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Is there a way to bypass or turn off the "add coolant" light on the dash? I added an aluminum radiator and that sensor doesn't work with it. Did a search and nothing came up but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has this issue.
Oh, it's on my '85 if that info is needed. Thanks for the help!
I believe that sensor works by losing ground as the probe is exposed due to low coolant levels. Try grounding the sensor and/or wire. If all else fails, you can always go the tried and true shade tree mechanic route ... remove the bulb for the light.
You can still use the coolant level sensor by extending the wire and relocating it to the bottom of the overflow bottle. This ensures that you always have adequate coolant in the overflow so that it fan be drawn back into the radiator when it all cools down. You need to ground the overflow tank, too. I used a coat hanger wire, sanded to bare metal and then bent to fit down into the overflow bottle and screwed to one of the 12mm bolts holding the front valance in place in front of the radiator.
It might seem field expedient, but it works well. Keeping coolant in the engine and radiator is critical to avoid overheating in the Sonoran Desert where temps in the summer are over 115-118F. If you live in Alaska, it might not matter,
I believe that sensor works by losing ground as the probe is exposed due to low coolant levels. Try grounding the sensor and/or wire. If all else fails, you can always go the tried and true shade tree mechanic route ... remove the bulb for the light.
Grounding the wire sounds easier and I'd rather not remove the cluster/bulb but thanks for the suggestions!
Originally Posted by peejay
Yep, ground the wire to make the warning stop.
The light isn't as bothersome as the LOUD SCREECHING WARNING NOISE
The warning sound is the same sound we hear when we redline correct? I know what you mean about that warning buzzer, it's annoying!
Originally Posted by LongDuck
You can still use the coolant level sensor by extending the wire and relocating it to the bottom of the overflow bottle. This ensures that you always have adequate coolant in the overflow so that it fan be drawn back into the radiator when it all cools down. You need to ground the overflow tank, too. I used a coat hanger wire, sanded to bare metal and then bent to fit down into the overflow bottle and screwed to one of the 12mm bolts holding the front valance in place in front of the radiator.
It might seem field expedient, but it works well. Keeping coolant in the engine and radiator is critical to avoid overheating in the Sonoran Desert where temps in the summer are over 115-118F. If you live in Alaska, it might not matter,
(I had just got my peripheral port put back in with EFI instead of a carburetor... literally hadn't had time to get the engine tuned any better than "idle and light throttle" so it was a bit stumbly for accel enrichment... and then the low coolant sensor failed)
(I had just got my peripheral port put back in with EFI instead of a carburetor... literally hadn't had time to get the engine tuned any better than "idle and light throttle" so it was a bit stumbly for accel enrichment... and then the low coolant sensor failed)
I must be getting the sound I'm thinking of confused with another car. I thought its more annoying than that.
As mentioned, the white wire is the extension of the Coolant Level Sensor that used to mount to the top of the Radiator. The sensor is intact and just dropped into the bottom of the overflow bottle. The white coat hanger wire gets sanded to bare metal and bent to mount at the shroud 12mm bolt, bent to fit into the hole drilled in the bottle cap, and extends down to about 1/2 The depth of the Coolant reservoir. The way this works then is that as long as the sensor is in coolant, it will be grounded by the coat hanger wire in the Coolant, and the warning buzzer and dash light will not sound/light. If your coolant gets low in the overflow bottle, below the end of the coat hanger wire end, it's no longer grounded and the buzzer and dash light will sound/light - warning you to add coolant to the overflow bottle. Obviously, this system requires a proper functioning Radiator Cap and working overflow coolant hoses to the overflow bottle.
*Also, there's no need to quote every post; all that does is make scrolling past duplicate images and text annoying...
The light isn't as bothersome as the LOUD SCREECHING WARNING NOISE
Peejay: So grounding the sensor on top of radiator makes the loud "low coolant" beep go away too? I just want to make sure here. Is there a way to have the warning light work without the awful beep noise?
On my SE, as soon as the add/low coolant light comes on, the beeper goes off. So annoying. The light coming on is enough for me.......don't need the annoying beep too.
Search on "Oscillator" - its the relay behind the battery box that turns on the buzzer. Due to placement and battery acid, most were destroyed early on, so having a working light and buzzer might be more original than bypassing it...
Its my understanding that it acts as a time delay. Meaning, the light won't come on momentarily, it has to be open circuit for a small period of time before the light will come on.
I think mine is bad/bypassed because when my coolant is low, the light will come on slowly while in a corner then slowly go out again.
Slowly on then off reminds me of the fuel light, turns on when going around a corner or taking turns, but off when driving straight. Still functions it's just not triggering the sender level enough.
Search on "Oscillator" - its the relay behind the battery box that turns on the buzzer. Due to placement and battery acid, most were destroyed early on, so having a working light and buzzer might be more original than bypassing it...
