Track this topic | Email this topic | Print this topic

As some of you know, I haven't actually owned a car until this past year, so some things are a little new on me.

There's a meter on the right side of the dash... I think it's called coolant temp? There's a picture of a thermometre over what looks to be water, anyway. Well, it's going from the C closer to the middle (it's about a quarter to the middle). On the other side is H. I sometimes get an icon that flashes, above it, with the thermometre picture.

I'm certain this means that I'm supposed to do SOMETHING, but I don't know what. I'm asking here first because I don't want to go to a garage and say "well the thingy is flashing and I don't know what it means...".

--------------------

I had an old signature. Now I've changed it.

im pretty sure it means that you need to put some water in your radiator. it means your car is starting to overheat if it gets close to the H. anywhere in the middle is pretty good. after you shut the car off, you should wait awhile before you put the water in tho. tomorrow morning would be a nice time to do it. after you put some water into the radiator, the little meter should stabalize and the light should turn off......if your radiator seems to have plenty of water, maybe theres sumthin wrong with the lil icon? hope i helped!

--------------------

"The answer is, of course, that it would be best to be both loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to choose will find greater security in being feared than in being loved."
- Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

But don't mix water with coolant. If there's coolant in the car (a green liquid) you should only put coolant in. Mixing the two would not bode well, as I recall.

--------------------

Games on the Go
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy: Four Warriors of Light
Baldur's Gate

Too much to play, so little time!

Greg

A gradual rise toward the middle is consistent with driving, if you're watching it rise from the bottom (when you first start the car) to when you've been driving a few minutes. When the weather is warm, the needle will get to the middle more quickly as the engine doesn't have to warm up as much.

What you should watch for is if the needle continues to rise toward the top extreme of the meter as you drive. Generally it will stabilize somewhere just above the middle, but if it keeps going up, you definitely have a problem.

Definitely check the coolant level, and also follow Perigryn's instructions. In fact, if you find water in there, have a mechanic flush the coolant system entirely and replace all the water with specialized coolant. Water will do the job in many conditions, but with winter coming up you're going to want to have a proper antifreeze/coolant in there anyway.

If the needle does not continue climbing toward the high end of the meter, that blinking light is probably indicitive of a sensor going bad in the car. That's a less high-priority fix, but you can tell the mechanic that you need to have that sensor checked out - even if it's bad, you might not have to swap it out right away if you're comfortable watching the gauge yourself.

--------------------

"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

Actually guys, you aren't supposed to put pure antifreeze in there. Antifreeze is meant to be mixed with water to change the Boiling Point and Freezing point of the water itself. It's actually bad for your engine to have pure antifreeze as your coolant, it corrodes the engine more and actually isn't as effective as the mix. Most coolants call for a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water to be most effective.

They do sell some antifreeze that is prediluted, but I certainly wouldn't go running off to flush your engine because you find water in your coolant tank...it's supposed to be there.

As for your original question. Do you know what the icon resembles? R51 is right about what you should see the meter do during the normal course of driving your car.

But the best answer to your question is probably to check the manual. Hopefully the previous owner left it right there in glove compartment. It should tell you exactly what the lights on your dash mean.

This post has been edited by The Ancient on 19th October 2005 20:20

--------------------

"That Light has bestowed upon me the greatest black magic!"

I think they meant pure water, Ancient. I haven't actually checked on it yet - I will soon. Thanks for the advice everyone.

Oh, and there is no manual. The previous owner didn't include it, for whatever reason.

--------------------

I had an old signature. Now I've changed it.

what kind of car is it as well?? some newer General Motors vehicles take a specialized coolant called Dexcool and when dealing with that it, it has to be either Dexcool antifreeze or a suitable alternative

it also might mean that your thermostat, which is part of the cooling system may be worn out so your coolant isnt circulating properly

just somethings to think about i guess

This post has been edited by archetype on 20th October 2005 05:23

--------------------

he who makes a beast out of himself takes away the pain of being a man. Raoul Duke (Hunter S Thompson)

I've seen the Rockies, ive seen Saskatoon - Comin Home - City and Colour

1999 Saturn SL. Definitely not a new GM. I wish I had that kind of money.

--------------------

I had an old signature. Now I've changed it.

actually any GM car made after 1992 or so needs dexcool....but your best bet would be to take it to a GM dealer to see what you should do....

Edit

actually its 1996...i just looked it up

but with what you said before i would "guess" without looking at it that your thermostat would be shot.....but a thermostat is fairly cheap and easily installed but take your car to either someone that you trust or to a certified GM dealer as they would know better about you "gm" car better than anyone


god i sound like a commercial

anyways

good luck

This post has been edited by archetype on 20th October 2005 07:48

--------------------

he who makes a beast out of himself takes away the pain of being a man. Raoul Duke (Hunter S Thompson)

I've seen the Rockies, ive seen Saskatoon - Comin Home - City and Colour