Hey
Yesterday the coolant warning light started flashing at me whilst I was driving. The temperature gauge was indicating 80 deg (perfectly normal running temp), but it had been climbing slightly higher (up to about 85) during the journey, which it doesn't normally do.
I immediately switched the engine off and coasted for a bit, then re started the car and the light didn't flash again.
It did it again on the way to my gf's last night, so I did the same, it didn't flash again. Both of the occasions yesterday were when the engine was up to full operating temperature, so I was a bit worried.
Then it did it this morning literally 1 minute after I'd started up, and the coolant was definitely stone cold.
I'm thinking its blinking at me to warn of low coolant level. I bought some G12+ ages ago, so I'll top it up with that.
Just thought I'd run it past everyone, does anyone have any other ideas as to what it could be?
Thanks
Tom
coolant warning light
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polocoupcl
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Yea check the coolent level, although mine did the same because the headgasket had gone and coolent was coming out the exhaust..not that i wanna scare you at all lol
Last edited by metz on Sun Aug 14, 2005 12:41 am, edited 2 times in total.
lol, well its running fine at the moment, its not getting hot and is idling fine.
Its done 62k so I shouldn't think it would be the headgasket? Although I guess you never know.
I'm going to do a full service on it tomorrow if the weather stays ok - plugs, leads, cap, rotor arm, air filter, oil filter/change, gearbox oil, thermostat and coolant top up - so we'll see how it goes after that.
The exhaust does actually sometimes spit the odd droplet of water out, but I'm pretty convinced thats just condensation, if it was from the engine I think it would be steam rather than water.
Lets hope so anyway!
Its done 62k so I shouldn't think it would be the headgasket? Although I guess you never know.
I'm going to do a full service on it tomorrow if the weather stays ok - plugs, leads, cap, rotor arm, air filter, oil filter/change, gearbox oil, thermostat and coolant top up - so we'll see how it goes after that.
The exhaust does actually sometimes spit the odd droplet of water out, but I'm pretty convinced thats just condensation, if it was from the engine I think it would be steam rather than water.
Lets hope so anyway!
well I topped it up with G12+ this afternoon, and went for a 20 mile drive, the temperature didn't climb above 80deg, and the light didn't blink at me.
I think the coolant was probably slightly low from:
A - where I lost a bit changing the stupid fan switch
B - where it got a bit hot after the stupid brand new fan switch didn't work and it blew a little bit of coolant out of the expansion tank whilst in traffic.
So hopefully now its topped back up it should be ok.
I'm still going to do the service in the morning, but I'll keep the thermostat in stock, I don't want to play around with it when its working fine.
Re: changing the 'fan' (alternator drive) belt - Haynes makes it sound very hard, but it doesn't look it! Its not a particularly difficult job is it?
Ta!
Tom
I think the coolant was probably slightly low from:
A - where I lost a bit changing the stupid fan switch
B - where it got a bit hot after the stupid brand new fan switch didn't work and it blew a little bit of coolant out of the expansion tank whilst in traffic.
So hopefully now its topped back up it should be ok.
I'm still going to do the service in the morning, but I'll keep the thermostat in stock, I don't want to play around with it when its working fine.
Re: changing the 'fan' (alternator drive) belt - Haynes makes it sound very hard, but it doesn't look it! Its not a particularly difficult job is it?
Ta!
Tom
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lord_sharpy
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Tahrey1043
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tell ya what, the AA man who came to help me when mine broke also made it look difficult (struggling underneath the car for a good half hour nearly breaking his fingers stretching it over the pulleys)
but its not, its a piece of cake.
loosen off one, maybe two bolts, rotate the alternator towards the crankshaft pulley, which loosens the belt....... remove, hook new one in place.... pull alternator back out with increasing firmness until the belt is quite taut and do the bolts back up. double check to see there is still a little bit of bend in it (not stretched to the limit, or slipping) and adjust if necessary. done.
but its not, its a piece of cake.
loosen off one, maybe two bolts, rotate the alternator towards the crankshaft pulley, which loosens the belt....... remove, hook new one in place.... pull alternator back out with increasing firmness until the belt is quite taut and do the bolts back up. double check to see there is still a little bit of bend in it (not stretched to the limit, or slipping) and adjust if necessary. done.
well i've done the service this morning, its all good now.
The fan belt took 10 minutes, my alternator has a little type of toothed rack with a pinion - a 23mm spanner on that, and 13mm spanner on the clamp allows you to get perfect tension on the belt.
I've done the gearbox oil too, that was pretty easy, I filled it through the speedo drive, and 3.1 litres took it right up to the level, just right.
It starts and runs better too, its had all new ignition components, and an oil/filter change too.
Its not getting hot since I topped the coolatn up either. Its so smooth when its running now you can hardly tell - just a couple of annoying vibrations from the trim to let you know its idling.
I feel better about the whole car now i've serviced it, I never quite trust a car until I've done some work on it myself.
Tom
The fan belt took 10 minutes, my alternator has a little type of toothed rack with a pinion - a 23mm spanner on that, and 13mm spanner on the clamp allows you to get perfect tension on the belt.
I've done the gearbox oil too, that was pretty easy, I filled it through the speedo drive, and 3.1 litres took it right up to the level, just right.
It starts and runs better too, its had all new ignition components, and an oil/filter change too.
Its not getting hot since I topped the coolatn up either. Its so smooth when its running now you can hardly tell - just a couple of annoying vibrations from the trim to let you know its idling.
I feel better about the whole car now i've serviced it, I never quite trust a car until I've done some work on it myself.
Tom