coolant gone missing
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Do you see any bubbles in the coolant tank when running or when trying a leak down test? How quickly is the coolant disappearing?
Coolant issues are not unheard of at all on these cars, especially leaking water pumps that may not be easily visible w/o removing the belt.
Coolant issues are not unheard of at all on these cars, especially leaking water pumps that may not be easily visible w/o removing the belt.
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No, but bad piston rings are not entirely uncommon. If it was drinking coolant at that rate, you'd likely see quite a bit of white smoke and a very shiny piston on cyl #4
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25,603 Posts
If you're being literal about coolant emptying overnight you have a leak in your tank or the hose/connector at the bottom of the tank.
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8,003 Posts
If that much coolant went into the cylinder, it would hydrolock. No way you'd get it started. And since you're saying it's not going into the oil, I don't think it's going into the engine.
That much coolant would make it's presence known. You sure there's no puddle? Are you parking on dirt or grass that's hiding the leak?
At this point I wouldn't pull the heads. If you do, keep in mind a number of bolts are "single use" and must be replaced or you''ll have additional problems.
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44 Posts
Ok heres how it works on friday night is was ok i got up saterday and the coolant res was half empty I didn't think any thing about it top it off an when 2 miles and shut it down for 2 hrs coolant was low again same amount added water and went 2 more miles and shut it down for 3 hrs coolant low the same amount added and went 2 miles and put it on the trailer
When I run I run and average rpms os 3100 to 4200
I removed the intake and turbo all valves are the same color
But compression is down on cly4
I still think head gasket
And i say again no external leaks
When I run I run and average rpms os 3100 to 4200
I removed the intake and turbo all valves are the same color
But compression is down on cly4
I still think head gasket
And i say again no external leaks
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25,603 Posts
Put some coolant dye in your tank and refill. The dye will leave a residue as the leak cools down, making the leak point easy to find. It's possible Cylinder 4 is the culprit but it's worth the $10 for the bottle of dye to verify you're not loosing coolant elsewhere.
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Maybe so, but leaking to where? If it went into the cylinder, I'd think that much coolant would hydro-lock or cause some kind of starting problem.
In case your not familiar with the term, hydro-lock happens when you try to start a engine with a cylinder full of liquid. Gas/air compresses. Liquid doesn't. Any attempt to start with that much liquid in the cylinder on the compression stroke is likely cause the engine to stop quite abruptly.
If you're not parking your car somewhere where puddles can form, I don't think you can rule out external leaks. The leak is just "jumping clear" so as to leave no residue on the car.
If the leak was internal, I'd say it would have to be going down the exhaust pipe.
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8,003 Posts
Ah, that changes things. Looks to me like the coolant could make an escape down the exhaust pipe such that it wouldn't be noticed. Bottom line, it's going some where. I doubt if that much could evaporate overnight. (I assume you're running the usual antifreeze mix - in which case there's going to be residue left over if it does dry.)
But coolant leaving via the exhaust pipe looks like it would end up on the ground and could disappear.
But coolant leaving via the exhaust pipe looks like it would end up on the ground and could disappear.
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44 Posts
Found that the head was warped
Replaced the head gskt and got my compression back on cyl 4 160 in all 4 cyl
The hardest thing was finding the timing kit to set the cams being the dealer would not help with this
So now all thats left is to set down a hold on
Replaced the head gskt and got my compression back on cyl 4 160 in all 4 cyl
The hardest thing was finding the timing kit to set the cams being the dealer would not help with this
So now all thats left is to set down a hold on
Not nice to hear about a warped head in an engine the rest of us have. But if you driven your Cruze for any distance with an overheated engine, this is perfectly normal.
Never was much of a problem before with cast iron heads, but sure is with aluminum. Another nice thing is have a blend door to get instant heat. Motorhome still has that heater core water valve with a very long delay. Have to play with it, either too hot or too cold just moving it a tad.
But this blend door does not come without new problems, if that heater core plugs up, also a key part of the head engine cooling. So that part of the engine will be red hot even while the temperature gauge shows near normal.
Really felt unpatriotic during the 80's, went Japanese, really getting crap from Detroit, they were using aluminum heads, but the head bolts were reusable. Torque to yield bolts, one time tighten the crap out of these, are one time but came out with domestic vehicles.
Never knew the reason why, but speculate the Japanese found an aluminum alloy that doesn't expand at seven times the rate of cast iron.
Was taught when learning to fly to scan my instrument panel every minute, should do the same thing with these aluminum head engines. That exhaust gas temperature gauge was the most important in an aircraft, because the mixture constantly changes with altitude. If if got much over 1,400*F, had to enrich the fuel to cool it down. If you didn't, exhaust valves would burn up.
Now the same problem with aluminum heads.
Never was much of a problem before with cast iron heads, but sure is with aluminum. Another nice thing is have a blend door to get instant heat. Motorhome still has that heater core water valve with a very long delay. Have to play with it, either too hot or too cold just moving it a tad.
But this blend door does not come without new problems, if that heater core plugs up, also a key part of the head engine cooling. So that part of the engine will be red hot even while the temperature gauge shows near normal.
Really felt unpatriotic during the 80's, went Japanese, really getting crap from Detroit, they were using aluminum heads, but the head bolts were reusable. Torque to yield bolts, one time tighten the crap out of these, are one time but came out with domestic vehicles.
Never knew the reason why, but speculate the Japanese found an aluminum alloy that doesn't expand at seven times the rate of cast iron.
Was taught when learning to fly to scan my instrument panel every minute, should do the same thing with these aluminum head engines. That exhaust gas temperature gauge was the most important in an aircraft, because the mixture constantly changes with altitude. If if got much over 1,400*F, had to enrich the fuel to cool it down. If you didn't, exhaust valves would burn up.
Now the same problem with aluminum heads.
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44 Posts
Well I have never run it over 217 degrees
I can say it has somethink to do with the boost pressure i run
Im sure i streched a head bolt or 2
I fun it at 3200 to 4800 most all the time so we will see how it holds up
Been doing this for 3 years now
I am hard on it
Drive it like u stole it
I can say it has somethink to do with the boost pressure i run
Im sure i streched a head bolt or 2
I fun it at 3200 to 4800 most all the time so we will see how it holds up
Been doing this for 3 years now
I am hard on it
Drive it like u stole it
My interest is vehicle depreciation per mile, like that 65 Buick I purchased for 3,000 buck and sold it 330K miles later for 500.
2,500 divided by 330,000 miles is about 3/4 cents per mile. If I can hit 100K miles on this Cruze before it turns into a pile of rust, major reason for dumping a vehicle, would be lucky to hit 22 cents per mile.
Better yet was buying a Ford motorhome during the energy crisis, couldn't even give these away, purchased a like new one for $3,000.00, and put 70K miles on it. But then sold it when interest was high with motorhomes for $6,000 some ten years later.
Ha, was driving on a four lane yesterday, saw a red light, down shifted, idiots behind me, plenty of them got teed off, hit their gas, mostly with large SUV's only to slam on their brakes, just timed it just right so flew passed them. I am trying to save my brakes. Not only yesterday, but all the time, they are tearing up their vehicles and burning gas like crazy.
2,500 divided by 330,000 miles is about 3/4 cents per mile. If I can hit 100K miles on this Cruze before it turns into a pile of rust, major reason for dumping a vehicle, would be lucky to hit 22 cents per mile.
Better yet was buying a Ford motorhome during the energy crisis, couldn't even give these away, purchased a like new one for $3,000.00, and put 70K miles on it. But then sold it when interest was high with motorhomes for $6,000 some ten years later.
Ha, was driving on a four lane yesterday, saw a red light, down shifted, idiots behind me, plenty of them got teed off, hit their gas, mostly with large SUV's only to slam on their brakes, just timed it just right so flew passed them. I am trying to save my brakes. Not only yesterday, but all the time, they are tearing up their vehicles and burning gas like crazy.
Seems like you can know a lot about cars, but every time you get a new one, have a lot more to learn.
Use to be the radiator cap was the highest point of the cooling system, if that was full, entire cooling system was full. But had to remove the cap, when cold to check it.
Then they started to streamline the hoods, so that cap was never at the highest point. To get around this, had to jack up the front end of the vehicle so it was the highest point, ha, had to do this on my motorhome.
Gone is the radiator cap, now the recovery tank, but at least on the Cruze, back again to be the highest point, but you notice that the heater core hoses are much higher than the thermostat where the coolant temperature is located. In away, this is much easiest, no cap to remove, just look at it. But if it is low or empty, the heater core could be empty as well, and if it is, would be no coolant flow where it go back into the head.
But the thermostat is still lower, so you may not see at temperature rise while that head is overheating. Very quick way to check this inside of the vehicle, just turn the temperature control to max and switch on the blower, should get red hot heat. Granted, the Cruze should have put the temperature sensor back there, but somebody was not thinking.
When I first got on this board, read about many cooling system problems, so made a point to check it frequently, even for a short 40 mile trip, only takes a second. Ha, the Cruze could copy the Model A Ford with the fuel tank being the dash, just had a glass tube is see precisely the fuel level, none of that fuel sender crap. But this one would show that red coolant level.
Yes it is possible in this vehicle to show a normal operating temperature while your head is warping. If this happens to me, would be one very strong argument to get a new engine. But not at a dealer, but at the top.
Use to be the radiator cap was the highest point of the cooling system, if that was full, entire cooling system was full. But had to remove the cap, when cold to check it.
Then they started to streamline the hoods, so that cap was never at the highest point. To get around this, had to jack up the front end of the vehicle so it was the highest point, ha, had to do this on my motorhome.
Gone is the radiator cap, now the recovery tank, but at least on the Cruze, back again to be the highest point, but you notice that the heater core hoses are much higher than the thermostat where the coolant temperature is located. In away, this is much easiest, no cap to remove, just look at it. But if it is low or empty, the heater core could be empty as well, and if it is, would be no coolant flow where it go back into the head.
But the thermostat is still lower, so you may not see at temperature rise while that head is overheating. Very quick way to check this inside of the vehicle, just turn the temperature control to max and switch on the blower, should get red hot heat. Granted, the Cruze should have put the temperature sensor back there, but somebody was not thinking.
When I first got on this board, read about many cooling system problems, so made a point to check it frequently, even for a short 40 mile trip, only takes a second. Ha, the Cruze could copy the Model A Ford with the fuel tank being the dash, just had a glass tube is see precisely the fuel level, none of that fuel sender crap. But this one would show that red coolant level.
Yes it is possible in this vehicle to show a normal operating temperature while your head is warping. If this happens to me, would be one very strong argument to get a new engine. But not at a dealer, but at the top.
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44 Posts
Yes and that is y most people overheat the recovery systems bleed the air
hole in the system will suck air this will cause a overheat
The inpeller on the water pump is a hard one to find but there again no heater after 20 min
So after doing the head gasket cly 4 compression is now 160 lbs
Got the cam tool from great Britain for 190 $ took 10 days to get the kit
And had 6 pin hole in way radiator
So now I dont have a check engine light now the p0300 is now gone dont figure
So all in all i am still makeing 38 lbs of boost at 5300 rpms
I thank all for the help
hole in the system will suck air this will cause a overheat
The inpeller on the water pump is a hard one to find but there again no heater after 20 min
So after doing the head gasket cly 4 compression is now 160 lbs
Got the cam tool from great Britain for 190 $ took 10 days to get the kit
And had 6 pin hole in way radiator
So now I dont have a check engine light now the p0300 is now gone dont figure
So all in all i am still makeing 38 lbs of boost at 5300 rpms
I thank all for the help
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