02 burb low coolant light on

[blackbeaSSt]

but this is the level its at when the engine is cool. that seems very minor for the light to kick on. or does that seem about right?

[gmclowsierra]

Your sensor in the tank is going bad.
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[blackbeaSSt]

Originally Posted by gmclowsierra

Your sensor in the tank is going bad.
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is that the blue and white piece on the bottom right of the tank in that pic?

[gmclowsierra]

Thats the plug yes. Yes you will need to change out the overflow jug to change the sensor.
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[LT1 Burb]

My 01 Yukon used to do that all the time and for some reason it would just eat coolant. I probably added 2 gallons over 80k miles and it just quit doing it. Sometimes the level was fine and the coolant light would go on but it just quit doing it.

[Easyeight]

Be wary if your late 1990's/early 2000's GM truck engines are 'disappearing' coolant!

Intake manifold gaskets on 4.3 V6 on up(5.7 and 5.3 engines too) are notorious for leaking intake manifold gaskets. Coolant can either burn in the cylinders..or leak into the oil..or both.

My wife's 2003 Tahoe has a bogus coolant level sensor...has had for years. I just open the hood about one a week to be sure everythings full.

[blackbeaSSt]

Originally Posted by Easyeight

Be wary if your late 1990's/early 2000's GM truck engines are 'disappearing' coolant!

Intake manifold gaskets on 4.3 V6 on up(5.7 and 5.3 engines too) are notorious for leaking intake manifold gaskets. Coolant can either burn in the cylinders..or leak into the oil..or both.

My wife's 2003 Tahoe has a bogus coolant level sensor...has had for years. I just open the hood about one a week to be sure everythings full.

would that make a sort of flapping/ticking sound while idle and driving?

[blackbeaSSt]

Originally Posted by gmclowsierra

Thats the plug yes. Yes you will need to change out the overflow jug to change the sensor.
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ohhhhh, so the sensor is literally in the tank? and the whole tank need to be replaced?

[Easyeight]

Originally Posted by blackbeaSSt

would that make a sort of flapping/ticking sound while idle and driving?

Hmmm..that sounds like normal fuel injector noise or possibly lifters clattering.

Now lifters sticking and clattering could be a symptom of coolant in the oil..is the oil just really brown looking when you change it??

I had a 97 GMC that was losing small amounts of coolant..and it's oil was nasty-brown at oil changes. Replacing the intake gaskets fixed that. It would have lifter issues sometimes.

A 97 Z71 with a 5.7 had bad intake gaskets..and started gushing coolant externaly at the rear of the head one day!

My wifes 2003 Tahoe developed an issue where it would just up and die at idle(like at a stoplight)...this was a 5.3 engine..and it turned out to be intake manifold gaskets too...not leaking/losing coolant but a vacum leak.

[gmclowsierra]

The new ls engines do not have coolant in the intake. 4.8 5.3 6.0 only have coolant in the throttle body.
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[69gmcc10]

On an ls engine it is common for the gaskets between the block and the water pump to develop a good leak and not see it pool under the truck, the coolant will evaporate from the heat of the engine before it can drip off. if you slide under the truck and look at the gaskets you can often see a tarnish like staining on the block, gasket, water pump or all 3. This may not be the answer to missing coolant, but it is allot cheaper and easier than a head gasket and worth a check to save some $$$.

[blackbeaSSt]

lemme ask you guys this, is it normal for the low coolant light to come and go, or just pop up every time i start the truck?

i haven't seen it but once more after i made this thread.

[69gmcc10]

I have herd that the sensor going bad is common and you need to replace the tank with the sensor in it, but I dont know what the symptoms are that make it a "bad" sensor. If it were me I would check the connection and just keep an eye on the coolant level until the light started bothering me.

[blackbeaSSt]

Originally Posted by 69gmcc10

On an ls engine it is common for the gaskets between the block and the water pump to develop a good leak and not see it pool under the truck, the coolant will evaporate from the heat of the engine before it can drip off. if you slide under the truck and look at the gaskets you can often see a tarnish like staining on the block, gasket, water pump or all 3. This may not be the answer to missing coolant, but it is allot cheaper and easier than a head gasket and worth a check to save some $$$.

ding ding ding! we have a winner!

didn't think anything else about the leak since i made this thread until last night when i found a puddle in the carport. i could tell it was dexcool but couldn't tell where it was coming from. needless to say i now have a new water pump/rad. hoses/and thermo on black beauty

[69gmcc10]

glad you got it squared away!