Low Coolant Light

About 2 1/2 weeks ago the low coolant light was going off on my malibu. However it would only go off sometimes, mostly when I first started it, and once I got driving it turned off. Other times it would flicker on and off, and then go off. So I figured no big deal, went to walmart, got the coolant and filled it up to the proper line. (which was a pain because the container is dark, and it's hard to see the level.) But anyway, after that the light stayed off all the time. Then again recently, yesterday, the light was coming on again, having the same symptoms. When I start the engine, the light usually comes on and after about 30 seconds of driving or 45 seconds of idleing it shuts off.

I'm concerned that maybe my engine is eating coolant somewhere. It's been really rainy here and haven't been abel to check the oil for traces of coolant, however when I checked it the first time the coolant light was going off it seemed fine.

Did I maybe not put enough coolant in the first time? I'll have to admit, the resivoir was different then i'm used to...my Jeep is one big tank, whereas the malibu has a small resivoir that seeps into a bigger one it looks like?


Any help would be much appreciated!

- Mike

It does sound like you're leaking. Probably one of two things:
1. a leak near something hot, causing you to not see a puddle
2. lower intake gaskets

You will probably smell it if it's a #1 kind of problem. It kind of smells like you're freebasing sugar cookies. Possible places include the thermostat housing or the hoses in that vicinity. That stuff is over the hot transmission case.

#2 could hide from you and quietly leak into the engine, leak from the driver's side and burn off of the transmission, or leak from the passanger side and be thrown absolutely everywhere by the drivebelt. Mine happened to do all three of those things.


Anyway this could be kind of a big thing, so I'd look at it or get it looked at pretty quickly.

Check to see if it is going into the crankcase. Your oil level will be way up the dipstick if this is the case. That's where mine went

My son had exactly the same problem with his 97 Malibu. Gas mileage eventually got terrible and he noticed a sweet smell inside the cabin. Ended up needing lower head gasket. About $700.

My son had exactly the same problem with his 97 Malibu. Gas mileage eventually got terrible and he noticed a sweet smell inside the cabin. Ended up needing lower head gasket. About $700.

Sorry about the double post.

The lower intake problem is well documented in this forum. Search the forum and you will find many helpful posts about that.

If you are not losing coolant, and have no evidence that coolant is mixing with oil inside the engine.... then you could have a sticky coolant level sensor float. Mine had this problem caused by lots of clotted up Dexcool in the expansion tank.

Even though the maintenance manual says you only need flush the cooling system every 100K miles, do not believe it! I removed my expansion tank and flushed it with lots and lots of hot water, while knocking it around with my hand: I was horrified at all the clotted gooey crap that came out of it! Anyway since then, I have not gotten the false "low coolant" light coming ON.

Take the time to also flush the engine and put in new coolant. I removed the top and bottom radiator hoses, and took the plug out of the engine block (near the oil filter) and flushed lots of water through to remove all the old coolant.

Many folks insist on changing the the Green coolant, but I did not do that. If you are going "green" you must get every bit of the old REd stuff out.

However, Prestone now makes a Yellow coolant that can be mixed with either the green or red (dexcool) coolant, so that may be an easier way to transition away from the Dexcool.

Change you radiator cap also when you do the flush. Many have indicated that the clotting is caused by air leaks into the expansion tank, causing the Dexcool to oxidize.

good luck!