My check coolant level came on last night for a while then today no sign of it. I have not been around to check the level yet today, but I will. Just curious as to why this would happen on a 6m/0ld MB no temp problems or overheating on the car and its running fine. However, it's been extremely hot these past few days, but still how/why would this happen?------ A leak or just need to add more because of normal use? My dad says he has put coolant on his 1 yr old INFINITI FX 2 times already....not that he had any problems, but just because it gets used up and he is very meticulous with his cars. He says its normal....what do you guys think? Car has 6800k on it and I got it in mid january------my service A says it's not due for another 6,000 miles. Is this correct or should I take the car in? I'm going to first put some coolant in myself, but I don't want this to be a leak of some sorts.

 

i don't think it's normal because my car is older than yours and i didn't get such warning.

 

3 months and 7000 miles. Nothing like that. Thank god. Go get a check up.

 

Its nothing comparing with the problem that Jeremy clarkson from BBC top gear show had with his 1 day old ford GT, after recording the weekend show it wouldn't start and ford is always calling him for advinsing that his car had been stolen (+10 times a day ) and he can't drive trougth major roads in London because of the wide of the car last week he and the car started a traffic jam when he couldn't pass in a street, and forced 100 cars doing reverse, 2 years waiting for this and he can't get out of the car when parked along side with 2 other cars, because of the door roof . (all showed in the top gear show )

 

I had the same problem when my car had about 8000 kilometers on it...The message never came on again...I took it to the dealer, they checked, and everything seemed to be fine. I have never seen the problem again.

In my situation, my windshield washer level was low, and that indicator came on first, and it seems like the computer somehow decided to indicate that the coolant level was also low...From then on, until I topped up the washer fluid, the check coolant light never came on again.

 

Car cooling systems today are closed. The only way for coolant to go from full to a warning light is if it leaks...outside or inside the car (into the engine or transmission! Yikes!). Coolant is not consumed by the engine nor should it evaporate to the atmosphere. Did you ever check the coolant fluid level when the car was new to be certain that much leaked out? I'm surprised you even asked this question when you haven't even bothered to look to see if it really is low or a sensor malfunction.

 

I believe it's also possible to get this warning when the temperature in your engine reaches a certain level (hot). I had this warning come on about 2 years ago. First trip in to service they replaced the HVAC unit. I still got the warning about a week later. Brought it in again and they checked the fan. They found something wrong with the fan (I think it was a bearing or something like that). They replaced the bad part, and it's been fine since then.

I would take it into service and have them check it out.

 

YESSSSSS!!!!! THAT"S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED MY WASHER FLUID HAS BEEN LOW FOR THE PAST WEEK AND I HAD NOT FILLED IT YET>>>>>WHEW I FIGURED THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME KIND OFGITCH WOW AMAZING HOW THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO YOU. I'm not taking it in anymore thanks to your reply and the fact that the car has behaved wonderfully without any problems! Thanks man! I love this forum!

 

Thanks for the tip man I checked all levels my self and everything is A -ok. Must have been a glitch with the washer fluid being low for some dum reason.
I'll watch the car this week and see if anything happens----- look for leaks and if i'm not comfortable I'll take it in then.

 

This is not entirely true! The cooling system is closed and pressurized! So if the engine gets too hot it can and will vent out, hence why they have a drain tube attached to the tank and cap! But of course this should not happen, but sometimes does when you are at temp and it is a hot day, then you shut the car off. Well when the engine is not running then nothing is moving the coolant around, no flow. So the engine block gets hotter, thus expanding the coolant and thus creating more pressure in the system. If the cap's max pressure is reached it will let out air and coolant. Even take the coolant cap off on a hot engine? Well sometimes it does vent! Also could have been an air pocket from the factory, thus when it works its way out of the system it could drop the fluid enough in the tank. Now of course by the OP's last post this was not the case! But it can and will happen sometimes under the right circumstances so it is kind of wrong to say it only happens when there is something major wrong.

 

>This is not entirely true! The cooling system is closed

I thought that's what I said

>So if the engine gets too hot it can and will vent out

Again, that's what I said It is not normal for an engine "to get too hot". Either it's being abused or there is a problem.

>But of course this should not happen, but sometimes does when you are at temp and it is a hot day, then you shut the car off. Well when the engine is not running then nothing is moving the coolant around, no flow. So the engine block gets hotter, thus expanding the coolant and thus creating more pressure in the system.

That's why it's called an expansion tank. If the coolant goes from full to add in 6 months (like he was wrongly assuming) then there is a problem.

> Now of course by the OP's last post this was not the case!

So it was a sensor malfunction...thought I covered that. A simple look under the hood would have solved that problem.

> But it can and will happen sometimes under the right circumstances so it is kind of wrong to say it only happens when there is something major wrong.[/QUOTE]

You said "major" problem I said leak. It is not normal to leak fluid and the engine does not consume fluid....that's what I said. Enough said.

 

You said "major" problem I said leak. It is not normal to leak fluid and the engine does not consume fluid....that's what I said. Enough said.[/QUOTE]

Re-read your statement I quoted originally! You never said it vents anywhere!

As for dropping enough to make the light come on! I have seen that in brand new cars dozens of times. Crap happens and the car heats up enough to make the cap release pressure. Or some idiot does not put the cap back on all the way! Also why I said an air pocket as they take a while to work themselves out sometime. Could be too much water in the coolant as well and causing it to boil! My W201 always has air coming out of the vent on the expansion tank, I need a new radiator that is why! No coolant loss just air pressure coming out due to the fact that when the engine is off it has no ablility to flow coolant so the engine temp will rise from its 95 degree running temp to 120 once the car is off for a few minutes! Why does it do this, well because they is no flow and the engine does not cool instantly once combustion stops. The heat dissapates very slowly instead, but not until after the rise in engine temp. Well since more hear means more pressure in the coolant world, then the expansion tank is the only place for it to go! If it gets above the set pressure on the cap, then out it goes. The only reason I commented at all is because you made it sound in your initial post I quoted as if there was a major engine problem. When I stated basically now in more detail is that it could be other more simple problems, such as air, bad cap, or loose cap! Not everything is a major problem that we all need to rush to the Stealer for! Maybe he was in the desert heat and the cooling system just could not take it and vented due to excess engine heat! Those tanks are not very big and do not have a whole lot of coolant to lose before the light comes on!

 

It's not supposed to vent under normal conditions. What's wrong with you? The man said "no temp problems or overheating on the car and its running fine". Look, go ahead and keep replacing all the cooling fluid you want. He had his question answered and you are entitled to your opinion whether it is based on reality or not.

 

Well I never said it should vent! Just was mentioning it really. First he should of course have checked the level and not rely on electronics to tell you something that you can check visually! Of course he should have checked the cap and the vent tube as well to make sure the cap was on tight and that the vent tube did or did not have fluid come out of it. More or less double check everything. I only mentioned the venting because who here can honestly say that they have never ever not put the cap back on right? I have done it several times when in a hurry and when I totally forgot I loosened the thing. Also could have just had a bad cap. So if it was loose or a bad cap it is an easy one to spot most of the times. And of course if the fuid is full then it could be a malfunction of the electronics as you stated. Really that was all! Sorry for all this I was just trying to throw out other possibilities.

 

Your advisor was a noob. they shoul dhave checked your windshield washer fluid, that's probably low, the 2 sensors are on the same circuit and are known to trip each other, same for the rear lights, one bulb might trip 2-3

 

There is a newly released DTB out specifically for this complaint. Ask the advisor to look into it. I can't remember offhand what the fix is.

 

If you're out of warranty, fill your windshield washer fluid
if not they can change the sensor.

the sensor itself is 48$ cdn so I'd say about 35 $ us

 

my "check coolant level" came on. I put in more water into the windshield fluid reservoir. The "check coolant level" message was gone. Maybe the person who said that the windshield fluid reservoir and coolant fluid reservoir do go to the same circuitry.

 

Top off coolant and recheck it in a couple of days, if level is normal don't worry