Coolant warning light flashing

[d9set]

Has anyone else had there coolant light flashing on starting this morning,

I looked in the owners book and apparently the light will flash if coolant is too hot or too cold.

It was -8.0 this morning and the light flashed and the warning buzzer sounded.

After travelling a while the light went off.

Does this damage the car, is there anything you can do to stop this (Apart from moving to warmer climate!)?

Let me know

 

[hornet boy]

Would also like to know this as the same thing has just happened to me.

 

[Pabs]

have a search people- very common fault! Especially in this cold weather.
Mine is being changed next weekend.

 

[hornet boy]

Just did one after posting the above. lol.

 

[bluehaze]

you need to get the cooling tank replaced under warranty, very common problem it is a fault with the sensor in the tank, but you have to replace the whole thing, got mine done no problems since

 

[Pabs]

had mine changed last year, same fault again this year. Seems too common for my liking.....

 

[AKcupraR]

will VAG-COM keep the fault code after the light has gone? (after the car has warmed up)

 

[Pabs]

I assume you mean the ECU (vag-com is just the software ) but from my experience there is NO error logged!

If you look at my previous threads on this, you will see I have been to dealer twice and both times told there is no error/nothing wrong with it. Basically, if you turn the engine off and back on again, or if the engine warms up, you park outside the dealer, and they turn it on to look, the flashing LED doesnt flash! Therefore making ME to look like a t*at....

however, Take your car to dealers, leave engine running, take service man out to your car and point at the flashing light. That way they'll believe you!

 

[bluehaze]

No it is not saved, hence some people on her have had problems proving to difficult stealers that it needs to be done

 

[Pabs]

Don't know how to expain it, but the way I read it is that sensors are always assumed to be working ok, and that the readings they give are right. Therefore the problem is, in this case, that the ecu thinks the coolant being too low/high or wrong temp.

If you get a faulty MAF, most of the time it isnt logged.. you have to take some logs to see that its not working/reading right.

 

[techie]

The warning light can be caused by two things.

A faulty level sensor in the header tank

or

Coolant temp sensor.

The header tank wont give you a fault code as its a very basic system. Two metal prongs as suspended in the bottle. As long as there is water in the bottle current is passed from one prong to the other and the light stays off. The problem is these prongs scale up and the signal gets blocked, especially when cold. New header tank is required or bridge the two wires out for a permanent solution.

For the coolant temp sensor it may log a fault, but quite often doesnt as its still within parameters. Make sure you have the latest four pin green sensor (black is the old type)

 

[Pabs]

thanks for that mate. I was told my sensor was cleaned about 2weeks ago, and admittedly problem disappeared until today, when it reared its ugly head again. I can't be doing with a red-flashing light and a loud beep every morning, and I want it fixed as I only have a month of warranty left on my car

So will have to see what dealer does when it goes in...

 

[vern]

Has anyone else had there coolant light flashing on starting this morning,

I looked in the owners book and apparently the light will flash if coolant is too hot or too cold.

It was -8.0 this morning and the light flashed and the warning buzzer sounded.

After travelling a while the light went off.

Does this damage the car, is there anything you can do to stop this (Apart from moving to warmer climate!)?

Let me know

Dave seen as it's my old car, i'll tell you, clean probes in header tank, and it will be fine, if not get bottle replaced under warranty(comes with 2 probes as plastic welded in........... Happens more when cold as voltage drops......

Btw you already have the latest coolant sensor fitted (green)

 

[Feel]

Vern does it again.

Mine's been beeping, so I tried cleaning the two probes and it's worked. I could've had the bottle replaced under warranty, but that'll be two trips to the dealer plus I figure that it'll only do it again...

 

[Pabs]

lol - cleaning doesnt help for me now - its been cleaned by dealer and it stopped for a week or so - in the very cold weather its started doing it again, so I am getting it replaced for the second time.
Warranty runs out in 2 months anyway, may as well get the best out of it

 

[vern]

Vern does it again.

Mine's been beeping, so I tried cleaning the two probes and it's worked. I could've had the bottle replaced under warranty, but that'll be two trips to the dealer plus I figure that it'll only do it again...

Hehehe Phil result, they scale up and resistance goes up, mucho worse colder it is, as voltage drops, and coolant contracts to a very minute degree

 

[vern]

lol - cleaning doesnt help for me now - its been cleaned by dealer and it stopped for a week or so - in the very cold weather its started doing it again, so I am getting it replaced for the second time.
Warranty runs out in 2 months anyway, may as well get the best out of it

Cause you have the inferior LC Pabs, phils is an R


















I know the coolant bottles are the same........