Boys and girls, I swear I am not making this up as I go along. To summarize:

Last Friday my HHR leaked what I thought was coolant underneath. Took it to dealer, come Monday they proclaimed no coolant leak was found, I picked it back up. https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/problems-service-repairs-42/coolant-leak-%40-rear-engine-new-hhr-8556/

Tuesday evening after getting home I notice something has leaked under it again, and take pictures. Looks like transmission fluid, little bit watery and only pink, not red, but does appear to be leaking around the pan gasket. https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/problems-service-repairs-42/its-raining-transmission-fluid-under-my-new-hhr-8647/ Tow picked it up yesterday, took it to dealer.

According to service manager who just called a few minutes ago they determined that it is not a transmission leak, and is in fact a coolant leak, that it leaked for them at the thermostat housing under pressure test.

Why it didn't last week when they pressure tested is unknown.

They say it is running down the backside of the engine and traveling along the transmission pan gasket area, where my photos show something leaking. They say that the reason the thermostat housing is leaking appears to be due to manufacturing defect or something faulty with it. New part is due to arrive at their parts dept tomorrow morning and they hope to have it done tomorrow.

 

Now that`s potentially bad news to everyone, I wonder if the housing is common on both 2.2L & 2.4L?

 

Well at least you finally got an answer.

Now that you mention all that, I do believe that the Dexcool in the HHRs is the pink variety. The liquid on your garage floor in the other pictures was too light (i.e. not the deep reddish colour normally associated with transmission fluid).

 

Well happy for you that it was not your tranny but as BB said are the rest of us now screwed?


just for kicks, what was your build date ?


Goose

 

Ranger, do you have a 2.2 or a 2.4?

 

Build date 11/06/2006, adoption date 05/24/2007. 2.2 liter.

I will try tomorrow to find out more about if this is a fluke or a potential TSB in the making.

 

Hey just thought about this, you have a dig. camera, try to get a pic of the part...

 

Been thinking about it and I think I know why the coolant ran down and traveled forward around pan gasket area from rear of block the other day. Note the slope on my driveway in my avatar; well I backed it into the driveway Tuesday-- didn't have my garage door opener so I let it idle in the drive and went in through house, opened garage overhead door and then backed it into garage. So it sat there idling with the front end canted down lower than the rear due to the slope grade of the driveway.

The whole reason I backed in was so I could tell easily if the leak from last week happened again, its easier to see when its backed in.

 

I'll ask them to give me the bad part tomorrow. Actually call them in the morning and tell them I need the old part, don't toss it. It is my part after all. Hopefully they won't say they have to keep it for core or warranty or something.

 

Yeah that was my thought, the under warranty thing.
They may not want you to have it, and maybe a tech. could just let you snap a pic.
Go for the pic, if you get the part, that`s BONUS.