Car Help! (Coolant)

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JayFramer

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Hi all! Well I am going to have to take a 1200 mile road trip to Las Vegas because I am PCS'ing (moving to a new military base) and I am having some trouble with my car.

It seems I have a coolant leak (2013 Chevrolet Sonic) and the dealer has been of minimal help. The car overheated a few weeks ago and this was due to very low coolant.

I took it to the dealership and they replaced the water pump, saying they fixed the problem. This was on powertrain warranty so no cost to me, but it seems to still be loosing coolant! Since this I've had to add about 1/3 gallon of coolant.

I do not have time to deal with the stupid dealership again, only a few days left till I leave town and I don't trust them at all anyway. The shop foreman seems to be a clown of some sort, not the first problem I've had with this car and have had to come back to get other issues fixed more than once.

My question is, will it be okay to just carry several gallons of coolant in the trunk and top off as I stop every few hours as needed?

Is it okay to keep unscrewing the cap? I know you have to be careful as the coolant comes surging up in the tank and you have to let it cool off first.

Do I have to purge for air bubbles every time? Seems like I shouldn't need to if there is still plenty of coolant in the tank but again, I'm not sure.

Please help! I'm not a car guy but I know some of you are. Thank you in advance!!

-Jay

PS: This is a terrible automobile and I advise anyone reading this to NEVER purchase a Chevy Sonic. It was priced right and I bought it brand new, and after 60K miles there has been one problem or another almost monthly. I've replaced the oil pressure switch, thermostat, alternator, battery, fuses, relays, the list goes on. Horrible car built cheaply!!
 
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It could be that the dealer didn't get all of the air out of the system after changing the water pump, and that 1/3 gallon of coolant took care of that.

Here are 2 easy things you can do to gain more info:

Check the oil to make sure there isn't a milky substance on the dipstick. Probably not, but this step eliminates coolant in the crankcase.

Place cardboard or newspaper on the garage floor beneath the engine. With garage door open, let the car warm up, pressurizing the radiator. Any leaks or drips should show up right away on the paper.
Lots of plastic in radiators these days make them prone for leakage.
 
What Dave said. Some of these sealed systems can be tricky to get filled properly. Hopefully it just had some trapped air when it left the dealership and the little bit you added took care of it.

I'm not a fan of anything made in Korea. It appears after your experience you might be wise to avoid Korean vehicles in the future.

I hope you have a safe and uneventful relocation.
 
Thanks so much, gang.

I was hoping it was just air but am not sure. I can not see any leaks, smell any coolant, no white smoke, looked all around the entire engine compartment. No obvious drips on the ground, will try the white cardboard trick.

But if the coolant level keeps going down can I just top it off on the road as needed until I get to Nevada and (hopefully) find a good mechanic to fix the problem? Would I need to burp the system every time I top off with coolant?
 
Unless the Sonic is different than most cars, you should never have to open the radiator cap to add coolant. You normally put it in the plastic reservoir on the side of the radiator.?? The level will fluctuate when the car is cold and hot.

But it's been a long time since I understood cars.:)
 
To answer your original question, you can certainly carry a few jugs of coolant for your drive to NV. They sell it as a 50/50 solution for convenience, or you can mix the pure stuff with with water at 1:1 to save money.
 
I understand your dilemma. That said, I'd want to know for sure. A little leak can cause big problems. You don't want your belongings at some local shop around Nowheresville. Things like this always come at the worse times. Best of luck.
 
Carry a couple gallons of Dex cool, and one of water (It is refillable) Before you set off fill the coolant through the radiator, and top up the overflow tank. At your first long stop (Lunch maybe) let the car cool as long as you can, then open the rad cap and top up as required. Do that on each cold start. Unless it stops taking it in, in which case check as required. Before you set off, top it up, turn the heat on MAX and let it run a while. After it cools off, top it up. The heater system uses the coolant too, and can be the source of an air blockage when filling. Hope this makes sense.
 
Rule3 said:
Unless the Sonic is different than most cars, you should never have to open the radiator cap to add coolant. You normally put it in the plastic reservoir on the side of the radiator.?? The level will fluctuate when the car is cold and hot.

But it's been a long time since I understood cars.:)
Click to expand...

On alot of GMs over the last 10 years or so, the plastic coolant bottle/reservoir on the side is where you add coolant. It does use a pressurized cap. There is then a hose below it that leads to the radiator, or joins in with another hose.
 
you dont need to remove the radiator cap....just make sure that the coolant reservoir tank is filled all the time...the coolant will flow from the reservoir tank into the radiator.......
 
JayFramer said:
I see, thank you. The water pump was recently replaced, in my OP I explain it. Still seems like it is losing coolant and I just don't have time... :(
Click to expand...

My bad, reading comprehension failure.

A bit more research suggests that there is a three way connector that can give problems. Trouble is this assembly is behind the motor near the bulkhead.

Another GM issue is the quality of the plastic used in the expansion tank. The Spark has had these fail around the spigots where the hoses attach.
 
Thank you all so much for the help! I also seem to have a starter issue that a new battery hasn't helped.

I have a week left in town and hope to squeeze into a different, farther away Chevy dealership tomorrow to see what they can do with this bucket of bolts before I head west.
 
head warped.

Had a dodge 1500 that overheated ONCE and not even a very bad overheat, was shut down immediately when it overheated. Replaced the bad thermostat BUT started using coolant after that, always was having to add water. In the end the were heads warped and had to be machined.

It doesnt take much to warp the heads on these newer vehicles.
 
Water pumps going bad are a known issue with the 1.4T and the 1.8 engines in the sonic, 1/3 of a gallon after having the water pump replaced sounds like air bubbles to me. I personally would carry a couple extra gallons of dexcool and check it every time you stop (also keep an eye on the water temp)

Not all dealerships are created equal, there's one locally that does great work and charges reasonable prices.. There's another one that lost my car for three days..

I really think the Sonic owners forum might be a better place for this question than the S&W forum though

Free advice from someone who owns a Cruze, if you have the 1.8 you will need a timing belt replacement around 100k miles and the 1.4T runs a whole lot better on higher octane gas (the fuel economy increase and performance more than make up the difference in the price at the pump)
 
Stop in to your local Subaru dealer and buy two bottles of Subaru coolant conditioner.(about $3.50/bottle) Add both to your cooling system and your coolant usage will be over.It is the best stop leak made on the market. Try it first before you doubt my advice.(professional mechanic for over 45 years) My next advice is to sell that turdmobile. :)
 
Breakaway500 said:
Stop in to your local Subaru dealer and buy two bottles of Subaru coolant conditioner.(about $3.50/bottle) Add both to your cooling system and your coolant usage will be over.It is the best stop leak made on the market. Try it first before you doubt my advice.(professional mechanic for over 45 years) My next advice is to sell that turdmobile. :)
Click to expand...

Or you could stop at the Subaru dealer and trade it for a Subaru.
 
A decent shop should be able to pressurize the cooling system by hand and tell you for sure if you have a leak. The tool I have has adapters for most vehicles but a dealer should have the right ones. The leak can be hard to find sometimes but if the pressure goes down you have a leak for sure.
 
Ray1970 said:
I'm not a fan of anything made in Korea. It appears after your experience you might be wise to avoid Korean vehicles in the future.
Click to expand...

It's not that it's made in Korea, it's that it's a sub compact. Doesn't matter the brand, they all are built very cheaply. The manufacturers don't make any money on sub compacts and cut corners every place they can. If your options are a brand new sub compact or a 3 year old mid size with 50K on the odometer for the same price, the mid size is the better buy.
 
If you're going to buy straight coolant be sure to carry distilled water instead of tap water.
 
Couple of questions. First, when you removed the radiator cap when cold, was it pressurized? Like did it pop and release air? Second, is it losing coolant while the reservoir remains full? If so it could be a head gasket leak. Sadly, given your situation, this is my first guess.

On these newer cars, as Kencan said, if you overheat them, just slightly, the aluminum heads will warp and turn a water pump problem into a head gasket problem. If the dealership didn't test for a head gasket leak and the car is still eating water, you've got a real problem.

Don't rely on the old white smoke and bubbling antifreeze tests. Actually have a shop check for a problem correctly. If it is a headgasket, you'll want to fix it before it gets worse.
 
Some great advice here, much of it learned over the years for me already.
I once had a Volvo wagon with a similar issue. Losing coolant, no apparent leak. No coolant evidence in oil or exhaust.

Local on-his-own Volvo mechanic did a pressurized leak test. Small crack/leak in heater hose, with drips falling on hot exhaust. Not enough to smell, but no evidence of drips on the ground.

Good luck. Be safe.
 
Car Coolant

I believe it is the cheap plastic Engine head
gasket. On very high mileage GM cars
they eventually develop small cracks
and coolant leaks and eventually destroys the
Starter.

My daughter had a Grand Am, that I kept filling
with coolant for many months. Well, one evening
it would not start. Had it picked up and taken
to a NAPA. They new immediately what was wrong.

NAPA said showed me the cheap Gasket and the
Metal one to replace it. In all it cost me $2K.
NAPA said they have done so many, that it was
a money maker for them.

Good Luck with your endeavors.
 
JayFramer said:
Hi all! Well I am going to have to take a 1200 mile road trip to Las Vegas because I am PCS'ing (moving to a new military base) and I am having some trouble with my car.

It seems I have a coolant leak (2013 Chevrolet Sonic) and the dealer has been of minimal help. The car overheated a few weeks ago and this was due to very low coolant.

I took it to the dealership and they replaced the water pump, saying they fixed the problem. This was on powertrain warranty so no cost to me, but it seems to still be loosing coolant! Since this I've had to add about 1/3 gallon of coolant.

I do not have time to deal with the stupid dealership again, only a few days left till I leave town and I don't trust them at all anyway. The shop foreman seems to be a clown of some sort, not the first problem I've had with this car and have had to come back to get other issues fixed more than once.

My question is, will it be okay to just carry several gallons of coolant in the trunk and top off as I stop every few hours as needed?

Is it okay to keep unscrewing the cap? I know you have to be careful as the coolant comes surging up in the tank and you have to let it cool off first.

Do I have to purge for air bubbles every time? Seems like I shouldn't need to if there is still plenty of coolant in the tank but again, I'm not sure.

Please help! I'm not a car guy but I know some of you are. Thank you in advance!!

-Jay

PS: This is a terrible automobile and I advise anyone reading this to NEVER purchase a Chevy Sonic. It was priced right and I bought it brand new, and after 60K miles there has been one problem or another almost monthly. I've replaced the oil pressure switch, thermostat, alternator, battery, fuses, relays, the list goes on. Horrible car built cheaply!!
Click to expand...

Like a lot of other things, not all dealerships are idiots. You are not obligated to take the vehicle to the dealer you bought it from, any Chevrolet dealer. Look for one with a better reputation.

Coolant levels can decrease for a number of reasons, none of them good. As someone pointed out, if the dealer's mechanic didn't fill the system properly, there could have been air bubbles trapped, resulting in the need to add more fluid. There are inexpensive kits (under $30 IIRC) that will let you pressurize the system with a hand pump and look for leaks, but if the leak is internal to the engine, you won't be able to see them. What you will be able to see though is whether the system holds pressure or not. If it won't hold pressure, you have a leak. If you can't see the leak, from one of the hoses, around the radiator or the heater, you may well have a manifold gasket leak, a cracked head or cracked cylinder block. Cars that you see bellowing large clouds of white smoke have bad leaks, but a small leak in the engine will slowly lose coolant without leaving a cloud. I had an S10 that had the notorious rear intake manifold leak, and it used coolant at a rate of about a gallon every 4 to 6 months. The coolant was burned but the truck didn't smoke and none of it made it into the engine oil.

Given your situation, this is my recommendation: buy a gallon of premixed coolant (no need to dilute with water, and make sure it's Dex-compliant) and a gallon of distilled water. Use the coolant if needed and the water as an emergency back up. When time permits, if the problem persists, find a dealer with a better service department and get it fixed. GM's computer systems are linked so even if you took it to a dealer 1,000 miles away, they can see what the previous dealer did and take it from there.
 
forindooruseonly said:
Couple of questions. First, when you removed the radiator cap when cold, was it pressurized? Like did it pop and release air? Second, is it losing coolant while the reservoir remains full? If so it could be a head gasket leak. Sadly, given your situation, this is my first guess.

On these newer cars, as Kencan said, if you overheat them, just slightly, the aluminum heads will warp and turn a water pump problem into a head gasket problem. If the dealership didn't test for a head gasket leak and the car is still eating water, you've got a real problem.

Don't rely on the old white smoke and bubbling antifreeze tests. Actually have a shop check for a problem correctly. If it is a headgasket, you'll want to fix it before it gets worse.
Click to expand...

Sorry I should have been more specific. I did not remove the radiator cap, just the lid from the reservoir. There is a hiss when I do this to fill the reservoir, even when the car sits overnight.
 
Have you run it with the heater on for a few minutes? Quite often there is air trapped in the heater and you need to circulate water through it to get rid of all the air.
 
zonker5 said:
Have you run it with the heater on for a few minutes? Quite often there is air trapped in the heater and you need to circulate water through it to get rid of all the air.
Click to expand...

No it was cold today so I ran it this morning. I also topped it up yet again before I left...
 
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