# cold heater



## JcT21 (Apr 20, 2011)

ive read serveral threads but cant find anything specific..i hope you guys can help...

2011 cruze ls 1.8l 18k miles....

heater blows cold on all vents. car does not overheat, temp stays normal in the middle. coolant resv is low and i can hear the sound of water sloshing around behind the dash area. friend says water is coming from tailpipe with white smoke or could be steam, its cold out. 

where could the coolant be going? i have no leaks on my driveway. is this issue a water pump, thermostat or heater core? should i add coolant even though there is a possible leak? and if the coolant is low, why doesnt the car overheat? i would appreciate your thoughts....

thanks,
jct21


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

The coolant must get quite low for an overheat to occur.
For now, top it off.....plan on adding a few times as the air works out of the system.....BTW 50/50 mix dex cool.....could cause damage if you continue to operate with low coolant.

Watch for coolant loss once refilled because now that it is full the cooling system can pressurize as designed.

Rob


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## JcT21 (Apr 20, 2011)

ive topped it off today. the coolant reservoir was nearly empty. i drove it for about 5 miles round trip & it never overheated, the temp hand did move very quickly to the middle marker and stayed. upon returning home i checked the reservoir again, the coolant had went down about 3 lines. the bottom hose nearest the belt was hot to touch, the top hose near the battery was cold. the hoses leading out of the reservoir were cold also. the heater never did get warm at all. it was like the ac was on. when i squeeze the hot hose, i hear bubbling sounds around the reservoir...is that normal? is it normal for 1 hose to stay hot and 1 to be cold? thanks for your help, it is appreciated.....


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## JcT21 (Apr 20, 2011)

just went for another drive, this time after about a mile i heard the swooshing water sound coming from the dash area as i accelerated. after that the heater worked fine. however when i got home the reservoir was completely empty from what i topped off earlier. i obviously have a leak somewhere. i checked the floor areas, as i was told coolant from the heater core could leak into the passenger floor. but that was dry. i didnt notice any leaks in my driveway or wet areas near the water pump area. this time all hoses were warm. i read on here that many are having issues with water pumps early on.... does what im experiencing sound like that could be the problem? tiny leak perhaps? thanks...


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## newsguy99 (May 24, 2013)

stuck thromstat, and bad waterpump.. Covered under both 3/36 and 5/100.. Dealer will most likely give you a loaner to drive while the repair takes place..

I'd take it in ASAP, before something happens to the motor, and you're without your car for weeks.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Take it into the dealer when you can. You should still have a good bit of your B2B warranty left, and most of your powertrain warranty too.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

As I said, you will have to add coolant several times as the air works out of the system.....no doubt you have a leak of some sort but to minimize the potental for damage get the cooling system filled.....you are doing fine, just keep topping off......it takes quite a bit to purge all the air.

Get it to the shop as soon as feasable....

Rob


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Boiling anti-freeze has a distinct odor, and is also a kidney killer, nothing to fool with, read the safety information on Dexcool. Here is just one of them:

https://media.toro.com/Documents/safety/104-8606.pdf

Heater cores are always hot and depend on blend door operation for heat and also a strong part of the vehicles cooling system. With an engine at operating temperature, both inlet and outlet heater hoses should be hot. With no heat, either can be an air lock, a blocked or collapsed hose, or even electronic blend door problems. But if both hoses are cooler than other, is an air lock or a blocked hose problem.

Hate the idea of getting rid of the radiator cap off the radiator, wouldn't mine having an a$$ kicking session with these guys, what use to be just a reservoir is now part of the high pressure system, and just can't see if that radiator is topped off.

But just like a radiator cap, that cap on top of the reservoir must be tight and tested. Good old fashion cooling system pressure testers no longer work, have to buy a new one. And unlike the old ones with three standard caps, every **** one is different.

Major component of exhaust is H2O and will condense in cold weather so perfectly normal, unless it has a distinct coolant odor. Basically an engine has three component fluids inside or entering it, gas, coolant, and engine oil. Extremely important that these three fluids be isolated from each other or extensive engine damage will occur. Integrity of the castings, use to be all cast iron, now a combination of cast iron, aluminum, and plastic, yet another stupid idea strictly based on economy of manufacture. Each with different coefficients of thermal expansion, yet another stupid idea. Bits of gaskets or RTV separates these fluid, or minor cracks in the material themselves caused by different expansion rates.

Should advertise, you want problems, we have problems, and most of these problems never existed before. Key reason why I will only buy a four cylinder vehicle, the plastic intake manifold is hanging on the outside of the engine and not sandwiched between the heads of a V-6 or a V-8 that is guaranteed to crack with thermal cycling. Only have one head to deal with, that has seven times the expansion rate made of aluminum sitting on a cast iron block.

Ha, claim a weight savings, more BS, just a **** of a lot cheaper to manufacture, only talking about a couple of pounds, take that off of your gut. Coolant getting in the engine has the same effect of pouring sugar in your fuel tank, that will seize the engine. Worse case scenario, is making many short city trips, this is where thermal cycling is the greatest. And also the reason why the EPA is pouring crap into fuels killing mpg. Existing emission controls are worthless until heated up.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Hi JcT21,

If you need assistance please send me a private message. I am here to help and can assist you to create a Service Request and following along and making any calls needed until we are able to get these issues diagnosed and resolved. Send me a private message if you are interested. 

Jackie
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## JcT21 (Apr 20, 2011)

thanks to all of you for your help & advice. i kept adding coolant as needed. i dropped it off at the dealership 7am this morning & 8hrs later they called and said its done... here is what they say was wrong 

"found coolant leak around thermostat housing on cylinder head. took off and inspected. found that it was broke. replaced housing that mounts on cylinder head. refilled with coolant" 

im not a mechanic but that sounds like a big fix. any ideas how much something like that would cost if it happened out of warranty? 

thanks again to you all.... its appreciated!
JcT21


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

To replace a thermostat housing? $200-ish with labor maybe, depending on what's in the way. I broke one on a Volvo when a frozen screw wouldn't come out of it. More of a huge inconvenience to get to than anything else.

Glad it was taken care of without too much of a hassle for you. Keep an eye on your coolant level for the next couple weeks.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

JcT21 said:


> thanks to all of you for your help & advice. i kept adding coolant as needed. i dropped it off at the dealership 7am this morning & 8hrs later they called and said its done... here is what they say was wrong
> 
> "found coolant leak around thermostat housing on cylinder head. took off and inspected. found that it was broke. replaced housing that mounts on cylinder head. refilled with coolant"
> 
> ...


Looks like a gmpartsdirect.com 40 bucks for the thermostat and another 40 bucks for the housing. Made me look at my thermostat housing, its a piece of plastic! 40 bucks, you have got to be kidding!

Willing to bet a half a cup of day old coffee, one of those flimsy tabs broke off causing that leak. Cast iron housings usually run around 7 bucks.

Could also mention, I hate Torx bolts, but I think I also mentioned this before. 

Looks like a very easy job on the Cruze, only that air hose from the air cleaner is in the way.


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