# Coolant Loss Poll



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I have two Cruzen. My ECO MT has a slow coolant vapor loss at the cap. My LS MT has had zero coolant loss to date. I'm treating my ECO's coolant loss like the old Jeep oil seep - factory design.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

1.4T, slow coolant loss every few months. 

Haven't done a thing to fix it - there's usually not much in the way of a smell, and I just don't care to bother with the dealer until the water pump inevitably craps out.


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## tecollins1 (Nov 6, 2011)

2011 Eco 
Slow coolant loss 
No smell 


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

In the 2 years I have had my 2011 ECO - I would say maybe I have added a half inch of coolant to the reservoir. I do not have a problem with coolant smell in or outside the car. I know in the first couple of years I had my 2004 GTO I have added a small amount of coolant.


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## CyclonicWrath (May 14, 2013)

BowtieGuy said:


> Lately, there have been increasing reports of coolant loss in US Cruzen. I myself have noticed about a 1/4" loss of coolant from the expansion tank each month on my brand new Cruze (Eco 6M, April 2013). I have not noticed any rough spots on the expansion tank lip/flat spots on the o-ring in the cap. I have not verified that the cap is holding at the correct pressures though. I created this poll to get a better idea how many are experiencing the same, steady coolant loss, and what caused it, if known.
> 
> When posting, please give relevant information such as:
> -Model year and engine(1.4T or 1.8)
> ...


1.4T 6MT RS 2012 had coolant loss about a line drop every 5k km same deal as you but could smell faint coolant from outside car after a trip, got a pressure test and all that everything was fine, got a dye test done after 5k km took it in a line worth drop again, they checked turned out to be a very small leak in the water pump, seem to only leak when going from cold to hot and then burn up so no visible leak and pulleys in the way to see the white mark of burnt coolant, but had to go back after about 8k km cuz new water pump was making a weird noise, replaced that and seem to be good so far with no coolant loss after 10k km and no more smell!!!! Just my advise it take the dealer 10 min to put dye in your coolant drive it a good amount and then when you have free time take it back even if your not really bothered... Well worth a free fix and saves you money on coolant.... A NEW CAR SHOULD NOT BE LOSING COOLANT... Well no car should but def not a new car I have 40k km on my car now


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## crazylegs (Apr 25, 2012)

My 2011 1.4 has 46,000 miles and just started losing coolant on 7/31/13. It is down about 1" today and I notice a pool of coolant below the passenger side of engine about 1 foot in diameter (+ or -) every morning since 7/31/13. I have an appointment with Cole and Burd in Mansfield this Friday and this better get fixed.


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

All great info so far! Has anyone had their coolant loss problem solved by replacing the expansion tank cap? My guess is that is where my loss is coming from.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

BowtieGuy said:


> All great info so far! Has anyone had their coolant loss problem solved by replacing the expansion tank cap? My guess is that is where my loss is coming from.


If you have coolant smells under the hood with no visible leaks I would guess its the cap. However my loss I think is just the tank venting normally since with the PI fix(extended vent tube) I now get no smell. 

when the dealer added the vent tube they filled the tank to the top line, strong antifreeze smells for the first 3,000miles afterward and the most of the loss occurring then. Now that I am down about half way on the tank the loss and smell seem gone. 10,000miles I lost 3 inches.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

spacedout said:


> If you have coolant smells under the hood with no visable leaks I would guess its the cap. However my loss I think is just the tank venting normally since with the PI fix(extended vent tube) I now get no smell.
> 
> when the dealer added the vent tube they filled the tank to the top line, strong antifreeze smells for the first 3,000miles afterward and the most of the loss occurring then. Now that I am down about half way on the tank the loss and smell seem gone. 10,000miles I lost 3 inches.


Similar experience here. My smells started when I filled the tank to the "proper" level. And coolant loss was rapid.

I dropped the tank back down to the bottom of the arrow and loss has been minimal (needed a top-up of a few ounces once since December), and no smell.


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

Just wait for it to give out and have them fix it under warranty. Won't take longer than 2 years, trust me.


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

I probably added one pint in 43,000 miles and even that wasn't necessary.


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## BigSkyMontana (Jan 5, 2013)

2012 1.4T, 10,000 miles. Drops approximately about one indicator mark a month. Dye check-no leaks detected.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

BigSky - do you see dye on the surge tank vent? This is where my ECO is losing coolant.


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## BigSkyMontana (Jan 5, 2013)

obermd said:


> BigSky - do you see dye on the surge tank vent? This is where my ECO is losing coolant.


Please see my posting on coolant resolution thread.


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## Yates (Aug 24, 2012)

2012 eco. Nothing yet but only had it a year and 7800mi. One of many knocks on wood.


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## MyShibbyEco (Jan 21, 2012)

Coincidentally I just came inside from topping my reservoir off. According to my logs, over the last 9569 miles, and last top off on 12/21/2012, I lost the amount from the top of the arrow to the bottom of the triangle part of the arrow. No smells ever noticed yet. My guess it is most likely the cap since it seems to work itself to a not-so-tight state once in a while.


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

I have noticed that not a single 1.8 LS owner has noticed a loss in coolant from the poll. I did some research and from what I found, the part numbers for the reservoir tank and cap are the same for the 1.8 LS and other 1.4T Cruzes. So what could be causing a loss in the 1.4T Cruzes, but not in the 1.8 Cruzes?
I mention this because I have since confirmed that my slow loss is coming from the reservoir cap(or at least partially). Has anyone had a replaced reservoir cap fix their coolant loss problem?


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

BowtieGuy said:


> I have noticed that not a single 1.8 LS owner has noticed a loss in coolant from the poll. I did some research and from what I found, the part numbers for the reservoir tank and cap are the same for the 1.8 LS and other 1.4T Cruzes. So what could be causing a loss in the 1.4T Cruzes, but not in the 1.8 Cruzes?
> I mention this because I have since confirmed that my slow loss is coming from the reservoir cap(or at least partially). Has anyone had a replaced reservoir cap fix their coolant loss problem?


It's got to be coolant temp building up the pressure in the tanks and causing it to vent out the caps prematurely.

I wonder if the 1.8's run the coolant temp up to 219-227 like the 1.4's do.


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

I wonder if GM will release a higher pressure cap for the 1.4Ts down the line(One can dream...)? Otherwise, it seems a slow coolant loss may just be a "nature of the beast" with the 1.4T Cruzen.


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## Silver Streak (Jan 5, 2013)

2012 Cruze LT RS M6 - aka the 1.4L turbo
Just under 20k miles
Outside coolant smell since purchased new in Oct 2011
Took to a local Chevy dealer for warranty service on the coolant loss. They Did Not add the dye like the TSB instructs and pronounced it - no leakage. Filled the surge tank up and said it's fine. Not a memorable experience with them.
Based on the success of others on this forum, I went and purchased first a new surge tank cap, and then a new surge tank. Bottom line is no difference was noted with the coolant smell in my garage after usage of the vehicle.
I did post earlier my own overflow bottle in which I experienced considerable movement of coolant back and forth between the surge tank and the overflow. I removed the overflow after installing the new cap and surge tank.


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## CyclonicWrath (May 14, 2013)

Silver Streak said:


> 2012 Cruze LT RS M6 - aka the 1.4L turbo
> Just under 20k miles
> Outside coolant smell since purchased new in Oct 2011
> Took to a local Chevy dealer for warranty service on the coolant loss. They Did Not add the dye like the TSB instructs and pronounced it - no leakage. Filled the surge tank up and said it's fine. Not a memorable experience with them.
> ...


Go to a different dealer, I hope you didn't pay out of pocket for that stuff... And I'm still thinking its the water pump guys there is some that are defective and GM didn't want to do a recall because some are lasting beyond warranty, so they only have to fix the ones doing it early on... and it's a leak that is very slow, since I got my water pump fixed i have 0 coolant loss and No smell 10k km ago


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## Yates (Aug 24, 2012)

It appears it's buyer beware unless it's safety related as far as GM is concerned. Waiting known problems out beyond warranty is short term gain I suppose but the loss of the customer sure isn't.


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## CyclonicWrath (May 14, 2013)

Yates said:


> It appears it's buyer beware unless it's safety related as far as GM is concerned. Waiting known problems out beyond warranty is short term gain I suppose but the loss of the customer sure isn't.


Well everything will eventually break down after a warranty anyways on any make or kind so that statement really makes no sense. There is a TSB for it just not a recall, recalls are for safety issues like our oil pan tray... No a slow leaky pump that if it does lose any coolant it's minor... And just because some mechanics are lazy at a dealership don't mean gm sucks just your service guys do and find a better dealer its not that hard


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## cruze01 (Mar 25, 2011)

2011 LT 1.4 and 2013 RS LT 1.4
Both have had coolant loss and a faint smell outside the car. I had the 2011 worked on many times over this complaint with no resolution! They did everything! Water pump, die and reservoir + cap trice. Nothing fixed it. Now my 2013 is doing the same thing, I haven't wasted my time with the dealer yet, I know that they don't know whats going on. So far I am at 14500 miles, the tank has dropped to the lowest mark and I do have a faint smell of antifreeze under the hood. I guess I will just have to live with it.


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## Yates (Aug 24, 2012)

CyclonicWrath said:


> Well everything will eventually break down after a warranty anyways on any make or kind so that statement really makes no sense. There is a TSB for it just not a recall, recalls are for safety issues like our oil pan tray... No a slow leaky pump that if it does lose any coolant it's minor... And just because some mechanics are lazy at a dealership don't mean gm sucks just your service guys do and find a better dealer its not that hard
> 
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com App


Having to add coolant under warranty and having to replace a related part out of warranty are two different things my friend. This will make great sense if it happens to you.


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## CyclonicWrath (May 14, 2013)

Yates said:


> Having to add coolant under warranty and having to replace a related part out of warranty are two different things my friend. This will make great sense if it happens to you.


? Well you shouldn't have to add any coolant.. and I don't get what you mean if it happens to me? If it does and it's out of warranty I will replace it myself, I don't see what the big deal is?


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

I'm sorry but a slow leaking water pump is justbas important as the sheild recall probably more important since the sheild recall was due to incompetent mechanics. If my water pumps leaks I want it fixed before I warp my head or worse locke the motor up.

Sent From An Antique,
My Original Droid.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

I'd say they don't want to do those repairs, because they don't know how to. It's GM's failure for not making the service departments toe a line on education, updated systems, and customer satisfaction. 

I know that's not adding anything of value, but I really wanted to get my 1500th post in. Hee Hee.


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## crazylegs (Apr 25, 2012)

They determined my water pump is leaking and will replace under the recall dated 8/1/13. They are replacing it this Wednesday and I leave Thursday morning for 5 days in Kentucky. I will take a comtainer of coolant just in case. I will keep you posted whether this stops the leak.


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## newsguy99 (May 24, 2013)

My 2012 Eco MT6 Coolant loss was lite.. No oder inside or out. Then, on the 16th of Aug. I see a puff of smoke from the hood.. Took to dealership on the 17th.. Said, was the water pump... Replaced it.
Now today, I've got a hole in my condensor..


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## SkullCruzeRS (Nov 3, 2011)

Have a 2012 1.4L noticed the coolant level was a bit low maybe 3/8" above the bottom hose. Can't say that I really paid attention to the level prior but thought was fuller. I did have a faulty thermostat replaced earlier this year not sure if there would have been coolant loss when they replaced that and never topped it off or not. I haven't had any smells or leaks. Will be filling it up to the bottom base of the full arrow and keep an eye on it to see if I'm still losing coolant or not.


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## Jacka (May 9, 2013)

I'm having problems with my 2011 lt 1.4 cruze, recently the inside has had a wired burnt smell that I can't figure out where it came from. My car has been leaking coolant as well everytime I leave my garage there is a little puddle of coolant under my car









Can anyone tell me what's leaking in the photo or what's wrong ? 


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Jacka said:


> I'm having problems with my 2011 lt 1.4 cruze, recently the inside has had a wired burnt smell that I can't figure out where it came from. My car has been leaking coolant as well everytime I leave my garage there is a little puddle of coolant under my car
> 
> View attachment 32226
> 
> ...


Your water pump is driven by the serpentine belt and is leaking. This will be covered under your 5 year/100K powertrain warranty, so schedule a time to take your car to the dealer.

Burnt smell...it's really just a guess. Is the smell coming at all from under the hood or no?

If you can isolate the smell, please start a new topic in the service issues section rather than adding on to this topic.


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## Jacka (May 9, 2013)

Thank you and no the smell isn't from the hood, I got in my car the other morning and it had a burnt smell that I can't describe


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## Aussie SRi-V (Aug 25, 2012)

1.4T very slow coolant loss over last 12 months but I believe my loss rate to be normal.
No smell. Cap and fill point cleaned and both cap orings inspected every couple of months.


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## crazylegs (Apr 25, 2012)

Back from Kentucky now and not a single drop of coolant leaked. New water pump was the answer. Quite relieved and still enjoying this car!


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## Gio93z (Sep 8, 2011)

2011 Cruze LTZ 1.4

coolant loss on two different occassions - first was the water pump via one of the bolt holes - second experience was the coolant inlet pipe gasket into the turbo housing/cooler - both have been resolved and both caused a minimal leak that slowly lowered the reservior bottle coolant level - both also caused slight, random coolant odor -


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## MINI 3NI (Sep 11, 2011)

hmm love the search button, i was curious about that today when i saw no coolant at all in the resivoir. So just by reading thru, I take it the stealership would fix it under warranty.


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## Djc83 (Mar 25, 2012)

2011 LT1 1.4L

Have not noticed any coolant leak in the engine compartment or coolant smell. Did have to keep adding coolant until I had it serviced at 56,500. Per the work order they found the water pump to be leaking. This repair was done back on May of 2013. Noticed today resivior is low again so I will take it back for service. Currently at 67,700 miles.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Djc83, 

Please be sure to keep us posted after your service visit. If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via private message. 

Erica Tiffany
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Djc83 (Mar 25, 2012)

Erica,
Service done on the vehicle, coolant pressure test confirmed a O-Ring leak. O-Ring Part # 52458698 per the work order. Didn't think I would be replacing an O-Ring at 67,500 miles but glad the problem is solved. Below is a picture I captured of the leak.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Djc83, 

Thank you so much for following up with everyone. I am glad to see your concern has been resolved. 

Erica Tiffany
Chevrolet Customer


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

To update this, my coolant level stopped dropping half way down the notches on the reservoir. It has remained at this level for the past month without dropping further. As long as it continues to hold there, I'm going to leave it as is. Never experienced any coolant odors in or outside of the car.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

My dealer replaced my water pump and thermostat housing gasket. I complained of the smell again and they always said they could smell but never saw a leak. I am not sure if they saw a leak this time but since they replaced the water pump I have no smell in the front of the car after driving like I did before and the level has not changed. I wonder if the leak on the pumps is so slow and that is why we never see it on the ground it burns up before it drips on the ground and with the leak eventually the coolant gets low enough it damages the pump.


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## Ltron (Dec 30, 2012)

2013
1.4T ECO MT

Well I thought that I was going to escape the coolant issue but at about 9000 miles I noticed a fairly sudden drop in the water level. It went from about the full mark to about 1/2" above the bottom hose in about 1500 miles. I filled it up myself since I was leaving on a trip and it did not go down much in the following 1200 miles.

There was a definite antifreeze odor near the cap as well as near the front drivers' side of the engine bay. No odor inside thankfully.

I took it in and the dealer said the cap was leaking and replaced it. The odor near the cap is now gone but the odor near the front drivers side is still there. I don't see any leak great enough to cause a visible drip. It's quite common with leaks like this to only leak under pressure and to be so slow that the water evaporates about as fast as it leaks out. The tip off is a visible stain but frequently it is on the under side of a fitting or in some other out of the way spot.

It's not been long enough to tell if the level is going to drop. Previously the level seemed to have stopped dropping on it's own anyway. 

I suspect that this has something to do with warmer weather. The previous "sudden" loss also corresponded to warmer weather. Now that it's cooler it may slow down or stop. Slow is still wrong in my opinion. These GM systems rarely need any extra coolant IMHO. The scheme that is used on the Cruze had been used on other GM models for years. My brother has a Cobalt that is still full after 50K.
 
If you can smell coolant there is a leak. It may be so slow as to be inconsequential but it is there. I had a previous Mits that smelled for 100K until I replace the radiator and discovered that there was a small stain on the bottom side of the upper radiator hose. It would weep very slowly and evaporate before enough accumulated to drip. I have also seen coolant accumulate in a small puddle on the engine and evaporate before it was big enough to actually drip on the ground. 

Actually, I believe that the water pump has a small space for coolant leaking from the seal to accumulate so that it will not cause a drip. Clever idea I thought. 

I would eventually like to get the smell fixed but I think I will keep an eye on things for awhile. The car only has 12,000 on it now so I have some warranty time left.


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## unitednations161 (Mar 13, 2011)

Djc83 said:


> Erica,
> Service done on the vehicle, coolant pressure test confirmed a O-Ring leak. O-Ring Part # 52458698 per the work order. Didn't think I would be replacing an O-Ring at 67,500 miles but glad the problem is solved. Below is a picture I captured of the leak.
> 
> View attachment 44897




Mine is leaking there also at 64000 miles. I shall get it fixed! thank you!


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Please let us know if you need our assistance in any way unitednations! You can feel free to send us a private message at anytime!

Jackie
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## jstreet610 (Nov 6, 2013)

2012 cruze ls 1.8 30k miles. Small coolant leak with odor in cabin. Found out yesterday that it's a blown headgasket maybe more. Dealer has to tear it down to see. Also GM will be sending engineer out to determine what the cause was. (Probably try to find a way to deny claim) Please don't let coolant issues go.


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## kcd86 (Nov 11, 2013)

I have 2011 1.4T at 29,000 miles engine light came on, code came back low coolant. Car has been to dealer 4 times since Aug. First they said it was the head gasket which was replaced. Car continued to lose coolant no external leaks ever found. Inside car is dry so no leaks from heater core. Car overheated towed in , they said it's the thermastat. Car continues to lose coolant. going back to dealer again.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

kcd86, 

I am sorry to hear you are having this concern. I reached out to you on another thread. Please private message me your name, VIN, address, phone number, and dealership. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Erica Tiffany
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## jstreet610 (Nov 6, 2013)

On 11-6 cruze ls had head gasket replaced and warranty covered it. Today it is back at the dealer due to coolant loss and what I think is coolant in the oil. I'm so fed up with this car its a nightmare. It has also been in for a computer issue. They butchered the underside of the car when "FIXING THE RECALL". It makes popping noises when starting it at times. The firestones that came on it only lasted 30k miles. The seals around the doors leak. Wish I could get somethng else but I can't afford to. I paid cash for this new with insurance settlement. I'm disabledand ddon't have enough income to finance another car. That's why I bought a new car when I had the money. I don't think I'll ever buy GM again.


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## jessespring07 (Apr 14, 2013)

-2011 Cruze 1.4T 
-Lost coolant fairly slow.
-I had the dealer replace the water pump because I could see it was leaking. 

This is covered in the Powertrain Warranty so make sure its fixed before 100k miles.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

I'm not sure how I missed this thread before...

2012 Eco MT 1.4T
~17k miles

I had slow coolant loss, the first time I checked the level it was very low, just above the surge tank outlet. Topped it up and got coolant vapors venting out of the cap. Determined the cause to be a manufacturing defect in the surge tank where the cap o-ring seals. I installed a new tank and cap myself (since the cap o-ring can't be purchased separately) and no more venting.

After that, coolant loss is minimal, maybe 1/4" drop in 6 months/6k miles. I get a wif of coolant inside the car every now and then after shutting the car off; when parking I shut the car off immediately and then key back on so I can run the HVAC fan while sitting in the car. Opening the hood I can smell coolant after shutting it off, and the smell seems to come from...



Djc83 said:


> ...confirmed a O-Ring leak. O-Ring Part # 52458698 per the work order.
> View attachment 44897


...right there! The plastic coolant header that comes off the driver's side of the head. I've been suspecting a leak in that area ever since replacing my surge tank. If it is leaking in that area the leak is so slight that it doesn't leave a trace that's visible.

Thanks for posting that as well as the part number! I will be getting a hose and smelling through it to see if I can pinpoint the leak, and I have a gut feeling that this is the cause. Will update if I make progress.


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## Diesel Dan (May 18, 2013)

Coolant loss in our 2013 1.4T/6A, no leaks found to date.


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## APCruze (Mar 7, 2013)

Noticed a small puddle on the garage floor the other day, got up under the car and can not see where it is dripping from. (no signs on any of the engine or frame) I know its from the Cruze cause nothing else parks in that spot and its epoxy floors so if liquid drips it stays till it evaporates. I noticed the reserve is down to the top of the fill neck, so I will set up and appoinment for the dealership. 13 with 10000 miles.


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

To update this from my original and other posts, coolant level initially dropped and has stayed two ticks from the bottom since last summer. With my Cruze getting recalled for the axle shaft recall again, I am going to have them take a look at the coolant "loss." If anything its to document it in the GM system for future reference if it becomes an issue on my Cruze.


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## ctrider (Sep 9, 2012)

2013 Economy 6sp MT low coolant at 42k. I added at least a quart.


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## tdc (Jan 24, 2014)

BowtieGuy said:


> I have noticed that not a single 1.8 LS owner has noticed a loss in coolant from the poll. I did some research and from what I found, the part numbers for the reservoir tank and cap are the same for the 1.8 LS and other 1.4T Cruzes. So what could be causing a loss in the 1.4T Cruzes, but not in the 1.8 Cruzes?
> I mention this because I have since confirmed that my slow loss is coming from the reservoir cap(or at least partially). Has anyone had a replaced reservoir cap fix their coolant loss problem?


(2012 Cruze LS, 1.8L/AutoTrans): I have *recently noticed* that the coolant in my reservoir tank low (~3 lines down from full 'arrow-up' boss). (The level is a little over the lower inlet's level). My car has 14,800 miles, (I purchased it used with 10,600 miles). I got a little concerned that I was getting coolant past the head gasket. One reason for my concern is that 3 weeks ago, while driving on the highway, a woman came alongside and flagged me. Her message: 'you've got smoke/vapor coming from your tailpipe'. I pulled into a shopping center lot and checked my exhaust with car idling: few water droplets from tailpipe, no vapor. Drops don't smell like antifreeze (glycol), but only water. I'm still evaluating if there's a problem with my car. 
Unscrewed the refill cap on reservoir the other day: very tight. Looked ok. Put back on. Will look again for any burrs on inside of reservoir neck/cap interface (as another member commented seeing on his car's reservoir bottle). Thanks for that tip. I hope this my input helps.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

If someone commented on your exhaust being white I would definitely get that car into a dealer for a full pressure test before the warranty expires!

On another note, on the Lordstown tour this year I looked at the coolant levels of six random cars. All were low, including one 1.8L LS trim car. None were empty, but all were between one and three ribs low on the tank.

Just a quick point; make sure your car is on a level surface when checking/topping up the coolant level. If the car is parked on an incline/decline (like most driveways/garages) the coolant level will not display properly.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Another bit of data. Since fixing the cap to tank seal on my '12 Eco my coolant level has remained steady for several months. Not only is it stable, I actually have it slightly over filled and it is still solid. Temps here are now approaching 90F daytime highs and all seems well with my cooling system.

Fixing the interface involved both replacing the surge tank (my original tank had a defect in the throat where the cap seals), as well as sourcing a thicker o-ring. Anyone interested in the o-ring can send me a PM for more information.


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

I dropped my Cruze off for the axle recall yesterday and Im having them take a shot at the coolant loss. I delibrately didn't give them too much information outside of it being a very slow leak that only seemed to occur in hot weather and/or long trips. I'll let them take a crack at it and see what they say. If they don't fix it I will probably look into Blue Angel's o-ring fix as I have seen first hand it coming from the cap after a spirited drive on a hot day.


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

Another update. After my dealership could not find the source of coolant loss and just topped it off, I thought I was SOL and was going to have to fix it myself. But today I found this thread, which may yield an official GM solution:
http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/34-1...ithout-external-leak-n140417.html#post1320993

I urge anyone who has experienced coolant loss in their Cruze to enter their VIN at recalls.gm.com and speak to their dealer about GM Program #N140417. If enough people come forward we may finally get an official fix from GM on this issue.


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## Ger8mm (Mar 13, 2014)

For the record, I voted no and I have a diesel lol


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## BowtieGuy (Jan 4, 2013)

Ger8mm said:


> For the record, I voted no and I have a diesel lol


I think most of the NOs are 1.8 and diesel owners. Unfortunately the poll was created before the diesel was on the market.


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## Ger8mm (Mar 13, 2014)

> I think most of the NOs are 1.8 and diesel owners. Unfortunately the poll was created before the diesel was on the market.


I realized the date AFTER the fact hahaha, always happens that way.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

My diesel is 2 years old, but not the US diesel. As an observer only it seems that the coolant problems are related to the really high temperature of the 1.4 coolant. Above un pressurised boiling point in fact. I don't know what the 1.8 runs at but my diesel is almost always in the mid 80'sC regardless of outside temperature. I have not needed to top up fluid in the 2 years I have owned the car and have been driving in temperature as high as 47c (117F). Currently it is winter and leaving work at 12:30am it is usually around 5C so there is a wide range to gauge from. I know you don't think that is cold, but it is if you live here all the time.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Aussie said:


> My diesel is 2 years old, but not the US diesel. As an observer only it seems that the coolant problems are related to the really high temperature of the 1.4 coolant. Above un pressurised boiling point in fact. I don.t know what the 1.8 runs at but my diesel is almost always in the mid 80'sC regardless of outside temperature. I have not needed to top up fluid in the 2 years I have owned the car and have been driving in temperature as high as 47c (117F). Currently it is winter and leaving work at 12:30am it is usually around 5C so there is a wide range to gauge from. I know you don't think that is cold, but it is if you live here all the time.


I suspect the extremely high temperatures maintained by the 1.4T US trims (LT, ECO, LTZ) is also responsible for the HVAC box lubricant breaking down into glycol and whatever else, which resulted in the bulk of the very difficult to diagnose cabin odors reported in these trims.


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## tntbicycle (Aug 3, 2014)

Just got a 2012 ECO 6m. I have put maybe 1000 miles on it. Today I put about a pint of coolant into it. Didn't check where it was when I bought it, and only checked because of my fan kicking into high every time I start it in conjunction with my check engine light coming on. Gauge says all is fine. This happened once a couple of weeks ago, but about the third time I started it, the check engine light stayed off, and the fan stopped its thing. I want to watch and listen to get more info, but have the fear of bigger problems, or problems dealing with the warranty.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

tntbicycle said:


> Just got a 2012 ECO 6m. I have put maybe 1000 miles on it. Today I put about a pint of coolant into it. Didn't check where it was when I bought it...


Your coolant may have gotten low enough to allow air into the cooling system. Once this happens, the water pump can easily go inoperable surrounded by an air pocket. I've had this happen on a couple of cars now, and all is well after topping off and working all the air out of the system.

One thing for you to check. There's a bleeder near the top of the passenger side radiator tank to let air out of the rad. If you had air ingested you may have air in the rad. With the car cool and the surge tank cap off, open that bleeder screw until you see a small amount of coolant weep out. Close the screw, install the surge tank cap, start the car and rev it a few times. Before it has a chance to warm up, check the coolant level and make sure it's at the cold fill line (parked on a level surface). If not, check in to the GM recall page as mentioned by BowtieGuy above and get it to your dealer for a top up.

Keep an eye on it and update us with any news.


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## SneakerFix (Jul 28, 2013)

BowtieGuy said:


> Another update. After my dealership could not find the source of coolant loss and just topped it off, I thought I was SOL and was going to have to fix it myself. But today I found this thread, which may yield an official GM solution:
> http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/34-1...ithout-external-leak-n140417.html#post1320993
> 
> I urge anyone who has experienced coolant loss in their Cruze to enter their VIN at recalls.gm.com and speak to their dealer about GM Program #N140417. If enough people come forward we may finally get an official fix from GM on this issue.




yea mines is on the list dealer has it checking it. I haven't lost coolant since the water pump


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

tntbicycle said:


> Just got a 2012 ECO 6m. I have put maybe 1000 miles on it. Today I put about a pint of coolant into it. Didn't check where it was when I bought it, and only checked because of my fan kicking into high every time I start it in conjunction with my check engine light coming on. Gauge says all is fine. This happened once a couple of weeks ago, but about the third time I started it, the check engine light stayed off, and the fan stopped its thing. I want to watch and listen to get more info, but have the fear of bigger problems, or problems dealing with the warranty.


Hey there,

I apologize for this. If you would like for me to look further into this, please feel free to send me over a private message with your VIN, current mileage, contact information and a preferred dealership. 

Patsy G
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

BowtieGuy said:


> Another update. After my dealership could not find the source of coolant loss and just topped it off, I thought I was SOL and was going to have to fix it myself. But today I found this thread, which may yield an official GM solution:
> http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/34-1...ithout-external-leak-n140417.html#post1320993
> 
> I urge anyone who has experienced coolant loss in their Cruze to enter their VIN at recalls.gm.com and speak to their dealer about GM Program #N140417. If enough people come forward we may finally get an official fix from GM on this issue.


I can check anyone's VIN quickly as well, and answer any further questions! Please let me know in a private message .

Patsy G
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Dvan5693 (Jul 8, 2014)

I had my ECO MT in for a quick warranty repair today, 3,700 miles on the car bought it 7/12. The service rep pulled up my VIN and said oh there's a new recall on the car. It was the low coolant one. I did not check the dealer receipt as I was half asleep leaving the dealer this morning but I don't believe there was any loss of coolant.


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## Diesel Dan (May 18, 2013)

Had my leaky water pump replace recently with just 23K on the clock.


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## RedChevy (May 22, 2011)

I have an early build 2011 1.4T (purchased Jan 2011) which has almost 35K. It has been a very nice car except for the coolant smell/coolant loss (and the 32 mpg highway is below expectations).

I took it in to the dealer a couple of times for recalls and mentioned the coolant smell/loss. I took it in just before the 3/36 warranty expired specifically mentioning the coolant smell/loss because during the winter, with the heat on, the smell was very noticeable and annoying. They could find nothing wrong but did the surge tank vent (tubing)/cowl seal recall. This seemed to alleviate the smell inside the car but it was still noticeable when getting out of the car especially in my garage. 

I got used to it and was happy not to smell the coolant in the passenger compartment even though I had to add approx. a pint of coolant 3 times between March and July (about 7K of mixed driving). I was surprised to notice that it was low again less than a month after topping up and I added about a pint (to top off) before driving about 2K (round trip from NY to Myrtle Beach, SC plus a week of driving around that area). Low and behold my surge tank is down to just above the bottom hose.

I'll be bringing it in to the dealer as soon as possible because I don't think I should have to carry a jug of coolant in a 3 year old car with 34K.

PS: I have noticed that the surge tank cap is much looser than it was originally (it doesn't seem to be very tight). I have also determined that the hot weather has exacerbated the coolant loss.

PS2: I have changed the original surge tank cap but it felt as loose as the original and didn't solve the problem.


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## GRIMland (Jun 1, 2014)

I voted too soon... should have changed mine to yes, I have


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## Diesel Dan (May 18, 2013)

RedChevy,
If your dealer did not add dye to the cooling system the first time you were there then it might be time to find another dealer if possible.

I took mine in the first time it went down, they could not find the leak. They topped it off and added the dye. The next time it was low I took it in and they found the leaky water pump no problem.


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