Coolant level low add coolant

[matt katz]

Hello everyone.  I have a 2007.5 GMC Sierra 1500 with the 5.3 gas motor.  The trucks been saying "coolant level low add coolant" on the dash for a while now.  The coolant is not low, and I don't have a leak.  It's also not getting hot or anything like that.  My mechanic looked at it and can't seem to figure out why its doing that.  He looked and can't find a location of a coolant level sensor, and there aren't any wires going to the tank.  If anyone has ever dealt with this before or knows what I need to do to fix it, any help wold be great.

[davester]

Did you mechanic have access to the full-service manual, as that would indicate where the sensor would be (IDK, as I've got a GMT800, where the sensor is in the overflow tank).  The images on rockauto for a '07.5 1500 5.3 coolant tanks don't show level sensors on any of them, and there's no mention of a level sensor in he cooling system section either.

 

Perhaps some computers in your truck have been swapped from another truck with different options, that had a level sensor, and weren't flashed for your truck?

[Jsdirt]

The half-year model doesn't tell me much. Is this a old or "new" body style '07? GMT-800 or 900?

 

The 800 series trucks have a sensor at the bottom of the tank that's not replaceable. Have to replace the entire tank - very hard to see with it in place. Thanks, GM!  That's the engineering we all know an "love" today ... replace a whole tank for a .50 cent sensor ...

[matt katz]

It's the new body style like the 08-13

[Jsdirt]

Ahh, 10-4. That's the one problem I haven't had with my truck (yet ...). I'd bet you'll find a sensor at the bottom of the tank. Hopefully GM designed it to be replaced separately, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

EDIT : I looked up that part for my truck ('07, new body) and it is separate now. Shocker!

 

All I can say is, DO NOT buy a Dorman sensor to replace it.

Edited July 12, 2020 by Jsdirt

[Duelin]

Some of the Saturns use to have a lot of problems with low coolant sensors. One of the fixes was to remove the overflow bottle and turn it upside down and shake it.

[Frankentruck]

On 7/11/2020 at 6:03 PM, Jsdirt said:

Ahh, 10-4. That's the one problem I haven't had with my truck (yet ...). I'd bet you'll find a sensor at the bottom of the tank. Hopefully GM designed it to be replaced separately, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

EDIT : I looked up that part for my truck ('07, new body) and it is separate now. Shocker!

 

All I can say is, DO NOT buy a Dorman sensor to replace it.

What’s the part number? I have the same issue and there’s literally no level sensor on these trucks. There’s a temp sensor. 

[Frankentruck]

On 7/11/2020 at 1:07 PM, matt katz said:

Hello everyone.  I have a 2007.5 GMC Sierra 1500 with the 5.3 gas motor.  The trucks been saying "coolant level low add coolant" on the dash for a while now.  The coolant is not low, and I don't have a leak.  It's also not getting hot or anything like that.  My mechanic looked at it and can't seem to figure out why its doing that.  He looked and can't find a location of a coolant level sensor, and there aren't any wires going to the tank.  If anyone has ever dealt with this before or knows what I need to do to fix it, any help wold be great.

You ever solve this?

[Supreme Pizza]

1 hour ago, Frankentruck said:

You ever solve this?

 

I have seen this happen on some of my rigs from time to time. Parking on a hill exacerbates the problem. The solution is to avoid looking at the dash gauges.