cajuncorvette
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2008
- Messages
- 63
- Location
- Lafayette, Louisiana
- Corvette
- 1988 Corvette Coupe - Bright Red
Thanks for this forum. Last month I purchased my first Vette - a 1988 C4 in great condition overall. The car runs and drives very well, except for the rattles in the doors -- but that's another subject. I drove the car home after I bought it-- over 400 miles -- all interstate miles. Since that time I have not driven it much.
Today, I made an appointment for restoration work (carpet, etc.) about 50 miles away. I fired up the Vette, and after driving about a mile or so, the Low Coolant light came on. It seemed to stay on for a few seconds, and then if I turned the car or moved erratically, it went off. I noted the coolant temp at 181F at this time. The outside temp was 70F.
Before today, I had not really driven the car since the day I bought it (the 400 mile trip)-- though I have started it and run it for awhile and back it in and out of the garage to clean, work on interior, etc. I have not noticed any leaks anywhere.
Today, after the low coolant light came on and off several times, I returned home (a mile) and checked the car's coolant reservoir -- it was half full with the engine running and warmed up. Coolant was fresh green. All hoses and belts appear new. I added water to the coolant reservoir -- almost filling it. The light went out, and I drove the hour and a half via Interstate and then city traffic to my appointment.
The car drove great. At times I used the A/C, but most of the time I did not. I noted the oil temp ranged from 198 to 210F and the coolant temp on the highway ranged from 181F to 194F in the city (I include this information because I don't know if this is average or not.) When I reached my appointment, I went inside for a few minutes. When I came out, there was coolant on the ground under my car.
I started the car and moved it to another parking spot, and I noticed a little running from the coolant recovery tank (which is where the previous spill was coming from as well).
Should I be concerned about this? Can anyone relieve my fears? I do know the coolant recovery top has a stick attached to it that is not connected to any other part of the tank except the top. I thought perhaps the coolant sensor is in the stick and is bad, but I don't want to make a mistake and hurt my car.
Could the sensor be bad? Did I just overfill the reservoir?
Thanks from a newbie. Any information you can share would be appreciated.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Today, I made an appointment for restoration work (carpet, etc.) about 50 miles away. I fired up the Vette, and after driving about a mile or so, the Low Coolant light came on. It seemed to stay on for a few seconds, and then if I turned the car or moved erratically, it went off. I noted the coolant temp at 181F at this time. The outside temp was 70F.
Before today, I had not really driven the car since the day I bought it (the 400 mile trip)-- though I have started it and run it for awhile and back it in and out of the garage to clean, work on interior, etc. I have not noticed any leaks anywhere.
Today, after the low coolant light came on and off several times, I returned home (a mile) and checked the car's coolant reservoir -- it was half full with the engine running and warmed up. Coolant was fresh green. All hoses and belts appear new. I added water to the coolant reservoir -- almost filling it. The light went out, and I drove the hour and a half via Interstate and then city traffic to my appointment.
The car drove great. At times I used the A/C, but most of the time I did not. I noted the oil temp ranged from 198 to 210F and the coolant temp on the highway ranged from 181F to 194F in the city (I include this information because I don't know if this is average or not.) When I reached my appointment, I went inside for a few minutes. When I came out, there was coolant on the ground under my car.
I started the car and moved it to another parking spot, and I noticed a little running from the coolant recovery tank (which is where the previous spill was coming from as well).
Should I be concerned about this? Can anyone relieve my fears? I do know the coolant recovery top has a stick attached to it that is not connected to any other part of the tank except the top. I thought perhaps the coolant sensor is in the stick and is bad, but I don't want to make a mistake and hurt my car.
Could the sensor be bad? Did I just overfill the reservoir?
Thanks from a newbie. Any information you can share would be appreciated.
Happy Thanksgiving!