Low coolent light is on for no reason

SStatus · 01-20-2006, 07:12 AM

My coolent light comes on and stays on for five minutes just like it is supposed to when the coolent is low. So i check the coolent level and its fine. I even top it off just to see if it would change anything. Nothing happened, it still comes on. About three weeks ago i had my system flushed and refilled with dex-cool and I'm guessing that this has somthing to do with what is going on. Anyone ever run into this or have any ideas?

**BIG D's SS** · 01-20-2006, 07:15 AM

There is a sensor that might be bad. Try changing that and see what happens.

**Joe K. 99 Zeee!!** · 01-20-2006, 11:40 AM

Common problem. The orange coolent will gunk up over time if not changed at the proper interval. You'll probably have to get the system flushed and change out that sensor. Another thing that happens when it starts to get like that is the heater core gets clogged. If you're not getting the heat you should, take off the heater core and back flush it to get the gunk out.

**2001NBMZ28** · 01-20-2006, 12:09 PM

The low coolant sensors fail all the time, you can try taking it off and cleaning it, or just unplug it and the light will stay off permanently (think they're about $55 at the dealer if you want to replace it). Since you just had a flush they may not have gotten all the air out of the system - but if you've been checking it and the level is still OK, and no overheating problems probably just the sensor. It's on the passenger side of the radiator, about 4-5" below the radiator cap. GM did away with them on our cars starting in 2K.

**Joe K. 99 Zeee!!** · 01-22-2006, 05:26 AM

Go to www.shbox.com. I think there is a procedure there for removing and reinstalling the sensor.

**skar** · 07-23-2006, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by 2001NBMZ28

The low coolant sensors fail all the time, you can try taking it off and cleaning it, or just unplug it and the light will stay off permanently (think they're about $55 at the dealer if you want to replace it). Since you just had a flush they may not have gotten all the air out of the system - but if you've been checking it and the level is still OK, and no overheating problems probably just the sensor. It's on the passenger side of the radiator, about 4-5" below the radiator cap. GM did away with them on our cars starting in 2K.

I added some water wetter today and had to drain a pint of coolant to add the water wetter now I have the cooolant light not Turing off problem. I tried to unplug mine but the light stays on??

**0rion** · 07-23-2006, 08:13 PM

I would start cheap and make sure there's no air in the system first.

**skar** · 07-24-2006, 04:53 AM

Originally Posted by 0rion

I would start cheap and make sure there's no air in the system first.

Good idia. now fixed

**ss~zoso~ss** · 07-24-2006, 07:36 PM

my friend has a lt1 and he just foundout today he has a bad sensor

**in4sit** · 07-12-2007, 11:18 AM

I have this same problem right now with my Camero LS1 99 SS. I have flushed the system, replaced the sensor and made sure the fuilds are full, all is ok but the damn light keeps coming on after I start it.

I have noticed that sometimes after I drive the car for a while and get gets hot and I shut the motor down and turn it back on, the light will stay off.

Short??.. or could it be that the gunk is still stuck around the float in the raditor?

**jimmy77611** · 07-12-2007, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by in4sit

I have this same problem right now with my Camero LS1 99 SS. I have flushed the system, replaced the sensor and made sure the fuilds are full, all is ok but the damn light keeps coming on after I start it.

I have noticed that sometimes after I drive the car for a while and get gets hot and I shut the motor down and turn it back on, the light will stay off.

Short??.. or could it be that the gunk is still stuck around the float in the raditor?

Did you get a geuine GM or ACDelco sensor? I had an issue with two of them in a row from Oreilly. The light would still come on immediately after install. Installed an ACDelco, problem solved.

**Steve Crowe** · 07-12-2007, 12:11 PM

Those sensors really can be a pain. I've had some limited success in the past whapping them with a screwdriver.

**in4sit** · 07-12-2007, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by jimmy77611

Did you get a geuine GM or ACDelco sensor? I had an issue with two of them in a row from Oreilly. The light would still come on immediately after install. Installed an ACDelco, problem solved.

Crap, well guess where I got mine..... Oreilly's, ok I will go out and get another one from AC.

**Wheeler99WS6** · 07-13-2007, 09:52 AM

just unplugged mine when I was having this problem, zip tied it out of the way and left it. No more little red light now.

**jimmy77611** · 07-13-2007, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by Wheeler99WS6

just unplugged mine when I was having this problem, zip tied it out of the way and left it. No more little red light now.

Well, that is one solution to the light problem, but you're giving up early low coolant level detection by doing this.

**Wheeler99WS6** · 07-14-2007, 04:43 AM

It is easy to check though, I probably would have changed the sensor if this was still my daily driver but it isnt. So I occasionally check it before I drive it.