why does this keep coming on?

whiskers · 06-07-2011, 11:00 AM

hey everyone It's been a long time since I posted here sorry about that but life gets in the way sometimes.

Anyway I hope someone here can shed some light on this for me, latley when I first start the car a 99 forte sedan (cold start) this light is flashing at me it has been doing it since new, I have taken it in to ford (under warrenty) sometime ago but was told that it isn't hooked up to anything, also I had a look in the service book that came with the car and looked up to see what the symbol meant, it's for the low level water for the water cooling tank or so I was told I know that this model hasn't got the connections for the tank, I have fitted a new tank a few years back and there is defineatly no wires to connect a sensor to.

The car is getting hard to start since this light/symbol has been falshing at me, the car seems to hesitate and then catch like a flat battery or battery going flat but I know the battery is ok. the attached pic is with the car running I had just started it.

Any and all help will be very appreciated.

Cheers and thanks
whiskers

TheSly1 · 06-07-2011, 11:06 AM

If i remember correctly thats a low coolant light

sorry just reread ur post but u already know that, if it has a sensor maybe thats no good?

whiskers · 06-07-2011, 11:19 AM

Nope no sensor on the tank.

Reaper8 · 06-07-2011, 02:54 PM

only a thought, maybe get radiator flushed might be a blockage, as its been since new maybe someone went overboard with the solder when making the core. like i said only a thought

whiskers · 06-07-2011, 03:21 PM

hmm never thought of that one, but the sensor wire isn't connected, and no where for it to connect to it's never over heated and I have owned the car since it was new

fasty73 · 06-07-2011, 03:34 PM

Someone has fitted a header tank without a sensor in it, it should have a header tank with sensor or you could cut the plug off and join the wires.

whiskers · 06-07-2011, 04:04 PM

the tank came like that the au1's didn't come with the sensor and there are no wires that can be attched

GK · 06-07-2011, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiskers

the tank came like that the au1's didn't come with the sensor and there are no wires that can be attched

My AU1 has the sensor. It's come in handy once or twice too! LOL!

GK

Reaper8 · 06-07-2011, 06:35 PM

my series one has the sensor aswell

fasty73 · 06-07-2011, 06:45 PM

Someone prior to you has changed the header tank.

Reaper8 · 06-07-2011, 06:56 PM

the thermo's cycle on and off ok do they?

FGII-XR6 · 06-07-2011, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiskers

the tank came like that the au1's didn't come with the sensor and there are no wires that can be attched

most but not all series ones did have the sensor have you changed the cluster? a futura cluster in a forte without sensor will do this, same will happen putting in an XR or fairmont cluster

Quote:

Originally Posted by fasty73

Someone has fitted a header tank without a sensor in it, it should have a header tank with sensor or you could cut the plug off and join the wires.

that is not only bad advice it won't work the light will flash if you are hell bent on bypassing this function you need to close the circuit with a 220 ohm resistor

XRGhia · 06-07-2011, 07:14 PM

If your AU doesn't have cruise control, 95% of the time it means you haven't got a header tank sensor fitted from factory...

fasty73 · 06-07-2011, 07:40 PM

Worked Perfectly for me.

Beer Baron · 06-07-2011, 08:54 PM

Fit a sensor, join the wires on the plug or get a scan tool to turn the light off.

TUF-640 · 06-07-2011, 10:06 PM

mine was hard starting when it was pretty cold outside, even when it wasnt so cold it would still struggle....2k later and it was a cracked head and headgasket and various other problems...lets hope you dont have the same issue..

whiskers · 07-07-2011, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by au3xr6

have you changed the cluster?

nope no cluster change

I have had the car since brand new and I changed the coolant tank some years ago. there wasnt any wires on the original one and none on the new one either.

I don't have cruise that came out in the next model presumbly the 1.5 or the series 2 I was about 3 weeks early form getting the newer model.

the thermos work perfectly the car has never overheated.

when I turn the engine off and then restart it once or twice the light will go out and not come on again till the next "cold" start" as in the next day or the day after that. or if I turn the key to the "on position" and leave it there for say 30 sec or more the light won't come on.

this problem I'm having doesnt happen all the time it used to be just every now and then but latley its been happening a lot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beer Baron

Fit a sensor, join the wires on the plug or get a scan tool to turn the light off.

and I won't be just cutting wire for the sake of it lol

How do I do this?

thanks for the replies gents.

smally289 · 07-07-2011, 09:34 AM

This was a problem with the AU's from new. Some did it, some didn't. It has nothing to do with changing clusters or header tanks, it is just a glitch that seemed to pop up after a while. Initially Ford instructed us (under warranty) to fit sensors to the affected vehicles, but that didn't fix them for long! From memory their next idea was to earth one of the wires from the plug where the sensor would plug into (yes, all cars have the connector). When I get home I will see if I can dig up the old TSB or Hotline fix from '98 or '99. I will be away for a couple of weeks, so I hope you are not in a hurry.

whiskers · 07-07-2011, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smally351

This was a problem with the AU's from new. Some did it, some didn't. It has nothing to do with changing clusters or header tanks, it is just a glitch that seemed to pop up after a while. Initially Ford instructed us (under warranty) to fit sensors to the affected vehicles, but that didn't fix them for long! From memory their next idea was to earth one of the wires from the plug where the sensor would plug into (yes, all cars have the connector). When I get home I will see if I can dig up the old TSB or Hotline fix from '98 or '99. I will be away for a couple of weeks, so I hope you are not in a hurry.

thanks smally no not in any hurry it's just been anoying and I wanted to find out how to fix or stop it with out buying another header tank and trying to fit wires where none are there I knew about the connectors behind the cluster. So thanks again.

smally289 · 07-07-2011, 10:13 PM

The connector is near the header tank and will have a loop connected to it.

whiskers · 18-07-2011, 08:07 AM

more to this problem.

was out on saturday night and it was raining a bit here, got home parked the car in the garage, got up the next morning to go out again, started the car and no light came on, so what's going on here, would the water from the road have shorted/earthed something out?