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How-To: Replace 2011-2016 Cruze 1.4L Coolant/Water Outlet

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How-To: Replace 2011-2016 Cruze 1.4L Coolant/Water Outlet


Overview:
The coolant/water outlet on the 1.4L Turbo engine has a high rate of failure and typically begins to leak at the joint between the water outlet and the recovery tank hose. The repair involves replacement of both the water outlet and the recovery tank hose. The two should be replaced at the same time.


Tools Required:
- E10 Socket w/ ratchet
- Flathead screwdriver
- In-lb torque wrench (Available on Amazon.com)
- Hose clamp pliers (Available on Amazon.com) (Note: some people try to use pliers for these clamps, but doing so makes the job significantly more difficult. I recommend picking up this tool.
- A clean 1+ gallon bucket


Parts Required:
25193922 Coolant/Water Outlet (Available on Amazon.com)
13251447 Recovery Tank Hose (Available on Amazon.com)


Procedure:
Unless a coolant flush has been performed recently, it would be a good idea to flush the cooling system when this part is replaced. Begin first by draining the coolant, using the following tutorial: https://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/129...uze-antifreeze-coolant-flush.html#post2740610

Note: you will see some extra oil hose in this tutorial that go to my bypass filter. You will not have these hoses on your car, so don't be alarmed if you don't see them.

Remove the clip holding the recovery tank hose onto the water outlet and pull the recovery tank hose out.


Separate the recovery tank hose from the retaining clip shown here:


Using hose clamp pliers, remove the hose clamp at the connection between the recovery tank hose and the coolant reservoir, and remove the hose with a twisting motion.


Using hose clamp pliers, slide the hose clamp down the hose shown here, and remove the hose from the water outlet.


Disconnect the throttle body wire by sliding back the locking retainer (you can use a flathead screwdriver). Using a flathead screwdriver, loosen the intake hose and remove it from the throttle body as shown below. Not shown in this picture, I also removed the wiring connector from the sensor mounted to the top of the intake tube.


Disconnect the O2 sensor harness. You don't absolutely need to disconnect this, but it makes your job a bit easier to do so. There's a plastic retaining clip that you need to slide upward at the same time as you pull outward. This took me a bit of time to get off, but a bit of wiggling and pulling the retaining clip upward and it eventually came loose.


Using hose clamp pliers, slide the hose clamp down the radiator hose, and remove the radiator hose from the water outlet.


Disconnect the wiring connector that goes into the water outlet.


Using hose clamp pliers, slide the hose clamp down the heater core hose, and remove the heater core hose from the water outlet. This will be located underneath the throttle body.


Using the E10 socket, completely loosen the three bolts holding the water outlet.



Remove the water outlet. On mine, the gasket was stuck to the cylinder head. Remove the gasket, and wipe off the surface of the cylinder head to ensure it is free of debris.


Install the new water outlet and torque the E-10 bolts to 71 INCH-POUNDS.

The new recovery tank hose has a retaining clip on the end of the hose. Remove the retaining clip as shown with a screwdriver:



Reconnect all of the hoses and wiring connectors. Don't forget to put the retaining clip back onto the recovery tank hose once reinstalled.

Refill the cooling system through the coolant reservoir.

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Thanks for all of the discussion. I replaced the outlet and the over flow hose to recovery tank. Still the
O-ring seeps when the engine heats up. What can I do short of trying new parts again? I used AC delco parts. Very frustrted!
Did you ever figure this out? I replaced mine with the parts in this write-up (back in October) and it's leaking pretty severely where the 2 parts connect. I'm not sure which part is bad or if I just need an o-ring.
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Thanks for all of the discussion. I replaced the outlet and the over flow hose to recovery tank. Still the
O-ring seeps when the engine heats up. What can I do short of trying new parts again? I used AC delco parts. Very frustrted!
Did you ever figure this out? I replaced mine with the parts in this write-up (back in October) and it's leaking pretty severely where the 2 parts connect. I'm not sure which part is bad or if I just need an o-ring.
Sounds like he may have rolled/cut a seal when he was putting them together. That was my first coolant leak repair, about a year ago, the coupling between the water outlet housing and the reservoir hose was cracked. I had purchased both the housing and the hose, before doing the repair, and just replaced both, since the cracked coupling disassembled with the hose and the new one came with the housing.
I just did this to one of my Cruzes, worked fine no more leaks. Now the other Cruze was leaking at the top hose. I replaced it, Why GM made a double connector with 2 O-rings within 1 inch of each other is beyond me. Now it's still leaking (I think) from the sensor O-ring. I'm just going to replace the whole thing and be done with it.

I do wonder how many of these leaks are just those O-rings. Old ones are square on cross section, new are round.
I went through 2 heat up and cool cycles no leaks. Last night was colder than it's been and this morning wet all over under the junction. I think the old O-rings shrink and leak.
Old [o-rings] are square on cross section, new are round.
I'm pretty sure the old ones started out as round, and the square shape was formed into them with years of pressure and temperature :) (If you leave them in there long enough, they turn into diamonds :) )

Seriously, once removed (and re-installed), the chances of leaking go up significantly, so fresh o-rings are usually needed. The challenge is identifying the correct ones :(

Doug

.
Nice write-up. You seem to be referencing another tutorial on how to drain, but there's no link. And given the number of problems people have had getting all the air out, I can't help but think there's something missing on the refill.
the doorman replacement hose will not accommodate the plastic clip it does not leak after running it an hour and taken for a drive,but still antsy after reading all the leakage nite mares on this POS
HI CZ KIDD HERE i posted above about the dorman after market upper hose from the reservoir, it will not accept the plastic clip due to the circumference of hose / valve end being too large, i did run car almost an hour and it got to a steady heat level and did not leak, even after a test drive. problem started after plastic end that goes into valve assembly cracked and left my daughter sitting at a dangerous spot on freeway. It does accept the metal clip and is semi snug , just bothers me about the plasticclip and she needs to travel next week. its a 2015 1.4 turbo and has been rather reliable until this , i did replace the valve assembly also , which i think was also Dorman...can someone give me any input on this? I definately dont want her sitting on the toll way nest week , thanks
HI CZ KIDD HERE i posted above about the dorman after market upper hose from the reservoir, it will not accept the plastic clip due to the circumference of hose / valve end being too large, i did run car almost an hour and it got to a steady heat level and did not leak, even after a test drive. problem started after plastic end that goes into valve assembly cracked and left my daughter sitting at a dangerous spot on freeway. It does accept the metal clip and is semi snug , just bothers me about the plasticclip and she needs to travel next week. its a 2015 1.4 turbo and has been rather reliable until this , i did replace the valve assembly also , which i think was also Dorman...can someone give me any input on this? I definately dont want her sitting on the toll way nest week , thanks
Valve assembly?
Just recently changed the water outlet on my 2016 Cruze 1.4. Easy job. But now I'm hearing coolant boiling at the outlet after a 15 minute ride. Temperature is as usual one mark before half on the gauge. Not boiling over into the reservoir until I loosen the cap at the reservoir but it is definitely boiling at the back of the head. Tried bleeding the air and running at 2500 rpm for 5 minutes to bleed. I changed the thermostat 10 months ago. It wasn't doing it until I changed the outlet. Any clues?
Just recently changed the water outlet on my 2016 Cruze 1.4. Easy job. But now I'm hearing coolant boiling at the outlet after a 15 minute ride. Temperature is as usual one mark before half on the gauge. Not boiling over into the reservoir until I loosen the cap at the reservoir but it is definitely boiling at the back of the head. Tried bleeding the air and running at 2500 rpm for 5 minutes to bleed. I changed the thermostat 10 months ago. It wasn't doing it until I changed the outlet. Any clues?
Welcome Aboard!(y)

You should start your own thread and explain a bit more.

Don't forget to introduce yourself and your Cruze here.
You bleed the air at the white bleeder on the radiator tank passenger side? If your still boiling that bad you may have some engine problems..
Just recently changed the water outlet on my 2016 Cruze 1.4. Easy job. But now I'm hearing coolant boiling at the outlet after a 15 minute ride. Temperature is as usual one mark before half on the gauge. Not boiling over into the reservoir until I loosen the cap at the reservoir but it is definitely boiling at the back of the head. Tried bleeding the air and running at 2500 rpm for 5 minutes to bleed. I changed the thermostat 10 months ago. It wasn't doing it until I changed the outlet. Any clues?
Did you put the right coolant in/ mix it if you got pure coolant?
Did you put the right coolant in/ mix it if you got pure coolant?
Yes
You bleed the air at the white bleeder on the radiator tank passenger side? If your still boiling that bad you may have some engine problems..
I did, thinking if the water pump has a plastic impeller that it may have disintegrated. I have seen this in the past.
Factory early impeller design was plastic. Not just the impeller, but the backing plate of the impeller on the factory pump I removed was plastic. The entire backing plate rotated on the dead pump. There's no way it could pump full flow even if the impeller was ok.

I did a posting on this, back a few years ago, and I thought I uploaded pictures between old and new. Lost some files and no longer have the pictures, but I went with the current ACDelco Professional pump from Rockauto.. Metal impeller and metal backing plate.

Look at the pump impeller side of the pump and you'll see what I mean with "backing plate". It's wrong terminology, but something us car guys at least understand.
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Factory early impeller design was plastic. Not just the impeller, but the backing plate of the impeller on the factory pump I removed was plastic. The entire backing plate rotated on the dead pump. There's no way it could pump full flow even if the impeller was ok.

I did a posting on this, back a few years ago, and I thought I uploaded pictures between old and new. Lost some files and no longer have the pictures, but I went with the current ACDelco Professional pump from Rockauto.. Metal impeller and metal backing plate.

Look at the pump impeller side of the pump and you'll see what I mean with "backing plate". It's wrong terminology, but something us car guys at least understand.
I didn't realize they had updated the design... I think the one I put in earlier this year had a black backing, likely plastic, bummer...
Thanks for posting these instructions and the link to the tools. My 2014 Eco 6MT started a slow leak around 113,000 miles. I couldn't really locate the link, so i replaced the water outlet, heater hose, turbo hose, and expansion tank hose. The heater hose was in bad shape, looks like it was degraded by oil. The hose clamp tool worked well, much better than pliers. Thanks to the author and all who contributed to this guideline.
In my case turns out it was the recovery hose, I also replaced the o'ring in the water outlet side of the hose with the added difficulty that when I was pulling the hose out, it broke inside the water outlet case. Had to patiently pick it out, refill the coolant tank and bleed the system, ran some errands, so far so good. I had replaced the water outlet like 30k miles ago (using this guide). I think I'm gonna buy the tank and keep it around to replace it when the time comes....
3
I have a 2011 LTZ 1.4L Turbo and have had to replace the hose twice, both had a broken fitting below the oring and wouldn't seal/constant leak. I even bought the re-engineered dormans hose with plastic fitting, so when it broke again as in picture,
Hand Finger Household hardware Automotive tire Wood


I made one out of stainless steel to replace it and no more problems!
Finger Thumb Nail Auto part Automotive tire


If anyone has interest pm me and we can talk about it!

Automotive tire Car Hood Motor vehicle Vehicle
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I have a 2011 LTZ 1.4L Turbo and have had to replace the hose twice, both had a broken fitting below the oring and wouldn't seal/constant leak. I even bought the re-engineered dormans hose with plastic fitting, so when it broke again as in picture, View attachment 299408

I made one out of stainless steel to replace it and no more problems!
View attachment 299409

If anyone has interest, I can make some of these and sell as permanent fix?
email me: Outlet Fitting at

View attachment 299410
I emailed you before the Mods incorrectly edited your email address out. It has no ending now.
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I have a 2011 LTZ 1.4L Turbo and have had to replace the hose twice, both had a broken fitting below the oring and wouldn't seal/constant leak. I even bought the re-engineered dormans hose with plastic fitting, so when it broke again as in picture, View attachment 299408

I made one out of stainless steel to replace it and no more problems!
View attachment 299409



View attachment 299410
If anyone has interest pm me and we can talk about it!
  • Like
Reactions: 3
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