Hey guys, yesterday I was driving my car and the low coolant light came on. So I got back from class, which was only a short drive luckily, and I went and got some antifreeze. I just decided to check the radiator and it was really low, so i started dumping the antifreeze in the radiator and it started coming out somewhere in the middle. It was dark so i couldn't tell where. I checked the radiator drain plug and that was closed and it wasn't coming from there.

Anyway, today I took the car to the chevy dealer and they said the coolant level sensor came unplugged. They just plugged it back in and filled it up. I didn't get a chance to ask the manager why since he was on the phone. So my question is why would antifreeze spill out the radiator just because a sensor came unplugged? Is there some odd hole in the sensor to let antifreeze out or something.

Thanks, Matt

 

If you unplug the sensor it doesnt drain the coolant from your engine or radiator at all. It is just a connection on the back side of the radiator. They might have ment the drain plug on the bottom of the radiator but you said it came from the center. Maybe they replaced a hose. I wouldnt worry about it if they fixed the problem.

 

I seem to remember the coolant level sensor being held in with a little spring clip of some kind. Maybe it broke and allowed the sensor to push out far enough to leak.

 

For some reason these clips dont hook so good or they are not installed tight enough or just overtime they seem to come loose and with the pressures in the radiator they pop out. This has happened to me twice. once on my way to work and once driving to school. Both times it scared the out of
me because I parked and coolant kept gushing out and my car was overheating and the low coolant light came on....when I found out what it was it was a great relief.
THe last time before i reinstalled this sensor i put some type of Orange rubbery compound to help it seal and it has not popped out since then...