High RPM
Asked by GuruY6NW4 Mar 29, 2018 at 11:25 AM about the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT FWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I recently took a road trip from Illinois to Colorado in my
2012 Malibu. Before I left I had an oil change and filled all
my fluids. Checked the tires. All the good stuff to ensure a
smooth trip. Once we started to climb in elevation my car
started making a noise like a buzzing or almost a constant
" Errrrrrrrrrrrr" sound. And my cars RPMs we're running
high. I read that the elevation could effect it. But once I
returned to my normal elevation it would stop. It hasn't.
There are no codes, or lights reading funny. Nothing. Please
help!
6 Answers
It might be coincidence the problem started at a higher elevation, rather the problem could be due to the fact it was along road trip, which mean lots of heat over an extended period of time caused a part to fail. High RPM can be caused by anything from a bad throttle position sensor to a vacuum leak in the throttle body to a stuck open EGR valve. Vacuum leaks allow unmetered air into the throttle body, and to compensate for the additional air the engine's computer add more fuel to the air-fuel mix - the result is higher RPM. Check this older post on CarGurus, similar complaints to yours regarding high RPM in a Chevy Malibu and other owner's solutions. (https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t2269_ds458222) Hope this helps!
PS: forgot to add, a bad solenoid on an EGR valve can "buzz" or "humm". Of course a proper diagnosis would have to be made, but as a guess i'd say you have a bad EGR. (EGR: exhaust gas recirculating)
Thank you! I'll be looking at it tomorrow!
At speeds from twenty to above 60 the RPM is above 5
