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Low coolant light frustration

S

Seafire XV

CEG'er
Joined
Jan 2, 2007
Messages
86
Location
Danville, Calif.
How the heck do I get the low coolant light to shut off? I replaced the plastic header tank in september
due to a leak, and the idiot light won't turn off!! I tried draining the tank and refilling it a couple of times
but the light has stayed on. Rather agrivating. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Some time the built in floater is faulty in turns leaves your coolant light on, I dealt with that for about a year until I bought a used one from a salvage yard.
 
Pretty much like Rex said. Over fill it a little. If then it stays on maybe the float is stuck. If need be let me know I have a very clean tank for sale.
 
I usually fill the tank to overflow, so it should be enough to trigger the low coolant light, and I am pretty sure that the fluid sensor is plugged in correctly.
I had to purchase a used tank from a junk yard as new ones are no longer available from Ford. I tried swapping the sensors from the two tanks, so it
sounds like it is probably a stuck float. Thanks for all your help, guys.
 
Seafire XV said:
I usually fill the tank to overflow, so it should be enough to trigger the low coolant light, and I am pretty sure that the fluid sensor is plugged in correctly.
I had to purchase a used tank from a junk yard as new ones are no longer available from Ford. I tried swapping the sensors from the two tanks, so it
sounds like it is probably a stuck float. Thanks for all your help, guys.
Click to expand...

i can still get brand new oem coolant tanks.
 
The low coolant sensor on the V6 cars is hyper-sensitive even when it's working right. Sometimes if the reservoir is full warm, the light will come on at startup if the car is parked outside on a cold night. Mine will light if I park on our steeply sloped driveway for a few minutes, because the coolant runs away from the sensor, which is on the front of the reservoir. There's a time delay circuit built into the dash lamp so it doesn't nuisance light from normal sloshing in the reservoir, so even if you correct the low coolant situation, it may take a few moments for the light to go out.

FWIW, Team Ford parts has new reservoirs (Build date 10/97 and up) for $91, search F8RZ-8A080-FD at http://www.teamfordparts.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=214270
This has got to be better than some junkyard dog reservoir that's about to crack anyway, and has had God-knows-what in it for the past 14 years.

I think that from 99-up, 6 and 4 cylinder used the same reservoir?
 
I had that kinda problem for a while. I added some more coolant. Problem solved! :laugh:
 
What gmorrell said. Parking on slopes and esp in the cold here in pa, I consistently get the dummy light. It's been happening all the time right now with this near zero weather until the engine warms up. If I park down hill or let it warm up I have no such problems. And yes the tank is filled properly lol.
 
Beans said:
No 4cyl different.
Click to expand...

That is correct. The post 98 Zetec tank is alot bigger then the Duratec.

Also the pre-98 tanks look the same but they are different. The first noticable different is having one versus 2 small hose connections at the top front of the tank. The Duratec has two, the zetec one.

Also the Zetec tanks do not have floats as they do not have a low coolant light.
 
Thanks gmorrell
I will go ahead and order a new tank. I thougt that I had looked everywhere for one of these. I should have come here first! I never realized that these things were so touchy. I have never had a problem with it before since I always park in my garage, which is level, and as I live in California it never gets very cold.
Again, thanks for everyones help. This is a great site!
 
A junkyard tank could easily corrode the two contacts together to not ever work right if it was empty when you found it as most are. That switch makes a yard tank unreliable anyway. You want a new part if you want it guaranteed to work right.

My tank broke the single nozzle off as well as cracked at seam, I plastic welded the seam and replaced the nozzle with of all things an air stem for a tire and tank has been working fine for several years like that. Ninety bucks is where you find it................
 
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