Does anybody have any idea what could be wrong? The low coolant light comes on and stays on pretty much all the time. But, there is plenty of coolant. In addition the tempature gauge takes a few minutes to register. I am thinking a bad sensor or maybe dirty.... I don't know.... Any Ideas would be helpful.
2007-10-13 04:50:05 · 6 answers · asked by The Enlightened One 4 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Chevrolet
sorry guys you are all wrong. The coolant level sensor is in the radiator on the passenger side tank about 10 inches down from the cap. its probably covered with deposits from old coolant. You will need to drain the system, replace the sensor (sometimes easier to get to if you remove the passenger side headlamp capsule), and thoroughly flush and fill the sytem. Dont cap the radiator until the thermostat is open and you have "burped" all the air from the system.do that first before you get caught upn in wrrying about the temp guage. There may still be a problem, but fix the obvious first.
2007-10-13 07:30:47 · answer #1 · answered by phinfan542002 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The temperature gauge sensor and the low coolant sensor are separate items.
The gauge sensor converts the temperature of the coolant to a resistance value and the gauge reads the resulting voltage. It is normal for a temperature gauge to take a few minutes to register, so unless what you are seeing is not the normal behavior for an Impala, the gauge may be fine. Otherwise you are looking at a bad sensor or gauge.
The low coolant sensor is usually a set of contacts that close when a float in the coolant recovery tank reaches a low level. Check the coolant recovery tank and see if such a setup exists. You will see a wiring connector on the recovery tank. Pulling that connector will make the coolant light go off. Reconnect it once you have verified that you have found the correct sensor. The float may have stuck in the down position. The float and sensor in your car is an all-in-one, so you won't see an actual float, just a sensor. Usually, if you tap the sensor a few times you can dislodge a stuck float. Try progressively harder taps to see if you can dislodge the float.
For this and other problems, get a Haynes manual for your car. For a mere $17 at most parts stores, a Haynes manual will give you a lot of model specific information and wiring diagrams that will give you what you need to diagnose problems.
You can also get help from other Impala owners at model specific forums like
http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/chevrolet-impala
http://www.impalassforum.com/vBulletin/
http://www.impalas.net/forums/
2007-10-13 05:15:25 · answer #2 · answered by AldoAnswers 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The temperature sensor is in the cylinder head and will show hot if the coolant level is low. This will also occur if there is an air bubble trapped in the head.
The coolant level sensor is inside the plastic bottle or overflow bottle if you have the older better designed systems. The newer systems where the plastic bottle is under high pressure when the system is hot is another American car industry kick in the groin as these bottles will frequently split their seam and let the pressure out and then the coolant boils in the heads and you get air in the system and false reading on temperature and so on.
When the coolant boils in the heads it can lead to a warped head and leaky head gasket.
Might pop the hood (engine cold) and start it up and watch to see if the coolant rises or stays at the same level in the bottle. If it rises to the top of the cap in just a few minutes then this is an indication of a leaking plastic bottle or a leaking head gasket. Hope this helps. The seam can leak on the bottle and not lose coolant. Just the air escapes and the coolant rises rapidly to the top of the bottle. If it does not rise rapidly then remove the cap and see if it boils up and overflows. This would be a leaking head gasket/warped cylinder head.
Good Luck!
2007-10-13 06:41:44 · answer #3 · answered by CactiJoe 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
02 Chevy Impala
2016-12-12 18:28:52 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sometime to coolant level sensor will stick, try tapping the surge tank with a rubber mallet or dead blow hammer, the gage not reading right away is normal if the car was cold when started, if the car is warm and it takes some time to come up, you may have a temp sensor going out
2007-10-13 04:56:05 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
02 Impala
2016-10-05 03:47:58 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋