Cracked Radiator Core

[dwvoss]

Took my Volt in for the customer satisfaction campaigns this morning, and stopped by at the end of the day to check on the progress. While I was expecting to get my car back later tomorrow, I found out that it will probably be Friday. Apparently while doing the cooling system work, the mechanic noticed a wet spot on the radiator that he discovered was caused by a crack in the core.

I guess the good news is that while I will be without the Volt for an extra couple of days, the leak was caught early - before it became known by creating a puddle of coolant on the floor.

[BAZINGA]

While annoying, the fact the tech caught it and took the initive to replace it speaks volumes about the new GM and specfically your dealer.

Hope your back on the road safe and sound cruising in your Volt.

[Mike-o-Matic]

Do you think this was due to road damage (flying rock, etc.), a defective part, or some sort of internal stress? A while back I'd read some reports of radiator damage due to rocks, because of vulnerable positioning of radiators, or something along those lines. Just wondering if that was a fluke or possibly a design flaw.

[WopOnTour]

Do you think this was due to road damage (flying rock, etc.), a defective part, or some sort of internal stress? A while back I'd read some reports of radiator damage due to rocks, because of vulnerable positioning of radiators, or something along those lines. Just wondering if that was a fluke or possibly a design flaw.

Seriously?
If there was a design flaw we would have had a lot of coolant on the ground by now...
WOT

[dwvoss]

Do you think this was due to road damage (flying rock, etc.), a defective part, or some sort of internal stress? A while back I'd read some reports of radiator damage due to rocks, because of vulnerable positioning of radiators, or something along those lines. Just wondering if that was a fluke or possibly a design flaw.

There wasn't any speculation on the cause. However, if it was some type of road damage, I would expect the description of the problem to be a hole, rather than a crack. My impression is that is must be a small hairline crack since there hasn't been any evidence of leakage on my garage floor.

[Mike-o-Matic]

Seriously?
If there was a design flaw we would have had a lot of coolant on the ground by now...
WOT

I would tend to agree, and lean toward "fluke."

By the way, when I say "possible design flaw," I mean unfortunate positioning that might make it prone to rock strikes, not some inherent design issue that leads to leaks, breaks, etc.

[WVhybrid]

Seriously?
If there was a design flaw we would have had a lot of coolant on the ground by now...
WOT

I was told by a dealer service manager when I had my front radiator replaced due to a rock puncture that design with the low air inlet was considered to be a design defect, because it allowed rocks to easily penetrate to the radiator. The dealer suggested a smaller screen would be provided soon. However, it seems to me that a tighter mesh screen would be more likely to plug with hay and bugs, thus overheating lots of expensive equipment.

Ever since my radiator incident I have been very reluctant to drive on gravel roads more than 5 mph or to follow trucks hauling gravel.

Oh yeah, because there was no level sensor in the radiator, the warning codes I got had to do with out-of-range current draw to the cooling water pump.

[Steverino]

So a side benefit of having the battery/coolant upgrade was a free inspection that uncovered an issue early. Bonus!

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

@ dwvoss,

I am very sorry to hear that. That is very unfortunate, but you are right, it is good news they caught it early. We will keep an eye on it here from our end and work with your dealer to get you back in your Volt very soon.

[SolarVolt]

Apparently while doing the cooling system work, the mechanic noticed a wet spot on the radiator that he discovered was caused by a crack in the core.

dwvoss, do you drive a lot of gravel roads?

We have family in Iowa, and I debated this last Easter whether to drive the Volt or not because of the large amount of gravel roads we would need to travel. Not so much because of radiator damage, but because of the general damage and rock dust infiltration.

Thanks, Bruce