# 2011 Cruze 1LT Cabin Odors



## Bohdan (Apr 28, 2012)

One thing I have learned over the years never power wash an Engine. Strange things can happen. Water can become trapped in areas that will cause a smell over time . Electrics at any part of the engine may start to corrode over time. Its seems like you have a mildew odor. Also by washing the engine you will now remove any trace of a leak. Fill up the overflow container to where it should be and do not wash the engine and see what happens in a few weeks.


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## TStevens0492 (May 21, 2012)

I hate the idea of it too, to be honest with you, however in the winter months when the salt gets all over everything OCD kicks in whenever I wash my car. I will say that I dry everything that I can reach and fit my hand into but won't deny mold-mildew may be the culprit. As far as any possible leaks I remember that the 2nd to last time I washed my car I was at the quarter wash and was the first time I noticed missing coolant, I quickly looked for any coolant on the engine or anywhere near but couldn't find anything and then quickly rinsed off the engine compartment and wiped it down so that the next time I looked I could say that this was clean before. then about a week ago I washed my car again at work, opened the hood and noticed more coolant missing but could'nt find any traces of a leak. fortunately I did not wash down the engine compartment that day, only wiped the plastic down. I will take it to the dealer and see if they can find anything. 

Thanks for your response and advice,
Travis


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

TStevens0492 said:


> I hate the idea of it too, to be honest with you, however in the winter months when the salt gets all over everything OCD kicks in whenever I wash my car. I will say that I dry everything that I can reach and fit my hand into but won't deny mold-mildew may be the culprit. As far as any possible leaks I remember that the 2nd to last time I washed my car I was at the quarter wash and was the first time I noticed missing coolant, I quickly looked for any coolant on the engine or anywhere near but couldn't find anything and then quickly rinsed off the engine compartment and wiped it down so that the next time I looked I could say that this was clean before. then about a week ago I washed my car again at work, opened the hood and noticed more coolant missing but could'nt find any traces of a leak. fortunately I did not wash down the engine compartment that day, only wiped the plastic down. I will take it to the dealer and see if they can find anything.
> 
> Thanks for your response and advice,
> Travis


I remember when the new Regals first came out, they used a strange adhesive in the headliner that caused the car to smell like salami.

I agree with your take on washing cars. I also power wash my engine bay, and that's because the salt will do more damage than a bit of water will. Never had an issue in the 10 years I've been doing it. 

Check out your cabin air filter. Might have something stuck in there. You never know. I believe it's behind the glove compartment. If you don't find anything there, a dealer visit would be in order.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

TStevens0492 said:


> I bought a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT in July of '11, as of now have 16K miles on it, I noticed back in October (estimated 5-8K miles) there was a faint smell coming from the air vents after I started the car, it wasnt that bad at the time and didnt think much of it because it quickly went away as my car warmed up. However as soon as the weather turned this year in March and April, The smell has gotten very bad, the second I turn the car on you can smell this horrible odor that lasts about 5-10 minutes after turning the car on. The initial reaction that I get is that it smells as if I am on a farm and am walking near the cows or horses as they are taking a *****. After about ten minutes the smell goes away or until the car is warmed up and either spitting out A/C or heat (car still has that new car smell when the A/C or heat is on), but if I am turning out just regular air the smell will never go away, there is something wrong somewhere and would like to know if this issue is common or if it is specific to just my vehicle. Also, this smell appears on both outside and recirculated air settings and is most noticeable when hot outside.
> 
> I have not had this problem looked over by the dealership yet because I would like to have more knowledge on what I think could be wrong before it gets looked at. But I have checked other forums and others have stated that there car smells like antifreeze and that the car would somehow lose antifreeze, which was not my initial thought of what the smell was but thinking about it now could be possible, because I did notice after washing my car (I normally power wash the engine a little) I had about a quart or two of antifreeze missing from my holding tank. I looked around and under the car and nothing looked as if it was leaking but there was definately a more than noticeable amount missing from the backup tank. Some people have stated that the heater core has gone bad and needs replaced, would this be accurate? One other post has mentioned that I have a bad thermostat and it needs replaced, I am more doubtful about that being the issue because my car has never overheated or been underheated since I got it, however I am not as much of an expert as I would like to be. The only other thing I could think of would be the cabin filter being contaminated for some odd reason and needs replaced, but I have not looked for nor have any clue whether this car uses a cabin filter or where it would be located on this vehicle.
> 
> ...




TStevens0492,
I would suggest that you take your Cruze into your dealer and have them look into this for you. If you would like me to contact your dealer and set up an appointment please send me a PM with your name, VIN, current mileage, dealer and the days and times that you are available. Either way please keep me posted and feel free to contact me with any further questions. 
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## cerbomark (Dec 13, 2010)

Simple things first,,, check and replace cabin filter.
coolant loss of that amonut is not normal. Pull your dipstick and look at inside of oil cap. Any white foam and you have serious engine problem. (Coolant in oil). My guess is you have a small coolant leak, some of which can evaporate before you ll see it and the smell could easily be the filter.


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

You should NEVER power wash a modern engine unless you cover up the electronics. Spray it down with soap (avoid sensors, alternator etc) and either use low pressure water or wipe it clean. For the OP have you checked the cabin air filter? If you used a pressure washer water could have gotten in and it may be moldy. even if it isn't moldy if you have not changed it it is probably pretty dirty by now


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