# Coolant level/loss?



## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

I am having this issue as well. Dealer said all is well but I had to add coolant once and after driving I smell antifreeze if I pop hood 

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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

cruzeman said:


> I am having this issue as well. Dealer said all is well but I had to add coolant once and after driving I smell antifreeze if I pop hood
> 
> sent from my Thunderbolt using AutoGuide App


I'd say its time to grab a drop light and start looking around the engine room. If you continuously smell collant, its bleeding out somewhere, even if there is nothing on the garage floor.


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## silverls (Nov 12, 2011)

@Jaygeo- If your not smelling coolant then simply take a Marker and make a small dot where the current level is. check it every week for the next month and see if you see a change. It could also be as simple as maybe when you remember seeing it before it was cold and this time around it was hot.


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## jaygeo1 (Nov 10, 2010)

silverls said:


> @Jaygeo- If your not smelling coolant then simply take a Marker and make a small dot where the current level is. check it every week for the next month and see if you see a change. It could also be as simple as maybe when you remember seeing it before it was cold and this time around it was hot.


Good suggestion..I picked up some Dexcool and added 1 1/2 cups of coolant to the tank which brought the level to the top visible fin/arrow. This is probably the engine hot level...but I can keep an eye on the level now.


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## silverls (Nov 12, 2011)

The higher level should be the cold level, but either way a little too much coolant isnt a bad thing.


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## The Butcher (Apr 6, 2011)

I've got a 1.8 ls so I'm not sure if this applies to any of you but my car has been into the dealer twice in the last two weeks for a coolant leak around the intake manifold. Initially the dealer thought that the o-ring around the metal tube going into the intake was bad so they replaced it and a week later it was leaking again so they replaced the o-ring a second time as well as the aluminium housing the tube goes into (not sure how everything actually goes together, this is just what they told me)... Not sure if this is an isolated incident or a defect in the 1.8's but I thought it was worth noting.


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## silverls (Nov 12, 2011)

i have a 1.8 but it only has 768 miles on it. so i havn't had any problems. lol


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## Whalley (Dec 15, 2011)

*coolant loss*

I have the 2011 1.4 LT turbo. I took my car into the dealer because i noticed that i can smell coolant everytime the car got to operating temperature. I smelled it inside the cabin and on the outside. I did a quick check myself I didn't see anything leaking but I did notice the reservoir was low. The dealer got back to me and said the water pump is leaking, they put me in a rental and said they had to order the part. Next day the part comes in it apparently didn't come with the gasket. So hopefully tomorrow i will be a happy camper with my car again, in the mean time the rental company didn't have any GM vehicles so I'm stuck driving a Dodge Journey.


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## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

Whalley said:


> I have the 2011 1.4 LT turbo. I took my car into the dealer because i noticed that i can smell coolant everytime the car got to operating temperature. I smelled it inside the cabin and on the outside. I did a quick check myself I didn't see anything leaking but I did notice the reservoir was low. The dealer got back to me and said the water pump is leaking, they put me in a rental and said they had to order the part. Next day the part comes in it apparently didn't come with the gasket. So hopefully tomorrow i will be a happy camper with my car again, in the mean time the rental company didn't have any GM vehicles so I'm stuck driving a Dodge Journey.



Interesting, just got my car back today and they tell me nothing wrong with cooling system even though I smell antifreeze. I wonder if my water pump is leaking?


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## Whalley (Dec 15, 2011)

cruzeman said:


> Interesting, just got my car back today and they tell me nothing wrong with cooling system even though I smell antifreeze. I wonder if my water pump is leaking?



It is a good possibility, I mean you shouldn't be smelling coolant and on top of it all you shouldn't have to keep toping up your car if it's not leaking


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## lostmymind (Dec 15, 2011)

Be careful filling up the overflows. If the Cruze system is anything like the one in the Solstice (and I think the Cobalt) it needs to be filled by the dealer or with a special tool. Just opening the cap allows air into the system and you'll get air pockets. I've dealt with a few of these cases in the past


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## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

Well the dealer changed this hose because the protective cove fell off and now the antifreeze smell is gone. Weird[/B]


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## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

Here is the pic of hose 

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## Steeler (Dec 18, 2011)

Have them check that your surge tank cap is holding pressure as well. Should be at least 20 PSI or you're going to be losing coolant out of the top of the tank.


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## Cruze572 (Dec 20, 2011)

I also just came back from the dealership that told me my car was not leaking and they could not smell anything even though everyone else seems to be able to smell it. The coolant tank was 1/4 full when I took it there, the car was hot at the time. After two hours they come get me and say nothing is wrong and when I get to the car the tank has magically re-filled itself to halfway. I don't know about everyone else but im tired of getting "cannot duplicate customer concern"


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## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

And to boot I smell something like oil burning thru the vents every few minutes along with the antifreeze smell. But chevy says all is well.. I bet when warranty over they will be able to diagnose these problems in 2 minutes!


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## tbill (Dec 4, 2011)

guys, have your dealers check the block plugs, we had one in the shop last week, slight anti-freeze smell, but no noticed drips of coolant. after much dicking around, found a block plug seeping, and naturally when up to temp, it would 'burn off' and have the odor. a little sealer on the plug and all was good. usually you can see some white colored residue from the coolant evaporating around the area. also of note, a pressure test dd not reveal the source of the seepage.


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## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

Where are they located?


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## tbill (Dec 4, 2011)

another tech i work with found it, i'll try to get more specific info from him and post it here.


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## cruzers (Dec 13, 2010)

70AARCUDA said:


> ...*block plug *is item *#112 *in this exploded 1.4LT illustration: http://parts.nalleygmc.com/images/parts/gm/fullsize/1007151P00-001.JPG


Hmmm, I'm no mechanic, but wonder if coolant would pass through that area?


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## jaygeo1 (Nov 10, 2010)

70AARCUDA said:


> ...item *#101 *is _shown_ but not _listed_, maybe they are what he's talking about? However, you're not going to easily get to them without removing the transmission or front cover.


Shows 3 #101 plugs, more than likely these are main oil gallery plugs.


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## tbill (Dec 4, 2011)

hey all, been on vacation this week, but i shot a text to my co worker and he said the plug was in the front, so i have to assume it's the plug referenced in that diagram. i now wish i had wandered over to actually see what he was doing.......


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## jaygeo1 (Nov 10, 2010)

A post showing up now concerning coolant leaking at the water pump. So, we all need to_* glance a look at the coolant tank *_whenever the hood is opened, if you aren't already doing this. Water pump seals can leak small amounts of coolant during temperature transitions and stop leaking at operating temp. I did place a mark on my reservoir that I can reference easily and so far, the level is _staying _close to the mark.


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## So Cal Cruzer (Sep 29, 2011)

I have a 2012 Eco with 5,000 miles on it. I just started noticing an antifreeze smell when I park the car..I have looked under the hood carefully and do not see anything..I am going to make a mark on the reservoir and keep an eye on it. Also my suspension has an annoying clunk at low speed when on a rough road. The dealer says this is normal but I am going to take it back in because it does not sound NORMAL to me.I do reallly like the car and I enjoy driving it.


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## Djimbe (May 26, 2011)

Hi, i also had this issue, i brought the car to the dealer, i have an ECO MT6 with 23000KM and i could smell the antifreeze from the beginning when i bought the car. I saw that the level dropped about a inch and half. They could smell the antifreeze right away outside of the car, so i'm not crazy. They then poured a UV sensitive colouring agent in the cooling system 2 weeks ago and yesterday, they looked at the engine on every aspect with a UV lamp and found coolant drips on the water pump so they ordered a brand new waterpump from the US (i'm in canada before you ask). Even the pressure test wasn't helpful. At first i tought that was a problem in the dash (heater core exchanger) because i could smell the antifreeze in the car often(and already heard of a defective heater core), and sometime, at the same time my windows came verry foggy and i could feel the warm damp air coming trough the vents. Even my kids could smell the antifreeze. It seem it's 2 separate problems, they flashed the HVAC firmware to optimize the calibration of the ventilation system. this morning, everything was fine. There was a bulletin on the HVAC module reprograming. Hope this help. ASK FOR THE DEX-COOL UV DYE TEST


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## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

Djimbe said:


> Hi, i also had this issue, i brought the car to the dealer, i have an ECO MT6 with 23000KM and i could smell the antifreeze from the beginning when i bought the car. I saw that the level dropped about a inch and half. They could smell the antifreeze right away outside of the car, so i'm not crazy. They then poured a UV sensitive colouring agent in the cooling system 2 weeks ago and yesterday, they looked at the engine on every aspect with a UV lamp and found coolant drips on the water pump so they ordered a brand new waterpump from the US (i'm in canada before you ask). Even the pressure test wasn't helpful. At first i tought that was a problem in the dash (heater core exchanger) because i could smell the antifreeze in the car often(and already heard of a defective heater core), and sometime, at the same time my windows came verry foggy and i could feel the warm damp air coming trough the vents. Even my kids could smell the antifreeze. It seem it's 2 separate problems, they flashed the HVAC firmware to optimize the calibration of the ventilation system. this morning, everything was fine. There was a bulletin on the HVAC module reprograming. Hope this help. ASK FOR THE DEX-COOL UV DYE TEST



so changing the water pump solved the smell inside the car? did you just notice the smell while using the heater?


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## tdc (Jan 24, 2014)

Djimbe said:


> Hi, i also had this issue, i brought the car to the dealer, i have an ECO MT6 with 23000KM and i could smell the antifreeze from the beginning when i bought the car. I saw that the level dropped about a inch and half. They could smell the antifreeze right away outside of the car, so i'm not crazy. They then poured a UV sensitive colouring agent in the cooling system 2 weeks ago and yesterday, they looked at the engine on every aspect with a UV lamp and found coolant drips on the water pump so they ordered a brand new waterpump from the US (i'm in canada before you ask). Even the pressure test wasn't helpful. At first i tought that was a problem in the dash (heater core exchanger) because i could smell the antifreeze in the car often(and already heard of a defective heater core), and sometime, at the same time my windows came verry foggy and i could feel the warm damp air coming trough the vents. Even my kids could smell the antifreeze. It seem it's 2 separate problems, they flashed the HVAC firmware to optimize the calibration of the ventilation system. this morning, everything was fine. There was a bulletin on the HVAC module reprograming. Hope this help. ASK FOR THE DEX-COOL UV DYE TEST


"DEX-Cool UV Dye Test": got it. Thanks. {I have a 2012 Cruze LS, 1.8L, auto trans} I too have a low level coolant in the overflow tank. I just refilled it to required (top of the up arrow) this AM, cold. (Took pics of before and after levels). However, I don't get any antifreeze smell. I did have a woman flag me on the highway telling me there was smoke/vapor coming from my tailpipe. I got off the highway and turned into a parking lot. There, I only noticed droplets of water coming from my idling Cruze. They didn't smell like antifreeze. I hope there's nothing wrong with my Cruze (I'm starting to really like it). t\.


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## Stingray1974 (Mar 14, 2012)

I have 2012 Cruze that has slow loss and get a coolant smell sometimes.
I marked the level and fill with 12 oz every 4 months. No sign of leaking.
There has to be a leak somewhere though.
My son's 2011 Cruze had same thing and it was seeping from water pump.
The dealer replaced his pump which is no easy and would cost around $350.
We should make appointment with dealer since coolant leak is problem in Cruze.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Stingray1974 said:


> I have 2012 Cruze that has slow loss and get a coolant smell sometimes.
> I marked the level and fill with 12 oz every 4 months. No sign of leaking.
> There has to be a leak somewhere though.
> My son's 2011 Cruze had same thing and it was seeping from water pump.
> ...


That's slow enough it could be vapor pressure escaping the surge tank. Clean the vent track and keep an eye on it.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Stingray1974 said:


> I have 2012 Cruze that has slow loss and get a coolant smell sometimes.
> I marked the level and fill with 12 oz every 4 months. No sign of leaking.
> There has to be a leak somewhere though.
> My son's 2011 Cruze had same thing and it was seeping from water pump.
> ...



Hey there,

Very sorry about your coolant loss concerns. A dealership visit is highly recommended, and if you need any further assistance with this, we can certainly help! Please send us a PM with your VIN, current mileage, contact info and a preferred dealership. Hope to hear from you soon!

Patsy G
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## roceye (Feb 13, 2011)

cruzeman said:


> I am having this issue as well. Dealer said all is well but I had to add coolant once and after driving I smell antifreeze if I pop hood
> 
> sent from my Thunderbolt using AutoGuide App


I've had the waterpump replaced, now the thermostat housing is leaking.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The thermostat housing should have been changed with the water pump.


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## RedRS99 (May 18, 2012)

Chevy Customer Care said:


> Hey there,
> 
> Very sorry about your coolant loss concerns. A dealership visit is highly recommended, and if you need any further assistance with this, we can certainly help! Please send us a PM with your VIN, current mileage, contact info and a preferred dealership. Hope to hear from you soon!
> 
> ...


Hi I have been having a similar issue with coolant loss and the engine got hot. I can see coolant seeping around the waterpump too. My car only has 36k miles but I am stationed overseas with the Air Force (England) and I havent been able to find any assistance from GM about getting the issue looked at and also tending to a Recall on the Braking sytem. 

If there is anything at all you can do to help I would be very greatful. I cannot afford to fix this issue out of pocket and I am concerned about the brake recal too due to the fact we will be having our first baby and day now and I dont want to get into an accident.

Thank you.


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## llullo1 (Dec 30, 2010)

I just bought the thermostat housing to replace it cause it's broken where the upper radiator hose goes in to. Also leaking


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

RedRS99 said:


> Hi I have been having a similar issue with coolant loss and the engine got hot. I can see coolant seeping around the waterpump too. My car only has 36k miles but I am stationed overseas with the Air Force (England) and I havent been able to find any assistance from GM about getting the issue looked at and also tending to a Recall on the Braking sytem.
> 
> If there is anything at all you can do to help I would be very greatful. I cannot afford to fix this issue out of pocket and I am concerned about the brake recal too due to the fact we will be having our first baby and day now and I dont want to get into an accident.
> 
> Thank you.



We understand that unexpected costs can be frustrating and our apologies for the inconvenience. We'd be glad to further investigate this matter and reach out to your dealership on your behalf. Please send us a private message here on the site with the requested information. We look forward to hearing from you!

Andraya (assisting Patsy)
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Ruby2013 (Nov 15, 2013)

I just picked up my 2013 Cruze from the dealer, having had an oil change (I am at 14,800 miles). They had me sign a paper about "recall" work. I asked what was recalled NOW? They said nothing to worry about, they are just making sure the coolant is filled to where it should be and that the paperwork should be coming out shortly??


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## cruzechuck (Jun 23, 2011)

I have a 2011 Cruze 1.4 liter. It is 4 years old and has about 42,000 miles. I recently noticed that the radiator fan was coming on frequently. I didn't think too much of this at first, thinking it was a faulty temperature switch. Then I noticed that the temperature was fluctuating fairly rapidly between 230 F and 242 F (I have a ScanGauge that reads actual coolant temperature). So I decided to check under the hood. Sure enough, the coolant level was down about 1.5 quarts. The expansion tank was essentially empty. I topped it off with the recommended 50-50 mix, and now the temperature runs at 220 F. Interestingly, I have never had any drips on the garage floor, no noticeable odor, and no white smoke from the tail pipe. I have an appointment with the dealer tomorrow to check it out. I will let you know what I learn.

By the way, having a ScanGauge is really fun. It reads a couple a dozen engine codes (but only 4 at a time), ranging from turbo boost, instantaneous and average miles per gallon, various temperatures, ambient air pressure, power output----- the list goes on. It plugs into the engine diagnostic terminal located just below the dash, left of the steering wheel.


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## CHEVYCRUZE RS (Mar 29, 2011)

bring it to your dealer since low coolant loss is a current recall....i wouldnt wanna risk it yourself make your dealer take a look its free!! haha


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## Dealb (Oct 20, 2014)

The coolant loss should be covered by the powertrain warranty different than the 3/36


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## cruzechuck (Jun 23, 2011)

I talked with a dealer today and was advised that there is a "customer satisfaction recall", Low Coolant Level with No External Leak, No. 14417. Their fix is to top it off and send you on your way. I did a calculation on my leakage rate based on 1.5 quarts over 42,000 miles. It works out to about 1 drop per 4 miles. I guess it's possible for this leak rate not to have any noticeable symptoms other than drop in coolant level over a long period of time. I have marked the current level on the expansion tank (after having topped it off) and plan to monitor it at least at every oil change.


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## ALBERTA (Mar 29, 2014)

cruzechuck said:


> I talked with a dealer today and was advised that there is a "customer satisfaction recall", Low Coolant Level with No External Leak, No. 14417. Their fix is to top it off and send you on your way. I did a calculation on my leakage rate based on 1.5 quarts over 42,000 miles. It works out to about 1 drop per 4 miles. I guess it's possible for this leak rate not to have any noticeable symptoms other than drop in coolant level over a long period of time. I have marked the current level on the expansion tank (after having topped it off) and plan to monitor it at least at every oil change.


The issue was the factory "forgot" to bleed the lines during manufacturing. There isn't a leak problem but that the air in the lines slowly worked it's way out and thus the level was lower than it should be as coolant filled the space where the air used to be.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

ALBERTA said:


> The issue was the factory "forgot" to bleed the lines during manufacturing. There isn't a leak problem but that the air in the lines slowly worked it's way out and thus the level was lower than it should be as coolant filled the space where the air used to be.


Not entirely. We've had too many members have to continue to fill their coolant levels. A one time fill for air in the system I can believe, but not repeated fills like I have had to do.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Hi cruzechuck,

How was your dealer visit? We'd love to hear your feedback! Please let us know if further assistance is needed with your concern. We'd be happy to help!

Kristen A.
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## VINdecent (Feb 24, 2011)

Having Coolant leak problems as well, once I passed 50k miles I've had to top it off every 2 weeks, I got the letter as well. The Check Engine Light just came on and said the AC has been disabled due to overheat, whats funny is the AC hasnt worked since last summer when it was "repaired" under a customer satisfaction extended warranty with a $100 deductible .


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

VINdecent said:


> Having Coolant leak problems as well, once I passed 50k miles I've had to top it off every 2 weeks, I got the letter as well. The Check Engine Light just came on and said the AC has been disabled due to overheat, whats funny is the AC hasnt worked since last summer when it was "repaired" under a customer satisfaction extended warranty with a $100 deductible .


Hey VINdecent, 

We would be happy to look into this further, and reach out to the dealership regarding these concerns. If so, please feel free to send us a private message and include your VIN, current mileage, contact info and the preferred dealership. We hope to hear from you soon! 

Patsy G
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## SuzieCruze (Jun 25, 2014)

Also having a slow coolant leak issue! Has GM released a statement for the cause of this? I have not gotten a recall letter yet. (2014 Cruze LS)


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

SuzieCruze said:


> Also having a slow coolant leak issue! Has GM released a statement for the cause of this? I have not gotten a recall letter yet. (2014 Cruze LS)


Yes multiple issues could happen; popular is the water pump but usually it was the overflow bottle cap or the bottle it's self where the cap seals not being smooth. Being an LS, skip water pump and have em look at the thermostat housing. My leak was small and never touched the ground even after sitting for 3 days and turned out to be a water pump. Best bet is schedule a time to go in, you get free coolant top off and washe fluid as well.


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## SuzieCruze (Jun 25, 2014)

Got it. Thanks! I'll be going in to the dealer on Tuesday.


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## CruizinJB (Mar 24, 2015)

I took my 2011 Cruze into the dealership this morning with what I thought to be a faulty thermostat. Tech just called me saying that the "coolant block" was cracked and leaking. Can anyone clarify what the coolant block is? He said this wouldn't be covered under the powertrain warranty. Any help would be appreciated.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

CruizinJB said:


> Can anyone clarify what the coolant block is? He said this wouldn't be covered under the powertrain warranty. Any help would be appreciated.


I won't claim to be an expert on the Cruze, but I've worked on cars and I have no clue what that is. My best guess is it's Engine Coolant Surge tank. (The semi-clear plastic thing on the firewall.) But it probably would be a good idea to ask them to explain.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

ALBERTA said:


> The issue was the factory "forgot" to bleed the lines during manufacturing. There isn't a leak problem but that the air in the lines slowly worked it's way out and thus the level was lower than it should be as coolant filled the space where the air used to be.


This was my problem when I had my coolant flushed at the dealer. I think gm still is learning how to fill these cars with coolant. After I had it flushed I started loosing coolant. So I overfilled the coolant a little and burped the heck out of it and I haven't lost a drop since. Anyway this is my opinion and what has happened to me.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The coolant fill instructions for the Cruze will leave air in the system. Some dealerships have equipment that will eliminate most of this air but if you just follow the GM instructions I can easily see the equivalent of up to a quart of air being left in places like the radiator and other high points in the tubing. This will drop the apparent coolant tank level one to two inches when it all burps out. Once it's out however you shouldn't have any more coolant drop unless you have a leak or an over pressure venting out the pressure cap.


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## Stingray1974 (Mar 14, 2012)

My son had this problem in 2011 Cruze Eco, I had a 2013 ECO that the dealer replaced almost everything at least once. They sort of bought back the car. I got a 2015 Cruze ECO and have the same problem. I found the problem is actually the engine gets hot and the temp gauge goes to about 1/2 way at 190F. When the temp goes up to 245F the gaige doesn't go up anymore. The coolant boils out causing odor and coolant loss. GM would not listen to me butvI fixed my car by changing the ECT cooling parameters in the computer. My car is fixed!


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## Stingray1974 (Mar 14, 2012)

Dealerships have never found any leaks. I see temperature getting high causing venting, odor and coolant loss. When this happened fan was off or on low. I traced problem to 221F ECT parameter programming. I changed my parameters to profile I proposed to dealer and Corporate office. They did not seem to care. I changed my car and it has not lost any coolant or had coolant odor since.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Stingray1974 said:


> Dealerships have never found any leaks. I see temperature getting high causing venting, odor and coolant loss. When this happened fan was off or on low. I traced problem to 221F ECT parameter programming. I changed my parameters to profile I proposed to dealer and Corporate office. They did not seem to care. I changed my car and it has not lost any coolant or had coolant odor since.


There is a florescent coolant dye. If you're experiencing repeated coolant loss and you're under the B2B warranty still have your dealership put a bottle in (they're small). If not under the B2B these bottles are about $10 each. Buy one and dump it in the tank. Then keep an eye on the residue location. If it's in the pressure relief channel on the top of the tank you know it's coming out the cap via over pressure. If it's all around the inside of the cap then you know you have an o-ring sealing problem.


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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

Stingray1974 said:


> My son had this problem in 2011 Cruze Eco, I had a 2013 ECO that the dealer replaced almost everything at least once. They sort of bought back the car. I got a 2015 Cruze ECO and have the same problem. I found the problem is actually the engine gets hot and the temp gauge goes to about 1/2 way at 190F. When the temp goes up to 245F the gaige doesn't go up anymore. The coolant boils out causing odor and coolant loss. GM would not listen to me butvI fixed my car by changing the ECT cooling parameters in the computer. My car is fixed!


How is changing the parameters done?


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