Leaking Coolant......

[ThatDieselGuy]

So the wife's Sonic started leaking coolant a few days ago, I am out of town and she says it was a very bad leak. She took it by a local mechanic who said her waterpump was not working. Had it replaced and it is still leaking around the degas bottle as well as at the end of the hose on the top portion of the bottle.

My question is how common is it for the bottles to crack and leak. Am I looking at a hose not sealing properly? I know that a blown headgasket can cause it to push coolant but she has not ran the car hot to blow the gasket. The car only has 130,xxx mile on it.

If anyone can give me some tips on a place to start so I can get it fixed. I know I can just throw parts at it and get it fixed eventually but I would rather get it right the first time lol

 

[Natesriv]

the waterpumps do go out in these cars with a high regularity.
Did the mechanic tighten it down? is the cap on tight?
That's the 1st I've read of the coolant reservoir cracking...but she'll want to park on a level spot. Let car cool completely, undo the cap and add a 50/50 Dexcool mix (they sell that mix) to fill the reservoir back up to the max line if it's below that...

A few ways to tell if you've blown a head gasket... open the reservoir and take a whiff..smell oil/gas? Or undo the oil cap on top of the engine, any white foam on the underside?

Sucks being out of town when a problem arises...

but, easiest way IMHO..take it back to the mechanic for them to double check their work, if they can.

 

[ThatDieselGuy]

Luckily I am getting back home tonight so I will check for the things you listed. I know the cap is on good (the wife is capable of everything up to major motor work lol) She said there was coolant all along the seams of the degas bottle and it seemed to be coming from a drain tube as well as bubbling past the hose clamp on top of the bottle. We are taking the car back Wed. to the same mechanic to get him to look at it again. I really do not want to take it to the stealership lol

Something I noticed on her bottle is that she no longer has the MAX & MIN fill lines anyone got a picture of where they are supposed to be?

 

[Papasonic]

Luckily I am getting back home tonight so I will check for the things you listed. I know the cap is on good (the wife is capable of everything up to major motor work lol) She said there was coolant all along the seams of the degas bottle and it seemed to be coming from a drain tube as well as bubbling past the hose clamp on top of the bottle. We are taking the car back Wed. to the same mechanic to get him to look at it again. I really do not want to take it to the stealership lol

Something I noticed on her bottle is that she no longer has the MAX & MIN fill lines anyone got a picture of where they are supposed to be?

Regarding the full line; should be at the seam in the reservoir when cold.

 

[pbkn1p]

Is it bad that I've never checked anything under the hood since I got it. It's at 6600 miles.


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[Papasonic]

Is it bad that I've never checked anything under the hood since I got it. It's at 6600 miles.


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Yes, that's bad; admitting to it is priceless!

 

[pbkn1p]

Yes, that's bad; admitting to it is priceless!

Yeah I know that's bad! I'll check today as soon as I leave work.
Around how often should I check the oils and coolant??


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[ThatDieselGuy]

Yeah I know that's bad! I'll check today as soon as I leave work.
Around how often should I check the oils and coolant??


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If you want to be religous about it, check it once a week lol But most people I know check them once every two weeks or so.

 

[ThatDieselGuy]

Regarding the full line; should be at the seam in the reservoir when cold.

Thanks!

Now the issue it seems is that it will not keep coolant, it only leaks down to a certain point then it is fine (maybe an inch below the seam). It seems to be leaking from the little drain pipe on the side of the coolant bottle as well

I am going to see what the mechanic says Wed lol Hopefully he will be able to provide a little more insight to this problem.

 

[nickalltogether]

My coolant bottle was cracked on the upper-most port and leaking there where the hose attached. Replaced it and she was ready to rock.

 

[Chevrolet Customer Care]

Hello ThatDieselGuy,

We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing a leak in your wife’s Sonic. We recognize that you are seeking advice from other forum members, however, if you would like to have this addressed at one of our certified GM dealerships, we would be more than happy to help you set up an appointment. If this is something you are interested in, please send us a private message with your full contact information, VIN, and your preferred dealership.

Best,

Netty J.
Chevrolet Customer Care

So the wife's Sonic started leaking coolant a few days ago, I am out of town and she says it was a very bad leak. She took it by a local mechanic who said her waterpump was not working. Had it replaced and it is still leaking around the degas bottle as well as at the end of the hose on the top portion of the bottle.

My question is how common is it for the bottles to crack and leak. Am I looking at a hose not sealing properly? I know that a blown headgasket can cause it to push coolant but she has not ran the car hot to blow the gasket. The car only has 130,xxx mile on it.

If anyone can give me some tips on a place to start so I can get it fixed. I know I can just throw parts at it and get it fixed eventually but I would rather get it right the first time lol

 

[ThatDieselGuy]

Final Update

So just an update to anyone else having this issue, the top tube on the degas bottle was completely broke inside the rubber hose and the bottle itself cracked at the seam. I replaced the degas bottle and all is well!

On a side note I really wish an aftermarket seller would create an aluminum degas bottle, it would be a nice piece of eye candy underneath the hood.

Where is Mishimoto when you need them

 

[Maddmatts]

The coolant recovery tank in my car just cracked at the exit port. Fortunately, new ones are fairly cheap but it's going to take a few days to get the replacement as Cincinnati is the closest GM warehouse to have them.

I should note that this part is not covered by the powertrain warranty.

 

[INeFFeCTiVE]

Does anyone know what the cap on the reservoir is rated at? (If at all?)

 

[ThatDieselGuy]

Does anyone know what the cap on the reservoir is rated at? (If at all?)

No, but I would check with Chevy cause they should at least be able to find out. BTW sorry for the late reply