# Interior Sweet coolant smell... no dealer help!



## Evofire (Oct 3, 2013)

take it in again. explain to them what you have read and learned about the car via the internet, and ask them to look at the blend doors for excessive lube.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Send a PM with your VIN and dealership to our Chevy Customer Care folks. Also, take a look at http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/25-s...e-cabin-odors-sources-resolution-summary.html. You may want to print out the first post in this thread as it contains all the PIs and TSBs involved.


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## cruzeman1 (Mar 3, 2013)

obermd said:


> Send a PM with your VIN and dealership to our Chevy Customer Care folks. Also, take a look at http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/25-s...e-cabin-odors-sources-resolution-summary.html. You may want to print out the first post in this thread as it contains all the PIs and TSBs involved.



Ill have to search for them and send them a PM.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

I am fairly certain the lubricant odor issue was 2011/2012 only and corrected before the 13's were being assembled.
If I am right, there are no bulletins for this concern on your vehicle.

That does not mean you don't have a failed part though, and in your case the dealer should be verifying the cap holds pressure when it is installed on the surge tank.
If the cap has a internal failure or the tank to cap interface won't hold pressure the tank will vent just ahead of the outside air inlet on the left side.
The vented coolant vapor then is pulled into the cabin.

If the airbox lubricant is not involved for your model, this is IMO the most likely problem.
Trouble then becomes, How do you succeed in getting your dumass dealer to actually perform the test needed.

There is a fair chance one of the fine young folks from Chevrolet Customer Service will be asking you for info soon......watch this space!

Rob


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## cruzeman1 (Mar 3, 2013)

Robby said:


> I am fairly certain the lubricant odor issue was 2011/2012 only and corrected before the 13's were being assembled.
> If I am right, there are no bulletins for this concern on your vehicle.
> 
> That does not mean you don't have a failed part though, and in your case the dealer should be verifying the cap holds pressure when it is installed on the surge tank.
> ...


Just sent them a PM. They said they did a pressure test and checked all cooling fitting and everything was perfect, They did not check for any lubricant though. I asked. I know that is a longer job. Basically they let it out the door still smelling like coolant on the inside. Even the service advisor when i brought it in could smell it inside.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

They can pressure test the cooling system by installing the tester in place of the cap.
They can test the cap by installing it into a adaptor and then to the tester.

Unless they made the same rube goldberg setup I did, they cannot pressure test the system with the cap installed.....therefore, they can't check the system integrity.

Since there is no adaptor made, the dealer must first, replace the cap in case it is not sealing to the inside of the surge tank correctly and, if the odor continues, must then replace the tank on the hope there is a slight variation in the plastic area the cap seals to.

Sadly, Chevrolet has yet to give instructions on how they want this 'flow charted' for warranty purposes.
Some dealers, replace both pieces as a starting point......most are successful.

Just to clarify though....you are concerned about a odor you describe as 'Sweet' as opposed to a odor that could be described as dirty socks.
Two different odors, two approaches to resolve.

Rob


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## cruzeman1 (Mar 3, 2013)

Robby said:


> They can pressure test the cooling system by installing the tester in place of the cap.
> They can test the cap by installing it into a adaptor and then to the tester.
> 
> Unless they made the same rube goldberg setup I did, they cannot pressure test the system with the cap installed.....therefore, they can't check the system integrity.
> ...




Yea def not a dirty sock odor. It smell just like if you open up a bottle of coolant and sniff


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

OK then.....watch for customer service contacting you on this thread.

Rob


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Thanks to all of you for pointing him in the right direction. We are already communicating through private messages to get this issue resolved.

Jackie
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Stellar job as usual Jackie!

Rob


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## Karinlynn36 (Aug 24, 2013)

cruzeman1 said:


> Ill have to search for them and send them a PM.


They won't be of much help. I've been having issues with my 2011 Cruze LTZ since I bought it.. They don't give a rats ass.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Karinlynn36, since that was your first post you obviously have NOT contacted the Chevy Customer Care folks here on CruzeTalk. They do care and they have helped a lot of people.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

OP - The HVAC ducting was redone sometime during the 2013 model year production run. If you have an earlier production car you may very well have the glycol lubricant in your HVAC system.


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## newsguy99 (May 24, 2013)

Last week, I had my 2012 car in for the same smell. Again.. This is my 2nd trip in for this issue.. I have a post going on here talking about how bad it got... Almost putting me to sleep at the wheel..

A few days ago, I got a call from my local dealership (the one that I've been taking the car to for repairs), offering to buy the car from me, and trade me out. I've got an appointment to see the sales manger on Sat.

If they offer to give me, at least very close to what I owe, or even a bit more, I'm gonna be torn on what to purchase in its place. Right now, its between another Cruze, or a Sonic.

any one wanna give tips of what I should ask?


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Thank you Robby! I just say your post. :biggrin: 

Hi karinlynn36 and welcome to Cruze Talk. Have you had an issue that was unable to be resolved with Customer Care? If so feel free to send us a PM and we can look into it for you. 

Jackie
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

newsguy99 said:


> Last week, I had my 2012 car in for the same smell. Again.. This is my 2nd trip in for this issue.. I have a post going on here talking about how bad it got... Almost putting me to sleep at the wheel..
> 
> A few days ago, I got a call from my local dealership (the one that I've been taking the car to for repairs), offering to buy the car from me, and trade me out. I've got an appointment to see the sales manger on Sat.
> 
> ...


You like your car find it in a 13 if they still exist.


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## cruze01 (Mar 25, 2011)

newsguy99 said:


> Last week, I had my 2012 car in for the same smell. Again.. This is my 2nd trip in for this issue.. I have a post going on here talking about how bad it got... Almost putting me to sleep at the wheel..
> 
> A few days ago, I got a call from my local dealership (the one that I've been taking the car to for repairs), offering to buy the car from me, and trade me out. I've got an appointment to see the sales manger on Sat.
> If they offer to give me, at least very close to what I owe, or even a bit more, I'm gonna be torn on what to purchase in its place. Right now, its between another Cruze, or a Sonic.
> ...


Don't buy another Cruze just to get rid of the smell! I done that, didn't work:th_down: My new 13 has the same smell and they have already changed the water pump, that didn't fix it as I figured! I'm so mad I could spit! Now I have another new car that stinks and I cant afford to trade again, I lost my but on the first one. Like you I was desperate to get rid of it.


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## BigSkyMontana (Jan 5, 2013)

I thought about getting another Cruze while dealing with this coolant issue, but I was wise and took some time to think through the process before committing to anything. I also monitored Cruze Talk closely keeping up on the coolant issue postings and other topics regrading the Cruze. After careful thought, working closely with my dealership, and much research I decided to not purchase another Cruze. IMO I don't think GM has a handle on this issue and purchasing another Cruze does not guarantee you won't have the same problem. You won't find to many owners posting their coolant smell issue successes on this forum. The are a few, but you will find more owners posting problems and their frustrations. Unfortunately, there are also problems with dealerships in trying to resolve this issue. My thoughts and advice-- do your homework carefully before purchasing another Cruze.


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## newsguy99 (May 24, 2013)

If everything falls apart, and I don't take another car at all.. I may do what XR posted, and get some AMSOIL coolant, and get that put in, to replace the DEXCOOL. From what I've read so far, the AMSOIL doesn't have the smell, and isn't harmful.

I did talk with my service manager about doing it, and they said, he WOULD do it, but, he can't hold up the 5/100 powertrain any longer. So, I may wait till after 100K if I keep this car.


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## cruze2011white (Feb 2, 2011)

I had the issue twice and both times it was the pump leaking. Besides smelling it inside open up your hood and smell around. If you smell it near the pump on the passenger side its the pump. It may however pass a pressure test. You need to get flashlight and look closely and see if you see any residue from the fluid. It will be redish pink after it dries. You won't see a lot but the aluminum there will be slightly colored with it where it dried.

I had two pumps replaced and now all the smell is gone. The interesting thing is the pump I have now has a Canadian sticker on it maybe the manufacture changed. The dealership should not rely on the pressure test because of expansion and contraction during the heating and cooling process. If you see any sign of coolant it is leaking.


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## BigSkyMontana (Jan 5, 2013)

newsguy99 said:


> If everything falls apart, and I don't take another car at all.. I may do what XR posted, and get some AMSOIL coolant, and get that put in, to replace the DEXCOOL. From what I've read so far, the AMSOIL doesn't have the smell, and isn't harmful.
> 
> I did talk with my service manager about doing it, and they said, he WOULD do it, but, he can't hold up the 5/100 powertrain any longer. So, I may wait till after 100K if I keep this car.


You may eliminate the smell with AMSOIL, but hopefully you aren't masking the problem if you switch. I would think about working closely with your service manager and doing what you can to troubleshoot this issue and hopefully find a solution if you are able to detect the problem. This issue varies from car to car and for some it is difficult to detect when your service department has completed all service requests initiated by TAC and the smell is still present.


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## newsguy99 (May 24, 2013)

Just a quick update from what has been happening... I was at the Dealership again today, with my appointment. Looking to get outta my Cruze due to the coolant smell.. 

Well, As so many times in the past, it turns out, the call I received, was nothing more than a bait and switch game that car dealerships love to play. Thats, Get you in, show you something you really want, and then sell it to you.

I told my sales person over and over what I was willing to pay, and he kept coming back with numbers WAY above what I was willing to do.. So, with the 4th time, he came with the finance manager, and showed me some numbers one more time.
I kinda laughed, said thank you for your time, and left.

I figure its one of those times, where the dealership is trying their best to get rid of the 2013s, and dealer demos, and make room for the new 2014s coming in.. I guess they thought, they had another SUCKER on their hands, and could make a deal work.
I didn't back down, and they didn't move either. 

Overall, how would I rate this transaction.... 1-10. with 10 being BEST... I'd give it a 2.

1) dealership never offered to try to find the car I was looking for.
2) dealership didn't offer blue book value on my trade (about 2k less)
3) wanted to trade me out for a dealer demo.
4) it was another Cruze.. I was more interested in looking for a Sonic.
5) didn't attempt to even search for a Sonic, even a used one, they could of got.
6) Being left in a chair for 20+ minutes, while my sales person was helping other people instead of trying his best to finish up with me first.
7) All paperwork looked like it was copies of 10+ years ago, and some of it looked so bad, that I even asked for a better copy. And, of course, they didn't have any.
8) All the cars on the lot looked OK, but they were all either 1.8L and automatic, or had every bell and leather, sunroof and whatever else on them, to put them outta my price range.
9) Sales person didn't know 'Ecotec' is a brand name for the engine being used in these cars.. And kept saying this model has the 1.8L Ecotec engine. When I clearly stated, I wanted the 1.4L Turbo Ecotec.
10) I felt duped into driving over there in hopes of a swap/trade, to be lead around like a dog on a leash..

Too bad for them, as that was the only chance they had to get me to purchase from that dealership. In the end, I'm glad things turned out the way they did, and I just didn't impulse buy something I really didn't want.

So, to all of you, Dealers are trying to DUMP 2013's off their lot.. Offering big discounts and so on.. Only to fool you into thinking you're getting those.... BUYER BEWARE! Plus, just on a side note.. Go early! Before Lunch, but, make
sure you're finished with everything by lunch time. I actually started to get sick, while I was waiting, so, I knew something was up. I just couldn't put 2 and 2 together at the time.


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## BigSkyMontana (Jan 5, 2013)

newsguy99, sorry it didn't work out for you. Unfortunately the trade-in value of the Cruze is not good. I did get an "excellent" trade-in value for my Cruze, but still I owned a few "thousand" dollars-ouch! So I decided to take the loss and move into another vehicle. IMO financially, when a Cruze owner is struggling to fix the coolant issue and the smell continues to linger after several attempts to fix, it can cost a few dollars if you are looking at moving to another vehicle. I could of sold it myself, but really didn't have the time or patience to go that route. I had an awesome service manager and service department. It just so happened that they did everything requested by GM (plus more). When GM exhausted all their options in the "fix and repair" arena, they wanted me to take my Cruze to another dealership to have them try to figure out the problem. That was the day I stopped "kicking the can" down the road for GM as the problem wasn't my service department--but GM not able to support me or my dealership in resolving this issue. I really hope a dealership can assist you in solving your issue especially if you are deciding to keep the vehicle. There is hope as there is a fix for the HVAC case lube issue, water pump leaks, and heater cores. But, if the smell continues to linger after several attempts then that literally stinks! The one thing I didn't do and could have done is lowered the coolant in my surge tank. But, no one knows the long term outcome if an owner decides to do this and I did not want to put me or my car in a position that I could have engine or warranty issue in the future. Plus, IMO I didn't want to manipulate my coolant system to rectify a GM problem on a new car.


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## ChuzCruze (Feb 9, 2012)

cruzeman1 and newsguy99 - did you ever get your coolant smell problem fixed? I am still dealing with this and have yet to find an ACTUAL solution to the problem...other than getting rid of my Cruze and taking a huge hit financially, even though I had planned on keeping this car for an extended period of time. Solutions??


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## Pilsner73 (Apr 17, 2012)

BigSkyMontana said:


> newsguy99, sorry it didn't work out for you. Unfortunately the trade-in value of the Cruze is not good. I did get an "excellent" trade-in value for my Cruze, but still I owned a few "thousand" dollars-ouch! So I decided to take the loss and move into another vehicle. IMO financially, when a Cruze owner is struggling to fix the coolant issue and the smell continues to linger after several attempts to fix, it can cost a few dollars if you are looking at moving to another vehicle. I could of sold it myself, but really didn't have the time or patience to go that route. I had an awesome service manager and service department. It just so happened that they did everything requested by GM (plus more). When GM exhausted all their options in the "fix and repair" arena, they wanted me to take my Cruze to another dealership to have them try to figure out the problem. That was the day I stopped "kicking the can" down the road for GM as the problem wasn't my service department--but GM not able to support me or my dealership in resolving this issue. I really hope a dealership can assist you in solving your issue especially if you are deciding to keep the vehicle. There is hope as there is a fix for the HVAC case lube issue, water pump leaks, and heater cores. But, if the smell continues to linger after several attempts then that literally stinks! The one thing I didn't do and could have done is lowered the coolant in my surge tank. But, no one knows the long term outcome if an owner decides to do this and I did not want to put me or my car in a position that I could have engine or warranty issue in the future. Plus, IMO I didn't want to manipulate my coolant system to rectify a GM problem on a new car.


I read your posts awhile ago about your mission to work with your dealer and GM to solve this issue and it gave me hope but now I see you didn't have any luck getting your Cruze fixed and GM never really stepped up to the plate it seems to me from reading your story.

After all this time you would think GM would be doing everything possible to fix this like send some engineers into the field to see the problem cars and figure out if the issue can be fixed and how. If GM can't fix it they should start a customer goodwill program about this.


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