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2013 Malibu coolant smell

dgoines1dgoines1 Member Posts: 7
edited February 2015 in Chevrolet
I bought  a 2013 chevy malibu 6 months ago and now i am getting a coolant smell with the hea on. Any ideas the head gasket is new
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Answers

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,595
    I've read postings that people have coolant smell after the system's been worked on. They flushed the engine compartment off with water to remove any splattered coolant. Since your head gasket has been replaced, maybe recently, that might help.

    Also I've read of overfilled cooling systems expanding out the cap as the vent and onto the reservoir. Be sure your level is at the "cold" mark when totally cold. Again flush the area.

    A connector for a radiator hose has caused a leak for one person. I haven't checked thee locations on my 2014 Malibu, but the posters made sense.

    Good luck finding your problem.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    That car sounds too new to have a leaking heater core but that's what it sounds like to me.

    But, then why would a two year old car need a head gasket? Lots of miles?
  • dgoines1dgoines1 Member Posts: 7
    It has 50k on it. I had the head gasket  replaced because that was the only thing i could think of. I think it has something  to do with the hvac 
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Oh, so you guessed it was a head gasket and had it replaced?

    That's an expensive guess!

    Seriously, have a trusted shop take a look at it. Sure sounds like a heater core but don't just throw one in. It may be something a whole lot less expensive!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,595
    There is one more possibility and that's the HVAC box itself. In the Cruze some get a smell from a glue or lube present when the box is hot. That has not been applied to Malibu. However, one person said the Cruze HVAC box has the same part number as the Malibu HVAC box. I have not verified that information, but it's something to think about. I'd go with the other possibilities.

    Was the head gasket replaced as a potential cause for the coolant smell? I was assuming it was replaced for some other reason, under warranty? I was assigning potential coolant slop left around giving the coolant smell as a result of the head gasket work. :confused

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

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