Seeing the check engine light in your Chevy Cruze is not something you will want to experience. It’s frustrating because you can remember the bills that you got from the dealership the last time your Cruze acted like this. But now you connect the OBD2 scanner to it and see the P0324 code – something new! What does it mean?
In short, the P0324 code in the Chevy Cruze means the knock sensor is getting signals for over 10 seconds. It means that the engine vibrates in an uncommon way and the vehicle just wants to warn you that something may be wrong with the engine. And the best way to check that is to read this article and follow several instructions given in it.
Here’s what I will cover today:
- What’s the P0324 code all about in the Chevy Cruze?
- Why may your Chevy Cruze engine knock?
- Possible fixes for the P0324 trouble code.
- Can you keep driving if you see the check engine and P0324?
Everything you should know about the P0324 code
When a Cruze driver gets an OBD2 scanner, the game begins. You feel like you’ve already become half-mechanic and can repair almost anything in your car. But now you get this complicated P0324 code that says about some knock sensor. OK, you think, I can change the knock sensor – it’s not a big deal!
But hold your horses. The P0324 code means that the knock sensor gets the signal of extreme knocking of the engine for more than 10 seconds. It doesn’t mean that the sensor is broken. Vice versa, it means that the sensor is doing its job and shouldn’t be replaced.
Here’s what usually happens:
- something is wrong in your engine – I will outline the most common problems that trigger the P0324 code;
- the engine starts shaking like crazy because it’s not OK;
- this shaking turns to extreme vibration;
- the knock sensor is made to detect such issues and it successfully does its job;
- after that, the sensor triggers the P0324 code and tells you that something is wrong;
- you take that OBD2 scanner and read the code;
- you happily run to the Chevy parts store and buy the new sensor spending some money;
- you install the sensor and are frustrated to get the same code in just several miles.
This is something we’ve all been through. But you shouldn’t worry. At least, now you know that the knock sensor is OK and you can focus on finding the actual problem.
By the way, in some rare cases, the problem can be triggered by the faulty knock sensor in the engine. For example, if it’s affected by heat or water, it can go crazy and send the wrong reading to the ECU. The ECU, in turn, will light up the check engine light because it has no clue that the sensor went nuts.
But there are several more common culprits of this code in the ECU. So, let’s see what can cause the P0324 engine code in the Chevy Cruze.
Possible reasons for the P0324 in Chevy Cruze
Your Cruze may be showing the P0324 code when it detects knocking in the engine. By knocking we understand some kind of detonation. Something explodes in the engine several times within 10 seconds and the sensor triggers the code immediately after that. But why can your Chevy Cruze engine throw a code?
Let’s see:
1. Bad quality of fuel
Fuel quality is extremely important for any modern car. Even though your Chevy Cruze has a classic engine that won’t die if you give it a shot of bad gasoline, the knock sensor may well react on this.
I’ve seen a Cruze owner who reported the P0324 error any time he used E85 gasoline. But when he bought a regular gas, everything was OK and the code reset easily without any actions on his side.
So, the bad gas can burn poorly and eventually explode somewhere in the engine or in the exhaust system which will lead to knocks. The knock sensor will obviously react because this is what it was made for.
2. Misfiring engine due to ignition issues
Your engine may misfire because the fuel that is injected into the cylinder isn’t combusted. The problems with the ignition are usually the culprits. When the fuel gets into the combustion chamber but then is not ignited by the spark plug, the unburnt fuel then goes to the exhaust system and burns there because of the high temperature.
This leads to explosions and detonation rather than normal burning, so you get a knocking engine and the knock sensors also feel this.
3. Bad injectors
It’s not uncommon for a Chevy Cruze engine to have faulty injectors. They are durable but with bad care and maintenance, the injectors may get clogged because of bad fuel filtration. This leads to improper fuel atomization and so not all fuel is burnt in the combustion chamber.
Then, the scenario is just like with the previous problems (ignition issues). The unburnt fuel gets in places where it shouldn’t be and explodes. This leads to engine knocking and the sensor triggers the P0324 code.
4. Poor compression
This can also be the culprit of the P0324 trouble code in the Cruze. Usually, this happens when the engine has a lot of miles on it and is pretty old. Compression rings or valves may be faulty and fail to hold the pressure inside the cylinder when needed. This leads to bad combustion, poor power, and other issues.
A misfiring engine with poor compression will vibrate like crazy – you will not even need your OBD2 scanner to understand what kind of code sits behind the check engine light.
5. Limited air supply
Another thing you can check is the problem with the air supply. Your Chevy Cruze will be burning fuel correctly in that case only if the air is supplied to the engine in the needed volume.
In a turbocharged engine, the turbo is worth checking. In the older 1.8L engine, the air passages and the air filter have to be checked. If something blocks the air supply, the engine will lose power and work like it’s going to die now.
The misfiring engine can also vibrate heavily and trigger the knock sensor to throw the P0324 code.
What are the DIY fixes for the P0324 code?
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of DIY fixes that I can recommend. In most cases, the culprit of this code is misfiring and knocking of the engine. To find the problem, you will need to have proper equipment and experience.
But you can try doing the following:
- check the air filter and replace it if the filter is dirty;
- check air pipes that connect the filter with the throttle;
- check spark plugs – Cruze engines may have untightened plugs;
- also, look at the plugs and try to locate the fouled one – it may be the reason;
- use the OBD2 scanner and try to find other codes that will help you with the inspection.
I don’t recommend going deeper and checking the ignition or injection system unless you have experience for this.
The best way to locate and solve the problem is to arrange your visit to a trusted repair shop and have the car inspected by a professional. This will help you locate the issue easily and get several possible ways to solve the problem.
Can you drive with the P0324 code in the Chevy Cruze?
Before you continue driving, you need to make sure that the engine works well and doesn’t seem like dying. If the engine lost power significantly or started vibrating, it would be better to stop the vehicle and try to find the problem right on the spot. If it’s impossible, it’s even worth calling a tow truck.
I know some cases when people kept driving Chevy cars with the P0324 codes for quite long and eventually, this led to fatal engine damage. You shouldn’t drive if you encounter the following symptoms:
- extreme loss of power;
- heavy vibration that you feel inside the car;
- sputtering and hesitation when you press the gas pedal;
- serious knock in the engine;
- warning messages that tell you to stop the car;
- the vehicle doesn’t feel healthy and ready to go.
In most cases, it’s better to avoid driving your car even a mile or two if you have one or several of the issues listed above. In this case, calling a tow truck does seem like a good investment.
What can happen? If you keep driving the car with the heavily misfiring and knocking engine, you may find the engine broken in just several miles. It can get stuck, burn something inside, or just break for unknown reasons and be more expensive to repair than to replace.
Final thoughts
Your Cruze has a knock sensor and it’s good because the car can warn you if something goes wrong and the engine is knocking. But when you see the P0324 code, you shouldn’t immediately think that this code means that the knock sensor is faulty.
In most cases, the sensor is completely OK, you just need to find and solve the problem that causes the engine to knock. It may still be quite challenging to locate the issue. Also, to repair the engine, you will obviously need some help. But I tried hard and came up with some DIY methods and outlined them in this article.
Hope you now can solve the P0324 problem in the Cruze! Please write in the comments if you had any success with it.