Why is my coolant light blinking??? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

AUDIOGUY · 10-24-2007, 02:34 PM

Since it started to get a little cooler, my coolant light blinks intermittently for the first few minutes of running. I then turn the car off and back on and the blinking is gone. I have coolant and the car hovers at 180 temp reading. I am wondering if the cap is bad... I have seen a little moisture on the inside of the deck lid from time to time.

If I need to top off the coolant, is there a suitable "non-porsche" I can buy locally or should I go with distilled water?

Any ideas?
Car runs fine by the way.

PhxRealtor · 10-24-2007, 03:46 PM

Coolant light blinking means coolant is low. Mine does it when the coolant is even near the "low" line. It seems to be very sensitive. I think you are fine adding a touch of distilled water.

NickCats · 10-24-2007, 05:25 PM

Joe,

That is SO weird ! Mine car did that on the way home today. This is the third time it has happened, always on initial start up, and only when it is cold out.

I pulled over at the gas station, checked the level and it was fine. I did the same the prior two times it happened and the coolant was at the proper level as well. I attribute it to the cold weather. Also, when I turn the car off and back on the light never comes back. I would think as long as the level is ok and the light doesn't come back on it should be ok. I agree that I think it is ok to top off with distilled water if necessary...

Nick

NickCats · 10-25-2007, 01:42 PM

Well, it happened again on the way home from work today ! Blinking coolant light, stop at the gas station, check fluid ( 3/4 between min and max line ), start car, no more light. This never happens in the morning ( car is in the garage at night ).

Anyone have any ideas as to what the heck is going on ?

Thanks,

Nick

AUDIOGUY · 10-25-2007, 05:02 PM

Heres what I am thinking... I checked my level when I got home tonight. It was very low. I also pulled up the carpet and there was a slight slickness. Possible that there is a leak somewhere. I filled the reservoir with distilled water. I will check it in the morning to see what happens. Most likely, I have a leaky reservoir which will require a trip to my Porsche guy.

Nick, when I restart the car, the blinking light goes out as well. The car didnt do this until it started to get cold here as well.

I will keep you posted!

linkjones · 10-26-2007, 07:54 AM

Might be a leaky resevoir. I'm experiencing the same problem but haven't done anything about it yet as I just parked mine for the winter, you can order the resevoir from ************************************************************ for about $500 but you may want to check your connection hoses on the side. While you're at it you may want to replace your coolant level sensor as they can get gunked up, it's about $30. It goes on the bottom of the resevoir.

Zerex makes an acceptable coolant that is approved by Porsche, I don't know the name of it off the top of my head but if you do some research you'll be able to find it.

This seems to be a common problem, let us know if you get it resolved.

saaber · 10-26-2007, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linkjones

Might be a leaky resevoir. I'm experiencing the same problem but haven't done anything about it yet as I just parked mine for the winter, you can order the resevoir from ************************************************************ for about $500 but you may want to check your connection hoses on the side. While you're at it you may want to replace your coolant level sensor as they can get gunked up, it's about $30. It goes on the bottom of the resevoir.

Zerex makes an acceptable coolant that is approved by Porsche, I don't know the name of it off the top of my head but if you do some research you'll be able to find it.

This seems to be a common problem, let us know if you get it resolved.

Just bought the reservoir for $225 from these guys with free shipping:

http://www.sjmautotechnik.com/

They also have the pink Pentosin "lifetime" antifreeze which after extensive research I believe is the product that porsche rebrands and quadruples the price. Pentosin (pink) is the factory fill for audis and vws. It costs $11.42 per gallon compared to $50 per gallon for Porsche-branded.

AUDIOGUY · 10-26-2007, 02:46 PM

I topped off the reservoir last night with distilled and today no lights and car is running fine. I am going to have it checked after a few days of monitoring the level of the coolant.

Thanks for the advice saaber.

RandallNeighbour · 10-26-2007, 04:05 PM

Don't hold me to this, but I think I paid under $200 for my coolant reservoir from Sunset Imports in Oregon.

nola911 · 10-26-2007, 06:29 PM

I do not fully understand the symatics of a colling system, but I will offer my experience.

Mine did this when my thermostat went bad. The light and temp started acting up. The coolent wasn't flowing through the system properly because the thermostat was restricting it? After I would be parked a while after a hard run, it would start spewing through the overflow and onto my garage floor.

The mechanic took it apart, put a new thermostat in, and all problems have vanished for 8 months strong. He acted like he had seen it before.

der Geist · 10-26-2007, 07:09 PM

General rule for checking the coolant is to always do it when the car is fully warmed up. The level should be at or near the max mark when warm.

steve00s · 10-26-2007, 10:13 PM

Sounds like a coolant tank leak. Mine appeared fine from the front but the backside was all cracked. Here's a link to test and replace if needed. To replace the hoses is a real nightmare.

http://www.dietersmotorsports.com/tech/tech9-03-2003.htm

I can't believe that someone is charging $500 for a tank.
Good luck

NickCats · 10-28-2007, 06:06 PM

Thanks der Geist ! I just added a cup of distilled water so hopefully that will do the trick. I will keep an eye on the level though...

Nick

AUDIOGUY · 10-29-2007, 02:22 PM

So far so good. It has been 4 days since I added about a pint of distilled water and so far no leak. The levels are fine. Next time I go for service, I will have it checked.

NickCats · 10-30-2007, 05:11 AM

Joe,

Same here. Since I added the cup no more flashing light. I guess the sensor is really sensitive...

Nick

AUDIOGUY · 11-02-2007, 02:56 PM

Well, bought my new overflow tank and cap today for 260.00. Luckily with my "car biz" discount, I was able to get oem. My local dealer had them in stock. Car is going to my guys tomorrow. Probably looking at 2 to 3 hours labor to install and flush coolant with new.

I will update as we go!

mightysquirrel · 11-04-2007, 09:18 AM

Joe,

There is no reason to use anything other than the Porsche coolant. It's not that expensive. You can get a liter bottle of it for about $12 at the dealer. Just keep it at home for those times when you need to top up the system.

Use distilled water to dilute the coolant (always use distilled as whatever your local water authority puts in the water supply can create chalky deposits in the cooling system, especially the radiators choking them up, this is especially true if there is a lot of minerals in your local water).

m

saaber · 11-09-2007, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUDIOGUY

Well, bought my new overflow tank and cap today for 260.00. Luckily with my "car biz" discount, I was able to get oem. My local dealer had them in stock. Car is going to my guys tomorrow. Probably looking at 2 to 3 hours labor to install and flush coolant with new.

I will update as we go!

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?autocom=content&code=sunset

linkjones · 12-16-2007, 09:42 AM

I had the same issue as Maxferran, after driving it hard the coolant would spew all over the ground. I flushed the system and changed the thermostat, since then (1month) there've been no problems and everything is running smoothly with no flashing lights.

tboyer · 12-16-2007, 04:40 PM

If you're filling the tank, 98 times out of a hundred you've got a leak. Mine hid itself by only leaking some of the time, confusing since I could drive it for days without losing a drop, then, out of nowhere, the tank would be half empty. The crack mine leaked out of was in the seam and as far as I can tell only sparated during rough city start/stop driving conditions. In addition, the water pump leaked which was caught in the underbelly tray. This of course hid itself very well. A bad water pump usually shows it's wear by the noise (rattles) it makes when it's just about done.

I started a thread on my "nightmare" here