# Remove water ?



## APCruze (Mar 7, 2013)

If I recall other threads it's on the bottom of the fuel pump that is on the passenger side in front of the rear wheel. I believe there is a panel you have to remove to gain access.

Edit: found the thread http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/169-diesel-how-library/50945-cruze-diesel-diy-fuel-filter-change.html


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

Thanx. Please check the attachments. These two lights come up randomly while driving and car give me a jerk like its dieing. Why so?


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## APCruze (Mar 7, 2013)

The user manual says that squiggly line is a glow plug. Was it an extremely cold when driving? I don't have a diesel and don't live in the extreme colds so I'm not 100% sure! but the engine looking one is your check engine light. If you still have warranty I would take it in. If your warranties out I would drain the water out of the fuel since that be what's causing the other lights, drive to an auto store and have them check the OBD2 codes. Hopefully someone with a diesel will chim in and help you out more but it sounds like water in the line is getting into the engine causing the ruff driving. I would think draining the water is going to solve it.


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

The squiggly line is indeed your glow plug. You should not see this when driving your car.

How many miles on your CTD? I had the fuel filter drained of water when I had my oil change done. Its a quick 5 min. fix.


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

No it was not a cold start. I mean the light comes in randomly like after a couple of kms. Some times it come up even after 15 to 20 mins if drive in traffic. I live in nothern part if India so not much of cold these days.

warranty is over since the car is 2011 model. It has run over 30,000 KM


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

Sarao said:


> No it was not a cold start. I mean the light comes in randomly like after a couple of kms. Some times it come up even after 15 to 20 mins if drive in traffic. I live in nothern part if India so not much of cold these days.
> 
> warranty is over since the car is 2011 model. It has run over 30,000 KM


I can think of two reasons the glow plug light would come on while driving with a diesel:

1. the engine is struggling (because of the water in the fuel filter) the point where the computer thinks it is stopped, and thus energizes the glow plugs as if you were starting the motor. The engine light would also activate in such a case, either because of the misfire caused by the water in the fuel or as the regular pre-start test routine.

2. You have an electrical problem that is causing the glow plug indicator to light falsely, along with the engine light, as described in this thread:

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/64-chevy-cruze-diesel/45257-check-engine-glow-plugs-warning.html


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## APCruze (Mar 7, 2013)

I'm assuming when you say misfire you are meaning due to water and fuel mixture since the diesel does not produce a spark but is ignited from compression.


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

APCruze said:


> I'm assuming she you say misfire you are meaning due to water and fuel mixture since the diesel does not produce a spark but is ignited from compression.


Right. I haven't dealt with any codes on my diesel yet, but I'd imagine that the code would still be labeled as a "misfire" code in spite of the different mechanism of ignition - basically same result, which is that the cylinder doesn't ignite, even though it's because of water in the fuel rather than the usual suspects in a gas motor.


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## GotDiesel? (Sep 9, 2013)

Saro This is a Fault in the Glow Plug Systems. The ECM will check for continuity to the glow plugs ,if any short out and they do from time to time even on a new diesel(Seen this on New VW TDI out of the box ) or voltage or fault with the glow plug harness or relay either way this need to be checked out by a competent GM dealer that will understand this car .. Both the Glow plug light and Check engine light will come one when the system detects a fault .Also a different light on the dash will come one when water is detected in the fuel filter about what the ECM likes ,if that light comes on , get the water drained out as soon as possible.


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

Is this the fuel filter?


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## GotDiesel? (Sep 9, 2013)

Yes it is .


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

*And I *have to open this screw to remove water and change filter?


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## GotDiesel? (Sep 9, 2013)

Sarao ,Yes, Their is a petcock that you push in and will allow you to drain the Filter ,you can see the nipple on the housing . If your model does not have that then you can unscrew it to drain it but be aware this will be very messy so I am sure you have a drain petcock then you can unscrew the filter housing to change filter if needed.


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

I opened that little screw it drained some diesal but I did not see any water. Could not drive it for long distance. Will drive it for some kilometers and will see if the problem is there or not.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Sarao said:


> I opened that little screw it drained some diesal but I did not see any water. Could not drive it for long distance. Will drive it for some kilometers and will see if the problem is there or not.


Yours looks a little bit different than the US model, but should be more or less the same thing. How long has it been since you have changed the fuel filter? Do you have any problems starting the car after it has sat overnight?


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

Ok I spent whole day at service centre. I can't understand whats happening so werethe servicepeople. Car refused to start in middle of the road. Had to tow it down to service centre. Changed fuel filter, oil filter and engine oil. Problem actually increased. Now car showed battery problem. Onceit stop it does not start. Have to jump start it using another battery. Battery must be gone since its a three year old car. But, I am not sure why the engine dies on running car. If battery is culprit, can it cause the engine to die? 

But engine does not show any other error rather the sedimenter light as shown in the pic. What could be the problem?


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Sarao said:


> Now car showed battery problem. Onceit stop it does not start. Have to jump start it using another battery. Battery must be gone since its a three year old car. But, I am not sure why the engine dies on running car. If battery is culprit, can it cause the engine to die?


Sarao, I would have the battery checked. A faulty battery can cause many problems with a car's electrical system. There's a good chance the battery may be faulty on a three year old car. Also check the battery connections and the ground connections (where the negative battery terminal attaches to the car's chassis, between the driver's side headlight and the radiator). All of these connections should be clean, tight, and have no corrosion.

Good luck and let us know if you make any progress with your situation.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Sarao said:


> Ok I spent whole day at service centre. I can't understand whats happening so werethe servicepeople. Car refused to start in middle of the road. Had to tow it down to service centre. Changed fuel filter, oil filter and engine oil. Problem actually increased. Now car showed battery problem. Onceit stop it does not start. Have to jump start it using another battery. Battery must be gone since its a three year old car. But, I am not sure why the engine dies on running car. If battery is culprit, can it cause the engine to die?
> 
> But engine does not show any other error rather the sedimenter light as shown in the pic. What could be the problem?


Can you go into some more detail about what exactly happened? Were you driving and then the car died and you could not restart? Once the fuel filter was replaced, did they prime the car? Take a look at my DIY on fuel filter replacement too. What is the CEL code most recently?


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## GotDiesel? (Sep 9, 2013)

Check the Battery and all the ground points on the car for corrosion ,if you see any on the ground points , clean them well and spray them with a contact protector like marine spray.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

GotDiesel? said:


> Check the Battery and all the ground points on the car for corrosion ,if you see any on the ground points , clean them well and spray them with a contact protector like marine spray.


Good note right there. Corroded power wire terminals can certainly cause intermittent electrical issues that otherwise make no sense. 

Have the battery tested and check and re-check the power and ground points on the vehicle. 

A car that dies while running may also indicate a failed alternator as the battery will deplete on its own. A voltage check while the car is running when jump-started should clarify if that is the case. 

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

This point I wanted to confirm. Can a died battery cause engine to halt?


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## Scott M. (Apr 23, 2013)

Normally if you have a dead battery the car will remain running and powered electrically by the alternator. When the car is turned off it will not restart if the battery is dead. If the alternator is bad you will usually have a picture of a battery light up on your instrument panel. The voltage on your car with the engine running should around 14.5 volts.


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

I changed my car battery today. Everything went fine, but forcouple of minutes. Carstarted normally. But after a while, it died and that malfunction light turned up. After that, car was making a click sound but wasnt starting. One thing I noticed, when car made click sound, it did not make that "swooosh" sound before starting. But after a while, it was normal, made that swoosh sound and cranked the engine. I dont know what to do. I am afraid of even taking it out. It embrassed me last time in the middle of the road yeaterday. What ahould i do?


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## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

Scott M. said:


> Normally if you have a dead battery the car will remain running and powered electrically by the alternator.


I don't even think this is true on modern cars. I forgot the explanation, but cars are basically rolling computers nowadays and need this major circuit available.


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

Well, to eliminate this, I disconnected the positive terminal from the battery while the engine was running but the car was still nothing happened. Engine continued to run. No errors on mid.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Reviewing this whole thread again, my observations and questions
1. Water in fuel message for extended period - could have allowed water into the injection system = not good
2. Jerk like it's dying - combined with #1 further indicative of fuel problems or damage that resulted from water in the system
3. Check engine light was on - any codes pulled? This might shed some more light on the problem.


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

Regarding codes, I dont have OBD scanner so I dont know the codes it may have generated. I am not sure if fuel actually had water in it. Because when I opened the filter, there wasnt any water in the drained fuel. I will try to get a scanner today and will see what codes it shows.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

It sounds like an electrical cable, probably to the fuse box, is bad. This has been a common issue with some US gas-powered Cruzen. When a bad cable heats up, it restricts current flowing through it rather like kinking off a garden hose. 

Also, check all grounds as an earlier poster mentioned.


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

Alright, got it checked on OBD. It came up with a wiring fault. Where is ground located?


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Sarao said:


> Alright, got it checked on OBD. It came up with a wiring fault. Where is ground located?


Looks like my guess was off, which is good, because fuel system components are much more expensive than wires. What code(s) were pulled?


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

He did not tell me any codes. Just said its because of wiring issue. He's repairing the car. By the time I was there, he dismantled the fuse box and started checking it components. Said car will be back tomorrow.


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

He called me in evening saying car has been repaired and I can take it back home. But as soon as I drove the car out of his workshop, car again jerked and check engine light came up. Ask him to check again. 


He informed me that cruze has this wiring issue. He hasrepaired mNy cars with same error. Is that true? I mean is cruze prone to such issue?


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Sarao said:


> He called me in evening saying car has been repaired and I can take it back home. But as soon as I drove the car out of his workshop, car again jerked and check engine light came up. Ask him to check again.
> 
> 
> He informed me that cruze has this wiring issue. He hasrepaired mNy cars with same error. Is that true? I mean is cruze prone to such issue?


The gas models here are prone to cable issues. I'm not sure if they use the same parts in overseas diesel models, but if so, it would not come as a surprise to me.


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

Do you know how the issue is being handled in your country? That might help me in resolving the issue easily.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

They typically replace the battery-to-fusebox cable.


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

Oh ! Is that this simple? Which cable, positive or negative?


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Sarao said:


> Oh ! Is that this simple? Which cable, positive or negative?


They start by checking all grounds for corrosion or improper connections. If those are OK, the positive battery-to-fusebox cable is replaced.


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

Is there anyway, we can bypass or make ecu "silent" to not to show this error? Can it be done using the OBD?


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

The whole car runs off the electrical system. Low voltage coming through that cable will screw everything up. It is an issue that cannot just be ignored.


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## Sarao (Jun 21, 2011)

It looks like he's unable to find the fault. Just had a word with him, he said we are looking for the problem. If, I ask him to change the wires, do I need to change the red wire only for positive? Which is going tona smaller fuse box from battery, and ground, which is connected to the body near headlight?


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Do you have a god Chevy dealer that might be more familiar with the car and stand behind their work?


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## Gillcruzer (Apr 18, 2014)

hello evryone....m facing same problem plz help!!! The car has problems with acceleration. it poses a safety concern especially when crossing traffic and or passing another car. you can be driving the car and it will literally lose power- ,steering also jammed and then you have to press the pedal to the floor- and hope it goes. sometimes the car will sound as if it is in idle mode when in driving the car. when you start the car and begin driving it jerks and it lunges- it feels like you are bouncing around. no fault shown in dashboard...WHEN car behaves like this at that time check engine light and PRE-heating (glow plug) symbol comes in for just a second and after that it gone and car behaves normally.......sometimes in traffic engine itself shut down and not get started afterward for a long duration.....


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

Sounds like bad diesel! What year? How many miles?


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## Gillcruzer (Apr 18, 2014)

Year 2010....35000 kms


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## danhr (Apr 19, 2014)

My .02, as I've previously owned several diesel vehicles and was a diesel tech for awhile.

It sounds like you guys are just forgetting to drain your fuel filter and it's causing your cars to die, and you keep trying to start it and are then draining the battery.

First, a little education: A fuel filter on a diesel engine isn't just a fuel filter, it is also a fuel water separator. Water is heavier than diesel and sinks to the bottom of the fuel filter. There is usually a float switch (also called a WIF [Water in Filter] sensor). That is what makes the "water in filter" light go off. *You have to routinely drain the filter of water* Please note, I said drain, not replace. All you have to do open the drain until water is no longer coming out and it is just diesel. I tend (and recommend) doing this every oil change (while you are down there, why not kill 2 birds with one stone). If your fuel filter gets too much water in it, it can get past the filter and go into your very high pressure fuel system. Water and pressure do not mix. It gets ugly and expensive, very fast. Your drain intervals may vary depending on fuel quality, location, outside ambient temperatures, etc. On a side note: it is a common and wise practice to keep an extra fuel filter and the tools needed to do a filter change in your car, especially in the winter months. A clogged/gelled fuel filter can be very frustrating, especially on the road.

It seems like (going off of the original poster's story) that you have a large amount of water in your fuel filter and is getting to your engine, causing it to stall out, and then you are killing the battery by constantly cranking it.

I would put the battery on a trickle charger and charge it overnight. The following day, put a fresh fuel filter in (I know I said before you only had to drain it, but it sounds like you have an extreme case. You may have drenched the pleated media in the filter in water. So I would just go a little overkill here this one time and just replace it). Then, put an actual load tester on the battery and see if it still holds adequate cranking amps. If the battery checks out, try to start it and let it run for 15 mins or so (it might die again here, as we still might have some contaminated fuel in the lines, post filter). If it does die, just start it up again and continue letting it run. While you are letting it run, put a multi-meter across the battery and measure the voltage. A properly working alternator will put out 14v or so across the battery, and it will fluctuate. 

If it continues to act up, I will try to think up of more troubleshooting steps.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Gillcruzer said:


> hello evryone....m facing same problem plz help!!! The car has problems with acceleration. it poses a safety concern especially when crossing traffic and or passing another car. you can be driving the car and it will literally lose power- ,steering also jammed and then you have to press the pedal to the floor- and hope it goes. sometimes the car will sound as if it is in idle mode when in driving the car. when you start the car and begin driving it jerks and it lunges- it feels like you are bouncing around. no fault shown in dashboard...WHEN car behaves like this at that time check engine light and PRE-heating (glow plug) symbol comes in for just a second and after that it gone and car behaves normally.......sometimes in traffic engine itself shut down and not get started afterward for a long duration.....


What engine is in your car? What country are you in?


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## Gillcruzer (Apr 18, 2014)

2.0 litre VDCi diesel _engine...m in india_


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Gillcruzer said:


> 2.0 litre VDCi diesel _engine...m in india_


What is the fuel quality like in India, are there any known issues? Have you taken the car to a dealer? Any new news?


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## basant_ct (Feb 25, 2016)

Sarao,

My cruze is also facing the same issue. What was the cause and how it got resolved?


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

basant_ct said:


> Sarao,
> 
> My cruze is also facing the same issue. What was the cause and how it got resolved?


Sarao hasn't been on the forum for a couple years, but my DIY below on fuel filter replacement shows you how to drain. Welcome to the forum!

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/169-...0945-cruze-diesel-diy-fuel-filter-change.html


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