Chevrolet Impala Coolant System

chevybaby

WANT TO KNOW MY LOW COOLANT LIGHT KEEP COMING ON SO I WENT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE CHANGED THE SENSOR WELL IT DID NOT LAST THE NEXT DAY I WENT BACK AND HE SAID IT MUST BE DEFECTIVE SO HE REPLACED THAT ONE AND TWO DAYS LATER QUESS WHAT ITS ON AGAIN SO HE TOLD ME HE GOT THE PART AT A NAPA AUTO PARTS STORE AND MAYBE THAT SENSOR IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH GM SO NOW HE WANTS TO PUT A GM LOW COOLANT SENSOR WHAT AM I GOING TO DO HELP!

rstraub

Hi there, I have the same issue going on too. I have repeatedly checked the level as well as bled the petcock where the thermostat is. it is always full. I can't help you out other than just make sure it's full. Do not let it get low. Good luck, Rich

charts2

I got the same problem. I will let the light stay on until I sell the car down the road then have it addressed. I have heard this is a problem that is more common then it should be.

chevybaby

thanks for replying have one question on the thermostat u said u bled it why? I have notices that sometimes my gauge for the temp sometimes goes up or it stays two lines from the cold other times its where it should be i am alittle upset that nothing can be done espcially after dishing 114dollars to the mechanic and i still have the problem maynbe i will have better luck with a gm dealer what do u think?

kevink7

I have an '01 Impala, ...and the Low Coolant light was on.
I replaced the low coolant sensor ($36 from Rockauto.com), ...problem fixed.

The sensor is located on the right(rear)(pass) side of the radiator (about 1 1/2" square in shape) ...near the battery. It is simple to replace, ...more work to remove the battery to get to it.
As for 'bleeding' the system at the thermostat. This is done to remove air from the system. If you do not bleed the system, ...there could be pockets of air (hence absence of coolant) in the motor, ...which could(will) prevent adequate cooling.

slvimpala

i have an 2002 impala base 3400 and i simply just Unplugged the sensor because it got really annoying it was bugging me it got to the point where it would go off for like 3 mins and then come back on and go back off and then come back on

rstraub

These are very easy to change, I went to Auto Zone and bought an aftermarket sensor for just under $8.00. So far so good, no lights.

0patience

Some aftermarket sensors are not calibrated properly and will give problems with the system. Using OEM sensors will help keep you from having problems with sensors.
I have replaced hundreds of NEW aftermarket sensors, not because they were broken, but because they didn't work properly. The customers ended up paying twice for the sensor, because they were saving money with the aftermarket parts.

As for the low coolant light coming on, there is a service bulletin on diagnosing and repairing this problem.
Any good mechanic would have checked it.

Bulletin No.: 04-06-02-007
Date: August 11, 2004
TECHNICAL
Subject:
Low Engine Coolant Level Indicator Always On (Diagnose Low Coolant Level System Operation/Check Sensor for Oil Contamination)

Models:
2000-2002 Buick Century, Regal
2000-2001 Chevrolet Lumina
2000-2002 Chevrolet Impala, Monte Carlo
2000-2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
2000-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue

Condition
Some customers may comment that the low engine coolant level indicator is always illuminated.

Cause
The cause of this condition may be due to engine oil contaminating the coolant. Possible sources of oil contamination are internal engine leaks, improper service procedures, or the addition of some types of anti-leak additives to the cooling system. Once in the coolant, the oil leaves deposits on the level sensor creating an insulating film. This film results in a false activation of the coolant level indicator.
Correction
Diagnose low coolant level system operation and check the sensor for oil contamination using the procedure listed below.

Important: No coolant supplements should be used in GM cooling systems, other than what is approved and recommended by GM. The use of "aftermarket" over-the-counter sealing and cooling supplements may affect the operation of the low coolant level sensor. Discoloration of the coolant recovery bottle is normal and does not necessarily indicate that coolant contamination is present.

slvimpala

I think For 2008 or 2009 Gm Needs to Look at all the problems with the impala and fix them like the old 3400 v6 with intake and head problems thats just flat out dumb why whould put your loyal Customers Thru that type of Mess i'm a proud owner of my impala but i know people from the area who have impalas and they all have had that Head and intake problems and if you got the 2k to get it fixed it blows up any way

chevybaby

thanks for replying I have gotten my 2000 impala fix this will be the third sensor they put but this time its the gm brand not the napa so far so good i have told the mechanic about bleeding the air out too which he did that while i was in the shop. He did not bled it till he saw bubbles in the raidiator but said that my head casket may have a pin hole in it that it could be why the low coolant light keep coming on anyway told me to try out the sensor and see if it will go back on so far i have done 400 miles on the new sensor and it has not come on yet . ty so much for everyones info . Let me know if there are anymore problems with these cars that i should know about thanks again

rstraub

Good looking out. Thanks for the info. Rich

bobber1

My 02 Impala with the 3800 engine has been running on the hot side whenever I do much stop and go driving and it's 80 degrees or above. I've got 155,000 trouble free miles on the old girl and am planning on trading this fall. I'm just curious if anybody has any ideas on what's going on? The coolant level is full and water pump does not appear to be leaking. I checked the antifreeze and it's up to snuff. The last week or two the low coolant light has been coming on when I start the car, but then goes off after a minute or two of driving.

It rarely goes in the red, but it gets pretty darn close. I've resorted to turning the A/C off when I'm stopped to help out. I live in the Midwest and in another 45 days, it will start cooling down, so won't have to worry too much then.

I just hoping it's not a serious issue and I can nurse it along another 4 or 5 months.

nosirrahg

Could be any number of things. You might check the radiator and make sure it isn't clogged up with dirt or debris on the outside (maybe a plastic bag of something has gotten stuck on it). Then maybe check the inside of the radiator to make sure it isn't gunked up. Could also be the thermostat (if you haven't replaced it in 155k miles it probably wouldn't hurt to do that just in case).

Only other thing I can think of is we used to have an old Ford Escort, and the controller that regulated the electric cooling fan burned out under the dash. I didn't notice anything wrong with the car until the summer when it would get hot if I got stuck in traffic. Basically as long as the car was moving, there was enough air going through the radiator to keep it cool, but if I stopped for any period of time the car would get hot. So if you notice the car gets hotter when you're sitting still you might have a fan problem.

rstraub

I think you'll find due to these cars being a "bottom breather", they tend to run a lil warm to start with. Flush your system though. I had to flush ours five times with a coolant system flush before you could actually see it circulate by the radiator cap! You'll find that it not only cleans out the engine but it's a lot cheeper than a new radiator. It runs a lot cooler since then. We are also pushing 170,000 miles as of now. Good luck selling her. The dealer won't give you anything for it even though it's totally loaded. KBB says it's worth $5,000 +, I've only recieved offers of as much as $1,800. It's really hard to part with a car knowing what it's actually worth, and after maintaining it all the time as required and needed. If we could even get 3,000 to almost 4,000 that would be good enough. Well, good luck.

bobber1

It's a work car, so the resale won't hit me directly. Besides at 155,000 miles I've definitely gotten the goody out of it. In your case, you could drive it another 50,000 or 100,000 and probably get the same money for it, so I'd keep driving if it's still dependable.

That's what I'd normally do with this one, but I've got 3 little kids and the last thing I want is to get stranded in -20 degree weather. I also want the new stability control systems for more safety.

bobber1

I think we got the cooling issue figured out. I had it in for an oil change and the mechanic said he blew out the radiator with air and a lot of grass came out. I drive through farm fields once in a while so it makes sense. I had blown the front of the radiator out with water earlier in the summer, but evidently the only good way to get to the area involved is to put the car up on a hoist and come in from behind; neither of which I can do at home too well. It seems to be running much cooler now.

impalamama

HELP!!! I have a 2001 Chevy Impala with 316,127 miles - LOVE my car! I've been having a problem recently. When my temperature gauge doesn't move, my A/C doesn't move. Oh, it blows but doesn't get cold and that is unacceptable living in south Texas!! i read a few forums and learned this could be a coolant temperature sensor problem so I ziggied on over to the nearest auto supply store, bought the sensor, but I'll be darned.....I can't for the life of me figure out where it is! Neither can my husband. If anyone knows, I would be so happy!! I might add that this doesn't happen all the time, when the temperature gauge moves, the air conditioning works great. Thanks a bunch!

the_dog

Recently, about 5 seconds after I turn off my car, there is a noise that comes from the front. It sounds like a fan swooshing to a stop. Only lasts about 1 to 2 seconds and isnt very loud. Any ideas?

rstraub

We had the same fan noise. What was happening with ours was it was running hotter than norm. I flushed it SIX times before it flowed properly without replacing the radiator. Anyhow, the fan was making noise due to it having dry bearings in the fan motor. WD 40 repeatedly took care of that, make sure it's cool and off when you do this. once you get it flowing properly it shouldn't come on hardly at all. for a bottom feeder car ( no big grill for air flow )they run pretty cool. As for the sensor locations, call a dealer and ask to speak with a tech. or just go to an auto parts store and get the repair manual. Good luck, Rich

chevybaby

your sensor is on the left hand side of your radiator its square that is where mine was u will have to disconnect your battery and disconnect the sensor.i had to put a gm sensor cause the napa would not work hope this helps

nholt

Dirty sensor was my problem. 2000 Impala - Low Coolant light always on. System full. Pulled the sensor and found it was pretty dirty. Washed it off, Q-tipped it, pushed it back in. Good to go. Light is now off.

bdeihl570

I have a 2005 Chevy Impala, and when I go to take off, I hear what sounds like water sloshing. It sounds like it is behind the glove compartment. I don't know if it is water in some sort of drain pan that won't drain or what. Does anyone know what this might be and how I could stop it? Thank you in advance!! :confuse:

forenza5

I just purchased a 2003 Impala and I'm having the same issue. Were you ever able to find out the problem??

bdeihl570

I took it to a radiator shop and they did a full cooling system flush. They removed the radiator and everything and cleaned it all out real good. I have not had any other problems since. They charged me just under $200, but it was more work than I wanted to fool with, so I think it was well worth it. Good luck.

cob

You have air in the cooling system. It is not necessary to get the coolent flushed. When the engine is cold remove the radiator cap and start the motor the air should come out when the coolent cycles.. Whoever did the last coolent flush did not do it properly.

bdeihl570

While I am not arguing your reply, just in my case I have to say that my cooling system had never been flushed before. My car had never had any trouble what so ever with the cooling system. It started heating up one day while in traffic and it had never done it before. I had almost 100.000 miles on it at the time and I am in traffic on a daily basis. All I know is once it was flushed and refilled, the problem was gone. I dont know if it is possible to get air in the cooling system without flushing the system, but it had bee months since I had even had just the cap off. But, who knows. It works great now.

jaja1993

when you changed the coolant sensor did this solve your problem on your impala i'm having the same problem i changed the sensor but no help thanks

jigo

I have a chevy impala 2004 with a check engine light on code P0128.. 1st i replaced coolant temperature sensor near the thermostat mount then reset check engine light to turn off, next day, light came back on with the same code, i replaced the thermostat and reset the light again, the next day engine light came back on again with the same code P0128... I dont know what else to do. Pls help Anyone out there!

jofixit

I had a similar problem. Eventually, my mechanic took the computer to Chevy and had it flashed. This is a hard reset. It worked, no problems since. My car kept throwing codes, we'd change sensors, and would still throw that code plus 7 or 8 more. But always the same codes no matter what we replaced. As far as I know, only Chevy dealer has equipment to flash the computer. Cost me $100. Hope this post helps someone. Cause I spent about $600 in sensors before doing this.

1nkablecar

I have been working on an Impala 06 for a no start no power condition. A young man was trying to put a sound system in it and he shorted out something and now it doesn't have any power any where. The battery is good and all the relays as well, also none of the wiring is really damaged or fried so I'm think it maybe the pcm, but would like some suggestions.

dafritman

Hey, if you look under the hood on the left side near the coolant reservoir there is a big connector with a blue release handle, separate the connector by flipping the blue handle( unless it comes apart without flipping it) and then reseat making sure blue handle is fully locked down, this is the main connector for the Body control module, and will typically fix a no power in cabin situation. let me know how it goes.

tourace

My 2004 Impala began overheating and blowing cold air through the heater on January 2, 2013.
I had the auto shop drain and flush the system and replace the thermostat. The system will reach the red zone after a few minutes of operation and blow cold air, then it will cool itself off to normal range. Sometimes it will blow cold air and sometimes it will blow hot air. It seems to lose power when it passes the red zone, but the power comes back when it cools off a little. Drove it for two hours last night with heat in the cab, but it blew cold air and overheated when I entered town. The mechanic wants to replace the head gasket at a $1000. I am not losing any coolant so I'm not sure it is a head gasket. The system has been bled by the mechanic and the dealership at least a dozen times and the problem still persits. Any thoughts?

timboyou

Have you made sure your cooling fan is coming on, try taking the thermostat out to see if that helps,it could also be a bad cap.

verysadfemale

I have a 2000 Impala with 117,000 miles...it began to overheat so have replaced the radiator and the thermostat. It still seems to run warmer than I think it should but have been told that the new thermostat is probably a higher temp than what was originally in there. Now there is a loud roaring noise that sounds like it is coming from the front of the engine. It is not constant but when it is there, it is sometimes very loud and other times just annoyingly loud. Both of the fans are coming on. Any ideas?