wraith71

I just bought a 2002 trans am with only 25,000 miles on it. I noticed a warning light symbol (first one) that did not come on at start up and the owners manual doesnt even show it as being on the warning light cluster. I found out on these boards that it is the low coolant warning light and that many were having trouble with light staying on. The suggested remedy was to disconnect the low coolant sensor, so I thought I would check to see if previous owner disconnected it. Problem....I cant find it. Everything I've read says its on the passenger side of radiator about 6 inches down. I dont see it anywhere. Is what I read for a different model/year car? Is it possible that everything on my car is original and new, even still has original tires, yet someone put another radiator on it without place for sensor......that would be crazy...right? So were is low coolant sensor supposed to be on 2002 trans am??? Picture would be nice too. Any help would be appreciated, thanks

Daniel Richards

iTrader: (1)

the diagram I saw put it at just below where the upper automatic trans cooler line goes in. Wouldn't hurt to flush the cooling system and see if that helps any, if it's the original dexcool it needs changed just due to age.

frankly i'm less concerned with that then the 12 YEAR OLD tires you have on the car, replace those things NOW before they blow out and cause a massive wreck.

wraith71

Thanks, ill check that out later today and my thought too on tires. Ive only had it a week, gonna take it easy on um till I get them changed. Definately more important than sensor but I know where the tires are LOL

99'CajunFirehawk157

iTrader: (57)

Looks like this

on occasion it can be removed, the tip cleaned and it replaced to work. Sometimes not all the times. YMMV

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Some people suggest it. I suggest that unplugging it is a bad idea and it should be replaced - so it protects you from a low coolant situation.

If the light is on, it should be there and plugged in. ^ The pictures above look great, but you may have to stare at yours for a while to find it.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

If there's no sensor port on the radiator, you'll obviously not be able to install the sensor.

I'm pretty sure the wires for the sensor need to be shorted together to turn the low coolant light off.

Find the plug and try it.

wraith71

This shows side view between battery and radiator and rearview of radiator on battery side. I see nothin. Guess I'll start looking for unattached plugs

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

That looks like a radiator without a transmission cooler-and a line of some sort was somehow made to fit into the level sensor port.

wraith71

Interesting......if not disturbing. I wonder what's up with that.

JohnnyBs98WS6Rag

iTrader: (1)

Indeed, that rusty line going into the radiator is definately not factory.

My coolant sensor didn't look anything like the one in the photo above for the '95 Z28, and when I un-plugged it, the light went out (didn't need to short any pins together to make the light go off). My sensor looked like about any other bolt-in sensor, no big black box hanging off the back of it. Oh, and if I had a leak or was running low on coolant, I'd know before the PCM did.

Daniel Richards

iTrader: (1)

for what it's worth I don't see one anywhere on that side of my radiator in my 99 and I don't have a light.

wraith71

Hmmm, I assume you have a v8. Do you have a line on ur radiator where I have the rusty one coming out of mine? Wish I had noticed that when I bought it. That is the only "rusty" line ive come across. I seems to lead to transmission, like the trans cooler was bypassed and perhaps removed. Im not sure where trans cooler is supposed to be. I need more time to follow all the lines. Btw I got firehawk tires on order. Be here friday :-)

wraith71

Just a little update. I got a haynes manual and according to it my rusty line is one of the two trans coolant lines. There are two on that side, the other is under the lower radiator hose. So those two lines are supposed to be there and are where they're supposed to be. Dont know why its rusty though, maybe because its in perfect spot to get coolant poured on it when filling radiator. Still leaves me with original prob though, there is no coolant sensor, yet I have the dummy light for it on my car which of course never lights up. Haynes manual said it should be directly below rusty line. Not the biggest deal in the world, just kinda bugs me havin the light there but it not working. But it doesnt bug me enough to get a radiator with spot for sensor and tryin to figure out where it plugs. Very strange it doesnt have it though, I wonder what deal with that is. Thanks to everyone who tried to help though.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

The wires and pigtail should still be there, even if the sensor isn't in the radiator. Maybe it's tied off somewhere to a harness?

JohnnyBs98WS6Rag

iTrader: (1)

Oh, right, AT cooling lines. DOH! Mine doesn't have those (M6).

wraith71

right my thoughts exactly however I can't find it, which of course doesn't mean it's not there, just means I can't find it. would love to see a pic of where the sensor wire comes out of. <hint hint> :-)

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

I'd take one for you but my car is at a body shop 200 miles away right now. I had a little incident 4 weeks ago in an April snowstorm... Maybe I'll have it back and running by the next snow storm?

wraith71

Dang, sorry to hear that. I hope you get her back in tiptop shape. Well maybe ill get lucky and some generous soul will happen by this thread and leave me a pic