# The coolant leak Ghost found! atleast in one area!



## s0duva02 (Jun 17, 2013)

I bought a salvage Cruze from Indiana and shipped it to South Carolina, I have been building it back to normal...so far replaced fender, door, strut, hub.

I drove car for about 2 weeks on and off, then drove to work for a daily vehicle. work is about an hour drive and after work i walked out and noticed a small puddle of liquid was under car on passenger side under engine. I pulled car away from parking spot to check the liquid, was not oil, small amount of coolant was on the ground. 
questioned whether it was there from my car or from a car before i parked there, became very curious but leak never showed back up.

the next week I received the "turning A/C off due to overheating" message. this happened as i was pulling in the driveway. right before i turned engine off, the Temp gauge began to climb very fast and Engine light was on. I cut off motor before it reached a dangerous temperature. The coolant reservoir was empty so i filled it up and no leaking, so i thought. I never smelled coolant inside the cab unless windows were down, then the smell would occur every now and then.
the reservoir cap is placed right in front of the opening where the cab sucks in air, the radiator caps are a little faulty, only holding up to 20psi, thinking thats where everyone is getting the smell from the vents but just a theory.

after hours of running the car and turning fan all the way up and down, A/C on and off, heat on and off, it was very sporadic and the leak was hard to find and troubleshoot.
also when A/C was on, the fan in front of the motor would immediately turn on, and fluxuate high speed and low.
it seemed as if the coolant leaked faster when the A/C was on full blast but still never repetetive enough to prove that was the issue.

drove car and checked coolant level every time i began to drive, and when i got done, also taking into consideration the level would fluxuate a little bit, whether motor was hot or cold. this leak is very confusing, it seemed like the water pump but never often enough to prove 100% that was the case.

i added half a bottle of Bar's Leaks Copper Intake and radiator block seal hoping this might help the slight leak. this stuff has small "chips" of copper in it. again though, the leak was so sporadic, it wasnt enough evidence that it worked a little or any at all. but it did prove the reservoir cap does leak a very small amount because the copper "chips" were able to be seen on the threading of the cap days later.

the next week the leak continued to show, one day i parked with the nose of the car downhill and noticed an unusually larger leak over just a few hours, i added the coolant (kept spare bottle in trunk) and drove home for more inspections. and nothing was found!

the week after again parked in that downhill mode and boom! the leak was back, i had enough in the reservoir to make it home and away i went.
with an almost empty reservoir i put the other half of the Bar's Leaks Copper in it and refilled coolant again, this time i parked the car in a downhill mode and followed instructions as before on back of Bar's Leaks bottle, i blasted the heater and had the fan on full blast! boom! inspecting under the hood, and from the water pump came visible tiny drops "spraying" around, about 1 tiny drop every 2-3 seconds. further inspection shown a leak where the coolant enters the water pump toward the back side of the motor where the hose connects to the pump. then after minutes went by, coolant collected all over the pump. i have ordered a water pump and gasket from advance auto parts a few days prior to this find and glad i did, im guessing in a few days the coolant level will be back down and i will take off the hose to inspect and see if the hose is faulty or if the water pump is.

I hope this thread helps, this coolant leak is a pain to find but im thinking (maybe with the car facing downhill at enough incline????????????) the pressure is great enough when running to really show the leak, that would make sense on why it is so sporadic and confusing. again this is just a theory, im probably wrong but am gaining a good enough idea to really troubleshoot and pinpoint the problem.


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## s0duva02 (Jun 17, 2013)

also checked the heater core, i believe it is found behind panel next to gas pedal, no leaks found anywhere inside there, but be careful the metal pipes are extemely hot if car is running.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Water pump sounds like the culprit. Hard to see the leak without removing the serpentine belt, but nonetheless, this is a common failure and sounds like it's coming from the right area.


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## David1 (Sep 16, 2011)

Water pump is a known problem. My dealer even jokes about it. They quote" are you here for your oil and water pump change Mr. xxxx"


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## s0duva02 (Jun 17, 2013)

check out new thread, i swapped out the water pump this weekend

How To: Change water pump on 1.4 Turbo Cruze


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

s0duva02 said:


> check out new thread, i swapped out the water pump this weekend
> 
> How To: Change water pump on 1.4 Turbo Cruze


Sounds like the exact leak I started having yesterday. I see antifreeze on the right rear of the engine but I cannot see where it is coming from. I used a mirror to see if I can look in any corners but I see nothing. All the hoses look good and none of them or wet. Antifreeze level has gone down some and I just see it on the ground and on the suspension parts on the right rear of the engine. I had the water pump replaced at 26,000 miles because of smell and I didn't really see a leak but I was losing fluid. I am not at 42,000 miles and probably going to have to take it in to get another pump. Are there any better designed water pumps that can last more than 30,000 miles. I would prefer one to last 100,000 miles if possible. I just want to not have to take it in anymore and would like a car I can drive on my holiday weekend off. I know water pumps can last more than 100,000 miles I have had them last longer.


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## newsguy99 (May 24, 2013)

From my understanding GM is on its 4th model of water pump for the Cruze 1.4L engine. I also think they have redesigned the cap for the coolant tank.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

newsguy99 said:


> From my understanding GM is on its 4th model of water pump for the Cruze 1.4L engine. I also think they have redesigned the cap for the coolant tank.


thanks


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

well had my water pump replaced again today. had the original replaced at 26,000 miles and now my third one at 42,000 miles. 
dealer said they don't know what the problem is with the water pumps and there has been no redesign. 
I asked the service advisor why the new cruze coolant tank has a coolant cap that clicks when you shut it. he didn't know and I would have to ask parts. 
guess I will be back in another 20,000 miles or maybe the third time will be a charm. 
at least I never will have to pay for a coolant flush for 10 years.

I guess in the 4 million miles of testing they had good a water pump. good news is the dealer tried to up sell me on fuel injection cleaning service and a cabin filter. thought I was at jiffy lube for second.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

When I got my oil pan gasket replaced on Monday the tech noticed coolant residue around my water pump. Mine seems to seep during the winter but not the summer.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

obermd said:


> When I got my oil pan gasket replaced on Monday the tech noticed coolant residue around my water pump. Mine seems to seep during the winter but not the summer.


I asked them if I could look at the old water pump and it looked brand new and could not see anything broken or any reason why it failed. My guess would be bearings but only the parts supplier knows because apparently GM doesn't know. Not a lot to the pump as far as I can see.


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## JeffBazell (Jan 24, 2012)

I found my coolant overflow tube leaking from the point it intersects with the main coolant hose, on top, the highest hose in the engine bay. It sends overflow hot fluid to the reservoir tank. It's a slow leak but it leaks just the same. I wonder if it's covered under powertrain? I doubt it. I have appt with dealer tomorrow to replace it. Looks like a cheap fix. I'll show them where it's leaking otherwise they may give me an unneeded new water pump.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

JeffBazell said:


> I found my coolant overflow tube leaking from the point it intersects with the main coolant hose, on top, the highest hose in the engine bay. It sends overflow hot fluid to the reservoir tank. It's a slow leak but it leaks just the same. I wonder if it's covered under powertrain? I doubt it. I have appt with dealer tomorrow to replace it. Looks like a cheap fix. I'll show them where it's leaking otherwise they may give me an unneeded new water pump.


If it is the water outlet then yes it is covered by the power train warranty.


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## cdncruze (Dec 9, 2012)

On my third water pump now. I did notice however some coolant leaking from the bottle vent, adjacent to the cap. It's removable too. The coolant smell has never gone away.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

cdncruze said:


> On my third water pump now. I did notice however some coolant leaking from the bottle vent, adjacent to the cap. It's removable too. The coolant smell has never gone away.


Take the cap off and look at the space between the two o-rings. If you see coolant there the lower o-ring isn't holding pressure.


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