Chevy Equinox 1.5L Turbo Engine (LYX): Problems, Longevity, And Specs

Well, speaking about small turbocharged engines with proper MPG, we can't help but put the EcoBoost engines first. But General Motors also has some units that can compete with marvelous EcoBoost technologies. Chevy Equinox, for example, has been fitted with the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine named LYX.

Today, we'll tell you about the Chevy Equinox 1.5L Turbo engine (LYX) and will cover its problems, longevity, and some things you should consider when buying it. We want to say at first that we love this engine and we recommend it for anyone but only new. Used LYX engines are not a very good idea and we'll try to explain why a little later.

Key features and my opinion about the engine

• Production years:2017-2022
• Average lifespan of LYX:140,000-160,000 miles
• Fuel supply type:direct injection
• Power range:170 hp
• Fuel efficiency:good
• Engine block material:aluminum
• Engine reliability score:low
• The most common problems:weak block can crack, start-stop system is awful, carbon buildup on intake valves, bad throttle unit, frozen intercooler issues.

What should you know about the Chevy Equinox 1.5L engine?

Since 2018, the new generation of the Equinox has been powered by a couple of small engines and the 1.5-liter one is thought to be the optimal choice. Well, it's not that helpless, to say the truth. The engine surprises you with 170 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque, it offers great low-RPM access to power and actually doesn't feel sluggish at all.

Also, this engine powers the new GMC Terrain which is basically the sibling of the Chevy Equinox (not in terms of design, of course). The engine is not that popular and actually, it has got a lot of criticism from GM fans. And we believe a lot of this criticism wasn't fair enough.

Let's look at some of the main features of the 1.5L Turbo engine in the Equinox:

• its power and torque will surprise you, the engine is really cool to drive, even in such a big vehicle as the Equinox;
• the turbocharger is quite big and yes it will fail earlier than you think, but the good news is that the replacement parts don't cost you a fortune;
• the block and head are of decent quality and won't bother you much as well as many other parts of this engine;
• the direct injection is great for optimizing fuel consumption, but of course, it will get some carbon deposits and will need cleaning from time to time;
• this engine has four cylinders, so it's not going to shake like crazy and try to jump out of the engine bay;
• the engine works surprisingly calmly and quietly, when you are waiting at a traffic light, you may forget that there is a gas-powered engine in your vehicle;
• the turbocharger was developed by Mitsubishi, it's a simple single-scroll turbo with good efficiency and relatively good longevity;
• your Chevy Equinox 1.5L Turbo will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph for about 8.9 seconds and this is really fast.

So, you get a small engine with wonderful gas mileage and no major technical flaws and with a reasonable price for maintenance. By the way, Chevy says you will get about 26 mpg in the city and over 31 mpg on the highway. But of course, those figures depend much on how you actually drive.

Currently, the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine is the only available option for the Chevy Equinox. And the only possible transmission type is 6-speed automatic. The transmission is probably even better than the engine, so it will last as much as the engine will.

Glad about what you've just read? Soon we'll turn to problems, so don't give up reading and know more about the engine!

What's the longevity of the 1.5L Turbo in Chevy Equinox?

Speaking about longevity, this is not the strongest side of the 1.5L Turbo engine in Equinox. As a rule, small-displacement engines don't live a long and happy life. We suppose 180,000 miles will be the great average lifespan this engine can deliver.

Yes, some of them will go over 220,000 miles, but these will be engines with proper maintenance and calm driving. If you press that acceleration pedal hard and forget about oil change intervals, you will get a less-than-average lifespan of up to 150,000 miles.

The engine needs good maintenance. We would recommend only original oil and good filters. Sparing money on maintenance and repair will mean cutting the lifespan of your 1.5L Turbo engine.

Over time, your Equinox will need more and more money for maintaining the engine. At approximately 150,000-180,000 miles, you will need to change piston rings, valve seals, turbocharger, and many other parts. Sometimes, an engine swap or just buying a new car will be an economically better decision.

What are some common problems with the Chevy 1.5L Turbo engine?

The Equinox engine is not bad and we've stated this in the first part of our article. It's obviously worth the money. But still, it has some common issues that will get on your nerves now and then. We are going to briefly describe the most important problems that are commonly known to happen with these engines.

So, here are the most common problems we know:

• Turbocharger issues in cold temperatures. Sometimes, you may even see the check-engine light flashing on your dash. When it's cold, the turbocharger doesn't get proper oiling because of too thin oil pipes and tubes. Probably, this is the problem of not changing the oil when needed. But still, a lot of owners have reported this temporary failure that can be cured by letting your Equinox rest in a warm garage.
• Numerous sensors failing. It all starts with the oil pressure that will be the real pain in your neck. But after 100,000 miles, nearly all engine sensors may surprise you with their problems. Changing them is probably the best decision. Thank goodness, they don't cost you a fortune.
• Spontaneous Check-Engine light. You will probably see the Check-Engine light more often than you expect if you own the Equinox with the 1.5 Turbo engine. In most cases, it's all about turbocharger issues or broken sensors, but sometimes the problems may be even more extraordinary.
• Engine block problems. This engine is pretty hard (or impossible) to repair after severe overheating. When the block parts go bad, you may just buy the new block which usually equals the price of the new engine. If your piston cracks, this means you will need to get ready for a swap.
• Overheating. This may be a deadly problem for this engine, so you should make sure that it has enough coolant and that all sensors work properly. Otherwise, it may overheat without giving a sign of a problem. The consequences are very bad - this will probably lead to a swap.

You now can see that these engines are not problem-free at all. They may get broken pretty fast or they may go over 200,000 miles - this depends on maintenance and driving habits.

The number of problems doesn't mean this engine is problematic. Comparing the Chevy 1.5L Turbo with other small-displacement turbocharged engines on the market, we can say that it's not worth than many other units available in different cars.

Do we recommend the 1.5 Turbo engine by GM?

GM's turbo engines with small displacement weren't very good until the new series offered in 2016. Now, these engines are much better and can easily compete with different other manufacturers' technologies in terms of longevity, fuel consumption, emissions, and drivability. By drivability we mean actually the amount of fun you get when driving the car equipped with this engine.

We can recommend the 1.5L Turbo LYX engine for Equinox. This is a good decision in terms of maintenance and driving costs. You will not need a lot of gasoline for driving your vehicle. And you won't need to take the car to a mechanic very often.

Then the only thing you need to know is that you should take your vehicle for regular maintenance right when needed. Even 100 miles over the recommended interval is not a good idea. The turbocharged engine depends on oil quality, optimal cooling, and other factors that are regulated and controlled by maintenance. So, invest your time in this and you will easily drive your Equinox for at least 180,000 miles.

If you don't care about regular maintenance, you should consider buying a vehicle with another engine. But in this case, it won't be the Equinox because this SUV is offered with only one engine option.

Final words

We can clearly say that the 1.5L Turbo engine made by GM is not bad. Also, we can't say it's the best in this class. The engine is great in terms of power, consumption, stiffness, quietness, and many other parameters. But it's still not the best in terms of longevity, minor or major problems, and some other factors.

You should know that these engines are not very expensive to repair. Also, the market offers quite a few rebuilt or remanufactured engines that you can buy with trade-in (exchange for your broken engine and pay some money).