Weird Low Coolant Light problem on my 99 Trans Am
12-20-2008, 12:22 AM
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Weird Low Coolant Light problem on my 99 Trans Am I have a 99 Trans Am LS1. I recently (a couple of weeks ago) flushed the coolant system, refilled it with the Dexcool and made sure the air was properly bled. Everything worked fine... Then today, I added led lighting all around the underside of the car, which required me to gently push around some of the wiring under the dash. I spliced the positive of the led light control to the radio fuse and I grounded the black light control ground wire to the grounding bolt (the one located about 2 inches striaght above the hood release lever. The lights look great and work fine, however now whenever I turn the car on within a few seconds, the low coolant light comes on. I checked the coolant and all was fine. So I let it cool down and checked it with the car running. I let it get too hot and it lost about a liter of coolant out of the open radiator top. I added only 4 ounces of water, and now it seems to be full again.... WEIRD!!!. Radiator seems full now, resevoir is reading normal, I know I lost more than 4 ounces...hmmmmm. Light is constantly on... Does anyone know where the low coolant light is grounded to? Also, does anyone have any ideas on whats going on? Any help is greatly appreciated!
Scott
Scott
12-20-2008, 12:53 AM
#2
Its punishment for putting led's on your car......just kidding.
You may now have an air bubble somewhere in there. But also, those sensors fail all the time, and once they do thats exactly what they do. They come on within 10 seconds to about 2 minutes after start.
Just unplug it.
You may now have an air bubble somewhere in there. But also, those sensors fail all the time, and once they do thats exactly what they do. They come on within 10 seconds to about 2 minutes after start.
Just unplug it.
12-20-2008, 01:23 AM
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reply I know... I just can't help but think there's got to be something I did with the wiring since it only started doing it the very first time I started it afeter doing all that wiring I mentioned. But thanks for the imput~! Anyone know where that sensors' positive and ground wires lead exactly?
12-20-2008, 09:47 AM
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the sensors in the radiator side tank, they are garbage. Mine comes on once in a while, coolant is full, never came on till i had the radiator out to swap engines. I see this a lot with different gm cars that come in the shop. Sometimes you can smack the sensor with a screwdriver and then the light will go off. Just replace the sensor and call it good.
12-20-2008, 11:29 AM
#7
I don't think its related to your LEDs. Just random timing. The coolant level sensors are notorious for going bad and when they do - the show a false low reading.
If the light goes out after your car warms up or is intermittent, then that points more towards you just having a bad sensor.
If the light goes out after your car warms up or is intermittent, then that points more towards you just having a bad sensor.
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12-20-2008, 01:44 PM
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Ok... so now, everytime I turn the car on at all the light is just on right from the first 5 seconds after ignition... I took the battery out, took the sensor out, cleaned the sensor really good, put it back in, filled the radiator to an acceptable level again from the small amount that came out when I took the sensor off, reconnected the battery... Turned the ignition... please...please...please.... DAMMIT!!! @#*&@*#%. Light stills tays on. I would just unhook it,but I'm afraid if there is a problem, there are no other warning signs other than when it's too late and you've overheated an aluminum block. <--- NOT GOOD! Might be a bad sensor altogether but I'm still wanting to know where exactly the ground to that sensor goes exactly if anyone knows... Maybe in my wiring for the leds I unhooked it by accident or something since this problem showed up immediately after hooking in the wiring for the led light controller. Any other input? and thanks to all those who are trying to help solve this... I really appreciate it. 
Scott
Scott
12-20-2008, 02:12 PM
#9
Ok... so now, everytime I turn the car on at all the light is just on right from the first 5 seconds after ignition... I took the battery out, took the sensor out, cleaned the sensor really good, put it back in, filled the radiator to an acceptable level again from the small amount that came out when I took the sensor off, reconnected the battery... Turned the ignition... please...please...please.... DAMMIT!!! @#*&@*#%. Light stills tays on. I would just unhook it,but I'm afraid if there is a problem, there are no other warning signs other than when it's too late and you've overheated an aluminum block. <--- NOT GOOD! Might be a bad sensor altogether but I'm still wanting to know where exactly the ground to that sensor goes exactly if anyone knows... Maybe in my wiring for the leds I unhooked it by accident or something since this problem showed up immediately after hooking in the wiring for the led light controller. Any other input? and thanks to all those who are trying to help solve this... I really appreciate it.
Scott
Scott
And aluminum blocks can take ridiculous amounts of heat before anything happens. Mine has been buried in the red several times, once during a 170mph run when my serpintine belt flew off and I didn't know it until I happened to glance down and saw I was already in the red. I pulled over and waited 15 minutes to cool off a little, then started it up and drove about 3 miles off the hwy to a gas station. And that was 5-6 years ago, engine is perfect..
But I here ya, mine has been unplugged for years, I'm gonna get a new one soon too. But if you drive in the city mainly, you're always near a station or a hose.
12-20-2008, 05:24 PM
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It is probably just a bad sensor. As for the ground, it is probably near the ground for everything else under the dash somewhere. I'm no electrical guy by ANY means, but I wouldnt think there is a seperate ground for everything? That would be alot.
But the real question is...why do you have underglow stuff?
But the real question is...why do you have underglow stuff?
12-20-2008, 07:27 PM
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Lol... definitly NOT (although no beef with those who may be...lol). The interior lighting looks awesome with a blood red glow to every light source... then under the car I can set any of 50 different colors to either match the interior or do pretty much whatever I want. Looks bad-***. And I've gotten more compliments on how good it looks than I've gotten on the whole car in general in just one night...lol.
***For all those interested: I went ahead and disconneted the sensor for now. Someday when I have money to burn again I may buy a new one. Thank for everyone's help on this though! If anyone has any greaqt ideas on what itmay be though please send me a mail. Much appreciated.***
(although no beef with those who may be...lol). The interior lighting looks awesome with a blood red glow to every light source... then under the car I can set any of 50 different colors to either match the interior or do pretty much whatever I want. Looks bad-***. And I've gotten more compliments on how good it looks than I've gotten on the whole car in general in just one night...lol. ***For all those interested: I went ahead and disconneted the sensor for now. Someday when I have money to burn again I may buy a new one. Thank for everyone's help on this though! If anyone has any greaqt ideas on what itmay be though please send me a mail. Much appreciated.***
12-20-2008, 07:28 PM
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***For all those interested: I went ahead and disconneted the sensor for now. Someday when I have money to burn again I may buy a new one. Thank for everyone's help on this though! If anyone has any greaqt ideas on what itmay be though please send me a mail. Much appreciated.***
12-21-2008, 01:36 AM
#13
Well... you solved it. If you unplugged your sensor and your dash light went off - then that proves you have a bad sensor and that your wiring is fine.
I just replaced my bad sensor and it was totally clean - so you can't use that as a judge. The internals of the sensor just wear out and go bad. (Mine lasted only 70K miles.)
I just replaced my bad sensor and it was totally clean - so you can't use that as a judge. The internals of the sensor just wear out and go bad. (Mine lasted only 70K miles.)
