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Have you ever had the coolant light in your vehicle come on when you know that the reservoir is full? Why does that happen? As it turns out, there are a number of reasons why you might see coolant light popping on when it shouldn’t and none of them are very pleasant.
Let’s take a look at the most common reasons so that you’ll understand both why this happens and what you can do about it!
While sometimes it might seem like the coolant light is just going out of its way to irritate you, it’s doing that for a reason and it’s not something that you want to ignore. Below we’ve listed the 4 most common reasons why this may occur.
The coolant system in your car is pressurized, so when there’s a leak in that system, then the pressure inside is going to change. Even a small leak can sometimes trigger that light to come on, but luckily this is often easy to check – just look under your vehicle.
Sometimes it’s not leaking enough to drip, but you may smell burning coolant – it’s a little bit sweet and sour – and if you do, then you want to get your vehicle checked out right away. Leaks can quickly get worse and you don’t want that to happen!
Your vehicle’s coolant sensor can sometimes malfunction when you’ve had the vehicle for a while or even sooner if there’s a loose or faulty connection. When this happens, many vehicles will no longer pass an emission test, and this can also affect the overall mileage you’re getting after filling up at the pump.
Thankfully, sometimes all it takes is a visual confirmation of the state of the sensor and its connections, but you’ll need to get it into an expert if you are not mechanically inclined.
It doesn’t always have to be a problem with the sensor – thermostats can and do go out from time to time. If you’ve just had the thermostat replaced, then it may not have a compatible temperature range for your vehicle.
Sometimes they can get stuck in an ‘open’ position as well, so that the readings are going to be abnormal and that coolant light is trying to warn you about it. A good mechanic who knows your vehicle’s make and model should be able to check for this and fix it in record time… just don’t put it off or things can quickly get worse!
Dripping coolant or the scent of burning coolant isn’t always a small leak – sometimes it can be something major like a cracked block or your intake gasket. The coolant light isn’t going to know the difference, only that things are getting hot in your engine and that it needs to be cooled down.
Your best defense against scenarios like this is going to be regular preventative maintenance, so that fluids are getting topped off and replaced, components are getting inspected, and little problems can be spotted before they become big ones.
What’s more, a mechanic who knows your make and model can help you to set up a maintenance schedule that is custom fit for your specific vehicle.
While the maintenance guides give you good general info on how frequently the vehicle should be serviced, a lot of times this can be fairly ‘general’ in comparison to what it really needs.
At Huron Automotive, we know that a preventative maintenance schedule needs to be tailored to both the vehicle and its owner. While some owners may store their vehicle away most of the time, others like to enjoy their investment and spend quite a lot of time on the road, and this is something that should be factored in to any regular maintenance schedule.
Air filters, alternator repair, belts and hoses… we do it all and our service comes with little perks like free wifi while you wait, 24-hour drop-off, and even complimentary loaner vehicles and shuttle services for our customers so that your vehicle’s maintenance doesn’t slow you down.
Come in or give us a call and we’d be happy to tell you more – At Huron Automotive, we look forward to earning and keeping your business!
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