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EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash 

 

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 Post subject: EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 5:13 pm 
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eventhough there is fluid in the radiator. Auto electrician could not find problem after three hours. Then I went to Ebay where I located a coolant sensor for sale for $44 new. Anyone know where abouts in the EL engine this sensor is located. It is apparently not under the plastic radiator. Also do you reckon this could be the cause of the flashing red light in the dash.
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 Post subject: Re: EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 5:23 pm 
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Coolant sensor is in the side of the header tank.
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 Post subject: Re: EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 5:31 pm 
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Thanks SWC. Excuse my ignorance but where is the header tank?
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 Post subject: Re: EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 6:02 pm 
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mrEL wrote:
Thanks SWC. Excuse my ignorance but where is the header tank?
That's ok, not everyone is mechanically minded...
It's the clear (well, often a murky opaque) plastic tank on the L hand side of the engine bay. Basically where you top up and check the coolant level, the low level sensor is what you will see screwed into the side of the tank with the wires running from it.

 

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 Post subject: Re: EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 6:06 pm 
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Unless its a coolant temp sensor you have purchased, in that case, wrong sensor. You are better off buying a complete header tank with coolant level sensor already inserted.

 

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 Post subject: Re: EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 6:45 pm 
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dc_todd wrote:
Unless its a coolant temp sensor you have purchased, in that case, wrong sensor. You are better off buying a complete header tank with coolant level sensor already inserted.

Good point... However, you said you've already purchased the sensor.
Anyway, for the sake of comparison.. the coolant temp sensor is the one on the lower half of the thermostat housing (alloy roundish looking thing on the front R hand side of the engine that the top radiator hose comes off, temp sensor is directly below the hose)

 

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 Post subject: Re: EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 8:26 pm 
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Esteven8 wrote:
mrEL wrote:
Thanks SWC. Excuse my ignorance but where is the header tank?
That's ok, not everyone is mechanically minded...
It's the clear (well, often a murky opaque) plastic tank on the L hand side of the engine bay. Basically where you top up and check the coolant level, the low level sensor is what you will see screwed into the side of the tank with the wires running from it.


Funny, my header tank is on the right hand side of the car.
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 Post subject: Re: EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 8:47 pm 
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SWC wrote:
Esteven8 wrote:
mrEL wrote:
Thanks SWC. Excuse my ignorance but where is the header tank?
That's ok, not everyone is mechanically minded...
It's the clear (well, often a murky opaque) plastic tank on the L hand side of the engine bay. Basically where you top up and check the coolant level, the low level sensor is what you will see screwed into the side of the tank with the wires running from it.


Funny, my header tank is on the right hand side of the car.

It's on the left looking at it from the front of the car, ie as you would with the bonnet up. I should have clarified in my original post. :)

 

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 Post subject: Re: EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 9:03 pm 
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Thanks SWC and Esteven8. I took the header tank off its housing but could not see any wires connected to the header tank. This may be the problem. When they put a new head gasket on, maybe they left the wires off the header tank accidentally. But there seems to be no place for wires to be connected. Maybe as Esteven8 says the wires are inside the tank somewhere and it is better to get a new header tank. I did spot the coolant temperature sensor below the hose from the header tank. You guys have been super helpful. Thank-you. My first foray into a forum. Somehow I got from Ebay to here. Unbelievable to get free help from guys who are hundreds of miles apart so quickly so easily and so generously. Thanks again.
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 Post subject: Re: EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 9:15 pm 
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If you have a base model or one with no trip computer, you wont have a sensor in the header tank.
The one on the header tank is a water level sensor and the one on the engine is a temperature sensor. The one in the header is a float that looks like a plastic duck bill.
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 Post subject: Re: EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 10:14 pm 
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nalane wrote:
If you have a base model or one with no trip computer, you wont have a sensor in the header tank.
The one on the header tank is a water level sensor and the one on the engine is a temperature sensor. The one in the header is a float that looks like a plastic duck bill.

This is correct. The following is what I found on e-bay, hopefully the pictures do a better job of explaining the differences between them than my vague descriptions. :)

This is the base (GLi) model header tank. The round plastic bit below and to the left of the metal part is where the sensor screws in on some Futura and all XR/Fairmont/Fairlane models.
This is the other type (Some Futura / all XR/Fairmont/Fairlane) with the hole for the sensor. You can't use this tank without this sensor as the sensor screws into the hole thus sealing it on the up spec tank.

 

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 Post subject: Re: EL engine coolant level sensor keeps flashing in the dash
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 11:21 pm 
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also if you have changed the cluster from a mid level car to a base model EL without the coolant sensor, the lamp will flash as there is no return signal going to it.
you either add the sensor and complete the circuit or remove the globe.

 

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