This morning when I was leaving the house, I got to the end of my neighborhood, and the LOW COOLANT light came up on the dash. I was already running late, so I didn't really think to much of it when I cleared the message. In hindsight, I probably should have gone back and looked to see if there was any leakage, but I don't remember seeing any when I backed out of the garage.

Anyway, I didn't really think about it until after I left school, when I noticed that the temperature was up to 215, when its normally right around 190-195. There also didn't seem to be any leakage when I left the parking lot. I drove it again a little while later to the gym, and it ran at about the same 215. And these are both very short drives of 2-3 miles, mind you.

So my question is, what is the best course of action to take? I couldn't check the levels, because it is still fairly warm. What should I do tomorrow? Not drive it? Is it okay, for the 2-3 miles that I drive each way? Or is this something that needs to be taken care of immediately?

 

Look for a cracked nipple; the nipple on the coolant resevoir tends to crack.

 

Fairly simple my dear Watson, get out the car and check your coolant level. Obviously you seem to be a drive and park type. Vehicles do need periodic checking of the various fluids that keep it running and in shape.

The time it took you to log onto your computer and into the forum and post, you could have checked your car. There is a hot and cold level on the coolant tank.................................... .....

This post is rated-----UE--------- USER ERROR

 

215 is not hot. It is still in the normal range. I would not have just pressed a reset button on a low coolant message though, unless you do not mind spending a boat load of money on repairs just because you are in a hurry. A message like that would get me to pull over and look into the problem.

You do not have to remove the tank cap to see if the tank is low or not. It is transparent.
Even if you do not see a leak, you must have a small one somewhere.

 

I have a 98 and it was doing the same thing. The problem was a bad sensor.

 

I would have checked the fluid if it wasn't hot... Because theres only a full cold mark right? Anyways, thanks for the responses. I checked the level today while it was cold, and it is just ever so slight low, maybe a 1/4 inch at the most? Maybe the light just came on because it was only 38 degrees yesterday morning, and the stuff expands with heat, right?
What I'll probably do is just top it off, and then watch it over the next couple weeks from there.

 

If everything else checks out, you just might have a low coolant sensor about to die on you.

 

 

It looks like you don't like to get dirty, do yourself and the car a favor, get under the hood and familiarize yourself with the various things that are under there, oil dipstick, brake fluid, window washer fluid dispenser, ETC. Then either read your manual or get a copy if you have none. Sit in the car and check the DIC, see what it does and read the forum.

This is not to be funny, but basic good advise. It will save you lots of headaches and trips to the dealer.

If you don't or won't take the time to know your car then it will empty your pockets of money, because you will be paying out the nose and a premium to other people to fix simple things and check your car.

 

part of the fun of owning one of these cars is to work on them and understand how they work. if you dont do this you are missing a big piece of the smile factor. open the hood immediately and look around. vehicles will not run without gas, oil, and water.