Ignition key hot-Seems to be losing fluid after water pump replacement

Moonsfang said:

I've also noticed that after having my fuel pump replaced due to overheating and low coolant about a month ago (1,000 miles since) that it seems to be depleting more than normal. Ie: its under half full now.
I haven't noticed anything unusual such as spots where I park, however, it does still seem to be depleted more than normal. Feel free to inform me or post a link to a forum relating to either one of these issues. Any help or information you can provide will be well appreciated!

Thanks, Chris

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I'm a bit confused by this. Did your engine overheat, or did your fuel pump overheat? I'm perplexed by a fuel pump being damaged by engine overheating. What operations does your invoice state were performed? If the coolant was really low, the system may have sucked air into it and there has been air entrapment inside the system that is working its way out. Was this service performed by a dealer or by an independent mechanic? I'm not sure about the key getting hot, but I'd be worried about it if it continues. What's your warranty status, i.e. year and mileage?

Hey Chris,

I am sorry to hear you are having this concern with your ignition. Have you had a chance to have your Chevrolet dealership look into this yet? Please private message me your name, VIN, mileage, phone number, and dealership name. I hope to hear from you soon.

Erica Tiffany (Assisting)
Chevrolet Customer Care

Jim Frye said:

I'm a bit confused by this. Did your engine overheat, or did your fuel pump overheat? I'm perplexed by a fuel pump being damaged by engine overheating. What operations does your invoice state were performed? If the coolant was really low, the system may have sucked air into it and there has been air entrapment inside the system that is working its way out. Was this service performed by a dealer or by an independent mechanic? I'm not sure about the key getting hot, but I'd be worried about it if it continues. What's your warranty status, i.e. year and mileage?

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Sorry I should have been a little more specific. Most of my vehicle information is listed in my garage on this website. 37.5k miles 2011 chevy cruze 1.4 turbo LT, power train warranty still on car. The water pump had a leak according to the dealership mechanic and it was replaced and coolant was refilled. I originally took it in because I was getting a service light along with rapid heating and the heat gauge going past the middle. The service paperwork states water pump replacement and coolant refill/27 point inspection. My main concern is with me only driving a little over a thousand miles is it normal for the coolant level to go to to less than half full? So far its the only time I've had the ignition key trouble but I'm going to keep a close eye on it. My next oil change is in 4k more miles which I always get done at the dealership. Unless the problems continue or get worse I'll mention it to them then.

There may have been air in the system, refill and keep an eye on it.

Ahh! Water pump replacement, not fuel pump. Makes much more sense. Yeah, air in the system after running it low from the leak and the pump replacement. Will take some time to "burp" the system, so keep a watch on the reservoir tank and keep the level below the top arrow.

You are going to have a fire and then an explosion. The fire will be from a high resistance or short circuit in the steering column, which is what is heating up the key/fob. Then the air bag is going to go off while you are driving along. This is the explosion. Get it towed to the dealer and get the hot key problem fixed. The loss of coolant problem is slow to anger but an air bag explosion while driving along could be disastrous.

I agree with Erastimus - the hot key is a serious issue. Get it in to a dealership to get this fixed. I also suspect this is electrical in nature. I'm not sure how the air bag would get deployed but I can see this happening, especially if there's a short circuit in the steering column.