Then, if you run your hand along the underside of the cooling hoses, inevitably you'll feel coolant in one or two spots - usually near some hose clamps. And if there is an external leak, we'll see it on the floor the next morning. Then we'll turn off the engine and let the car sit overnight with the cooling system still pressurized at about 15 psi. Then we'll pressurize the cooling system with the cooling system tester, and run the engine until it's good and hot. What we do is we'll park a car in an area of the garage where we know the floor is dry. I'd make an appointment with the dealer and tell him you want him to pressurize your cooling system, keep the car overnight and check it for leaks. The most likely scenario is that you have one or more loose hose clamps, or something simple like that. But I think it's more likely that you are slowly leaking some coolant somewhere. It's possible that you were right on the edge, and a drop in temperature put the level just below the sensor. But I don't think the coolant would contract enough for you to lose an inch of it all at once in the overflow tank. Well, things do contract when they get cold, Lisa - ask any guy you know who's ever gone swimming in the ocean. Is there really a phenomenon of coolant "contracting" in cold weather that would explain the low level of coolant that I clearly saw? I have never experienced this with any other car, and I am finding it hard to believe. He said to just top it off and not worry about it. He said this is something that's expected and happens in the fall because of the change in temperature, and also because the coolant sensor is really high in the reservoir, so it thinks the coolant is low when it really isn't very low. The car is under warranty, and when I called the dealer, he seemed unconcerned. But now I am concerned that there is a coolant leak somewhere, even though I haven't noticed any puddles under my car. We filled the coolant, and the warning on the dashboard went away. I opened the hood and checked, and indeed the coolant level was about an inch below the "MIN" line. When going to start the car yesterday, a "low coolant, stop engine" warning came on the dash. If the CEL doesn’t result after adding coolant, take your car to a reputable mechanic for diagnosis of any other underlying issues.I have a 2016 Volvo XC60. You should also inspect the radiator for leaks that may be causing the coolant to run low. If the levels are low, fill up the radiator to the MAX mark. When you have CEL come on due to low coolant, we advise you to pull over, allow the engine to cool off, and then proceed to check the coolant levels. The coolant helps regulate internal engine temperature and when it runs low, it causes engine overheating, setting off the engine warning light. Low coolant level in your car radiator can trigger check engine light. Now you know the relationship between low coolant and check engine light. The best thing to do here is to check the coolant level when your engine is cold and top it up if necessary. When you start the car, the coolant heats up and expands and its level raises, making the sensor “think” there’s enough coolant, so it goes off. When the coolant in the radiator is cold, the coolant level sensor activates the warning light. This happens because the coolant has a variable volume that varies with engine temperature. If the coolant light comes on when you start your car and then goes off once you start driving, it’s another sign that the coolant level is low. Why does my coolant light come on when I start my car? Remember, the coolant system is pressurized, and opening it too soon may result in hot liquid and steam gushing and causing scalding.ģ. DON’T open the reservoir cap until you have given the reservoir sufficient time to cool down (this should be between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on the engine size). In ideal conditions, the coolant levels should fall between MIN and MAX markers that are on the side of the tank. If you can’t see any steam, go ahead and pop open the hood and inspect the coolant reservoir tank level. If steam is escaping from under the car hood, then it’s even risker and you should wait until it subsides. The fact that the low coolant triggered the CEL means it’s extremely hot, so we don’t advise you to go anywhere near it immediately after you pull over. Asses the traffic conditions to help you know when and where to safely pull over and switch off your car engine. This step is necessary to help transfer some of the heat produced away from the engine and prevent damage. Turn on the heater immediately at maximum temperature and maximum fan speed.
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