No sign of leak on the interior and no sign of leak under the car or in the engine compartment.

Just an occasional sloshing noise when first starting the car and driving uphill from a stop.

Guess I'll check the coolant level. Her HHR was serviced recently from the water passenger interior leak from the loose fitting filter under the hood and the thumping front suspension bushing warrenty repairs.

 

You would smell a really sweet smell in the car if it where in fact a coolant leak. My HHR has made that sloshing sound from day one and I know my coolant level is full.

 

Might be water from that nasty patch that leaks in the vent in front of the windshield. Many threads around about that...

 

There was a design change to correct that in '08

 

Where exactly is this located, and if it's plugged up can it cause a coolant leak inside the cabin? I have what appears to have been a leak of some kind, but no sign of any leaks now and coolant levels are staying steady. The spot is not wet to the touch, but is orange in color and smells of coolant, I originally thought it was the core, but I'm not seeing any leak now that I'm watching for one.

 

Unless they have made some radical changes in engine cooling/ac system their is no physical connection other than the air flow distribution box. That means a coolant leak could create a smell with the ac/on. Usually you'll smell coolant long before you see it in the interior of the car. But the condenser tray/drain is usually separate from the air flow box, so there should be no coolant in it.

The ac condensor drain is traditionally a tube running from the ac condenser drain pan to the exterior of the car. this drain is responsible for the clear water leak you'll often see under your car after using the ac. You can see the tube by looking underneath the car.

I had a lot of problems with these on other cars during time of heavy construction especial where new asphalt was being laid down. The tubes often stick straight down and are prone to plugging from road debris.

A plugged tube will not allow the condensation (a normally part of the ac process as moisture is remove from the air) which has collected in the drain pan to flow out of the car. Any associated smells are usually of the mold or mildew variety. Unplugging the drain tube will solve the problem, but if there is any smell you'll need to get an aerosol freshener and spray it in the vent system.

To prevent the drain tube from plugging I have had success in angling the tube to the rear of the car rather than straight down. You may have to get creative to do this. On one occasion I used a piece of stainless rod to create a small "shepherds crook", hooking the crook end around the tube and creating a smaller loop to use a sheet metal screw for securing it in a manner that pulled the tube rearward.

On one other occasion I found a small sheet metal "hood" that would cover the tube from the front and preventing any road debris from getting to the tube. Again small sheet metal screws were used to secure it.

 

[QUOTE=rubics_cube;429813]The ac condensor drain is traditionally a tube running from the ac condenser drain pan to the exterior of the car. this drain is responsible for the clear water leak you'll often see under your car after using the ac. You can see the tube by looking underneath the car. QUOTE]

Where is this tube located in our HHR's ?
A picture would be welcome

Thx

 

[QUOTE=Wolfie;430343]I would send a photo, but we now have snow here and I'm unlikely to try to get a shot of the undercarriage in such circumstances. However, the tube should be visible underneath the car at a location approximate to the passenger foot area. I will try to check the manual later tonight and verify.

Gene