low coolant light

[glc4122]

yes i have a 97 gp and the low coolant light comes on and goes off at different times. it seem to go on when im on the interstate driving at 65 mph and goes off when i get off interstate. i checked coolant level and it's always down a little. what could be the problem?

[A-Dog]

Originally Posted by glc4122

yes i have a 97 gp and the low coolant light comes on and goes off at different times. it seem to go on when im on the interstate driving at 65 mph and goes off when i get off interstate. i checked coolant level and it's always down a little. what could be the problem?

Have the coolant collection reservoir checked. I had the same problem, and my collection area was described as "nasty" by the repair shop. they cleaned it out and never saw the problem again.

[glc4122]

thanks for the info,do you mean the antifreeze recover bottle on driver side of engine?

[A-Dog]

Originally Posted by glc4122

thanks for the info,do you mean the antifreeze recover bottle on driver side of engine?

Yes I believe so. Altough I can't be certain, as I'm basing my thoughts on my repair ticket, which said said "coolant recovery reservoir"

Maybe some of the more knowledgable folks around here can confirm

[grandprixgtx00]

ok, i am kind of confused here you say your low coolant light comes on and when you check the reservior the coolant is low...sounds like its doing its job when you check the coolant how low is it?

the reason it may be going on and off is maybe you hit a bump, turn a corner etc and it causes the coolant to go below the mark.

you may want to check you UIM/LIM and see if you need one. assuming that your car is a '97 and if you have no knowledge of it ever being changed...you prolly need to repair them.

[GTPSPEED]

I am having the same problem, but mine is full and I checked the radiator and its full too. My light is on when I first start the car then when it warms up to normal temp it shuts off, any ideas guys

[Brent S]

I too have a similar problem on my 99 GTP. My light was coming on, so at 90k miles, I replaced the sensor and replaced all coolant. The light still came on for a day. I then unplugged the connector, and carefully bent the contacts (ever so slightly) to possible ensure a better connection. This worked for 15k miles. Now, the light is coming on again, and going off after 20 min. of driving. I tried messing w/ the connector again, but it doesn't appear to solve anything. What's really strange is that the light goes OFF, when the connector is unplugged. What kind of sensor logic is that????

[Brent S]

I thought I would update this post:
I finally got around to flushing out the coolant on my '99 GTP. I removed the sensor (1 year old), and it had the infamous brown sludge on the little brass pin (electrode). After a rather time-consuming flush, refill, flush again, etc....and cleaning the sensor electrode (twice), the light still comes on sometimes.
Therefore, I am coming to the conclusion that Dexcool does suck (like many people claim) and that the Low Coolant sensor is a poor design because it seems to be causing many problems as the Dexcool sludge collects on the sensor. I will probably just unplug the connector, put some plastic on it (for protection), and simply drive the car without that particular sensor.
It doesn't seem so important, anyway.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by Brent S

Therefore, I am coming to the conclusion that Dexcool does suck (like many people claim)

I disagree to a point. Reason is people that switched to anti-freeze like Prestone Extended Life and canned the Dex-cool are having low coolant sensor issues too and the bad part is no resolution short of disconnecting the connector.

Also, if you are losing coolant you may have bad UIM/supercharger or LIM gaskets which could affect the low coolant indication.

[wlkjr]

My manifold gaskets didn't fail until I had 306,000 miles on the car all with Dexcool. Car now has 346,000 miles and still using Dexcool. I think the gasket design was the bigger problem. Those same people who always blame Dexcool also probably are the ones who shout the BS about Fram filters.

[Brent S]

Oh, ok. I thought in a previous BNaylor, you said people switched to Prestone and it solved the problem.
Either way, the sensor design is probably deficient, because it seems to attract whatever amount of "sludge" that exists in the system, and allows it to deposit right on the little electrode. I guess it needs a prestine coolant system to function correctly.
I don't think I'm losing any coolant, although I have never seen the coolant lever to the very very top of the radiator filler neck when the engine's cold. Ever. No matter how many times I fill the radiator, the system seems to always stabilize with the coolant level 2-3 inches below the very top of the neck, and the recovery tank just "absorbs" the couple ounces that I keep putting in.
Well, the light is off (for now), and I'm putting this issue lower on the priority list.

[richtazz]

Many people switched to the other brand simply because it's cheaper. The only issue with Dex-cool is GM's claim that it lasted 5 years/ 150k miles. It should be changed/flushed earlier than that (3years/50k max), and if it's not, that is what leads to sludge buildup. Most if not all of GM's supposed Dex-Cool issues are the fault of junk OEM plastic framed gaskets and shoddy engineering (plastic coolant elbows, EGR stovepipe, 3800 upper plenums, etc...)

[bigstakz]

So can anyone tell me what will make the light flash on and off steadily?

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by bigstakz

So can anyone tell me what will make the light flash on and off steadily?

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