I realize this is rather serious thread for our site but I've been havving issues, so i figured I'd share, and maybe save someone, even if it's just 1 person out of the 8,000+ members we have, the same issue.

r0o drives a 2005 Chevy Cobalt LS. Nice car when it's not being a lemondrop.

Either way,

I took it into the dealership, advised that the PEPBOYS got the codes, and they took over from there. After about 3 days of them having my car, it was fixed. They advised that out of the 2 transmission codes that pepboy's found that it was actually the Mapping censor that was the issue, not either of the transmission codes. Which I'm amazed by b/c once Pepboys realized it was out of the scope of their availability to work with, they didn't even charge me for the work to look into the issue.

The problem with parts, labor and tax, at the dealership came to ~$750.

The next day I was still getting the same issue with the jerking, and the sputtering, but it was still driving. FINALLY though, after about 1 month of this, the light came back on, and again I put it in the shop, advised the EXACT same issues were happening that I put the car in for a month before, after 2 days of pulling it apart and putting it back together again, i was advised that "the mapping censor is working as it should."

My issue though, is that it's STILL jerking, and shuttering, which is what i put the car in the shop for. Now I'm being told that they need 5 "certified" hours to be able to look into the sealed Transmission to SEE what the real problem is @ $101/hr. Translating to $505.00 just to SEE what this issue MIGHT be.

As of the moment I haven't had the TMC changed or recoded yet, I did do a flush and it doesn't seem to have helped anything. I'm really not a car person like this, and i feel like those sharks at the dealership know it, and are basically out to rob me blind.

I will Say that i have loved my car for every moment that I've had it except when it's needed fixing, b/c while i think the product wasn't bad, the face of GM that is at the dealership, those uncaring, half-hearted, barley sympathetic folks make me hard pressed to ever want another GM product again.

As it is, I'm honestly looking at the next fix, if that doesn't work I'm now saving for a new car, and I'm pretty sure it wont be another Chevy after all this.

My car is turning out to be a lemon.

Mileage: 83,300
Previous Repairs(that i've had done): Sunroof Motor (twice), Driver's side window motor, fuses on the driver-side heated seats, taillight's going out about once every 6 months - a year, 1 headlight, had the keyless remote recoded - it broke again and i left it that way, and the recall b/c it could get someone killed; had the power steering column changed out.
Other random issues i had a problem but it never happened again or is just not THAT problematic: break light warning: just randomly comes on - doesn't stay on, just likes to flash a happy little hello :surprise:, for a while my automatic door-locks would play a drumbeat going off and back on before just staying either locked or unlocked, keyless remote finally broke again after having it recoded - that lasted about 6 months before it broke. Something, Not sure what exactly b/c i haven't bothered to have it fixed, is that my key gets stuck in the ignition, making it so that i cant turn my car off. Another reason i hate the dealers is that they told me that i could leave the key in the car, just make sure everything was turned off and that i should be able to make it in, in the morning. This was a bald-faced-lie, as i had a 1 ton paperweight when i woke up the next day. THAT issue i found a fix for online, which is to just use the emergency key release. For anyone with that issue, you can go here: push that handy button and you got a freed key! (Oh yeah, that's located on the underside of the steering wheel. there's a little door/hatch, pop it off, and the button is at the top left of that photo.) Other then the power steering issue which i had replaced b/c of the recall www.lemonauto.com/complaints/gm/chevrolet_cobalt.htm, i once adjusted the steering wheel while sitting at a read light and the whole car just turned off. dead. Had to crank it again, THAT hasn't happened again yet but yeah...


i just wanted to share that just because, if it helps someone else out... then it's worth it to share. -nods-

-r0o

Hey R0o,

Back in 07, I bought a brand new Suzuki Forenza. once I hot 100,000 miles and did the necessary maintenance, the car began cutting off on me, jerking, sputtering. Took it to the dealership and they told me it would cost 2500 to repair. I only owed 1100 left on the car. I traded it in cause it didn't seem worth it.

I'm simpathizing with ya! I've got a 2002 Pontiac Aztek (NEVER buy one! Total Lemon!) and have had so much work done on it I'm embarrassed to even list it all. As of right now it has 10 issues that just came up on the scan we did and in all it would cost 3k after labor to fix. So not gonna happen! Mine is doing that same jerking and sputtering and no one can come up with why it's doing it. I was gonna save for a down payment on a house with taxes in January but looks like I will be in the market for another car instead.

I worked at car dealerships for over 20 years ending as a general manager. Yes, to some point they certainly want your money and 80,000 miles is pretty early for a transmission problem but they can get away with it because these days a lot of vehicles need special tools so that every Tom, Dick and Harry can't fix their own car like in the old days.

You might want to think about taking it to an independent dealer to be just diagnosed. Find one that also specializes in transmissions. They should be able to diagnose it at little to no cost to you. Kind of like getting a second opinion.

Hope it works out for you.

A lot of car shops will check what's wrong for free. I know AutoZone does, if there is one in your area.

r0o have you had the fuel filter replaced? I'm not a mechanic or even mechanically inclined but when my car, which is a 98 Ford Taurus, was having similar problems, i.e. jerking and shuttering, hubby changed the fuel filter and it solved the problem.

It might be something to check into and it's a fairly inexpensive part. The part was less than $10. I'm not sure how much a mechanic would charge to replace it since my hubby changed mine.

Like I said I'm not a mechanic but it might be something to consider.

Good luck with your car problems. Mine is old and I've dubbed it the "money pit" because sometimes it seems like we are always replacing some part or another on it. I love my car so I guess I will keep driving it until the wheels fall off because it has been a good car.

This is the story of my life~ I swear.

Basic question and the most common correction to the issue - when was the last time you did a tune-up/oil change? It could just be a matter of replacing the spark plugs and replacing the old oil.

If you have had a recent tune-up/oil change - I agree with Amy that it could be the fuel filter or possible even the fuel line. If it's the fuel line then maybe there is a crack in it which would allow for oxygen to slip in and cause a jerking sensation.

It could ALSO be your car is running on less cylinders then it should be;

I'd vouch on the cylinders thing.

My car did that THREE times in the first three years. It had its valves changed twice and the cylinders changed once and had a rebuild on the first shot.

I also went to a gm dealeership and was pissed because the third time it took three tries to diagnose it, i paid for all three times (when they said there was nothing wrong the first two times) and wouldn't refund me money when I argued with them.

BTW, if it's sputtering, it's not the transmission. The transmission doesn't sputter. it grinds, it falls dead, but it doesn't sputter. If it's sputtering, it's the engine. Have them do a compression test to check the valves and cylinders and engine. Rule that out first.

When I was in college I couldn't afford to pay for expensive repairs on the P.O.S. I had at the time. My solution? Take it to a mechanic school, the nearest technical college. Often times they will either fix the car for free, you only have to pay for parts, so that they can use it to teach their students with it. Sometimes they'll only charge a small fee. It's kind of the same way you can get a free haircut at a beauty school, or cheap dental work at dental school. It might take longer, but it's worth checking out. Sometimes there's a waiting list, so the sooner you call, the better. I had a shop tell me it would take over a grand to get my car running again Freshman year, paid to haul it to the nearest mechanic school and a week later they had it up and running for a little over 300. Lasted long enough for me to earn enough for a downpayment to a new car.

And on another note, my family was Ford people our whole lives, but when my car broke down my second year of college, despite wanting to buy American, I needed to buy something that would last. I got a Honda. Had it for seven years, put 230,000 miles on it and the only problem it ever had was when I rear ended someone and did something that caused the air conditioner to work funny. Still worked, but didn't blow as hard. In Texas you need AC! Took it to the shop and it cost about 400 to fix. That was it. No other repairs ever needed the entire time I had it. I had a few alignments done on it, but that was my driving, and I got it for free at Discount Tire. This will make me sound like the worst driver in the world, but I was young and stupid. In the entire seven years I had that car, the 230,000 plus miles I put on it, and I only got about 10 oil changes and had the filters changed once. One time I even went 70,000 miles without one. Still ran perfectly when I traded it in and got my new Honda. I even got $3,000 for trade in (mainly because I kept the interior pristine), and two grand off the sticker price of my new car for being a returning customer. My new Honda? 103,000 miles and no problems so far. Not to mention the great gas mileage. I use my trucks to haul horses, but everyday? I will use my Honda, and when it goes? I'll get another one. I am a devout Honda owner for life.

I agree with those that say it might be an engine issue rather than a transmission issue. The jerking? Well, that COULD be transmission, but only if it's doing it while trying to shift gears. The sputtering and shuddering should not be. Sputtering or shuddering while driving is most likely an engine/electrical/air flow issue.

Fuel filter, PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) valve, EGR, MAF (Mass air flow) sensor and even a master computer glitch are all possibilities. Electrical problems, such as blown fuses, or other gremlins could also be the case... and they wouldn't necessarily throw codes that all diagnostic machines would pick up. Most likely, that's why Pepboys couldn't accurately diagnose it. Skye's suggestion for a compression check is a sound one.

I'd have to talk to Steven (my very own 'mechanic') to see what he thinks, but I'd need to know when you're experiencing the trouble and what you're doing at the time:

Does it happen when shifting gears?
It the car trying to shift to a higher gear when it happens?
Does it feel like the car is in neutral when it suddenly catches and jerks?
Does it happen at both low and high speed?
Are you accelerating when it happens?
Standing still?
Just leaving a stop?
Does it do it with the car in park and sitting still?
Is the engine warm (like having driven for a while) or cold (just started) when it happens?

All very important things for your mechanic to know when you ask them to diagnose problems like this.

~~Wiccan~~

Hi Roo,

Have you considered looking at the fuel injector system? The people at Ford told me that the car can jerk and sputter sometimes because the engine isn't getting enough gas. Having a cleaning is a relatively inexpensive fix (about $100). They have a general guideline that you don't need one for about 150K miles, but it doesn't hurt to get one.

I know exactly squat about cars. I leave all that to the hubs. But I am VERY sorry you're going through this, r0o. Car troubles are the worst. Its why I leave it to the hubs.... and before that, my daddy. Yes, I was THAT girl. But to be fair, I only let men handle the cars. Because it frustrates me greatly.

I know you love your car (when she behaves) but hopefully if you DO have to get a new car, it will be even better and not a lemon. We have bought Fords for three generations (both sides of the family) and have always very happy (or maybe just lucky) My father-in-law has also bought 2 VW and has been pleased, as well. Or... you know, just play the lotto, get super rich and hire a driver to tote you around in a lemo all the time. Thats an option that always sits well with me, because I HATE driving.

I totally endorse the 2nd opinion idea. Ask around with friends, family, coworkers and neighbors to see if anyone has a mechanic they trust.

On my last visit to mine, he straight up told me he didn't recommend going ahead with repairs(leaking head gasket) due to the age of the car. He advised me on how to keep it limping about until I could get a new(er) car. Didn't charge me either for the diagnostics.

I have a bit more faith in family owned garages than dealerships and franchises just because I feel they have more of a vested interest in service -- beyond receiving a weekly paycheck. Finding a good one can take some trial and error though.

If you can't find a recommendation from anyone.. start looking at what kind of cars different places have waiting for service. I chose my previous mechanic based on the fact that they always had police cars from the surrounding cities in their lot. I was always happy with their service until they retired and sold their business. :/

WOW! so much responce! I was more or less just attempting to let any other Chevy or Pontiac owner's know about that recall, and that they might not be the only one's with these types of issues. I hadn't realized til last night that the power steering issue had actually caused a death (+more).

As to answering questions for those that have friends that MIGHT know what's going on:

Does it happen when shifting gears? Yes, I'll say it again, i'm not a car gal, so i dont know WHICH gear it is, but I think it's 1st gear mostly, that gives me the issue. When I'm going passed 10 mph trying to get it to go faster. I hear the car reeving but we're not GOING anywhere, then it jerk/kicks and i accelerate sometimes, not always, sometimes i'm still going just a bit above idol, but not faster then 20 mph. Once i get to the next gear, I'm assuming 2nd, i don't seem to have these issues. It works fine the faster i go.

Is the car trying to shift to a higher gear when it happens? yeah i think so. it's going from idol speeds to higher speeds when it happens, but rarely if NEVER happens once i get out of what i assume is 2nd gear and over 35 mph.

Does it feel like the car is in neutral when it suddenly catches and jerks?not really neutral, it feels like even though i should be going 20 - 35 mph by the way the car sounds that i'm going a bit over idol if that.

Does it happen at both low and high speed? just low, i can drive interstate with the rest of the Atlanta Loons and be just fine at 80 mph, no shifts, shutters, grinding or anything.

Are you accelerating when it happens? always. If only gives a hmming shutter when i'm sitting and it's cold. Though i can hear it. I used to laugh at my mother when she said she was listening to the car as a kid. Now i get it, it's not awesome but i hear the difference.

Standing still? Nope. only if it's winter and cold do i get a shimmy that's annoying but not really bad.

Just leaving a stop? yeah, when i'm stopped and pull off i put the foot on the gas, and it gets to idol speeds then jerks and seemingly stalls trying to get to 15 mph+ I have to let my foot off the gas let it jerk/shift and then try to get it going again. Inner city driving has become a pain in the patoot!

Does it do it with the car in park and sitting still? not really ever. I've come to the understanding that GM's Chevy Cobalt 2005 - 2010s all have issues. I think that's why the cars were pulled in 2011, and the Cruze came out instead. I imagine that it is the refined less issue version. Like i said, i never really had any issues with my car until March of this year. almost 7 years of flawless ownership with only a few bumps in the road. some odd issues, but nothing to really shake a stick at. Then i got to about 75,000 miles and things started going nutty.

Is the engine warm (like having driven for a while) or cold (just started) when it happens? it can be either with this jerking.

When i brought it to pepboys, they advised that it popped 2 transmission codes, and 1 mapping censor. My issue with Chevy was that they fixed the mapping censor, and said everything was fine, and then in less then 2 days i was still getting jerked while driving. The issue finally hit a brick wall when the check engine light came on about a month after getting it back, and getting a new battery. It was the same issue, and the dealership checked to see if it was what they fixed, and advised that "the mapping censor was working fine." My issue was that the car was jerking. That's what i thought they were fixing, that's what i paid $750 for them to fix, and it still kept happening. I told them this time not to touch anything b/c they wanted $505 to open my sealed transmission to SEE what the problem was. Not that they knew what it was and how to fix it, just to open it and SEE.

I've been looking up info online and other situations about this car, this brand etc. And some of the things i've found were scary:


townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX?ed_displayMakeModelRelatedDiscussions@@.ef14c39!make=Chevrolet&model=Cobalt

I plan to actually see if i can get a video of what it's doing later tonight when one of the big stores are closed and i can be in an empty parkinglot. Either way. I can hoenstly say that i dont think i'm alone in my Cobalt issues. we'll see, I've got ideas of what to do but i'm still not sure.

I plan to do a tune up next. I've never done one before bc from June 30, 2005 - March 2012 I never had issues that were consistant like this -_- But i've had the oil changed ever 3000 - 3500 miles, always used synthetic blend oils, had tires changed and rotated, and i'm an easy driver on my car.

We'll see And I'll keep anyone updated who wants to know. I love that everyone has taken a moment to look at this, and input info b/c i'm really NOT a car person, additionally, while my brother can be brilliant, he's an egghead, and doesnt know crap aobut cars and i dont have a Mr. r0o so.. yeah... not to mention papar0o is in another state and is all "your an adult" (he's not being mean he's just feeling his age and doesnt know much aobut car's himself. he's not a car guy : )

lastly, I'm seriously going to consider taking it to the local mechanic school, there's one in my city not more then 6 miles from my house! Tuesday after the holiday i'll be calling to see if i can bring my car to have them work on it. So long as it's fixed i could care less who does it! that's such a good idea, and thank you for mentioning it!

Definitely check out the mechanic school. If you're looking to save money it is definitely the way to go. A couple of things to remember though. First, it is going to take longer than a commercial repair shop. Remember that they are using your car as a teaching tool, so not only might it take them a few days to diagnose the problem, but it will take them longer to fix it. It took a week for me to get my car back, not a business week, like actually 7 days. But having to pay 300 and something instead of the 1200 quote I was given at the dealership was worth the time for me. I was at school and I could bum a ride fairly easily from roommate and friends. I didn't have kids or a job I needed to worry about showing up for on time.

Second, not all mechanical schools take outside projects. So just because the nearest one to you doesn't, that doesn't mean the one 20 miles away won't. And in any school that agrees to accept the project you're going to have to pay for the parts, which is where my 300 bill came from, AND you will have to sign a liability agreement stating that you understand that students will be working on your car. They will be supervised and everything, and they have to have a certain amount of classroom hours and shop hours logged before they can tackle big projects, but it is still students. Third, shop around. One school might charge a fee for them to fix your car, and some won't. So don't just go with the first one you find. Near my college there were 3 mechanic schools within driving distance. The closest charged a $150 fee, and the other two didn't. They were farther away, but again, not having to fork over the $150 was nice.

I know a lot of people that do this. In college I recommended it to several friends, and none of them ever complained about the service except for the fact it did take longer. Where a commercial shop might have your car for 2 or 3 days, you can count on a school keeping it for 5-9. So factor in how you're going to get around while they have it.

I wish you the best of luck. I know nothing about cars either. I know how to turn one on and make it go, but that's about it. It sounds like you've already dumped a huge amount of money into this car, and I really think a mechanic school is the best way to go. They aren't looking to make money off of you. They want to really and truly find out what is wrong with the car so they can learn to fix it. They want to work on your car to further their education so they can get a job, not so they can line their pockets like a lot of repair shops. The conventional way hasn't worked for you, so try a different route. That's my two cents at least.

Mechanical schools are a great idea. It sucks that your car is having problems. I'll try asking my stepdad for you since he's a mechanic. He's probably sleep right now, but tomorrow he's supposed to be putting in a new window for me so I will definitely ask about the problem and roughly how much it should be to fix (if he can figure out what it is) so they can't overcharge you too much.

r0o!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so sorry, r0o-pants, but it's your transmission... all that nonsense is taking place when it's trying to shift from first to second.

You need to quit driving it, if you can, cuz you're gonna screw up what's left of it if you keep making it slam from first to second.



Sorry, but I think I'm pretty on-the-money with this, since I've gone through it more than once myself. Most recently with Jessa's car (which was MSK's at the time) - and they had to totally rebuild the transmission. Continued driving while it's in this condition is just gonna make things break worse, I'm afraid.

Wish I could tell you something better or easier, but this is not going to be a cheap or easy fix.

~~me~~

Probably IS transmission, but don't pay dealership to do the work. They charge at least double, probably more, and work is often not even as good as shade tree mechanics. Whereas a skilled tradesman will usually stand by his work, which he takes pride in, dealerships (and chain repair shops) are run by businessmen, who simply want as much of your money as possible. Look for an independent mechanic who specializes in transmissions. Ask for local recommendations, don't just go from the phone book. Heck, ask friendly random strangers at the local diner. People love to warn others of places that have ripped them off. Another thing to consider, is there do exist places where you can purchase a rebuilt tranny and trade your old one in, pay a mechanic recommended by the place to switch them out...

mah. I don't really have much choice in driving it as is. : Momma r0o's car died about 7 years ago, and she had just gotten a brand new ford Edge, but, she has a stroke and shouldn't work to pay for it, so she's car-less.

Grandmomma r0o was driving me around while it was in the shop but she's 72, and hates it, complains to mommar0o about it, and is tired of helping. She's not a real family type of female. Al her life she pushed her family and kids away from her and then when she got to be about 65 wondered why no one was really there to help her out. She's not the most loving creature. And while i do adore her as she's my grandmomma she tends to make you want to strangle her bc she's very vain and arrogant. it's much easier not to fuss with her if you don't hafta.

Lastly, brother0o while he COULD help is also not going through the best time of things, he just started a new gov't job (yEy!) and is actually working with his wifey (a teacher) but wont get paid until the end up september, so he's tapped for $$ and cant afford the bill to actually drive me around. He could pick me up but not get me to work which is 30 mins away.

As it is I'm saving my money's and seriously getting myself ready to start art commissions so that every lil bit can help. I wont drive it any more then i need to but i cant avoid some of it. -_-

another crazy issue is that it might not even be the transmission. It might be the computer brain that controls it, the TMC (transmission control module) could be causing the issue. so... sadly i think the smarter they make cars the worse it is to deal with fixing them later.

That's why I don't drive anything newer then a 85 if I don't have to. My mother just gave me her old 92 Tempo, about a week and a half ago. There's a whole bunch of stuff wrong with it but I got lucky. It's all extra stuff that's broke.

I wish you the best of luck, seeing as I know little to nothing about cars. I can't really help at all. Computers in cars just make the world that much more complicated.

I'm so sorry about your ride, r0o. I'm having issues with mine right now, too. Luckily we think we figured it out this time and Mr. Momo is outside putting the new alternator on as we speak. I've got a Cavalier, which is the same as a Cobalt essentially, though I have power nothing.

Things will get better.

R0o i had the exact same problem with my truck so i nosed around under the hood and found out one of my vacuum lines fell off. its a common problem and easy to miss because no one thinks about the tiny rubber hoses that are under there. if you ever check under the hood look for a loose or missing rubber hose. if you find one itll cost you 1.99 for either super glue or duct tape to fix. hope this helps

My sister had the same problem it sounds like. My sister would back out of the driveway and then put it in drive press the gas and it would jerk really badly. Everytime the car needed to shift it would jerk. She took it in and the people said that they would check the transmission for $300. So we did it. Then they said they wanted another $250 to put the transmission back together.
Anyways the problem was she needed a new shifting solenoid. And a allignment.

o.o

i DO need an alignment badly, and my shifter is broken. It broke after the stupid dealership fixed the recall. it was working FINE before then.

gah i just need to find that school and be like " it's broken! fix it! for cheap! "

there's so many what if's and it sounds like. stupid car why cant they all be the same underneath the hood *pouts*