Coolant light flashing!

[allah86]

Hello please can someone help with this mysterious problem...

Had the car (SE, TDI, 110bhp, 2001) for a few weeks now and the other day the coolant light came on flashing accompanied by 3 beeps. I read in the manual that the fluid may be low, but on checking the level, it was above the min line though I topped up anyway and the light went out. All's well, or so I thought.

Today the light has come back on again! The temperature is reading normal at 90.

Any ideas??!!

 

[georgebibizafr]

dodgy coolant level sensor?

 

[allah86]

Are the coolant level and temperature sensor the same thing, or two seperate sensors?

I had just finished a 160 mile drive up the M1 and had no light, then as soon as I turned engine on again 10 mins later the light came on.

 

[LEE69]

Scrape the prongs in the header tank.

 

[Slimy]

I had the same trouble over winter, as Lee says scrape the prongs on the inside of the tank. It's not the same sensor as the temperature one, but it is a PITA sensor that gets crudded up and decides to report low coolant when actually everything is fine.

Unless you actually see your coolant dropping over time, you should be fine.

 

[Murdered LCR]

Replace the black temp sender with a green one problem solved

 

[georgebibizafr]

Are the coolant level and temperature sensor the same thing, or two seperate sensors?

I had just finished a 160 mile drive up the M1 and had no light, then as soon as I turned engine on again 10 mins later the light came on.

I'm fairly sure they use two sensors, the one for the temperature will be in the head somewhere usually near the thermostat. The one in the header tank is the level sensor, and as others have said it becomes corroded up, and they give bad readings, you can try cleaning the old one up, or just get a new one. i wouldn't worry as long the actual coolant level is good. If you can't be bothered, i'm not quite sure how they're wired up on these but on some cars you can connect the wires together and that will turn the warning light off, because some of them work on resistance. But I'm not sure on these.

 

[LEE69]

Are the coolant level and temperature sensor the same thing, or two seperate sensors?

They are seperate the dash one is in the top coolant hose to the right of the head.

 

[allah86]

I am slightly concerned as having checked my coolant level nearly two hours after turning engine off, it is very low but still fairly warm. Last time the light came on I checked the level (again it was very low), then opened the cap and the pressure equalised and the water level went back up to normal. As I said I topped up anyway.

Shouldn't the level be higher when the system is warm??

This is my first car so not familiar with your technical words on here.

 

[Seat Adam]

As the system pressurises the level will drop slightly, then if you remove the cap, it will rise back up.

 

[allah86]

Just taken cap off again and the level has not risen to the right level so this indicates that the fluid is leaking somewhere? The light has come on since my long drive up the M1

 

[basemanuk]

try ya brake fluid aswell

 

[croftyboy_8]

OMG, my car (albeit a mk2 leon) has just been in the dealers all day today due to me having the exact same problem!

Basically i would start the engine and i would get the audible alarm followed by the flashing red light. now, the temp would still settle at 90 degrees but if i would turn the engine off and start her up again the alrm or light would not sound, indicating something to do with a cold temp problem.

I took the car into SEAT and they revealed a technical handout claiming this was a known problem, more common in the ealier mk1's

anyhoo, the dealers found oil in the coolant tank so they replaced the header and parts and flushed the system x3.

i picked the car up this afternoon and drove away ** engine already warm - no alarm **

The strange thing is i got half way home and the alarm started again even thought the engine was warm.

by the time i called the dealers back the mechanics had gone home and wont be back til monday!!

All day in the stealers, same problem!!

 

[revere]

standard sensor problem in Seat's ! You can get the whole coolant bottle replaced for less than £30. I was in my Seat garage the other wk with the same problem and they advised me that they would replace the bottle at my next service in a few months and it's nothing to worry about !

 

[allah86]

Isn't it a problem for me that in a matter of 3 days my coolant level has dropped from well above min line, to well below the min line???

Also, which bit is the header?

 

[revere]

Isn't it a problem for me that in a matter of 3 days my coolant level has dropped from well above min line, to well below the min line???

Also, which bit is the header?

I didn't see the level drop bit in your post. If your loosing fluid I'd get it looked at. The header is the ball shaped cylinder on the left of your engine bay that the fluid is in.