2.0 liter reliabilty

@Greenie : Stuck-open Injector, allegedly fixed, and then a subsequent Rich Fuel CEL code.

I’m surprised about the injector issue. 30+ years now and I’ve never had a problem with an injector driving only 4 vehicles almost 1 million miles now! My experience says Injector failure is extremely rare! And to have such a failure at your extremely low mileage makes it even more rare (I would say)!

Had you been seeing any fuel economy dip before these trips? I would think it would be odd if this problem only occurred on the two trips? Were you towing both times? Not sure if towing could stress an engine enough to cause these symptoms.

What about just a wonky O2 sensor? Have you tried logging their performance on an OBD-2 handheld? O2 sensors live in that harsh environment and are known to be problematic over time. They’re also what the ECM relies on to help determine a “Rich” condition.

A friend with a 2.0L in a 2019 Equinox just had an episode where the car would not accelerate but the engine revved. He was able to drive the short distance to their destination. When he started the car later it was fine. He had a dealer appointment in two days so he asked them to look at it because it felt like the transmission was slipping.

The found a code, which he did not write down, that indicated the fuel "gelled". Yes, it's gas and not diesel. The dealer said it was due to carbon build-up. He authorized the repair and they went at it. They showed him the carbon build-up and cleaned it out. It cost him $240.

He thinks the engine went into the "Engine power reduced" limp mode but he said he did not get that message nor did he get a CEL and yes, he is the type of person that would have seen them. His car has about 25,000 miles and he said he does not prefer Top Tier gas; he didn't even know what it was. He just bought the cheapest and that usually was BP.

I always try to use a Top Tier gas brand to keep problems like that away. Greenie, do you use Top Tier gas normally?

Here's the list: TOP TIER™ Gasoline Brands

My Sonata required either Top Tier gas or a fuel system cleaner every 7,500 miles so I just stayed in that habit.

NXR71 said:

I have no idea how I missed this part before:



I hope I'm not too close to that fellow when he needs to do an evasive lane change to miss debris or do a panic stop. Close enough for the dashcam to get a good video, though.

Click to expand...

I've done it for years with no close calls. It's a 700 pound motorcycle on a 900 pound trailer. I've towed a 7,500 pound travel trailer with a diesel F-250 from Maine to the middle of Mexico and back at least half a dozen times @ 80 mph as well. If the weight on the hitch is correct and I am alert, constantly scan the road ahead, and all tires are in excellent shape, there's very little risk. I've rarely, if ever had to do an evasive lane change towing a trailer. I take driving very seriously.
Maybe it depends where in the US one is located but in Maine traffic on the interstate moves around 80. There is no lower speed limit for trucks or trailers. There's a good argument that keeping up with the flow of traffic is safer than driving slower and being passed constantly. In most states traffic on the interstates now travels 75-80. It works for me.