# Back of Engine Leak - Plastic Elbow



## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

14' 2.0 180k miles.

Saw a big poof of spoke come out from under the hood today when I stopped. Looked and found reservoir running low.

Made it home and found and found a plastic elbow on the back of the driver side of the engine leaking, like around the EGR. I had to use a mirror to see it. I thought I read about that here before but not seeing it in the common issues post.

Is this pretty common? Anyone know the part number?


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## CHEVYCRUZE RS (Mar 29, 2011)

pretty common but can you take a picture of where leak is located? Ive heard of multiple leaks just always at the front of car


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

No pic, not at the location with the car. I just recall seeing a plastic elbow around the EGR area and it dripping.


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## Bvogt (Dec 19, 2021)

If it’s coolant and near the EGR, then it’s the engine oil cooler inlet hose.


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

So yeah it looks like #2 - #55488382 but do they leak out of the fitting? That's where mine seems to be leaking at. I wonder if I could pull it off and snap it back on... maybe it just came loose.

Yeah, here at the 3:05 mark, the plastic elbow.


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## Bvogt (Dec 19, 2021)

Possibly, not sure it’s a good sign if it just popped off though. You can sure try. Probably needs to be replaced Is my guess


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## Bvogt (Dec 19, 2021)

BDCCruze said:


> So yeah it looks like #2 - #55488382 but do they leak out of the fitting? That's where mine seems to be leaking at. I wonder if I could pull it off and snap it back on... maybe it just came loose.
> 
> Yeah, here at the 3:05 mark, the plastic elbow.


I can take a look at mine in the light tomorrow, I dont have an EGR in the way 😉


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

@revjpeterson - I think you dealt with this before - does it leak out of the fitting on the end? Do these just pull off and snap back on?


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

Bvogt said:


> I can take a look at mine in the light tomorrow, I dont have an EGR in the way 😉


Just fell off driving down the road eh?


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

BDCCruze said:


> @revjpeterson - I think you dealt with this before - does it leak out of the fitting on the end? Do these just pull off and snap back on?


You have to use a pick to release the clip in order to remove. Re-installing, they just snap on. They usually leak due to cracks in the tube, and not a problem with the fitting. In fact, some members have dismantled the part and re-used the connectors by replacing the corrugated tube with heater hose. They also usually fail together, so if one is leaking or failed, the other is about to do the same. If you're going to remove and reinstall to check, have a new one on hand if you don't want to have the car sitting while you wait for a new part to arrive, though, because if the car is beyond 7 years or 100k, there's a good chance the whole corrugated plastic tube will disintegrate upon removal.


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

revjpeterson said:


> You have to use a pick to release the clip in order to remove. Re-installing, they just snap on. They usually leak due to cracks in the tube, and not a problem with the fitting. In fact, some members have dismantled the part and re-used the connectors by replacing the corrugated tube with heater hose. They also usually fail together, so if one is leaking or failed, the other is about to do the same. If you're going to remove and reinstall to check, have a new one on hand if you don't want to have the car sitting while you wait for a new part to arrive, though, because if the car is beyond 7 years or 100k, there's a good chance the whole corrugated plastic tube will disintegrate upon removal.


Appreciate the help.

Car is back on the road now. Thankfully one dealer in the mid state area had a single hose in stock so I drove to get it this morning. Was $40 so not too bad.

Only two issues putting it on, 1) was being able to see, but accessing it from the passenger side was much easier. Using a small hook to pull out the clips worked well. 2) The hose did break while removing it. The small fitting on the EGR side pulled right off but the larger fitting on the oil cooler side was stuck on and wouldn't come off. Had to get a cutoff wheel on it to put in a notch and was able to pry it apart to get it off.

Anyways, for anyone that hasn't replaced this on your car yet, do it before it leaves you stranded, it's 100% going to eventually break. The plastic is extremely brittle and it broke just grabbing it. I suspect it cracked when I hit a big bump in the road about 25 minutes before noticing the steam rolling out.

I didn't get the other hose that runs vertically so I had to be very careful not to bump it.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Would anyone be able to share the part numbers for these hoses?


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Wonder if this is why I smell the slight hint of coolant under the hood.


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## Bvogt (Dec 19, 2021)

Tomko said:


> Would anyone be able to share the part numbers for these hoses?


Oil cooler inlet pipe. 55488382
Oil cooler outlet. 55488381


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

Just picked up the other hose as well. Not taking chances and will replace it.

FYI here's another thread about this issue - coolant leak on back of engine

The picture at the top with the blue arrow is exactly where mine broke.

I completely forgot that I posted on that thread about this issue. My mind is going...


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

MP81 said:


> Wonder if this is why I smell the slight hint of coolant under the hood.


That's usually the first sign. Next you'll start to see tiny silver-dollar size spots of coolant under the car. It will eventually progress to the point where it is taking a gallon of coolant to get through a tank of fuel before the hose catastrophically fails and leaves you stranded.


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## Bvogt (Dec 19, 2021)

revjpeterson said:


> That's usually the first sign. Next you'll start to see tiny silver-dollar size spots of coolant under the car. It will eventually progress to the point where it is taking a gallon of coolant to get through a tank of fuel before the hose catastrophically fails and leaves you stranded.


Added to my cart…


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

For anyone that isn't sure, this is not like a heater hose that gets goopy and slowly leaks. When it wants to go it will just break and be pumping coolant onto the road. I lost 2 reservoirs full of coolant in 10 miles. Thankfully I noticed mine failing at the fuel station of a big box store so I was able to get coolant and make it home.

If you have a 14/15 and haven't changed this yet, do it now.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

So I presume the initial leak is somewhat visible if you can smell it? I've been meaning to get myself a borescope, and this would be the perfect application for it.

Nothing on the ground as of yet, but if I can smell it, it's only a matter of time, so it sounds like this might be a "good" summer activity this year along with maybe fixing the slow oil leak on whatever that sensor is above the oil pan.


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## Bvogt (Dec 19, 2021)

MP81 said:


> So I presume the initial leak is somewhat visible if you can smell it? I've been meaning to get myself a borescope, and this would be the perfect application for it.
> 
> Nothing on the ground as of yet, but if I can smell it, it's only a matter of time, so it sounds like this might be a "good" summer activity this year along with maybe fixing the slow oil leak on whatever that sensor is above the oil pan.


I’ve been having that happen recently as well. I would be driving and then get a whiff of antifreeze. It would go away and then reoccurred sporadically. No visible puddles or drops and negligible fluid loss. I must have been playing with fire. My car is down now so it’s a great time to swap those out while I’m into it. $25 a piece is worth it for sure. Sounds like enough people have had some issue with this to warrant it a scheduled service item

edit: btw, that’s the engine oil level sensor.


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

Bvogt said:


> I’ve been having that happen recently as well. I would be driving and then get a whiff of antifreeze. It would go away and then reoccurred sporadically. No visible puddles or drops and negligible fluid loss. I must have been playing with fire. My car is down now so it’s a great time to swap those out while I’m into it. $25 a piece is worth it for sure. Sounds like enough people have had some issue with this to warrant it a scheduled service item
> 
> edit: btw, that’s the engine oil level sensor.


Do the lines either way, but I also got a whiff of coolant when I began to get some minor cracks in my coolant reservoir, so it's worth checking that too. 

I kept the connectors from my factory oil cooler lines when I replaced them last summer. In another 100k miles when these lines start to go on me, I'll build new lines out of heater hose, using the connectors off my original lines, and it should be a permanent fix from there.


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## 15cruzediesel (Sep 30, 2019)

BDCCruze said:


> For anyone that isn't sure, this is not like a heater hose that gets goopy and slowly leaks. When it wants to go it will just break and be pumping coolant onto the road. I lost 2 reservoirs full of coolant in 10 miles. Thankfully I noticed mine failing at the fuel station of a big box store so I was able to get coolant and make it home.
> 
> If you have a 14/15 and haven't changed this yet, do it now.


Or at a minimum have them in your possession.


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

MP81 said:


> So I presume the initial leak is somewhat visible if you can smell it? I've been meaning to get myself a borescope, and this would be the perfect application for it.
> 
> Nothing on the ground as of yet, but if I can smell it, it's only a matter of time, so it sounds like this might be a "good" summer activity this year along with maybe fixing the slow oil leak on whatever that sensor is above the oil pan.


As I said in my situation, no there were no signs of leak and my coolant wasn't going down. I hit a bump and within 20 minutes I was blowing smoke everywhere. It can go fast.



revjpeterson said:


> I kept the connectors from my factory oil cooler lines when I replaced them last summer. In another 100k miles when these lines start to go on me, I'll build new lines out of heater hose, using the connectors off my original lines, and it should be a permanent fix from there.


I wanted to do this but I couldn't get that bottom one off unfortunately. I doubt I will have the car next time they go.


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