Low Coolant Light Blinking- Part III

helicopter23 · #1 06-25-2009, 01:26 AM

Hey my coolant light starting blinking today for the first time ever. The light blinks randomly and all my gauges are the same as before. I called my mechanic and he said last week when I brought him the car he connected a coolant sensor. My question is nothing is really wrong with my car right?, and the low coolant sensor is from him connecting it last week?

tblake · #2 06-25-2009, 10:48 AM

I dont understand. He connected it? Meaning it was disconnected?

What brand coolant are you running?

helicopter23 · #3 06-25-2009, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tblake

I dont understand. He connected it? Meaning it was disconnected?

What brand coolant are you running?

I'm not sure what type of coolant I am running. Yeah, he connected it without me knowing. I then called him and told him about the blinking coolant light and he said, it was dissconnected and he connected it. I checked the coolant and it's full. It must just be blinking because he connected it?

richtazz · #4 06-25-2009, 04:14 PM

You probably have a bad coolant level sensor. It's mounted in the passenger side radiator tank just below where the transmission cooler lines screw in.

00GTP4ME · #5 06-26-2009, 06:07 PM

Mine kept going off too. Replaced the sensor and it's fine.

BNaylor · #6 06-26-2009, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by helicopter23

I'm not sure what type of coolant I am running.

Many of us leave it disconnected. We need to know what brand coolant you are using? If you switch from Dex-cool to regular or extended life aftermarket antifreeze getting a steady or flashing low coolant light is a common problem.

tblake · #7 06-27-2009, 01:34 AM

No low coolant light on my GTP with regular GM dex-cool, the I switched over to prestone dex-cool when OI changed my LIM gaskets, and my low coolant light came on immediatly after I started my car. It was on steady for about 2 months then I got sick of it, pulled the sensor out, cleaned it, and put it back in. It was off and on for 2 days, and now its pretty much back to normal.

Brent S · #8 06-30-2009, 05:08 PM

It's a horrible design for a sensor; it's in a "normal" state when disconnected! That is soooo stupid! Also, it gets sludged-up easily, which causes it to turn-on the Low light.
I battled with mine for a while, bought a new one (probably didn't need to), frequently cleaned it, I even successfully cleaned it by bending a wire hanger and poking it around through the radiator filler neck (Didn't want to keep removing the sensor, anymore)
I finally allowed the dealer to replace my LIM gasket, all hoses, thermostat, and flush/fill system, and it's been off for a few months now. It appears that the little bit of brown sludge in the filler neck area was being caused by the LIM gasket, because now the filler neck stays very very clean. Too bad I got completely ripped-off by the dealer, for the cost of the LIM gasket job, but that's another story.

00GTP4ME · #9 07-07-2009, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent S

It's a horrible design for a sensor; it's in a "normal" state when disconnected! That is soooo stupid!

Wait a minute, am I understanding this correctly? If you unplug the coolant sensor, the default with no reading or voltage is OFF???

Does the sensor communicate anything to the vehicle's computer, or is it's sole purpose to tell you when the coolant is down (ideally)? No other sensors or readings react to it?

If that's the case, if it ever turns on again, I'm chopping that wire real fast!

Brent S · #10 07-07-2009, 07:15 PM

Yes, I believe so; if the sensor is unplugged, there will be no annoying light on your dash, and I don't believe it interfaces with anything else. I recall many people claiming that they simply unplugged theirs, and leave it unplugged just to keep that annoying light off.
If I am wrong, someone can correct me.

grandprixgtx00 · #11 07-07-2009, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent S

Yes, I believe so; if the sensor is unplugged, there will be no annoying light on your dash, and I don't believe it interfaces with anything else. I recall many people claiming that they simply unplugged theirs, and leave it unplugged just to keep that annoying light off.
If I am wrong, someone can correct me.

thats what i did. never did find out why mine was blinking. tried just about everything and just said screw it.

00GTP4ME · #12 07-07-2009, 08:11 PM

That is SO good to know!!!

BNaylor · #13 07-08-2009, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent S

If I am wrong, someone can correct me.

All the sensor does is supply a ground to the IP Cluster idiot light when coolant level is actually low so you are correct. No adverse affects by leaving it disconnected, however, if disconnected it would be a good idea to manually check coolant level periodically at the reservoir or even direct at the radiator.

tblake · #14 07-08-2009, 10:51 AM

I wonder if the sensor is really accurate anyways Bob.

My G/f's LIM gaskets in her 3100, the first time around would leak a whole radiator out in about a months time. When it was low, it would never set the Low Coolant Light.

00GTP4ME · #15 07-08-2009, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tblake

I wonder if the sensor is really accurate anyways Bob.

I've noticed the same thing. I'd happily forgo the $60 sensor, the irritation of the inaccuracy and sporadic nonsense in trade for just checking the coolant level myself every so often. I replaced mine a year or two ago and while it's gone off a time or two (erroneously), it hasn't been too irritating yet (knock*knock); I'll definitely unplug it when this one goes.

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