#Low coolant level warning light how to#
#Low coolant level warning light drivers#
#Low coolant level warning light manual#

When your coolant gets low, some glaring symptoms come up and cannot be overlooked. If this occurs, you might observe smoke coming from the engine or exhaust, a reduction of power, engine banging noises, or lower efficiency. Low coolant can occasionally trigger a blown head gasket on your engine block. If your car doesn’t have a cut-off feature and you keep driving, your engine could suffer severe damage. When this occurs, until your engine has cooled off, you won’t be able to drive. When the engine stops, this is meant to prevent more damage if your engine overheats from a lack of coolant. Continuous operation of an overheated engine may result in permanent damage. Low coolant levels could cause the engine to overheat or stop working. OverheatingĬoolant helps in removing heat from the engine. Here are some things that can happen if you drive with low coolant. Effects of low coolant in a carĭriving with low coolant can damage certain parts of your vehicle, which could require major repairs.

#Low coolant level warning light how to#

This article will look at symptoms of low coolant, its effect, causes, and how to fix this problem. Due to this, maintaining the proper coolant temperature is crucial to avoid freezing or evaporating in hot weather. Heat can only be efficiently transported when a liquid is present in the system. If this happens, you may notice smoke from the engine or tailpipe, a loss of power, engine knocking sounds, or decreased efficiency. Low coolant can sometimes cause a head gasket on your engine block to blow. Coolant plays a crucial role in maintaining the engine’s moving parts. The function of coolant is to transport heat and guard against freezing or boiling, which can damage engines.

#Low coolant level warning light drivers#

If you are not able to fix the car yourself, call your breakdown provider and the experts at Eden will be able to diagnose the problem easily.Every car requires coolant, and a sign on the dashboard usually warns drivers of low coolant levels. It’s important that you don’t open the cap while the engine is hot, or you risk being burned by the escaping coolant. If the level looks OK, it may be a sensor which is at fault. There will be maximum and minimum markings on the side. It’s important that you don’t get it confused with the brake fluid reservoir – the coolant tank is generally going to be bigger and should have symbols and warnings on it to help guide you. If there is no sign of a leak, have a look at the coolant tank – it will usually have a bright yellow cap and a picture of the radiator. You might be able to see, hear of even smell this when you open the bonnet. The light could be caused by several factors, but the most likely is either a loss of coolant or a fault with the sensor.Ī coolant loss could be caused by a leak somewhere in the system, such as a split hose or a hole in the radiator. What causes the engine coolant warning light to come on? Then you can do some basic checks yourself or call for help. If the coolant level is low or there is another problem with your cooling system, you could cause serious damage by continuing to drive. If the light is red, you should pull over as soon as it is safe to do so and switch off the engine. Is it safe to keep driving if my engine coolant light comes on? If you are not confident to do this yourself, then call your breakdown provider for help. In any of these cases you should pull over as soon as it is safe to do so and check the level of the coolant manually. The light may also show amber, which means the coolant level is low, or red, which means it is below the minimum or the car is overheating. When it shows, it is good practice not to put the engine under too much strain as the oil will not be able to offer the maximum protection and you may use more fuel. This is nothing to worry about – it merely shows the engine is warming up and is not yet at its ideal working temperature. Some cars and vans which do not have a separate engine temperature gauge will show the symbol lit up in blue when the car is cold. Generally, it will look like a thermometer floating in water, or possibly like a radiator. Most cars will also flash up all of the warning lights briefly when you turn on the ignition as part of a test cycle, so you may be able to spot it then too.

#Low coolant level warning light manual#

Individual car manufacturers will use different symbols for the coolant warning light, so it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the car’s manual or ask a member of Eden’s staff to show you when you take delivery of your new car or are next in for a service. What does the engine coolant warning light mean?