View Full Version : Newbie!
Spade
09-03-2003, 03:05 PM
Hello, all! I just bought a Cougar about a week and a half ago...'99, V6, silver, very stock. I love it! I just took it on its first beach trip to South Carolina this past weekend, and it ran great. Now if only I could get the low coolant light to stop bugging me (yes, the coolant tank is full!)...
Welcome :wave:
I'm not from Captial, but I saw your question about the low coolant light..
On your coolant tank, the line that says "max" should actually read minimum line.
Congrats on your new car!! :biggrin: Hope to meet you at a meet one day - Capital and Maryland NECO sometimes get together. :)
Welcome- I'm Dan G., the mod of the Capital chapter. I'm out in Gainesville, VA. My Cougar is heavily modified (see sig)... Tigg is right on the coolant tank- You should fill it about 1/2" - 3/4" above "max". They put the sensor in a bad place.
I'm going to try to orchestrate a meet here soon, so stay tuned!
tnkgurl
09-04-2003, 10:43 AM
Welcome, newbie! Where are you from?
Spade
09-04-2003, 02:58 PM
Thanks for the welcome, everybody, and thanks for your help! So to answer tnkgurl's question, I'm from Reston.
Keep me posted...I look forward to meeting y'all sometime!
skater
09-05-2003, 10:39 AM
Originally posted by: Spade: Now if only I could get the low coolant light to stop bugging me (yes, the coolant tank is full!)...
I've had that problem twice. I'm hoping the third coolant tank on my car is the charm...
The first time was a bad sensor; the dealer replaced the coolant tank.
The second time was due to the tank actually developing a leak, despite the fact that the level always seemed fine. Again, I had the tank replaced (my dime this time; it was about $250). At least, they told me it was a leak, but I never added any coolant nor saw any leaks.
--RJ
Methinks you got ripped... A leak would have been apparent- You'd smell it (kinda smells like syrup), and you'd see it. Kinda hard to miss orange coolant on the ground!
Spade
09-05-2003, 03:00 PM
Yeah, I love the special orange coolant. Is there any other place to get it beside the dealer? I mean, I don't mind going to Ted Britt's parts counter to get it, but still...
I think you can get Dex-cool in standard autoparts stores now. Advance? Pep Boys? Ffx auto parts would have it if anyone does...
skater
09-08-2003, 10:34 PM
Originally posted by: DanG
Methinks you got ripped... A leak would have been apparent- You'd smell it (kinda smells like syrup), and you'd see it. Kinda hard to miss orange coolant on the ground!
But then why would that fix the problem? It's filled to the same place..."max". I figure the problem was that only a bit had leaked out, so when the engine was cold, the level was just low enough to trip the sensor. If I warmed up the car, then shut it off and restarted it, the light would clear. It may have been one of those situations that it only leaked under pressure, when the engine was warm, so I might not have noticed it. Also, the fact that I park on a slope, with the coolant trying to run away from the sensor, ensured that most of the time the light would be on when I started the car.
My Cavalier's cooling system also developed a leak, but it was so slight I never noticed, except for the occasional low coolant light. It turned out to be the heater core, as I found out when it started dripping coolant all over the pavement one day! In that case, again, the level looked fine but there actually was a problem. Maybe I should start paying attention to the idiot lights!
As for the error on the coolant tank: after the first coolant tank in my car developed problems, the dealer replaced it with an updated design that fixed that error. So, don't just go pouring extra coolant if you're not sure you don't have the factory coolant reservoir.
I just wish I could find a shop that I can trust. Anyone have any suggestions in the Alexandria area? I live just south of the beltway and would like to find something convenient.
--RJ :)
tnkgurl
09-09-2003, 11:15 AM
I use Automotive Machine Repair in Sterling. I would trust them with my life and they have Saturday hours. I also trust my dealership, Brown's Lincoln Mercury, but I'm sure they are expensive.
I have the "redesigned" tank, and I would still get the "low coolant" light. That's why I fill to about 1/2" to 3/4" above "max". I did the same thing when I put in the hybrid. I've not had a light since I started this practice. There are no adverse effects, since the whole thing is just a holding tank for extra coolant when there is higher flow demand.
When the engine's cold, the level will be lower. When it's hot, it will be higher due to expansion of the fluid.
gamiller
09-10-2003, 05:25 PM
Originally posted by: Spade
Thanks for the welcome, everybody, and thanks for your help! So to answer tnkgurl's question, I'm from Reston.
Keep me posted...I look forward to meeting y'all sometime!
Reston represent! :cool: