Coolant Level Sensor

[grgoyl86]

The Low Coolant Light has been coming on intermittantly on my wife's 97 Sunfire. Last night I removed the overflow bottle, and found the sensor wire going into the bottle, but it looked like the sensor is molded right into the bottle, and not changeable. However, when looked up part numbers, there is a switch listed. It looks like the same connector.

Has anyone swapped this part? Is it an easy job? List price for the switch is only about $14, street price is less.

Unless I'm barking up the wrong tree. Is this what I need to be replacing?

Bob

[hopeless4life]

Most of the time these cars have this problem it is because the switches are airlocked. If the coolant is run low, or even slightly low in the reservoir, air can get trapped between the sensor and the coolant. (stupid set up) sometimes a tapping by the sensor or a shake of the reservoir will cure this ailment, if not screw around with it some more. I usually say some encouraging curse words and smash the reservoir around. Put it this way you can't hurt it any worse!

[grgoyl86]

Thanks Hopeless.

It hasn't come back on since I had it apart last weekend, so maybe there's something to that. I did bang it around a little then.

Let's hope it stays that way!

Bob

[buzzer96]

You are right on top of the problem. I suggest keep the coolent level up and normal driving might knock the bubble loose. I caused mine to do this by adding water with a water hose on full blast. Caused a bunch on bubbles. so i just abandoned the coolent light and checked it every so often.
About two days later the light went off with no action on my part. I still check it sometimes. I don't trust that light any more.
Yes I do add dexcool to make it nice and orange. but I add water when it is just a little low.

Buzzer