Funny Light On Dashboard

[dt_ 7]

Hi all, got an odd one, a small red light in the bottom right hand corner of my base-level 205 dash, it's only come on this morning and looks a bit like a cheeseburger.

 

I've read up about it and it would appear that it's a low coolant warning light; I have a leaky radiator and the car needs frequent top ups, and have at one point run the coolant so low that the 'stop' light has come on (at which point I immediately pulled over and topped her up) but there was no sign of this random red light during that episode. Have topped up water levels to max and the light still remains on. However it is quite dimly lit.

 

Is this likely to be a famous French electrical fault or is in fact because the antifreeze:water ratio has been diluted by me topping up with water and it is a sensor that can detect this?

 

Any help would be appreciated, the car is running perfectly and the leak hasn't got any worse, cheers

[Anthony 1,003]

The low coolant sensors are notoriously unreliable. Still available new, but not particularly cheap - £30-40 odd from memory.

 

All the base model (other than TD's IIRC) use the same type of sensor as Phase 1/1.5 GTi's do, and they can "stick" - sounds like yours stuck in the high coolant position for a while, and eventually moved, only to now be stuck in the low coolant position.

 

Assuming it's not a diesel, you are filling the radiator and not just the expansion tank, aren't you? If the coolant level gets low enough, merely filling the expansion tank won't actually fill the cooling system properly, and the warning light could be telling the truth.

 

On a diesel the sensor is located in the top of the expansion tank, and on TU's it's in the top of the radiator - 3 pin plug (with only two wires). Unplug it and the light should go out.

[dt_ 7]

Cheers for the reply, it's a 1.6 xu automatic, it's quite a high spec one but has a base level dash. I had no idea that you had to fill the radiator aswell as the expansion tank. Got me wondering where the water going into the expansion tank is going...

Edited June 3, 2013 by dt_

[dt_ 7]

Seriously, I've had the car a good 9 months with a dodgy rad and never once topped it up, had no idea you had to top it up aswell as the expansion tank, is that right? It's not in the manual or anything

[dcc 855]

it should circulate, but not sure on the set up of the auto rad if it has the overflow return like the gti.

[dt_ 7]

Cheers, that leads on to my next question- is the rad the same as a 1.6 gti? Autos breaking seem a bit thin on the ground

[ade 4wd 11]

The auto rad is different to a GTI rad. The low water level sensor screws into the top of the rad on an auto.

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

The auto rad is different to a GTI rad. The low water level sensor screws into the top of the rad on an auto.

Bleeding / filling is also done by the same method as the TU engine with the expansion tank lifted high enough to be suspended from the bonnet, at least thats how it was done on my mums old 1.6 auto Mardi Gras.

 

As said, the level sensor is in the top r/h of the radiator.

 

g

[dt_ 7]

Cheers for all the responses. Just had a look in the engine bay, topped up expansion tank to max level and the light is still on, but dimly. To the guy who said fill the radiator, just had a look at the top of it and there is a sort of filler cap there but stamped on it is 'danger, never open!' Will take off crossmember and have a look at the level sensor later today

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

To the guy who said fill the radiator, just had a look at the top of it and there is a sort of filler cap there but stamped on it is 'danger, never open!' Will take off crossmember and have a look at the level sensor later today

It's at the opposite side to this cap(drivers side).

 

 

g

[dt_ 7]

It has stopped doing it for the meantime, but when I said dimly lit I really meant it- is only just visible at night or if you cover the dashboard with your hands. Found the sensor- thought I was going to snap it with a mole wrench so left it put. The wiring was ok. Wonder why the message on the cap on the other side of the rad was so extreme? Needless to say I tried to open it anyway but it just seemed to spin with whatever it was attached to