocket

[@stuieb25]

"oh I know why. I had it set wrong" I have done that way more times than I care to admit.

[@hedhunta52]

I love that he knows we only watch this channel to watch him heave car parts into the scrap bin.

[@Chilicheezdog]

Not sure if you intended this but when you walked up to and launched the water pump, it was a perfect impersonation of Mose from The Office 😂

[@GodiHateOtakus]

The engine design and build quality seems excellent, unfortunate that a tune gives it a bad record.

[@donniev8181]

Hey hey hey, multiple videos this week! Thanks for all of your hard work Eric!

[@marcelgosselin7287]

Was that Napoleon Dynamite throwing the water pump? 🤣

[@ryanhood1867]

Thanks for another great video Eric! Timing chain guides off the top rope!

[@lonwillis783]

Thanks!

[@mercedes-amgforlife3237]

Best part of my week is watching a tear down video by you. Keep up the good work and humor Eric.

[@rmp5s]

Was thinking, "I'd like to see a VQ on the show," and how about that, a 350Z at the end. Nice! Would love to see a teardown of one!!

[@Endcyberbullying]

I love these teardowns but the absolute carnage are my favorite

[@MARedleg]

I owned a 2012 Malibu for almost five years with the 2.4. I traded it in with over 70k miles and never had an issue with it. It was a reliable daily driver.

[@liver.flush.maestro]

Nice to show the "making of" at the end 🙂

[@LowSRider]

Nice to know there is a place to go for good reusable parts. Keep up the good work.

[@BillEllis-w9v]

50 years ago in the days of low revs and push rods in cast iron, this would not happen, then alloy and 10,000 miles between oil changes and things go bang! Thanks.

[@andrewcammer2535]

Stuck around for the very end. Worth it.

[@timteecvhn]

Absolutely glorious one today with the cam cap missaying today. (not quite the order of words I would've ever expected either which makes it amazing lmao.) Edit: LMAO THE CLIP JUST AFTER YOU SET DOWN THE WATER PUMP ON THE TABLE- Gotta love the contemplation for a moment before the grand yeet, followed by the grand escape of the "Crime scene" lol.

[@jk-mn9vm]

Looks like a typical disposamotor. I guess it's better than the 1.4 turbo, at least it wasn't drowned in oil from leaks. Have you been able to get a hold of a GR Yaris or GR Corolla 1.6 three cylinder turbo. They are deleting pistons at a good clip. If you find one with number 3 deleted and ventilated, a transfer case and possibly the trans will be lunched with it.

[@ryanthompson2893]

Compare dot half the other motors like it, I almost like it. No plastic valve covers or water pumps or wet timing belts or oil bath ok pump belts (thanks ford). Kinda nice.

[@Rainmanthereal]

In my opinion, the 1,4 L turbocharged engine that was powering the Chevy Cruze from 2014 to 2018 for example is much more reliable and cheap to maintain, and could have been adapted to fulfill the role of the 1.5 Turbo. Mine ha 200,000 km, I've owned it for ten years now, do all the suggested maintenance and is still acting very smooth. Their bigger flaws was the fragility of the valve cover yet it is not so costy to repair. Oil changes must be done every 6000 to 8000 km, at best.

[@NoahDoane]

The 1.4 was known for major engine issues. I see a lot less 1.5 Ecotecs with major issues.

[@Rainmanthereal]

@ Maybe I’m just lucky I’ve changed the valve cover twice in over two hundred thousand km which is not so bad Never ever consumed oil nor lost its power and the timing chain can over last the life of the engine easily

[@Rainmanthereal]

@ The 1,8 L ecotec was completely dog shyte perhaps

[@NoahDoane]

@@Rainmanthereal The 1.4 will usually burn up a turbo or start burning a bunch of oil from the turbo or piston rings, or both. The 1.8 has all of the same issues, just no turbo lol. That's pretty good mileage on a 1.4 to not be burning oil

[@Rainmanthereal]

@ So I will keep my fingers crossed from now on mate !!! Hahahahahaahhah

[@myskman1]

I worked on one of these with no power assisted brakes and timing codes. So the vacuum pump locked up and broke sending shrapnel in the engine. That shrapnel got wedged between the exhaust camshaft reluctor and the cylinder head causing the reluctor to spin ever so slightly on the cam causing the timing codes and reduce power mode. So it got a vacuum pump and exhaust camshaft. Also somehow unrelated the brake booster fail so it got one of those as well 🤣🤣🤣

[@Justin-0991]

Weird. The 1.5l in the equinox's is a solid motor. Which is the same in the malibu. I have the 2.0T in my Equinox and its amazing. 435k and still rollin on original engine and trans.

[@solderbuff]

What year is your Equinox?

[@CaptainSpadaro]

Solid if maintained, perhaps, but underpowered. I've driven the previous gen Equinox with both gas engines and the 2.0T moves them with actual verve, the 1.5T does not. Shame GM dropped it after MY 2020; if the new Equinox had it I'd be tempted to suggest it to my parents when they go car shopping.

[@Justin-0991]

​@@solderbuff2020. Last year of the 2.0T in the equinox.

[@solderbuff]

@@Justin-0991 , I see, I guess, you put on a lot of highway miles, which is easier for an engine compared to mostly city driving.

[@richcottle7348]

My daughter's 2020 Equinox has this engine in it. It does not use a cvt and i had advised my daughter to ALWAYS follow maintenance rules!

[@madrabbit9007]

The sound of those head bolts made my elbows hurt.

[@MarianMoise1974]

Came here for the coolant pump. Not disappointed!

[@chrisjeanneret5091]

I own an 03 Saturn with the 2.2 Ecotec. I test drove a Malibu, a Cruze and a Sonic over the years. I am sure that all of them would have been junk by now (and yes, I do check my oil).

[@MattsRageFitGarage]

I was given an 01 saturn L200 back in 2016 with that same 2.2 Ecotec, skipped time and crashed all the valves at 128,000. Fixed it and sold it. Did a timing chain job on a 2012 terrain with the 2.4 Ecotec and the exhaust manifold and water pump at the same time. By far the biggest piles of garbage I've worked on. I wouldn't work on another if someone paid me to.

[@Grafyte]

The NA 1.8L in the sonic is a decent engine and the 5 speed manual it comes with is also decent. It's like the 1999 honda civic but as a 2014

[@CaveyMoth]

Manual cylinder deactivation is pretty cool.

[@type1mechanic]

That Malibu driver description is so perfect! 😂

[@gregdiamond6023]

I love what you ďo Eric. May I come and be your apprentice? St. Louis is expensive. Might I live in a cařin the yard? 😅

[@ssspencerjr]

I have a 2017. I believe I picked mine up right after they fixed the issue with the real early ones. 120k on the odometer now, religious maintenance done by me. Mine has the 6 speed transmission, I believe they went to a cvt in either 19 or 20. I've had zero engine related issues other than right now I am getting some oil in the throttle body, I believe the PCV is partially clogged, which is next on my list, other than a cv axle (busted boot) and seal into the transmission.

[@ZoruaZorroark]

sheesh, the 2.2l ecotech in my 05 malibu classic has 220k miles and is still going good, dunno if i just got lucky

[@aciddiver1978]

Is this the same 1.5 that Opel has in the Insignia from 2018 onward?

[@JC-hv2pl]

This tear down gave me ptsd when i replace my mothers 2016 engine wt same miles. Piston rings got carbon up and blowby.

[@JohnSmith-pl2bk]

@bobbyvarnell9350 2 hours ago (edited) I’m currently working on a 2017 Malibu because the wife smoked a deer at about 45mph, these little engines are pretty easy to work on, the only thing I have had to do engine wise so far is replace the vacuum pump. It currently has 165,000 miles, and the engine still runs like a watch, but I’m pretty religious about changing the oil every 3000 miles.

[@sammcbride2464]

For this engine, it would be interesting to see the placement of the spark plug relative to the melted locations. Also interesting is that this engine is about the size of a Hyabusa engine. It looks big for just 1.5 liters. I was actually suspecting it to be a 3 cylinder. It makes me want to look into this engine and see if I can make a go cart from it. I would certainly enlarge the turbo. That thing is small.

[@Drfrodoskywalker]

25:28 "Not taking the spring out" Proceeds to launch the spring at a can of brake clean

[@liver.flush.maestro]

If you look frame by frame at 25:43, the spring from the oil pump actually bounces once on the can, then back on the oil pump, then back again on the can starting to fall and then on the floor. You could have gotten the spring in the face Eric 😅

[@syloui]

These malibus only had CVTs after 2020, after which if you wanted a real transmission you had to get the high trim with the 2.0l

[@BlairGuinea]

Thanks Eric.............always love ya style Sir

[@Broncort1]

I have a 2021 Malibu RS so this should be interesting to see.