Coolant level low message, an error?

What could be happening is the coolant level switch has dirty high
resistance contacts.



If you remove the flying lead and put a shorting link in and run with that
for a few days

to confirm that its the coolant level switch. If this proves to be the case
you can clean

up the contacts by passing a few hundred milliamps through them.

You can do this by using a 21W indicator bulb.

Wire the bulb in series with the coolant level switch and the other ends

connected to 12vdc from the cars battery. Then poke something in the coolant
expansion

tank and make and break the switch several times. What this will do is the
clean up the contacts

as when in normal operation the SID circuit only draws a few milliamps.



Cheers - Martin (New Zealand)


"Laura K" <laurak RemoveThis @madmousergraphics.com> wrote in message
news:Xns969CAD07BFB90LauraK@216.77.188.18...
> "Paxton C. Sanders" <pcsanders RemoveThis @yahoo.com> wrote in
> news:Xns969C9827FF4D0pcsandersyahoocom@216.77.188.18:
>
>> Every time I crank the car, SID reads "Coolant level low. Please
>> refill." But it's not low. I took it to the dealer, and they said
>> it's fine. They reset the message, but it keeps returning. Not a
>> big deal - just annoying. Any idea what's really causing this
>> problem?
>
> I had this problem with a 900SE. Someone in the group mentioned that the
> level sender (or whatever you want to call it) can stick in the overflow
> tank
> and the only way to fix it is to replace the overflow tank.
> I thought about doing that, but a new tank was $80 or so.
> So I went to plan B, which was to take the top off the tank when it was
> cold
> and swish a chopstick around in there. Then gave it a couple of good
> whacks
> on the side with a large pair of pliers.
> Seems to have taken care of the problem.
 >> Stay informed about: Coolant level low message, an error? 

Laura K wrote:

> "Paxton C. Sanders" <pcsanders DeleteThis @yahoo.com> wrote in
> news:Xns969C9827FF4D0pcsandersyahoocom@216.77.188.18:
>
> > Every time I crank the car, SID reads "Coolant level low. Please
> > refill." But it's not low. I took it to the dealer, and they said
> > it's fine. They reset the message, but it keeps returning. Not a
> > big deal - just annoying. Any idea what's really causing this
> > problem?
>
> I had this problem with a 900SE. Someone in the group mentioned that the
> level sender (or whatever you want to call it) can stick in the overflow tank
> and the only way to fix it is to replace the overflow tank.
> I thought about doing that, but a new tank was $80 or so.
> So I went to plan B, which was to take the top off the tank when it was cold
> and swish a chopstick around in there. Then gave it a couple of good whacks
> on the side with a large pair of pliers.
> Seems to have taken care of the problem.

You're BAD !

Graham
 >> Stay informed about: Coolant level low message, an error? 

Laura K:

>I had this problem with a 900SE. Someone in the group mentioned that the

>level sender (or whatever you want to call it) can stick in the overflow
>tank
>and the only way to fix it is to replace the overflow tank.
>I thought about doing that, but a new tank was $80 or so.
>So I went to plan B, which was to take the top off the tank when it was
>cold
>and swish a chopstick around in there. Then gave it a couple of good
>whacks
>on the side with a large pair of pliers.
>Seems to have taken care of the problem.

Way to go Laura. Let it know who's boss! Love it.
Sounds like rubbish on contacts or stuck sender so that may be as good a
fix as any. I suspect that removing the tank then filling it with boiling
water and shaking it up with either a steam vaporizer cleaning tablet or
aspoonful of sodium bicarbonate may effect a permanent fix, but belting it
occasionally is probably more cathartic! Cheers
 >> Stay informed about: Coolant level low message, an error? 

"hippo" <johnh.RemoveThis@nospam.shoal.net.au> wrote in
news:7b3b7540924c5ba01e0ceeac634d3be0@localhost.talkaboutautos.com:

> Way to go Laura. Let it know who's boss! Love it.
> Sounds like rubbish on contacts or stuck sender so that may be as good a
> fix as any. I suspect that removing the tank then filling it with boiling
> water and shaking it up with either a steam vaporizer cleaning tablet or
> aspoonful of sodium bicarbonate may effect a permanent fix, but belting it
> occasionally is probably more cathartic! Cheers

I haven't noticed the radio chirping since I did that either. Probably
cowering in fear.
 >> Stay informed about: Coolant level low message, an error? 

"Paxton C. Sanders" <pcsanders RemoveThis @yahoo.com> wrote in
news:Xns969C9827FF4D0pcsandersyahoocom@216.77.188.18:

> 2004 9-5.
>
> Every time I crank the car, SID reads "Coolant level low. Please
> refill." But it's not low. I took it to the dealer, and they
> said it's fine. They reset the message, but it keeps returning.
> Not a big deal - just annoying. Any idea what's really causing
> this problem?

Thanks to all who replied.

--
Paxton Sanders
pcsanders RemoveThis @yahoo.com

"The most costly of all follies is to believe passionately in the
palpably not true. It is the chief occupation of mankind."
-- H.L. Mencken
 >> Stay informed about: Coolant level low message, an error?