Hey guys, I might be purchasing a turbo cobalt next week.

Is there anything I need to look for or be aware of on these cars?

Im a genius with srts, but I a newb with with cobalts.

Any common problems with them or anything like that?

Any red flags to be on the lookout for?

Thanks in advance

 

hacked mods
Rear brakes wear funky
Check the sensors on the 2 IC pipes (lower and upper) to see if they put the 3 bar sensors in.
The 2.0 ecotec itself is pretty solid engine, its the other items that can be funky town.
Check if the power steering recall was done
They have a TSB for the valve cover and hpfp leaking small oil around the gasket. Not a huge deal, just happens.

Red flags are the sensors and bad hacks and non stock parts. How the trans shifts (in case of no lift shift and the launch control being used a lot). Clutch slip etc.

 

Thanks man.

The guy selling it says the mass air flow sensor is broke, thats why the check engine light is on.

Im always skeptical of cars with check engine lights.

Other then that, he says the car is in great shape. Im going to go check it out this weekend.

 

I would bring your own scan tool and pull the code yourself. If he did a relocate on the maf and then didn't tune or did a bov instead of bpv it isn't broke but wont be running right.

The LNF is like the ms3 and runs a bpv and lots of people just throw in a bov.... Which messes things up. Or they do a maf relocate and don't tune for it and there's a issue. I haven't been active on the forum for a year or two and didn't realize how cheap the car got so more of the younger cheap crowd is back in it. So all fresh questions, parts etc. if it honestly is only maf error you should try to work a deal but look deep if it's modded, lots of tards

 

Listen for a turbo flutter sound on cold start ups.
Ive seen some of there's cars chip a fin with a CAI on the car.
The turbo boosts and sounds fine after warm up..
Glad so here some one is coming to the cobalt side.
Im not a big fan of srt4s. Would walk before owning one personaly. Lol

 

How would a cai cause a turbo wheel to chip? I mean unless they threw some rocks in there.....

As for flutter, see if the BPV was upgraded to a forge or if it is stock it will be brown to black plastic.

 

No it has something todo with the increased amount of dirt going into the turbo with a CAI.

 

I could maybe see that with a bad filter and dirt roads? But it would be an issue with every turbo car then....

I will say I picked the SRI for a reason...and with that kind of crap, it was part of it.

 

Stop right there. You shouldn't buy it like that and certainly shouldn't drive it like that. If nothing else it could be masking other issues. Then where will you be? have the owner put a new MAF in it. They are cheap enough if he/she really wants to sell it. Then see if it still has codes or other issues. Don't get sucked into buying a huge headache over "it's only a broken MAF." For that much money it's put up or shut up.

 

This! If he wants to sell it and truly believes it's just the MAF then he should have no issue in replacing it to prove that it's the issue he is saying it is. If he is not willing then walk.