Low Coolant Light

jhm · November 14, 2006

I can't count how many times this junk message light has come on when the coolant is right up to the correct level. Yesterday I pop the hood to check things out while the engine was stone cold. I see the coolant is about 2 inches below the full cold level. No message light. I start it up and go for a ride, light does not come on. A simple sensor is not that hard to produce with accuracy. I wonder where is GM buying this junk? Makes me concerned about the rest of the gauges.

Norseman · November 14, 2006

I wonder where is GM buying this junk?

Probably Toyota.

lagrange151 · November 14, 2006

seadoons · November 15, 2006

That is weird...mine actually worked well for me. Before my extended warranty ran out in February it came on. I added coolant for the first time, the light went away for a while. Then, it came back on. After a few more times of adding coolant, I took it in and they replaced the water pump under warranty for a leak. So...the light worked for me and got me a new water pump!

jhm · November 15, 2006

That is weird...mine actually worked well for me. Before my extended warranty ran out in February it came on. I added coolant for the first time, the light went away for a while. Then, it came back on. After a few more times of adding coolant, I took it in and they replaced the water pump under warranty for a leak. So...the light worked for me and got me a new water pump!

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I must have a bad sensor. Where the coolant went is a mystery. I got to bring it in to get pressure checked. I got the ext warranty till january. Last winter I saw a few drops on my garage floor, then they stopped. I figure it must be seeping out and evaporating cause I don't see any drops now, gotta be going somewhere.

hoorders · November 15, 2006

Mine seems to work as well.............had a heater hose go on me a few months back and the light came on........pretty quickly I might add...............but gave me the heads up and time to pull over before she over heated. Once the hose was repaired and coolant filled back up.........light went off.

ken1mod · November 15, 2006

Any sensor or part can fail. I'm glad there is one there.

Ken

hoorders · November 15, 2006

Any sensor or part can fail. I'm glad there is one there.

Ken

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Yup............its nice to have a sensor that is actually usefull............instead of useless.

jhm · November 16, 2006

Any sensor or part can fail. I'm glad there is one there.

Ken

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Yup............its nice to have a sensor that is actually usefull............instead of useless.

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I'm happy for you that your sensor works. I guess it all comes down to still manually checking things yourself. People on sites like this usually do, but there are the majority of owners who just drive till it breaks. I, like others here, will not wait for lights to come on, they may not, and mine is proof.

67ChevyRedneck · November 16, 2006

That is weird...mine actually worked well for me. Before my extended warranty ran out in February it came on. I added coolant for the first time, the light went away for a while. Then, it came back on. After a few more times of adding coolant, I took it in and they replaced the water pump under warranty for a leak. So...the light worked for me and got me a new water pump!

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I must have a bad sensor. Where the coolant went is a mystery. I got to bring it in to get pressure checked. I got the ext warranty till january. Last winter I saw a few drops on my garage floor, then they stopped. I figure it must be seeping out and evaporating cause I don't see any drops now, gotta be going somewhere.

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Head gasket going bad? Is your oil milky?

79 sierra grande · November 16, 2006

my 2000 silverado had problems with two sensors. the low coolant being one of them. the fuel level sending unit being the other. you would be driving along with a full tank, and then all of a sudden the gas gauge would drop to E and the light would come on. did it for a few months and then got rid of the truck for something else. my buddy had the same problem, and he just let it go. then his fuel pump went out. replaced the whole fuel pump, fixed the problem. it kind of sucks cause it's not worth a $280 fuel pump for a problem as minor as the gauge being finicky.

jhm · November 16, 2006

I must have a bad sensor. Where the coolant went is a mystery. I got to bring it in to get pressure checked. I got the ext warranty till january. Last winter I saw a few drops on my garage floor, then they stopped. I figure it must be seeping out and evaporating cause I don't see any drops now, gotta be going somewhere.

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Head gasket going bad? Is your oil milky?

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Oil looks fine. I can't see any leak, went over it real good. I think it may be the wp gasket. Coolant possibly seeping out and evaporating as I drive. Heard this is a common problem on these trucks.

OFF-RD · November 16, 2006

Any sensor or part can fail. I'm glad there is one there.

Ken

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Yup............its nice to have a sensor that is actually usefull............instead of useless.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm happy for you that your sensor works. I guess it all comes down to still manually checking things yourself. People on sites like this usually do, but there are the majority of owners who just drive till it breaks. I, like others here, will not wait for lights to come on, they may not, and mine is proof.

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Heck, half the people on these forums wait for the computer to tell them when to change their oil! How crazy is that?? My light never came on, so I changed the oil at 5,000 miles and it was so full of metal shavings, etc. from breaking in that it was pathetic. I don't trust these sensors for anything!

hoorders · November 16, 2006

Any sensor or part can fail. I'm glad there is one there.

Ken

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yup............its nice to have a sensor that is actually usefull............instead of useless.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm happy for you that your sensor works. I guess it all comes down to still manually checking things yourself. People on sites like this usually do, but there are the majority of owners who just drive till it breaks. I, like others here, will not wait for lights to come on, they may not, and mine is proof.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Heck, half the people on these forums wait for the computer to tell them when to change their oil! How crazy is that?? My light never came on, so I changed the oil at 5,000 miles and it was so full of metal shavings, etc. from breaking in that it was pathetic. I don't trust these sensors for anything!

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Yes, I would certainly agree that the only tried and true method when it comes to stuff like this is routinely checking and keeping up with maintenance.........personally I don't rely on any censors to tell me to change the oil or anything else..........from the excellent advise and support I've got from members on this site.....I would say the majority don't 'live by the sensors'.............