Losing Coolant

18173 Views 54 Replies 14 Participants Last post by ChevyGuy, Nov 2, 2016

Brockster

Discussion Starter · Oct 20, 2016

Hi guys,

A few days ago after a 10 minute drive I noticed a trail of water after parking. The liquid was being forced out of the coolant reservoir under pressure. When the engine had cooled I opened the reservoir and it was empty.

I called the NRMA (NSW roadside assistance). The guy that came refilled the reservoir with water & checked that the fan was cutting in after the engine warmed up. He said it could be the fan's temperature sensor on it's way out - though it was working when he checked. If the fan doesn't cut in the coolant (or water) evaporates quickly.

I told my wife to keep an eye on the temperature gauge when she drove to and from work (20 minutes each way). She said it was normal (a little under halfway). I thought I'd check it anyway and the reservoir is empty again.

Does anybody have any other theories on the cause.

Thanks

1 - 20 of 55 Posts

KY.JellyRS

· #2 · Oct 20, 2016

I have the same issue!! Haven't noticed any coolant dropping out from under the car but shortly have filling the reservoir it's empty again! Would love to find a solution!

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pacolino

· #3 · Oct 20, 2016

Brockster said:
Hi guys,

A few days ago after a 10 minute drive I noticed a trail of water after parking. The liquid was being forced out of the coolant reservoir under pressure. When the engine had cooled I opened the reservoir and it was empty.

I called the NRMA (NSW roadside assistance). The guy that came refilled the reservoir with water & checked that the fan was cutting in after the engine warmed up. He said it could be the fan's temperature sensor on it's way out - though it was working when he checked. If the fan doesn't cut in the coolant (or water) evaporates quickly.

I told my wife to keep an eye on the temperature gauge when she drove to and from work (20 minutes each way). She said it was normal (a little under halfway). I thought I'd check it anyway and the reservoir is empty again.

Does anybody have any other theories on the cause.

Thanks

Just a thought....keep an eye on your engine oil as well, if level goes up or you notice foam then most likely your head cylinder gasket is the problem.

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ChevyGuy

· #4 · Oct 20, 2016

I'm not as well versed on the 1.8. I'd say fill it up, take it on a 5 minute drive, and start looking for where it's leaking from. If it's leaving a trail, it shouldn't be hard to find. (Assuming the trail wasn't from the A/C condensate.) Once we know what part of the engine is leaking, we can form a better guess as to what's wrong.

Reactions: 2

Chevy_Country

· #5 · Oct 20, 2016

I had the same issue, I started a 2 hour drive to my brother in laws with my wife in the passenger seat and I get a call from my uncle that where I park my car in the driveway there was a puddle of coolant

so I pulled over about halfway and checked, it was sizzling out of a bad o-ring just off the top of the water pumo, so I put a towel over that to catch it from soaking everything underneath it

Park3d at the hotel and check it in the morning and the trail of coolant that I had lost simply couldn't have been from a bad reservoir hose o ring because of the towel

Dealer told me cracked reservoir tank and other ring was the cause of my problem and my extended warrantee picked up the cost of repair

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Reactions: 2

Chevy Customer Care

· #6 · Oct 20, 2016

Brockster said:
Hi guys,

A few days ago after a 10 minute drive I noticed a trail of water after parking. The liquid was being forced out of the coolant reservoir under pressure. When the engine had cooled I opened the reservoir and it was empty.

I called the NRMA (NSW roadside assistance). The guy that came refilled the reservoir with water & checked that the fan was cutting in after the engine warmed up. He said it could be the fan's temperature sensor on it's way out - though it was working when he checked. If the fan doesn't cut in the coolant (or water) evaporates quickly.

I told my wife to keep an eye on the temperature gauge when she drove to and from work (20 minutes each way). She said it was normal (a little under halfway). I thought I'd check it anyway and the reservoir is empty again.

Does anybody have any other theories on the cause.

Thanks

Hello Brockster,

We're sorry to hear what happened with your Cruze. I can certainly understand how concerning this would be, especially since it's unexpected. If you decide you'd like to work with a Chevrolet certified dealership, we'd be happy to facilitate the process on your behalf. If this is something of interest, please send us a direct message with your VIN, contact information, mileage, and dealer name.

Thanks!

Jasmine
Chevrolet Customer Care

Brockster

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 20, 2016

KY.JellyRS said:
I have the same issue!! Haven't noticed any coolant dropping out from under the car but shortly have filling the reservoir it's empty again! Would love to find a solution!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The NRMA guy tested the fan. By running the car with the AC on the fan should be on. Then he turned off the AC & waited for the temperature to rise. The fan's heat sensor eventually triggered the fan & the temperature gauge was normal when it did.

GracieAllen

· #8 · Oct 21, 2016

I hope I'm not hijacking this thread, but I'm having a similar problem......

2011 Cruze LT, 90,000 miles. At every oil change I check all the fluids - coolant, power steering, bug juice... Never had any loss of coolant. Last oil change was about a thousand miles ago, so not that long. It's been summer, even here in Minnesota, so we hadn't been using the heat, but the temperature gauge has always acted normal. A couple days ago it got cool enough to need heat and there wasn't any. I checked for a 598 code and there's no error code.

So, I checked the coolant reservoir, and it was LOW - not empty, but low. Removed the cap, lots of noise and bubbling, and we had heat. Ran over and got antifreeze and filled the reservoir. Drove it, filled it again. Heat is working fine, as it has for the last 6 years...

There's NO coolant anywhere under the car. There's NO sign that the water pump, radiator, thermostat, or anything else is leaking. Checked under the engine and there's nothing down there. There's no SMELL of hot coolant anywhere. SO FAR, the oil level hasn't gone up, and I don't see any foam.

If it's not going out on the ground, and it's not going into the oil, and it's not staying in the reservoir, WHERE IS THE COOLANT GOING?

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pacolino

· #9 · Oct 21, 2016

GracieAllen said:
I hope I'm not hijacking this thread, but I'm having a similar problem......

2011 Cruze LT, 90,000 miles. At every oil change I check all the fluids - coolant, power steering, bug juice... Never had any loss of coolant. Last oil change was about a thousand miles ago, so not that long. It's been summer, even here in Minnesota, so we hadn't been using the heat, but the temperature gauge has always acted normal. A couple days ago it got cool enough to need heat and there wasn't any. I checked for a 598 code and there's no error code.

So, I checked the coolant reservoir, and it was LOW - not empty, but low. Removed the cap, lots of noise and bubbling, and we had heat. Ran over and got antifreeze and filled the reservoir. Drove it, filled it again. Heat is working fine, as it has for the last 6 years...

There's NO coolant anywhere under the car. There's NO sign that the water pump, radiator, thermostat, or anything else is leaking. Checked under the engine and there's nothing down there. There's no SMELL of hot coolant anywhere. SO FAR, the oil level hasn't gone up, and I don't see any foam.

If it's not going out on the ground, and it's not going into the oil, and it's not staying in the reservoir, WHERE IS THE COOLANT GOING?

It's evaporating, that's the only way it goes.

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obermd

· #10 · Oct 21, 2016

GracieAllen said:
I hope I'm not hijacking this thread, but I'm having a similar problem......

2011 Cruze LT, 90,000 miles. At every oil change I check all the fluids - coolant, power steering, bug juice... Never had any loss of coolant. Last oil change was about a thousand miles ago, so not that long. It's been summer, even here in Minnesota, so we hadn't been using the heat, but the temperature gauge has always acted normal. A couple days ago it got cool enough to need heat and there wasn't any. I checked for a 598 code and there's no error code.

So, I checked the coolant reservoir, and it was LOW - not empty, but low. Removed the cap, lots of noise and bubbling, and we had heat. Ran over and got antifreeze and filled the reservoir. Drove it, filled it again. Heat is working fine, as it has for the last 6 years...

There's NO coolant anywhere under the car. There's NO sign that the water pump, radiator, thermostat, or anything else is leaking. Checked under the engine and there's nothing down there. There's no SMELL of hot coolant anywhere. SO FAR, the oil level hasn't gone up, and I don't see any foam.

If it's not going out on the ground, and it's not going into the oil, and it's not staying in the reservoir, WHERE IS THE COOLANT GOING?

Put a bottle of coolant dye in the system and then use a flashlight to find the leak.

Reactions: 1

ChevyGuy

· #11 · Oct 21, 2016

We know about how much you lost, but not over how many days. A small leak will hard to see. You've got a leak somewhere. You'll need to be vigilant to figure out where.

GracieAllen

· #12 · Oct 21, 2016

Interesting - I've never heard of coolant dye. I'll have to get some and try it. Unfortunately, since I'd never lost any perceptible amount before, I have no idea how many days it took since I last checked it at the oil change - probably at least 6 weeks ago.

Either way, a small leak somewhere is a whole lot better than pulling the dipstick and finding foam all over it.

Reactions: 1

obermd

· #13 · Oct 22, 2016

GracieAllen said:
Interesting - I've never heard of coolant dye. I'll have to get some and try it. Unfortunately, since I'd never lost any perceptible amount before, I have no idea how many days it took since I last checked it at the oil change - probably at least 6 weeks ago.

Either way, a small leak somewhere is a whole lot better than pulling the dipstick and finding foam all over it.

I found out when my dealership put it in to track down a coolant leak. It turned out in my case to be a combination of a bad water pump and a bad seal on the tank cap.

Reactions: 2

GracieAllen

· #14 · Oct 23, 2016

3

I've been continuing to drive the Cruze... No leaks, no problems, no NOTHING... Wednesday, I drove it 90 miles, parked it in the driveway, and NO leak - nothing on the ground, nothing on the plastic thing under the engine, nothing.

This morning we drive it about 5 miles, then parked it in the driveway and went off to do other "stuff". Late this afternoon, walked out and the car had peed all over the place.....

This is what it looks like under the car

Bumper Vehicle Car Automotive exterior

Raised the hood and now there's antifreeze on the plastic thing under the engine. SO, I removed it to try and figure out WHERE the bunch of liquid was coming from..... Nothing on the front end. Totally dry around the water pump and below. As near as I can tell (PRESUMING the thermostat housing is at the FRONT of the engine) there's NOTHING anywhere around the thermostat or housing...

SO, around to the BACK of things....... Looking up I saw a LITTLE liquid on a (the?) upper radiator hose that's at the back of the engine (driver's side in the US). From above this is the area I was checking

Auto part Engine Fuel line Vehicle Pipe

On the left side of the image, there are two hoses, one above the other. On the bottom of the lower one, I BELIEVE there was a small amount of antifreeze. ALSO, there was a little on the metal piece below the engine, approximately below those hoses. BUT, it didn't appear to be anywhere NEAR the amount dumped on the ground.....

SO, I looked for additional bits of antifreeze and found a small amount on the area of the rear of the engine below the housing where those two hoses and the hose from the coolant reservoir all connect (thermostat? What is that thing?)... Anyhow, in the image below, you can see the small amount of liquid in that area.

Auto part Fuel line Suspension Suspension part Wheel

The coolant reservoir DOESN'T appear to be any lower than it was when I added antifreeze Tuesday, nor does there appear to be a large amount sitting anywhere - the amount I see in the image doesn't seem anywhere near enough to account for the amount on the ground.......

SO, drive it a hundred miles and got NOTHING on the driveway. Drove it 5 today and got a bunch. Drove it 5 again tonight, no drips and there's nothing looking any different...

Is the housing above where the small amount of antifreeze the thermostat (I THOUGHT it was at the front of the engine). If not, what is it, and why would it be leaking? Is this a normal thing on this vehicle or something bizarre?

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jsusanka

· #15 · Oct 23, 2016

It is your water outlet that is leaking. I would bet my last dollar. The thing is plastic and it is either a cheap part that breaks after a few winters or they don't know how to put it on at the factory. I think a combination and I also think it is the reason they have been having water pump problems but that is only speculation on my part. Tell them to replace the water outlet and if you are within your powertrain warranty it will be covered.

Reactions: 1

joshuab

· #16 · Oct 23, 2016

I would have to agree w/ @jsusanka this looks like the typical water outlet leak, or it could possibly be the outlet hose leaking right at the clamp. I would get a flash light & idle the car & look to see if you can see if you see it leaking. If you cannot see it leaking while its idling, I would clean the area really well & make sure it not wet on the hose & the outlet area ( Make sure the engine is cool ) before whipping up any coolant. Then take it for a ride to get the pressure going up & then do your investigation to pin point the location.

Reactions: 1

ChevyGuy

· #17 · Oct 23, 2016

GracieAllen said:
View attachment 208554

On the left side of the image, there are two hoses, one above the other.

Water outlet. I'd consider having the car towed. The failure can go from minor to catastrophic without warning. You do NOT want to overheat this engine. The temp gauge (at least in the US) isn't all that helpful. You can't see actual temperature - just the computer's opinion on if the temp is normal or not.

Reactions: 2

obermd

· #18 · Oct 23, 2016

I just had my water pump replaced for doing just this. The water outlet is covered so unless a hose gave away it's a special coverage for the water pump (150,000 miles/10 years).

GracieAllen

· #19 · Oct 24, 2016 (Edited)

Cool... I'll have to check, but I thought the 2011 Cruze was limited to 3 yrs, 36K. But, if it IS covered by some warranty, I'll have the dealer change it..

So, the black housing at the rear of the engine, with a couple hoses going into it, is the WATER OUTLET?

I'll find out about the warrany, if any, tomorrow at the local dealer. BTW: I just checked online and it SAYS it's 5 YRS, 100,000 miles. We're past that since the car was bought in November, 2010. I'm not sure where they're covered for 10 years, or if that's applicable to the US, but I"ll check tomorrow.

ChevyGuy

· #20 · Oct 24, 2016

GracieAllen said:
So, the black housing at the rear of the engine, with a couple hoses going into it, is the WATER OUTLET?

Yes.

GracieAllen said:
I'll find out about the warrany, if any, tomorrow at the local dealer. BTW: I just checked online and it SAYS it's 5 YRS, 100,000 miles. We're past that since the car was bought in November, 2010. I'm not sure where they're covered for 10 years, or if that's applicable to the US, but I"ll check tomorrow.

In the US, the powertrain is 10 years/100,000 miles.

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