Coolant Over flow bottle woes...

[SolidState]

Bear with me guys...I am new to the gen1/mtx thing..

the 91 has an odd problem. I found teh coolant overflow sensor unplugged and decided to plug it back in. From time to time, the low coolant and low oil light would come on. I unplugged it and neither of them pop on. Is this sensor bad?

Seeing those lights prompted me to check the oil and coolant. Oil was down more than I would like to admit, but the car was sitting for a while and then I drove it pretty hard there one night last week.

Thee coolant was low too, so I topped that up as well. I think I over did it, as there is coolant dripping from the car constantly.

From what I can see, there is a hose that leads from the base of the rad cap to the bottom of the coolant overflow bottle. then, there is a second hose that leads from the top of the overflow bottle to...the ground. Over filling it would cause a drip.

Am I seeing things correctly?

 

[Machspeed]

Did you see the cold fill mark on the inside of the bottle? Its a little thing sticking out. You dont fill the coolant all the way to the top. Ya im pretty sure the other hose is overflow. Plug all your sensors in, keep checking those fluid levels. If they stay normal and your lights go off your good, if they stay normal and your still getting lights you got a problem.

 

[shojuan]

Yes you are seeing things correctly. I leave my coolant sensor unplugged (it's pushed into the socket just a bit where it's snug, but it's not "plugged" in. Looks like it is though hehe ) because it's broken. The old fashioned way of doing things is to manually check the coolant level. In fact, the SHO is the only car I've driven that has a low coolant idiot light. I don't think my dad's 2000 toyota trucks and my mom's lexus has them. If fancy cars don't need them then the SHO needs them not IMHO. Just be a good boy and check the coolant every now and then if you are sure the system is in good shape (because you replaced hoses and radiators and water pumps and seals when they needed it). If you're not sure about the integrity of the cooling system then check it more often.

Ditto with the oil, just check it and ignore those stupid lights if they're bothering you. As long and you make a physical check of those things there is nothing that those stupid lights are going to tell you other than A: you already know what the lights are telling you B: the sensors and/or circuits are more worn out than grandma and what they're telling you is wrong (and you know this because you made a physical check). Yeah, common sense, you already knew this. But sometimes it's good to hear it from another person.

<small>[ November 01, 2003, 01:13 AM: Message edited by: shojuan ]</small>

 

[SolidState]

see, the problem here is both lights came on at teh same time, and bothlights went off at the same time.

They also both disappeared when I unplugged the coolant sensor. Which leads me to believe neither sensor is active anymore. No biggie...

Now, on the other hand, it looks like I might have a rather...large...puddle of coolant under the car this morning.

 

[sdpatt]

The bottle referenced in this topic is actually the coolant expansion bottle and its purpose is to allow for the expansion and contraction of the fluid in the liquid solid cooling system as the temperature rises an falls.

I would clean the metal tabs at the bottom of the coolant level sensor's stalk to see if you can get it working. If not, they are about $25 at Ford and very easy to replace.

After a quick look through the wiring diagrams in my service manual and not finding the coolant level sensor, I am still very curious as to the link between the two sensors. I'd still rather have both working than both not.

 

[SHOZ123]

I don't see anything common with the two sensors or lights. Cell 61-4 under the Instrument Panel subject is the wire diagram. The oil level sender goes through a SS relay more than likely a timing delay relay.

 

[SolidState]

I am at a loss here too, but they are definately related...

both flicker at the same rate, and come on at teh same time, and off at the same time. I'll try replaceing the sensor....