General Questions; Coolant System

2308 Views 13 Replies 6 Participants Last post by Robby, Mar 16, 2017

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Discussion Starter · Mar 13, 2017

I’m trying to understand my grandma’s 2013 4-door Cruze but I know nothing about them. I am also just a noob/amateur as a mechanic.

Could you please talk me through some questions about the coolant system and a few other parts?  

If it has “eco” printed on top of the engine, does that necessarily mean it is a 1.4l turbo?

There is a hose going from the overflow reservoir, then it is clamped onto a smaller hose, which then goes into some part.  
Is it going into the turbo?

I had a pic but they won't upload for some reason.

What is the reason for the step down in hose size? Why would they clamp a larger diameter hose to a smaller one?

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17Hatch6MT

· #2 · Mar 13, 2017 (Edited)

Yes, all the 'Eco' were 1.4T. You should be able to see a pretty obvious turbocharger hanging off the exhaust manifold. (Unless the exhaust is toward the passenger side...?) All LT1, LT2, Premier, Eco were 1.4T. Only the LS was 1.8 n.a.

Why is a bigger hose clamped to a smaller one? Engineering goof or loose end, I'd guess. Maybe they didn't talk until the parts were already designed. Maybe testing found there wasn't enough flow, so they spec'd a larger hose in part of the circuit. Maybe they already had each piece in the 'parts bin', so rather than redesign something, they just made it fit.

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Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 13, 2017 (Edited)

Thanks, so if not the turbo, what is the name of the part that small coolant hose is going to/from?

Oh, and I want to pressure test the system but I can't seem to get it to pressurize. I think the pump is good and it has the gasket/washer intact. I think my tank is good because when I take the cap off when a little warm it seems to release some pressure. Any suggestions?

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obermd

· #4 · Mar 14, 2017

The Generation 1 Cruze engine covers all say Ecotec. This is the name of the engine family. The Eco is a specific trim level of the Cruze. To determine engine size you need to know which trim you're dealing with (or post a picture now that you're at 3 posts).

LS => 1.8 non-turbo Ecotec engine
LT, ECO, LTZ => 1.4 Turbo Ecotec engine

Can you post a picture with the hose in question circled?

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Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 14, 2017 (Edited)

obermd said:
Can you post a picture with the hose in question circled?

Love Firefox but Chrome finally told me why I couldn't upload!

This is the best pic I have at the moment for where the hose connects. It is the smaller hose that goes in high on the plastic tank. You can't see the hose but it connects into the shiny elbow shaped part at the very tip top of the pic. I will have to wait for later for any better shots, it is not my car.

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AutumnCruzeRS

· #6 · Mar 14, 2017

Tough pic to see anything but looks to me you have the 1.8 non turbo motor. I dont recall anything that looks like that on my 1.4 turbo

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Robby

· #7 · Mar 14, 2017

Looks like it is on the throttle body inlet side. That is a crankcase breather hose it appears.

Rob

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Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 14, 2017

Robby said:
That is a crankcase breather hose it appears.

As in crankcase ventilation? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crankcase_ventilation_system

A hose for this purpose could lead to the top of a plastic tank containing anti-freeze/coolant?

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Robby

· #9 · Mar 14, 2017

downplay said:
As in crankcase ventilation? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crankcase_ventilation_system

A hose for this purpose could lead to the top of a plastic tank containing anti-freeze/coolant?

No....it would not go to any coolant tank.....it would go to the engine block.

Need a photo taken further back to give a better suggestion.

Rob

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dhpnet

· #10 · Mar 15, 2017

The top of the engine should say Ecotec. That's the brand name for GM engines and has nothing to do with which engine you have.

I looked at a few pictures for a quick and simple way to tell the two engines apart. It looks like the 1.4 Turbo engine has the oil filler cap toward the front of the engine (front of the car), and the 1.8 non-turbo engine has the oil filler cap toward the back of the engine. Also, on the 1.8 non-turbo engine, the air intake hose goes from the air filter toward the back of the engine. On the 1.4 Turbo, the air intake hose goes from the air filter to the turbo on the front of the engine.

There are two hoses that connect to the coolant surge tank. The top one is the air bleed hose. It goes from the coolant surge tank to the radiator. The bottom one is the engine coolant surge hose. It goes from the coolant surge tank to the engine.

There is no step down in hose size on my car.

I am sure there are some videos on YouTube that explain how an engine coolant system works. Maybe you should watch one. Might give you a better idea of how the system works.

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Discussion Starter · #11 · Mar 15, 2017

Thanks dhpnet, that is enough info to clear most of it up!
I'm pretty sure it is a 1.8 now, correct if I am wrong (below).

I would still like to know where the "air bleed hose" goes.
It plugs into something before the radiator. It must have a name!
I still don't have a good pic of it though

Whatever it is, it is kind of small and has several hoses connected to it,
one hose even forms a loop from it and back in.

I took some pics so I'll post them anyway.

I looked all around the outside and at what is in the glove box and I cannot find the model trim letters anywhere!  

I don’t see what I think is shaped like a turbo. Is this a naturally aspirated LS?

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Then here is a shot of the hose I’m trying to identify. For some reason they step the larger diameter down to a smaller hose behind the pinkish thing. Even more so, I’d also like to know what it plugs into in the pic posted above. It is does not lead directly to the radiator.

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Here is a pic where the hose is coming out of the top of the plastic coolant reservoir.

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Robby

· #12 · Mar 15, 2017

You have a 1.8 in the photo.....no turbo on those.
If you are in the US that model is a LS.

The hose in the second photo.....The diameter and material changes below the component with the pink(ish) connector.
I suspect these are two hoses terminating or connecting to something else under that component.

The air bleed or bypass is the hose circled photo #3......it should be connected somewhere near the thermostat housing (photo #1) that has a 1.5" or 1.75" hose (shown in photo, drivers side) leading forward to the radiator.......The air bleed hose would be connected on the block side or prior to the thermostat itself so it can purge trapped air (and bypassed coolant) into the white plastic surge tank.

Rob

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Discussion Starter · #13 · Mar 15, 2017

Robby said:
Y
I suspect these are two hoses terminating or connecting to something else under that component.

In the pic the small diameter hose looks like it is coming out of the pink thing, but it is just the continuation of the air bleed hose in smaller diameter coming from the surge tank. I can actually pull the two connected hoses up from behind that pink thing away from the engine, I just didn't think to do it. There is no termination behind the pink thing.

So, the thermostat is on the side of the engine above the belts (passenger side)? That is where the air bleed hose terminates. That little part or area has several hose terminations. Like I mention one of them loops from it and back to it maybe 1.25 inches away (or so), and is super close to the bleed hose termination. Would it be likely all these hoses are for coolant?

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Robby

· #14 · Mar 16, 2017

Since I don't have a 1.8 and admit to a degree of unfamiliarity with its cooling system path I'll stand back with you and see if a 1.8 owner chimes in.

Rob

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