[cruze01]

Hay Guys,
I have a mysterious leak going on with my Cruze. I've noticed a small puddle of oil on the garage floor the past couple of days, it reappears each time I clean it up. Tonight I took the time to lift the hood, when I did you could see the (oil I think) dripping on the floor directly under the turbo and you could hear it dripping onto the exhaust and sizzling before making its way to the floor. I took off both heat shields to try and see where it was coming from but no luck! No mater what angle you look from, even from under the car you could not see where it originates. It is coming from under or behind the turbo, maybe the turbo itself.

Any ideas? Is the turbo covered under the 5/100,000? I'm at 62K now.

 

[joshuab]

It seems this issue kinda sounds like what mine did before, I started noticing a oil smell & a oil leak onto the ground looked like it was coming from behind the turbo & near the manifold. So I investigated further & noticed oil was all over the flange connected to the catalytic converter, & it seemed it was coming from the "oil cooler" which was leaking come to find out.

So check under the car where the flange connects to the catalytic converter & if there is oil dripping down off that, maybe that is your problem. But I am sure there will be others to chime in shortly w/ there thoughts.

Edit : what model is your cruze because that will depend if you are covered under the 5/100,000 powertrain - & if you are within limits yes this will be covered.

 

[cruze01]

It seems this issue kinda sounds like what mine did before, I started noticing a oil smell & a oil leak onto the ground looked like it was coming from behind the turbo & near the manifold. So I investigated further & noticed oil was all over the flange connected to the catalytic converter, & it seemed it was coming from the "oil cooler" which was leaking come to find out.

So check under the car where the flange connects to the catalytic converter & if there is oil dripping down off that, maybe that is your problem. But I am sure there will be others to chime in shortly w/ there thoughts.

Edit : what model is your cruze because that will depend if you are covered under the 5/100,000 powertrain - & if you are within limits yes this will be covered.

I have a 2013. What you just described is exactly what I'm seeing. Did you fix it yourself? What is the oil cooler? All I see there is the turbo...

 

[joshuab]

Yeah your issue sounded so much like my issue that I had recently, & yours being a 2013 w/ just 62K miles, I would let GM pick this up on a powertrain warranty claim. I had mine repaired under warranty.

 

[joshuab]

I also want to mention; make sure you check your oil ever so often until you get into the dealership, depending on how bad its leaking you will see decreasing in your oil level. Never be to safe then sorry right?

 

[smithy22]

Experienced an oil leak a few months back and it turned out to be coming from the crankshaft seal.

 

[cruze01]

UPDATE:
I sent the Cruze into the dealer to figure out what was going on. They tell me it was not the oil cooler, they said it was the coolant line coming off the turbo. Apparently it got some sort of small crack in it and was leaking antifreeze. That just doesn't make since. I'm not a mechanic but I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between oil and antifreeze! I will admit I wasn't sure that it was oil but it had no characteristics of antifreeze, maybe it evaporated the water out by hitting the exhaust pipe and sizzling its way down to the floor but even then I would have thought it would smell like antifreeze.

Anyway, I pick it up in the morning. I'll know for sure if its fixed then.

 

[cruze01]

UPDATE:
I sent the Cruze into the dealer to figure out what was going on. They tell me it was not the oil cooler, they said it was the coolant line coming off the turbo. Apparently it got some sort of small crack in it and was leaking antifreeze. That just doesn't make since. I'm not a mechanic but I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between oil and antifreeze! I will admit I wasn't sure that it was oil but it had no characteristics of antifreeze, maybe it evaporated the water out by hitting the exhaust pipe and sizzling its way down to the floor but even then I would have thought it would smell like antifreeze.

Anyway, I pick it up in the morning. I'll know for sure if its fixed then.

Well it looks like thy were right, traveled from central Ky to Williamsburg Va today. 500+ miles and no leaks!

 

[joshuab]

UPDATE:
I sent the Cruze into the dealer to figure out what was going on. They tell me it was not the oil cooler, they said it was the coolant line coming off the turbo. Apparently it got some sort of small crack in it and was leaking antifreeze. That just doesn't make since. I'm not a mechanic but I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between oil and antifreeze! I will admit I wasn't sure that it was oil but it had no characteristics of antifreeze, maybe it evaporated the water out by hitting the exhaust pipe and sizzling its way down to the floor but even then I would have thought it would smell like antifreeze.

Anyway, I pick it up in the morning. I'll know for sure if its fixed then.

Well I could have for sure thought it was the oil cooler as it just the symptoms was same as mine at the time when my oil cooler started leaking! But in any event glad you got your issue resolved & you can get back to Cruzen!

 

[JeffBazell]

During my routine scheduled auto tranny fluid change today ($113.27, not $169 that I was told over phone, fluid changed, not flushed), tech said that oil coolant to turbo hose leaking. Needs repair soon, not urgent. Hmmmm. Covered under warranty? Hope so but since it's a hose it may be my out of pocket repair. 2012 ECO, AT, 73,701 miles. Tough dilemma: Do I respond to the Honda guy who called today about the 2016 Civic or do I stick it out with my Cruze and cross my fingers that no more major repairs needed? Help me my fellow Cruzites.

 

[JeffBazell]

See my response. I just got back from dealer (for routine tranny fluid change). He did a fluorescent spray then black light exam. Mine is leaking where the coolant hose goes into (or out of?) the turbo. Told me not a big deal to replace but it eventually will get worse.

 

[ChevyGuy]

At which end? I remember a tutorial here about replacing a turbo oil line. Part of it was due to leaks were the line meets the engine block. The "O" ring setup was redesigned. Also, the line was insulated to prevent engine heat from coking the oil. If that's the line, then that's just a known issue with early model Cruzes and nothing that should giver you concerns about how long the car will last.

 

[cruze01]

During my routine scheduled auto tranny fluid change today ($113.27, not $169 that I was told over phone, fluid changed, not flushed), tech said that oil coolant to turbo hose leaking. Needs repair soon, not urgent. Hmmmm. Covered under warranty? Hope so but since it's a hose it may be my out of pocket repair. 2012 ECO, AT, 73,701 miles. Tough dilemma: Do I respond to the Honda guy who called today about the 2016 Civic or do I stick it out with my Cruze and cross my fingers that no more major repairs needed? Help me my fellow Cruzites.

Mine was covered, cost me zip and they also resealed the oil pan.