Wifey has a 98 Z28 and the low coolant light is on. Radiator is full. Is this the sensor that is about 4" below the rad cap? Does it fail often? Easy to replace? I would imagine that this light being on also make the check engine light come on. Car does not run hot. Lots of miles, close to 190k.

 

That sensor is known to fail often. Mine did too and I just ended up having a tuner delete it. I just leave it disconnected

 

Its not that the sensor fails, it becomes gunked up. You could remove it and clean it or just unplug it.
The low coolant light being on will not set a check engine light.

 

just unplug it.

 

Thanks guys.

 

Just un plug it and the light will turn off. It's about half way down the radiator under the fill cap.

Replacing them is a waste of time, they fail far too often

 

Common chain of events with these sensors is as follows: Sensor fails. Remove and clean. Works for a little while or doesn't work. Replace when it fails again or if cleaning doesn't work. Stops working again. Clean it. Does nothing. Replace again. Light is still on with new sensor. Clean pigtail. No difference. Replace pigtail. Light is still on. Unplug light and check coolant manually. Life is happy hunky-dory and your dash isn't lit up.

 

You talked me into it, I am just going to unplug it. But it doesn't make the check engine light come on, it makes the check gauges light come on. Is this normal for for both lights to come on? She says the check guages light came on a few months before the low coolant light. I don't think there are any codes, at least not the last time I checked.

 

I unplugged mine and have no problem from the check gauges light. And no, unplugging it won't set off the CEL. It's just a dummy light like the skip shift light.

 

Thanks, will try that this weekend.

 

This is not wise. The GM engineers put it there for a reason and it saved me once from melting down my engine.

The sensors are not very durable but they are a necessary evil for an aluminum block. Better to get a new sensor than risk a low coolant situation that might deform the block.