If you try and open the coolant reservoir or the radiator cap whilst the engine is still hot, you run the risk of allowing hot, pressurised steam to blow out and burn you. It is far more sensible to stop your car and let the engine cool down.īefore you check anything, it’s vitally important that you let the engine cool down for at least thirty minutes first. If you continue to drive, ignoring the warning light, you are submitting your engine to temperatures that could cause permanent damage, resulting in expensive repairs. As we’ve said, the coolant light is telling you that your engine’s temperature is getting too high and this requires your immediate attention. As coolant travels around your engine, there are various places where it can leak from, such as hoses, the water pump or the radiator.įirst and foremost, you should stop your car as soon as it’s safe to do so. These leaks can be a serious problem, as they’re not easily diagnosed and easily fixed. Low coolant levels are usually caused by leaks, either in the reservoir or somewhere in the lines. There may be a floating sensor in your coolant tank that triggers the warning light when the level drops. The most common reason for the coolant light to become illuminated is simply that the coolant level is too low.
What causes the coolant warning light to come on? When this process fails, the engine temperature increases and triggers the coolant warning light. In order to keep your engine from welding itself together, coolant is pumped around the engine.
The side effect of all these explosions is a huge amount of heat.
These explosions move the pistons up and down which, in very simple terms, starts to power your engine.
COOLANT LIGHT ON BUT NOT OVERHEATING SERIES
In order for your car to work, a series of explosions are created in the combustion chamber. Regardless, your check engine light coming on is a sure sign you should have your car checked by a trusted mechanic.If the coolant warning light becomes illuminated on your dashboard as you’re driving along, it’s a certain sign that your engine is overheating. If your car’s computer senses a problem with the signal your sensor is sending, it may trigger the check engine light. Your Check Engine Light is OnĪlongside the signal that your engine is overheating, you may see your check engine light come on if your coolant temperature sensor is failing or has failed. In this case, your car will tell you that your engine is overheating when it actually is not, meaning you’ll likely have a dashboard warning light on and your car may not operate properly. While a failing engine coolant temperature sensor may give a permanent cold signal, it can also malfunction in a way that sends a hot signal when your engine temperature is safe.
COOLANT LIGHT ON BUT NOT OVERHEATING PROFESSIONAL
While a little bit of black smoke won’t render your car undrivable, it is an indication that you should avoid driving your car and instead get it to a professional mechanic for a cooling system repair service. When this happens, you’re likely to notice black smoke coming out of your exhaust because the remaining fuel is being burned off there instead. Black Smoke from Your ExhaustĪlong with the fuel ratio being controlled by the coolant temperature sensor, if there’s too much excess fuel being used, it may not be able to burn off in the combustion chamber. While it could be cooler outside temperatures, it also is likely that the temperature being reported is inaccurate and lower than it actually is. In particular, if your engine doesn’t seem to be warming up as it typically does, you should have a mechanic take a look at your cooling system. If you notice more fluctuation in your engine temperature or it looks higher or lower than usual while you’re driving, it could be the engine coolant temperature sensor. A failing coolant temperature sensor will commonly report a cooler temperature than is accurate. A higher ratio of fuel is used the cooler the engine’s temperature, so if your ECT is reporting a cool temperature when your engine is actually warm or hot, more fuel will be used than necessary. Part of the coolant temperature sensor’s job of accurately reporting your car’s coolant temperature is to ensure the correct mixture of fuel is used.
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