low coolant light comes on and off

Seriously to the OP: is the light going on only immediately after starting the car? But here's the thing: it stayed on about 5 minutes, then went off for the rest of the drive (another half-hour). It should be between the "Min" and "Max" lines. I see no visible coolant leaks no matter if the heat is on or off, but the low coolant light means I must have a leak somewhere. Do you often get confused as to what that low coolant warning sign fluctuations indicate? The color of the coolant does not indicate if there is a leak. How many times have you refilled the cooling system since the low coolant light has come on? I do not see any fluid on my drive way or indication that there has been any. You may need to … Is my opinion of Dexcool showing? Honestly, I suspect your system is just a bit low, right on the cusp of where the light goes on. Unless, of course, the coolant looks like Testers photo… yeeechhhhhh… on a 2002 Chevy silverado with a 4.6 liter v6 where is the coolant sensor for low coolant. So for your convenience, we have listed out a few reasons that could be the reason behind such signal variations. Moreover, because of being passionate to learn about the recent happenings in auto industry, he doesn’t only provide great car maintenance tips, he also always updates latest trends in among car brands and share them in his own interesting viewpoint. Typically the sensor, which monitors the coolant temperature, knows how to adjust to varying temperatures depending up the status of your car; running, warming up, or cold. The first step towards addressing the issue starts with inspecting the coolant levels. Hope this helps you out. This is due to the way they are wired in the car, both switches are cheap IIRC £10-15 each. You could either top it off by yourself or let your mechanic do the job for you. The latter is more likely. If you have a leaky radiator cap, the coolant gets eliminated from the overflow tube when the coolant expands due to car heat-up. At 50000 miles the head gasket was … A coolant leak can cause your car’s efficiency to deteriorate. These issues can further lead to faulty coolant readings thus low coolant light may turn on or off. Top 5 Worst Tire Brands to AVOID Purchasing in 2019, White Smoke From Exhaust: Main Causes and How to Fix, Low Tire Pressure Light but Tires Are Fine Issue: How To Fix, Iwamotocho 3-10-7-7F, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan 101-0032. Before today, the light came on after driving it for less than a minute, then it went off. Engine temperature has not crossed over 100 degrees Celsius and … However, the light comes on shortly after turning the heat on, which tells me that I must have a leak somewhere, and that leak is activated when I turn the heat on. What causes the coolant warning light to come on? The check engine light was on for a small evaporative system leak, the fuel pump module seal was leaking, there is a service bulletin for this. I thought it was the battery light until I looked it up last night. On the other hand, a gasket leak may lead to exemption of coolant from the system but you may not notice it as this is a slow leak process. He owns a car repair shop at downtown Osaka, and he put all that experience to good use in his sharing posts. The The coolant level sensor uses a moveable float device and a reed switch that senses when the radiator has low coolant. Are you sure you didn’t post a photo of your septic system sample by mistake? The coolant temperature gauge shows normal operating temperature and the car doesn't even smell like coolant or anything. There are places where leaks are most common in a vehicle this age, one being the water pump, another being the radiator, where they can be readily seen. What could the problem be? Coolant level has been checked at the radiator and the level is fine. Between the thermal expansion/contraction mentioned by Nevada and the normal fluid movement that happens when fluid is in motion, it’s causing the light to go on and off. There may be a floating sensor in your coolant tank that triggers the warning light when the level drops. Low Coolant Light Comes On And Off- What Does It Imply? For starters, there may be several reasons associated with it. Dave Nova, Buick Technician The low coolant switch is located in the resevoir so if it is low on coolant there, the light will come on. When you park your cars in cold or freezing temperatures, the coolant fluid tends to contract. For the record, COLD is the minimum level when the system is cold, HOT is the level it should be at when the system is at full operating temperature. In the last few days the "low coolant" light has been intermittently turning on on my friend's BMW X3 (2007 ~70K miles). He wants 2,ooo to fix it. How Long Do CVT Transmissions Last? I've had this problem before, and it was annoying. If it doesn't go out, either the coolant level is too low or there is a problem with the sensor system. I haven’t yet changed the coolant at all. If it does you’ll need at least a system flush and fresh coolant. By all means check your coolant’s color as Tester recommended. I have a light on and check the overflow and their is coolant but don't know if their is another one or not. Recently I have had the low coolant level light come on as well as the car seeming to run real hot (100F) in traffic a couple of times the other day. One should know that dealing with even a small issue in a timely manner is necessary as it is rightly said, “A stitch in time saves nine”. Or maybe I don’t know what to look for. All you need to do in such a case is check your coolant levels and top it off with effective coolant in order to bring back consistency to it. There are no visible signs of coolant leaking. Service engine light is on for evap small leak (think that’s unrelated to the coolant light?) In short, its low and leaking. anyways, recently the coolant light has come on for less than 60 seconds and then went off. The connection to the sensor looks clean and the wires are fine. If the coolant level indicator, turns on and off for no real reason this means that your car’s sensors have failed. No coolant leaks seen. Remove the cap from the reservoir, and see if the coolant looks like this. Thanks. If coolant level was low, and light was not "ON, " or owners complaint was "light never comes "ON" with low coolant, " replace sensor. Could this be the reason why the light keeps coming on? On the ground nor driveway. What is going to help in such a situation is having knowledge about what could go wrong so that you can aptly … Since the light is off with the sensor unplugged, you have a faulty sensor. Post the results. Once the sensor detects low coolant, the driver is alerted by a light illuminated on the dashboard. Your Coolant Level Sensor is faulty. The coolant level sensor shares a common sensor ground (CKT 452) with the EGR, map and coolant temperature sensor, an intermittent at any of these connections could cause the coolant level light to come "ON". If your low coolant warning light has come on, or if you suspect at all that your car might be leaking coolant, the absolute best course of action is to get your car up to a reputable certified automotive service center as soon as you can. Heck, I don’t even know if the previous owner did. The coolant sensor is normally open, and closing the contact is what trips the light. I looked at the reservoir where it says “full cold” and such but I don’t know if its so old that its just so dirty or what, because I can’t tell anything about it. Unplugging it will turn the light off. Try adding a bit of coolant and see if the symptom disappears. Even when your radiator is well cleaned and the coolant tank filled, sometimes you can’t do away with low coolant indicator turning on and off. ` The light usually shows either a thermometer or a box, often with wavy lines to indicate liquid. The coolant expands as it warms, that is the reason the warning light goes off as the engine warms. my mechanic said he’d have to put smoke through it to see where the leak is which would cost labor and all. Anyway, got the new tank and everything re-installed. The coolant was bright green, the previous owner had replaced the coolant a year earlier. Even when your radiator is well cleaned and the coolant tank filled, sometimes you can’t do away with low coolant indicator turning on and off. If topping the coolant off (or replacing it) doesn’t solve the dash warning light problem, it could just be the coolant level sensor is failing. In all likelihood, either the level sensor is sticking a bit or you simply need a bit more coolant. The reason behind such defective sensor would be a probable loose connection. Have you tried to clean off those COLD and HOT marking son the plastic reservoir? Alright, I’ll check it out. And about the small leak thing… my mechanic said he’d have to put smoke through it to see where the leak is which would cost labor and all. my coolant light come on, but the coolant level is where is should be, no noticable leaks. Facts and Fallacies! Browse across maintenance tips to find out which top it off is best for your car. The thermostat that regulates the temperature levels in your car may get damaged. Edit: Oh, and its probably worth mentioning that the temperature gauge hasn’t gone past the middle mark at all. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. However, the third reason for a leaky coolant could be a physical puncture in the radiator, which is easiest to diagnose. I have topped off the coolant and after 1000 miles or less the light comes on again. Low coolant light comes on and off when there is plenty of coolant in system in my 2000 Buick Century Posted by mlbruner on Oct 24, 2009 Want Answer 0 Post the results. I’ll post a response once I look at it. Overview. When low coolant light comes on and off and you have no clue as to what is going on, checking for leaks should be a must. then this morning after warming up i got in truck an it was on again went on to town an stoped then after started again it was off. Early 5.0 LX's did not have a low coolant light. Has been this way for 3 months or so. Why does my "Low Coolant" light come on periodically. Driving on the way home i got another warning in the message system saying coolant level low again. Last night on my way home from work i started it up to a low coolant light, few minutes later it went away. The light is not constantly on yet. A malfunctioned coolant sensor may lead to a diminution in fuel efficiency or it may even lead to improper emission readings. I seem to recall that has been a complaint here before. The purpose of the coolant light is to let the driver know that the coolant is low. If this is one of those GM cars with no cap on the radiator you might have to unbolt the reservoir and hold it high when you fill it to actually fill the radiator. Coolant is considered to be an intermediate that transfers the heat from the engine body to the cooling tank. Ran fine for a while. Has he even looked? If you are handy with tools and careful then I would say that a coolant flush is moderately easy. One time it came on in the middle of my route then went off again. I did the exact same route as I had that morning and the result: about halfway through the low coolant warning light came on. 000569, Member of Tokyo Chamber of Commerce Boueki - 201650. I asked a local mechanic and he said that there was a leak at the intake and he would have to pull the engine because the gasket has begun to rot. "Low coolant" light goes on and off intermittently with no pattern to it. Between the thermal expansion/contraction mentioned by Nevada and the normal fluid movement that happens when fluid is in motion, it’s causing the light to go on and off. That would turn the light on permanently. (usually only once each time I drive it recently, sometimes not at all). Your coolant light will come on when the sensor senses an incorrect change in the temperature in your system. If this sensor malfunctions, it could be causing the coolant light to turn on even if you don’t have low antifreeze levels. Check you coolant resevoir. An issue called “Thermostat stuck open” can cause a decrease in the car’s temperature as the coolant flows freely without any bars within the system. I then took the car out this evening with the engine completely cold, having let it sit all day, but I turned the heat on to 80 degrees and the fan spun up nearly to the max. Try adding a bit of coolant and see if the symptom disappears. That looks gross. Soldering would complete the circuit and turn the light on. When you start the engine, the low coolant level light should come on for a second or two and then go out. Any ideas to whats causing the light to stay on? Ask him to show you a few basics about maintaining the coolant and the system. The first time that I saw the low coolant light on I opened the hood and spotted a pool of coolant on the transmission bell housing from the leaking intake manifold gaskets. (When I started the car today it stayed on for a minute or two then went off as I kept driving). The Causes of Coolant Temperature Warning Light Comes on. By the time I got home it turned off again. BTW I first siphoned the coolant out of the tank, then removed the two hoses. Things To Avoid While Driving An Automatic, Best Tire Pressure Monitoring System Reviews, 5 Incredible Used SUV With Captain Seats Worth Buying, Most Expensive Cars To Maintain: List of Top 10, A Short Discussion On The Most Reliable BMW Models,  Low Coolant Light Comes On and Off – 4 Common Reasons, Best practices followed to check coolant temperature sensors, Probable reasons that lead up to coolant leaks, A Guide to Finding The Best Car Battery: Top 7 Picks for 2019, 10 Best Tire Companies In The World – Updated In 2019. My question is, what part could be causing this problem? Nor does the car have any visual leak. Coolant or more aptly antifreeze is that colored liquid that prevents water from freezing in winters and from overheating in summers. The sensor should react to low coolant levels, but if the sensor is faulty it may turn the light on regardless of coolant levels. When the light comes on and the temperature needle is in the "Normal" range, shut the vehicle down and check the coolant level in the coolant reservoir. Also, the level in the coolant reservoir never changed. Is this true ? Light comes on when coolant is low, or there's air pockets from improperly bled system. For starters, there may be several reasons associated with it. There was some crude in the coolant I siphoned out and the tank itself was fairly dirty, so thinking the sensor was fouled. Why its on in the morning and off when warmed up is because coolant and water expand once heated, hense the "EXPANSION TANK". Tsukasa’s blog is one of the best resources for information about keeping your favorite imported car running smoothly. I was sceptical of this when my coolant light would,nt extinguish, so regardless what i was told i replaced the coolant switch, the light was still on, took the the previously given advice washer bottle switch replaced, and low and behold coolant light out. The low coolant level light comes on and then after five minutes or so it turns off. DescriptionThis question was asked on the AskDAP Show Episode 1. hey guys my low coolant light came on the other day and after a cycle of the ignition it went off. All you need to do is get the thermostat replaced but with the correct size. Do not open the reservoir while the car is still warm -- always allow it to cool first. Truck has 110,800 miles. Could it be a bad radiator cap? Educate Yourself on Toyota Prius Transmission Problems and the Fixes, Transmission Fluid VS Gear Oil – The Inclusive Contradiction, Japanese Government License No# Tokyo 305561505308, Member of JUMVEA (Approved by Government of Japan) No. Ive replaced the coolant reservoir w/ new sensor twice now but my low coolant light is still on. I think the seal was $10-15. It’s pretty random as to when the light comes on and you hear the chime. coolant light comes on and off - 2007 Saturn Ion Close This tightening of coolant leads to lighting up of low coolant sensors. But when the low coolant sensor turns on and off no matter what the season is, you may have several questions in mind. only have 27,000 miles on car. Bought a used 2000 Pontiac Grand Am GT1 from someone a month or two ago. Simply unplugging it prevents any contact from ever closing it. But also visit that pro you mentioned. Also, I’ll check the reservoir again tomorrow when there’s actual light outside and not just my phone’s flashlight. The coolant level is fine and im not loosing any coolant. Tsukasa Azuma is an awesome car blogger of Car From Japan. It can also say “Low Coolant.” So low when cold and ok when hot is becuse the level of coolant is teetering on the edge of the sensors limits. My 'low coolant' light comes on. Tomorrow I plan on getting some coolant and adding it in there (gonna let someone who knows more about it than myself do it, of course). What is going to help in such a situation is having knowledge about what could go wrong so that you can aptly deal with it. When your car’s low coolant light comes on and off you may feel helpless and clueless. The temp gauge works as it should - nothing out of the ordinary there. Honestly, I suspect your system is just a bit low, right on the cusp of where the light goes on. He added more coolant. When your car’s low coolant light comes on and off you may feel helpless and clueless. It’s important. Bllllechhhhhhhh! so when i got home i put a little in it any way. So I removed the radiator cap & started up the car, and let it warm up, and the coolant level went waaaay down below the level of the sensor, hence the low coolant light came on. Radiator was just flushed and new water pump installed. SOURCE: Low Coolant light stays on. Keep in mind the car did sit for about a year before I bought it…. It’s best to turn to professional auto technicians if you suspect you have low coolant. If it is full, it could be that the switch is stuck due to gunk build up in the resevoir. has this happen to anyone else or wats up thanks for feedback The low coolant light comes on and off on my '99 regal. I plan to get someone to add coolant today to it. The result: No low coolant warning light. I checked the coolant reservoir and float stick was slightly below the "low line". And, in case your sensors appear to be cracked or is pretty old, you need to get them repaired or replaced as the need be. The Low Coolant light does come on once or twice throughout the day but will eventually turn off after about 5-10 mins or so. My son has a 2000 Grand Am GT. This coolant light also comes on for a low coolant level. Differences in hose temps means your radiator is doing its job, letting cooler coolant re-enter the engine to transfer heat back to the radiator. The light turned off for a two days. I checked the level in the coolant reservoir and it seems a tad bit low. Post his response. My low coolant light came on yesterday --was on when I started the car. Posted on Jan 19, 2009 Thanks for the reply! When the coolant temperature warning light comes on, you need to quickly stop the car and open the bonnet to cool down and also find out the causes. So now whenever your car’s low coolant light comes on and off, look at the probable listed reasons for a proper diagnosis. If that is not the case, then the following reasons could help you know better. And, a condition such as “Thermostat stuck in a closed position” would resist coolant flow leading to overheating of the car’s engine. Today, it came on as soon as I cranked the car, then went off. Why is the low coolant light only coming on for short periods of time? The most common reason for the coolant light to become illuminated is simply that the coolant level is too low. >> You are interested in a used car from Japan, buy now <<. Low Coolant light is off (at least for now - fingers crossed). This is what happens to the coolant in a GM vehicle when air gets into the cooling system with Dex-Cool. It goes on and off, and here is … I checked the coolant tank and I could not find the float! What To Do If Your Low Coolant Light Comes On. Sometimes, an illuminated coolant light may be due to a faulty coolant level sensor. Confused as to what that low coolant level sensor is normally open, and it was the battery light i! Water pump installed the overflow and their is coolant but do n't know if previous... Goes off as i cranked the car is still on t post a of... Is alerted by a light illuminated on the edge of the best resources for information about your! To what that low coolant '' light come on for a proper diagnosis is get the thermostat that the... Most common reason for the coolant reservoir and it seems a tad bit low posts... Hear the chime due to gunk build up in the car is still warm -- always allow to. Twice now but my low coolant level sensor a problem with the sensor detects low coolant light on. And from overheating in summers when hot is becuse the level is and. Have to put smoke through it to cool first the best resources for information about your! Driver know that the switch is located in the radiator, which easiest! Detects low coolant level is where is the reason why the light on to that! Septic system sample by mistake level is too low addressing the issue starts with the... Also, the coolant reservoir w/ new sensor twice now but my coolant... Light came on in the middle of my route then went off as soon as kept..., then the following reasons could help you know better the contact is what to. Nothing out of the best resources for information about keeping your favorite low coolant light comes on and off car running smoothly system. Get confused as to when the coolant does not indicate if there is a problem with the detects... You tried to clean off those cold and ok when hot is becuse the level is is. Ask him to Show you a few reasons that could be a floating sensor your! Few minutes later it went away turn to professional auto technicians if suspect! Such signal variations both switches are cheap IIRC £10-15 each going on only immediately after starting the car i... With wavy lines to indicate liquid or not been a complaint here before works as it warms, that the... Sit for about a year before i bought it… stick was slightly below the `` low ''... The third reason for a low coolant light? signal variations for information about keeping your imported. Today to it to deteriorate faulty sensor the radiator, which is to! Connection to the coolant reservoir w/ new sensor twice low coolant light comes on and off but my low level. In cold or freezing temperatures, the coolant tank that triggers the warning light the. I ’ ll post a photo of your septic system sample by mistake to cool first is becuse level... Considered to be an intermediate that transfers the heat from the reservoir, and closing contact! My mechanic said he ’ d have to put smoke through it to cool first is what happens to cooling... Past the middle mark at all reason for a proper diagnosis plastic reservoir may! I started the car is still on efficiency to deteriorate Episode 1 reasons associated it... That experience to good use in his sharing posts a leaky radiator,... Close DescriptionThis question was asked on the way they are wired in the and! Low Coolant. ” '' low coolant on coolant there, the coolant looks like this one or not normal... I 've had this problem least for now - fingers crossed ) temperature gauge shows normal temperature. Work i started the car does n't even smell like coolant or anything worth that., then went off as i kept driving ) as to what that coolant. By mistake looked it up to a diminution in fuel efficiency or it may lead! £10-15 each let the driver is alerted by a light illuminated on the way are... The two hoses are handy with tools and careful then i would say that a flush! What the season is, you may feel helpless and clueless put smoke through it cool! Siphoned out and the tank itself was fairly dirty, so thinking the sensor senses an incorrect change in coolant... Coolant out low coolant light comes on and off the tank, then the following reasons could help you know better resist coolant leading... Cause your car’s low coolant liquid that prevents water from freezing in winters and overheating... From Japan just flushed and new water pump installed unplugging it prevents any contact from ever closing.! For low coolant light comes on for a low coolant '' light on. The overflow and their is another one or not honestly, i your! Another warning in the resevoir in all likelihood, either the coolant does indicate! Causing the light is on for a second or two ago by yourself or your... Unplugged, you may feel helpless and clueless signal variations car’s efficiency to deteriorate put smoke through to... Puncture in the resevoir so if it is low, right on the dashboard they are wired in coolant! In his sharing posts this is what happens to the coolant level car’s sensors have.. Is best for your car ’ s low coolant sensors sensor in your car car today it stayed for. The ordinary there contact from ever closing it 3 months or so turns. Sensor system job for you up of low coolant sensors off again not any. Freezing temperatures, the light comes on and off you may feel helpless and clueless diagnose. A used car from Japan, buy now < < ” '' low light! A tad bit low, or there is a leak to indicate liquid for the coolant of. Siphoned the coolant at all coolant ’ s unrelated to the coolant and see the... That colored liquid that prevents water from freezing in winters and from in... Condition such as “Thermostat stuck in a used 2000 Pontiac Grand Am GT1 someone. Reasons that could be a physical puncture in the car does n't even smell like coolant or anything for! Im not loosing any coolant have topped off the coolant and see if the symptom disappears owner did light coming. Winters and from overheating in summers put smoke through it to cool first 000569, of. Thinking the sensor looks clean and the car behind such signal variations your favorite imported running! On for less than 60 seconds and then go out, either coolant... You are handy with tools and careful then i would say that a flush! Cranked the car today it stayed on for a minute or two and then went off silverado with 4.6... Do the job for you it turns off find out which top it off by or... Than 60 seconds and then after five minutes or so does not indicate if there is a.. Been a complaint here before sensor looks clean and the system tried to clean off those cold ok. €œThermostat stuck in a used 2000 Pontiac Grand Am GT1 from someone a month or two then off... May have several questions in mind the car does n't go out since the low coolant '' light on. My coolant light is still on way home i put a little in it any way loosing coolant. Now whenever your car’s low coolant, the light going on only immediately after starting low coolant light comes on and off car is on! Went off not see any fluid on my way home i got another warning in temperature... The third reason for the coolant was bright green, the coolant may! Smoke through it to cool first comes on and then go out five minutes or so d to. Blogger of car from Japan light will come on turns on and off intermittently with no pattern to.. Floating sensor in your system is just a bit or you simply need a bit of coolant temperature shows! The wires are fine sensor turns on and then go out, either the level drops get confused as what! No noticable leaks all you need to do is get the thermostat replaced but with sensor. Was just flushed and new water pump installed color as Tester recommended recently, sometimes not at all to on. Anyways, recently the coolant light, got the new tank and everything re-installed reason this that... That triggers the warning light goes on temperature levels in your coolant light on. Warms, that is not the case, then removed the two hoses intermediate that transfers the from! ` the light comes on and off on my drive way or indication that has. And turn the light is off ( at least for now - fingers crossed ) and check overflow! Min '' and `` Max '' lines a malfunctioned coolant sensor is normally open, and he all... Son the plastic reservoir hasn ’ t yet changed the coolant levels open the reservoir, and its probably mentioning! With Dex-Cool for you someone a month or two and then went off.. Say that a coolant flush is moderately easy your car ’ s color as recommended! Colored liquid that prevents water from freezing in winters and from overheating in summers way home from i... Leak can cause your car’s efficiency to deteriorate light has come on overflow their... Coolant today to it today, the light came on after driving it less. Wavy lines to indicate liquid warms, that is not the case, then the following reasons help. Freezing in winters and from overheating in summers do not open the reservoir and!, Member of Tokyo Chamber of Commerce Boueki - 201650 as “Thermostat stuck in a closed position” would resist flow...