# Antifreeze Smell



## bartonmd (Jun 30, 2011)

Any coolant missing from the burp bottle?

Mike


----------



## Farmer Fran (Jul 27, 2011)

Looks like it is normal height but I will look again. Also no smoking from exhaust.


----------



## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...put a piece of paper (newspaper) under the front of the car, adjacent the right-front (passenger side) wheel. If you detect a wet spot, that's obviously NOT A/C condensation water...you've got a *coolant leak*...and most likely a leaking *thermostat housing:*



70AARCUDA said:


> STORY: wife notices small "wet spot" on driveway, *smells "sickly sweet" smell*; look under car, everything has a "wet sheen" on it; take car into dealership and they diagnose it as a "BAD" thermostat. Geez, so much for Mr. Goodwrench's "product reliablility"


----------



## Farmer Fran (Jul 27, 2011)

Huh? 



> No fluid on ground and no noticeable fluid in engine bay but a strong antifreeze smell.


----------



## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...a "small" leak will *SMELL* but not produce wet spots if it's "small" enough that the engine heat evaporates the water away before it can drain down and drip onto the ground.

...look closely around the water-pump itself and adjacent coolant hoses...*Dex-Cool*™ is a pinkish color.


----------



## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

I'm losing coolant and there is no visible leak. When I pop hood after driving I smell it and hear gurgling while coolant splats back into overflow. Something not right


----------



## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...1.4LT water pump consists of parts #329-thru-#333...and the "O-ring" is part #331:

http://parts.nalleygmc.com/images/parts/gm/fullsize/1007151P00-003.JPG


----------



## bartonmd (Jun 30, 2011)

cruzeman said:


> I'm losing coolant and there is no visible leak. When I pop hood after driving I smell it and hear gurgling while coolant splats back into overflow. Something not right


You hear that? The gurgling... It's saying "take me to the dealer"... 

Mike


----------



## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

Shes going in next week, I also lost the protective rubber cover that goes over the hose to right of the oil cap .


----------



## David1 (Sep 16, 2011)

bartonmd said:


> You hear that? The gurgling... It's saying "take me to the dealer"...
> 
> Mike


 
It is normal and I have noticed this on every turbo cruze. When you turn the car off, the water boils in the turbo cooling jacket. You will smell the vapor as it vents to atmosphere from the coolant tank by the firewall on the driver side. You can watch it boil and feel it in the tube coming off the turbo going to the tank. In 10k miles I have only boiled off 1 line on the tank. You can really smell it when in the garage. Since this car has no way to cool the turbo upon shut down, (my other car has an electric pump which will run untill the turbos cool) I suspect as these cars age we will see alot of turbo failures/replacements.


----------



## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

David1 said:


> It is normal and I have noticed this on every turbo cruze. When you turn the car off, the water boils in the turbo cooling jacket. You will smell the vapor as it vents to atmosphere from the coolant tank by the firewall on the driver side. You can watch it boil and feel it in the tube coming off the turbo going to the tank. In 10k miles I have only boiled off 1 line on the tank. You can really smell it when in the garage. Since this car has no way to cool the turbo upon shut down, (my other car has an electric pump which will run untill the turbos cool) I suspect as these cars age we will see alot of turbo failures/replacements.


 
so do you think its normal for the antifreeze level in the overflow to be 2 inches lower in 14000 miles of driving due to evaporation??


----------



## David1 (Sep 16, 2011)

cruzeman said:


> so do you think its normal for the antifreeze level in the overflow to be 2 inches lower in 14000 miles of driving due to evaporation??


Yes, When you hear the bubbling, pressure in that plastic bottle is increasing and has to vent to keep it from cracking. The Regal turbo does the same thing. My modded BMW 335 goes through a cup every 5k miles and my wife's X5 has gone through a 1/4 gallon in 50k miles. My neighbors 911 with just 5k miles on it just had the low coolant light come on and it took about 16 ounces. All of the newer cars that I work on have an evaporation rate for the coolant systems. The systems that have the least coolant evaporation that I see right now are Honda products. I am anticipating that even on my Cruze within the next 5 -6 thousand miles I will need to add since the coolant will be at the minimum line when cold. Also, for anyone that needs to add, do not mix Dex Cool with any other type of coolant!


----------



## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

this is all new to me because I havent added coolant to any car in years!!! I just bought coolant for my sons 99 saturn, i wonder if its what the cruze takes??


----------



## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

David1 said:


> The systems that have the least coolant evaporation that I see right now are Honda products.


But the opposite could be said for oil consumption... Lol


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app


----------



## bartonmd (Jun 30, 2011)

David1 said:


> It is normal and I have noticed this on every turbo cruze. When you turn the car off, the water boils in the turbo cooling jacket. You will smell the vapor as it vents to atmosphere from the coolant tank by the firewall on the driver side. You can watch it boil and feel it in the tube coming off the turbo going to the tank. In 10k miles I have only boiled off 1 line on the tank. You can really smell it when in the garage. Since this car has no way to cool the turbo upon shut down, (my other car has an electric pump which will run untill the turbos cool) I suspect as these cars age we will see alot of turbo failures/replacements.


Mine doesn't do it (regularly)... Then again, I let it idle to cool down, and don't run it hard within a couple miles of the house... I also engine brake down to the driveway, so I'm pumping quite a bit of air through the turbo, before I shut it off...

Having said that, if you're only down 2" in the burp bottle in 14k miles, that's not a huge deal... I was thinking it all had happened in the last couple hundred miles... My '07 Trailblazer 5.3L took ~2 quarts in 25k miles... 

The newer coolant (dexcool included) doesn't completely bond with the water, so it will evaporate off over time... Same with the prestone "all makes, all models" stuff...

Mike


----------



## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

Anyone else notice a antifreeze smell after driving especially if you park in garage? 

sent from my Thunderbolt using AutoGuide App


----------



## Xenocamry (Jun 11, 2011)

Mines doing the same thing....took it to ever dealer and they couldn't replicate it 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using AutoGuide App


----------



## David1 (Sep 16, 2011)

cruzeman said:


> Anyone else notice a antifreeze smell after driving especially if you park in garage?
> 
> sent from my Thunderbolt using AutoGuide App


Yup, it is more concentrated when in the garage.


----------



## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

Well its in service right now for this issue and the hvac issue among other things. Will keep you guys posted ...seems that there are more cruzes in service then any other car ughhh

sent from my Thunderbolt using AutoGuide App


----------



## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

i just returned from service center and got the "could not duplicate" on the coolant smell.


----------



## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...well, we just got our '11 LTZ (~10K miles) back from dealership--for *leaking* thermostat housing--a "problem" that GM is fully aware of, but hasn't yet declared a recall or PI on yet.

...BTW, it took just 2 days for the new thermostat to arrive, but it took almost two weeks for the gasket to arrive...apparently GM isn't stocking them and all warranty parts have to come from mother-ship GM.


----------



## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

70AARCUDA said:


> ...1.4LT water pump consists of parts #329-thru-#333...and the "O-ring" is part #331:
> 
> http://parts.nalleygmc.com/images/parts/gm/fullsize/1007151P00-003.JPG


What is 311 thru 319? That's where my smell is coming from


----------



## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...Items #311-319 are components of the *aft* (coolant "outlet"; front is "inlet") _computer control _*sensor* housing assembly:

PL ENGINE ASM-1.4L L4 PART 3 FRONT COVER & COOLING (LUJ/1.4-9);. Fits: Chevrolet Cruze | Nalley Buick GMC Brunswick

...Item #317 is the actual "outlet" sensor. Items #331 and #319 are the funky gaskets that are difficult to get (currently).


----------



## latemodelbob (Feb 2, 2012)

Been to the dealer 5 times in one year for the same problem...going back again this week...the dealer says its okay no smell...they must be so familar with the smell that they can't smell it any more...LOL...My kids get headaches and hate the car...Calling a Lemon Lawyer this week....Chevy's customer services sucks unless you can speak Indian!


----------



## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

9 days in shop now, not coming home anytime soon. car just sitting there waiting for heater core and replacement fog light.


----------



## limited360 (May 6, 2011)

cruzeman said:


> 9 days in shop now, not coming home anytime soon. car just sitting there waiting for heater core and replacement fog light.



I am on a national back order list for a front O2 sensor. Epic fail on GM's behalf for keeping parts available!


----------



## stillok (Dec 23, 2012)

I have noticed the antifreeze smell in my 2012 Cruze also. Didn't have it until the car got 15,000 miles on it and it was 9 months old. Dealer obtained a "kit" that was supposed to resolve the problem. Something about metalic tape and replacing (or sealing) the weatherstripping that seals the engine compartment. Essentially, this keeps the smell from entering the engine compartment.
Had the "repair" done and service manager bragged how he paid his guys on piece work and they did the repair which is supposed to take one and a half hours in 15 minutes. A red flag went up right there. Since the "fix" I still have the problem--only worse. I have called the service manager and left a message requesting an a appointment to discuss the problem and he has not retunrd my call. It's Christmas week, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt--he might be on vacation and no one checking his voice mails. As far as I'm concerned, keeping the smell from entering the passenger compartment is not a fix. There should be NO smell being emitted AT ALL from anywhere. I DO plan to contact the EPA and advise that these Cruzes are not running within set guidelines for automobile emissions. I'm SURE they will rattle Chevy's chain and get a "fix" rolling.
Now, as to the problem itself. Unless something has changed in the auto world, vehicles normally operate at a temperature of approx. 195 degrees. Every time I smell antifreeze, I turn on my vehicle info monitor and see that my Cruze is operating at anywhere from 222 degrees up to 238 degrees. WAY to high. I would venture a guess that the antifreeze is boiling in the radiator and the fumes are being emitted. I WILL ask the dealer to check into thios. But, I am going to contact Chevrolet directly via the cusotmer service number appearing in the owners manual. I would urge other cruze owners to do the same. Other than this, a class action suit could be initiated.


----------



## Hoon (Mar 18, 2012)

The Cruze runs around 220*

Emissions/fuel economy


----------



## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

stillok said:


> I have noticed the antifreeze smell in my 2012 Cruze also. Didn't have it until the car got 15,000 miles on it and it was 9 months old. Dealer obtained a "kit" that was supposed to resolve the problem. Something about metalic tape and replacing (or sealing) the weatherstripping that seals the engine compartment. Essentially, this keeps the smell from entering the engine compartment.
> Had the "repair" done and service manager bragged how he paid his guys on piece work and they did the repair which is supposed to take one and a half hours in 15 minutes. A red flag went up right there. Since the "fix" I still have the problem--only worse. I have called the service manager and left a message requesting an a appointment to discuss the problem and he has not retunrd my call. It's Christmas week, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt--he might be on vacation and no one checking his voice mails. As far as I'm concerned, keeping the smell from entering the passenger compartment is not a fix. There should be NO smell being emitted AT ALL from anywhere. I DO plan to contact the EPA and advise that these Cruzes are not running within set guidelines for automobile emissions. I'm SURE they will rattle Chevy's chain and get a "fix" rolling.
> Now, as to the problem itself. Unless something has changed in the auto world, vehicles normally operate at a temperature of approx. 195 degrees. Every time I smell antifreeze, I turn on my vehicle info monitor and see that my Cruze is operating at anywhere from 222 degrees up to 238 degrees. WAY to high. I would venture a guess that the antifreeze is boiling in the radiator and the fumes are being emitted. I WILL ask the dealer to check into thios. But, I am going to contact Chevrolet directly via the cusotmer service number appearing in the owners manual. I would urge other cruze owners to do the same. Other than this, a class action suit could be initiated.




stillok,
I would like to apologize for the issues that you are experiencing with your Cruze. I do understand your concerns as well as frustrations with this. Have you been in contact with customer service in regards to this? I would be happy to look into your concerns further for you. Can you please send me a PM with your VIN? I look forward to your response. 
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


----------



## jj64 (Jan 16, 2013)

Just joining this club. 

Notice coolant smell last winter in garage after driving. Wife and I noticed interior smell which I attributed to mats. I had dealer check last Aug for coolant smell when it was in for belly pan recall and NPF> This winter smell is worse and have had others comment on the unusual odor. I pulled the mats in the last couple of weeks and no change. Smell is strongest with floor heat temp set to max and fan on low or medium. Little odor when engine is cold to moderately warm and/or HVAC is set to cold at any fan setting. 30 minutes of driving and eyes are burning (on freeway where I would not expect underhood coolant smell to be a concern). Had bulletin repair performance last week (pressure check, hood seals, and drain hose). Smelled was just as bad by the time I got home. I dropped it back off over weekend and initial response is it smells like a new car (18 months old at 13K???) and it is normal. It now sits at the dealer and I've just contacted customer service. Huge disappointment in an otherwise enjoyable vehicle.


----------



## william10609 (Dec 13, 2012)

I am one more of the many that have an antifreeze smell. Have a new water pump, installed just after Christmas, and am down about 3 to 4 onces of fluid since than. Waiting on parts for the sad duct tape and bubble gum fix GM recommends as the next step. If it does not work, the next visit will be number 4, which qualifies for lemon law status. Antifreeze fume is a serious health issue. Less than 10K, just wrong. I purchased several cars thru this dealership and am happy with thier efforts. I believe Gm is going to need to replace the 1.4 with 1.8 engines or start buying alot of vehicles back.


----------



## jj64 (Jan 16, 2013)

I agree. I had the car up for sale (don't need a third car at this time) and had a buyer all lined up. He noted the odor, did research, and developed cold feet after reading the reports online and backed out. Was very positive on vehicle until now. I am now wondering how many vehicles have the issue in reality. The issue is not present during the summer best I can remember.


----------

