The P1101 error code is one of the most commonly stored faults in Chevy Cruze models and can appear on both generations of this compact car. It appears to be more prevalent on examples with the 1.4-liter turbocharged or 2.0-liter turbodiesel engines, but is not uncommon in non-turbo gas-powered Cruzes, either. Fortunately, this fault is usually relatively easy to diagnose and fairly inexpensive to repair, so it shouldn't scare off any potential Chevy Cruze buyers or cause panic among current owners. So, let's unpack what a P11011 code on a Chevy Cruze is.
The engine control unit (ECU) in a Chevy Cruze tests all the sensors attached to the engine upon startup and switches on the Check Engine Light (CEL) if any of those sensors return a signal outside its normal operating range.
One of these sensors is the Mass Air Flow sensor (MAF), which monitors the quantity of air entering the engine, and the ECU will illuminate the CEL right away if it detects that the MAF sensor's output signal is out of range or absent. Connecting a scanner to the OBD-II (diagnostic) port while this error is present will then present the P1101 and/or P0171 error codes in its memory, likely accompanied by a description along the lines of "Intake Airflow System Performance".
Additionally, the ECU can also recognize a faulty MAF signal when the car is being driven and will alert the driver to any Chevy Cruze Mass Air Flow sensor problems which may occur while on the move. This applies to all model years and appears to be prevalent on the gas-only lineup from 2011, 2012, and 2013. It appears on the diesel models, which arrived with the 2014 facelift, and remained a common issue for the 2015 model as well. The second-generation car, which arrived in the US in 2016 and remained available for 2017 and 2018, has different electronic architecture and new engines, and reports of this problem in the second-generation model are not common.
Apart from an illuminated CEL, there are a few other symptoms of a problem related to the Chevy Cruze's Mass Air Flow sensor system:
There are several ways to address the various causes of a Chevy Cruze P1101 error code, and they involve checking the possible causes one by one. However, the P1101 code is not a serious enough issue to stop your Chevy Cruze by the side of the road, and driving home or to a workshop will be entirely possible.
While your Chevy Cruze won't perform correctly with this issue, it will still be able to drive home or to a workshop for repairs. Attend to this issue as quickly as possible, though, and avoid heavy throttle applications and high engine speeds, because the effects of such driving conditions combined with an air mass meter error could result in unpredictable performance, failure of other emission-control systems, and eventually, expensive engine damage.
When it comes to a fix for the P1101 error code on a Chevy Cruze, the issue can be fairly easy to address. There are a number of possible causes for a Chevy Cruze P11011 code, however - here is a guide on how to deal with it:
The cost of P11011 issues on a Chevy Cruse depends on the cause. OEM air filters cost less than $30 for all engine types, so this is a budget-friendly place to start diagnosing the problem. An OEM replacement MAF sensor for a gas-powered Cruze costs around $70, and an OEM replacement sensor for a diesel-engined Cruze will set you back about $130. Fitting a MAF is easy, so there's no need for professional assistance in this case. However, other issues which could cause the same error codes may vary widely, depending on the nature of the problem and the labor rate of your local workshop. An OEM replacement valve cover for a Chevy Cruze with the 1.4-liter turbo engine costs around $70 plus about $24 for its gasket, but it costs almost $140 plus $50 for the gasket for the 1.8-liter engine, with a labor charge of around $150 for replacement in each case.