Check Engine Light Came on today
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 02-25-2008
Posts: 330
From: Bethlehem,PA
Check Engine Light Came on today
After a few days of minor things on consecutive days, I am starting think i have more than coincidences. Have had my 07 LT since January, and I currently have 8816 Miles. Here are what I thought were coincidental things this week
Tuesday - thought I saw what looked a stream of fluids under the HHR at work the otherday.. But the parking lot is gravel and I could not tell if it was fresh or dried. Did not look like coolant, almost looked red, but was mixed in dirt and gravel, so it was difficult to tell.
Wednesday - Smelled that "sweet" gross smell of coolant when I turned on the AC but it went away after only a few minutes.. Did not think anything of it since it went away quickly.
Today - check engine light came on.. When I got home I checked fluids, oil was fine. Could not find the Trans dipstick (could be that I was checking in the dark) and coolant resevoir looked to be empty..
Has anyone else had any coolant system issues with low miles? I am calling the dealer in the morning to try and at least get in for a diagnostic in the morning.
Tuesday - thought I saw what looked a stream of fluids under the HHR at work the otherday.. But the parking lot is gravel and I could not tell if it was fresh or dried. Did not look like coolant, almost looked red, but was mixed in dirt and gravel, so it was difficult to tell.
Wednesday - Smelled that "sweet" gross smell of coolant when I turned on the AC but it went away after only a few minutes.. Did not think anything of it since it went away quickly.
Today - check engine light came on.. When I got home I checked fluids, oil was fine. Could not find the Trans dipstick (could be that I was checking in the dark) and coolant resevoir looked to be empty..
Has anyone else had any coolant system issues with low miles? I am calling the dealer in the morning to try and at least get in for a diagnostic in the morning.
Senior Member
Joined: 05-26-2007
Posts: 1,554
From: ...
Your transaxle has no dipstick-- its a closed system. There is a vent cap on the top of the trans case, on driver side.
Look at the bottom of your transaxle pan. The engine coolant is red or dark pink and can mimic a transaxle leak if the coolant leak is at or near the thermostat housing which is at back driver side of engine (follow coolant hose to it), because the leaking coolant runs down back of engine block and drips onto top of trans pan, then migrates around the trans pan bottom edge, will even wet the trans pan gasket making you swear the trans is leaking at the pan gasket. It drips onto front of the trans pan but is blown back around it by wind from driving, etc. This leak happened on my '07 about two weeks after I bought it. The problem was very simple: one of the pipes on the thermo housing for a heater hose was ovaled-- a defect from the factory and the circular spring clamp on the hose wanted a perfectly round surface to clamp on, but the ovalness was enough to let coolant escape once enough pressure built up. They replaced the thermostat housing and for good measure ditched the spring clamp and used instead the screw-tightened band clamp type of clamp which adapts to out-of-round surfaces better.
Look at the bottom of your transaxle pan. The engine coolant is red or dark pink and can mimic a transaxle leak if the coolant leak is at or near the thermostat housing which is at back driver side of engine (follow coolant hose to it), because the leaking coolant runs down back of engine block and drips onto top of trans pan, then migrates around the trans pan bottom edge, will even wet the trans pan gasket making you swear the trans is leaking at the pan gasket. It drips onto front of the trans pan but is blown back around it by wind from driving, etc. This leak happened on my '07 about two weeks after I bought it. The problem was very simple: one of the pipes on the thermo housing for a heater hose was ovaled-- a defect from the factory and the circular spring clamp on the hose wanted a perfectly round surface to clamp on, but the ovalness was enough to let coolant escape once enough pressure built up. They replaced the thermostat housing and for good measure ditched the spring clamp and used instead the screw-tightened band clamp type of clamp which adapts to out-of-round surfaces better.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 02-25-2008
Posts: 330
From: Bethlehem,PA
Your transaxle has no dipstick-- its a closed system. There is a vent cap on the top of the trans case, on driver side.
Look at the bottom of your transaxle pan. The engine coolant is red or dark pink and can mimic a transaxle leak if the coolant leak is at or near the thermostat housing which is at back driver side of engine (follow coolant hose to it), because the leaking coolant runs down back of engine block and drips onto top of trans pan, then migrates around the trans pan bottom edge, will even wet the trans pan gasket making you swear the trans is leaking at the pan gasket. It drips onto front of the trans pan but is blown back around it by wind from driving, etc. This leak happened on my '07 about two weeks after I bought it. The problem was very simple: one of the pipes on the thermo housing for a heater hose was ovaled-- a defect from the factory and the circular spring clamp on the hose wanted a perfectly round surface to clamp on, but the ovalness was enough to let coolant escape once enough pressure built up. They replaced the thermostat housing and for good measure ditched the spring clamp and used instead the screw-tightened band clamp type of clamp which adapts to out-of-round surfaces better.
Look at the bottom of your transaxle pan. The engine coolant is red or dark pink and can mimic a transaxle leak if the coolant leak is at or near the thermostat housing which is at back driver side of engine (follow coolant hose to it), because the leaking coolant runs down back of engine block and drips onto top of trans pan, then migrates around the trans pan bottom edge, will even wet the trans pan gasket making you swear the trans is leaking at the pan gasket. It drips onto front of the trans pan but is blown back around it by wind from driving, etc. This leak happened on my '07 about two weeks after I bought it. The problem was very simple: one of the pipes on the thermo housing for a heater hose was ovaled-- a defect from the factory and the circular spring clamp on the hose wanted a perfectly round surface to clamp on, but the ovalness was enough to let coolant escape once enough pressure built up. They replaced the thermostat housing and for good measure ditched the spring clamp and used instead the screw-tightened band clamp type of clamp which adapts to out-of-round surfaces better.
Platinum Member
Joined: 05-09-2006
Posts: 6,805
From: "Upland" Mesa, Arizona
I'm agreeing with ChevyMgr.....if you smell coolant, you have a leak....no other reason as stated (it's essentially a closed system also).
If you have a leak and your car is still under warranty AND you have not hit anything to damage the coolant system, it will be taken care of by that warranty.
If you have a leak and your car is still under warranty AND you have not hit anything to damage the coolant system, it will be taken care of by that warranty.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 02-25-2008
Posts: 330
From: Bethlehem,PA
Ok So I went to the Dealer today and Surprise Surprise Surpise - no coolant system problem. I was shocked.. They checked out the code that was causing the check engine light and it was the gas cap. It was cracked and caused and evap code to trigger the light. The pressure checked the coolant system just to make sure there were no leaks and there were none. They replaced the gas cap for free. All has been fine since.. They had no answer for the smell of coolant through the AC
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