2004 Chevrolet Cavalier: engine overheating

Filed Jan 9, 2015 · Electrical · 57,000 miles · UT

The problem originally started with the temperature gauge (showed that the car was always overheating) and then eventually stopped moving at all. Next, the rpms stopped moving and the speedometer began showing that we were going 100 when we couldn't have been going more than 35. Now the speedometer doesn't move at all. So, at this point is impossible to know how fast I am going, if the car is overheating, or what the rpms are. Currently the fuel gauge works most of the time, but occasionally after filling up the tank the gauge will move to the far right (as if it's telling us that the tank is overfilled), to where it would interfere with the other gauges (if they were working). I feel this is a big safety problem and at the very least is very annoying (already been pulled over twice for going 10 miles over, because I had no idea how fast I was going).

Filed Apr 3, 2014 · Electrical · 61,953 miles · NJ

The gauge cluster on my 2004 cavalier has suddenly started malfunctioning. This is a serious safety issue as I do not know how hot my engine is or how fast I am going. The tach and gas gauges seem to still work (don't know for how long though), but speedometer and temp gauge do not. My car has very low mileage and I will just have had it for 10 years as of this month. I am the only owner of this car and it has been well taken care of. I cannot believe that chevy will not recall this faulty gauge panel. This is a safety issue and not a part that should just suddenly wear out on a car. With all of the issues that are suddenly surfacing with gm I am shocked that this has not been recalled before and I know I am not the only person to have this issue. God forbid someone not know this is an issue and they pull over because they think their car is overheating and get out to check only to get hit by another car. I will never buy another chevy again unless they step up and take responsibility for this faulty gauge cluster.

Filed Sep 11, 2013 · Electrical · 40,000 miles · IN

2004 chevrolet cavalier instrument cluster; at first the temperature gauge showed hot causing us to pull over to the shoulder of the road and investigate, 27 years as an automotive technician kinda helped me come to the conclusion real quick it was not overheating, then the tachometer would go completely around and peg from the underside and that's where it is and has stayed, the speedometer ceased to work shortly after the tachometer went haywire and the fuel gauge also has its moments, sometimes it works and sometimes it don't and all of the check engine lights and service soon indicators have a mind of there own, the car has no trouble codes and there is no reason gm hasn't recalled these and other vehicles with the same instrument cluster problems, funny they sent me a letter on my 03 silverado cluster and I haven't had any problems with it but I look at all the complaints on the cavaliers and no such recalls, you might ask why I haven't fixed it myself with all my experience and I will tell you right now, why should I have too? Gm should step up to the plate and fix its faulty clusters it is dangerous for any of these informational items of the cluster to be faulty or inaccurate it can cause a motorist to travel at an unsafe speed causing an accident or to pull over onto the shoulder of the road and be at risk of being struck by another motorist from behind these are very dangerous situations, ask yourself how many people have been hurt or fatally injured because of the faulty clusters, who knows; but one would be one too many don't you think?

Filed Jan 16, 2012 · Engine · 92,400 miles · NY

After consulting licensed mechanics, and one such nationally certified airplane-engine tech-mechanic, being ranked in the top three (3) of the nation's aviation mechanics industry from 1981-1983 period (and still has qualifications authority), [and before making a fool of myself], the consensus/verdict [by these professionals] was agreed that it borders on criminality (and I quote), that automakers are using plastic coverings and seals, as the engine's oil filter housing caps. Known (industry-wide) to exert pressures in 'pounds per-square-inch' ( lbs/psi) and extreme temperatures that these plastic materials--such as the oil filter-housing caps, cannot withstand. They also strip. It was explained to me by the certified airplane mechanic that, to understand the effects of pressurization theory behind that technology, and the knowledge that fifty-50 to sixty-60 pounds (lbs/psi) of pressure per-square-inch is being given to the plastic caps from the engine's internal combustion will cause any plastic cap, housed under such pressures to fail. He said he was surprised it did not cause engine failure two(2) years after being newly purchased. He said the science that industry insiders do not want us to know is that the proper semi-precious metals, as aluminum, copper and the like are perfect conductors of electricity and heat, allowing the metal to expand/contract according to temperatures and/or torque pressurization of the 50-60 lbs/psi being release to housing. Even tampered steel would work as it would conform. But plastic once overheated will remain in warped state causing oil leakage in that area. This depressurization of engine physics and chemistry, a couple-to-few years later results in engine's crank case housing depressurizing to the point of cracking after pistons themselves giveway rendering engine being irreparable. My car should have flipped @ 70mph.

Filed Mar 8, 2011 · Electrical · 100,000 miles · TN

Entire dash cluster doesn't work!! Speedometer says going 80mph when sitting still. Temp gauge says it's overheating when car is off. Gas gauge is now going haywire. Going on vacation is hard when you don't really know how fast you're going. Something needs to be done about this because a cluster for this car is $270. Then pay someone to put it in. There are too many 2004 cavaliers having this issue for this to not be recalled.

Filed Sep 2, 2010 · Electrical · IL

My dashboard doesn't work properly. All of the gauges, with the exception of the odometer, does not work. This includes fuel, speedometer, RPM, and temperature gauges. It started with my temperature gauge. I thought the car was overheating when it really wasn't. Then my fuel gauge went out. Then it was the speedometer and RPM gauge. All of the gauges, except for the RPM, move up and down, but none of them are accurate. The speedometer can get stuck at 0, 60 or move off of the gauge entirely. It is obviously not very safe not knowing how fast you are going, or if your car is overheating or not. It is my understanding the entire dashboard has to be replaced, but I am not 100% certain.

Filed Mar 2, 2010 · Electrical · 35,000 miles · FL

The gauges on my cavalier are all messed up. Sometimes the only gage that works are my RPM gauges. All the other gauges: the gas gage, the thermometer gauges and the MPH gage never work right. I can't tell how fast I am going, how much gas is in the car or if it's going to overheat on me or not. It will not reset. This has been going on for two years.

Filed Feb 16, 2010 · Electrical · 72,506 miles · FL

The easiest way to put this is the 2004 chevy cavalier instrument panel is messed up, it first started approximately 3 months ago when my speedometer would read 40mph when I was idling, and now the needle is buried past 110mph even when im going 20mph. Now the gas gauge has gotten messed up too its needle is buried blocking the temperature needle from advancing which would cause overheating and braking problems. I called a local dealership about this problem and the service manager said he knows it is a problem but then proceeded to tell me it would be $500.00 to repair it. Honestly I am kind of scared to drive this car with my family in it due to chevy not wanting to replace this widely known problem, I greatly appreciate you taking your time for reading this.

Filed Sep 10, 2008 · Electrical · 75,000 miles · TX

My temperature gauge fluctuated for about a month and then it just moved to the bottom and points to the bottom part of the instrument panel and I can not tell if my car is overheating.,and my speedometer likes to freeze every once in a while.

Filed Mar 3, 2008 · Electrical, Engine · 24,000 miles · PA

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet cavalier. While driving 5 MPH, the engine intermittently stalled. The failure occurred while making a turn in first gear. The RPM decreased to 400 RPM and there was a loss of power steering. When the vehicle stalled, the contact released his foot from the clutch and the motor increased the RPM's automatically. When the key was turned in the ignition, the vehicle failed to start intermittently until approximately ten attempts. While driving 55 MPH, the speedometer displayed 30 MPH. When the gas tank was full, the fuel gauge would display half a tank. The temperature gauge also malfunctioned. The vehicle would not overheat, but the gauge would read hot. The dealer was unable to diagnose or repair the failures. The failure mileage was 24,000 and current mileage was 37,500.