Low Coolant Light on when cold start

[cheungderek]

I have a 98 Venture. It has been serving me well.

A few weeks ago, I noted that the Low Coolant Light still on for quite a while (about 10 seconds) when I cold started my car. When the car is hot and I re-started it, the low coolant light would go off immediately.

For the past two days, when I cold started my car, sometime, the low coolant light just stay ON all the time. I need to restart the car a few times before the light go away. Once I started the car without the Low Coolant Light on, the light never shows up when I drive.

I have checked the following and they are OK:
- coolant level at the recovery tank
- no coolant found on the floor (i.e., no coolant leakage)
- if the low coolant sensor was the problem, I should have the coolant
light on and off all the time.

Any suggestion? Does a coolant flash (I never do it for 7 years) helps?

regards
Derek

[umina]

Get the cooland chemically flushed. It could be the coolant level sensor in the radiator is gummed up. This is even more likely if you have had the intake manifold gasket replaced before (when they go bad and let air into the system the coolant chrystalizes and gunks up everything in the motor.) I had same problem on my 99, and a bottle of BARS stop leak from walmart cured the problem ( I had a very small leak in the system, couldn't afford the gasket yet). After stop leak in the system for a few days, no more coolant light problem or leakage. GOOD STUFF!!

[broughy84]

I dont suggest the stop leak, get it fixed right, but I understand not having the money to fix the costly gaskets, and I am glad you used this as a temporary fix.


FLUSHING THE COOLANT SYSTEM IS A MUST!

I flush mine about once a year. Yes Dexcool (or deathcool) will last for 5 years or 100,000 miles, but I would not trust it. I have had three sets of intake gaskets on the Venture my wife has and it had the "Low Coolant" light on with the first one. Like the previous poster said, air got into the system and the coolant crystalized, gunking up the coolant passages and the radiator. Get it flushed and check your oil to make sure there is no condensation inside the valve covers or milky oil. The condensation inside the valve cover will look like orange goop inside the oil cap.

[cheungderek]

Thanks for all advices. Just found out from a GM dealer that my car has the famous V3.4L intake manifold gasket issue and coolant is mixing with the engine oil. Need to pay including tax CAD 1,200 and it includes a coolant flash :-(