MY99 out of warranty question

My MY99 is a 4/98 build. I have 34k on it now, no signs of oil leakage (knock on wood). Just today on a highway drive I got a blinking red warning light from the temp gauge. Owner's manual says it's low coolant level or malfunctioning cooling fan in the engine compartment. Any experience with this? Those of you that are MY99 owners and have had the coolant expansion reservoir replaced, did your cars give you any warning signs before failure? My car to date has not leaked coolant. Has anyone had a dealer do warranty work even though the car is technically out of warranty?

Yes mine did. I had the light go on 2 times, both times I let the car sit until I could drive it again then i had it towed to the dealership. You also might notice a sweet type smell or coolant leaking near your exhaust pipe. I don't know about the warranty thing. Maybe because it was a recall item it can be replace out of warranty. Good luck -Andrew

I have a 6/98 build and have had overheating problems on the track when ambient temps are above 90F. Installed third radiator that has solved the problem for now. As mentioned by AWolf above, have also had insignificant coolant leaks, have replaced most of the hose clamps but still have a drip that drops on the exhaust manifold. This has not caused a warning light, but is irritating.

That is funny. I noticed the same thing while driving my car to the dealer to have a ppi done on it when I bought it. I was told by the mechanic that it means that your coolant is a little low and to top it off, it is pretty picky and is no big deal, pop the back and top it. You will also note that if you turn the car off then on then it goes away. If you do note a bit of leaking then, I guess it is the coolant catch tank which is a tsb issue. Good luck

If the flashing light came on under hard acceleration, the car probably needs to have the coolant reservoir and cap replaced, per the TSB. This wasn't exactly a recall but it is a well known problem on 99 models, so if you have a good relationship with the dealer, perhaps they will do it under warranty, but I don't think there is anything that compels them to. Karl

Thanks for the advice, today I noticed the coolant was a little bit low, I added about 15 oz of coolant up to the max line, I hope that's all it is. Karl, why you think hard acceleration has to do with this situation? ~Taeo

That's what happened to me when I had to get the TSB done. Apparently, the way the original reservoir and cap were designed, under hard acceleration, the coolant would slosh away from the sensor causing the warning light to flash. The new designed cured this problem. I first experienced the problem on the street but didn't realize what caused it. But after my first DE, I figured it out, since the warning light came on right away in every session. In any case, if your coolant was that low, it was probably the cause of the light. Now the question is how'd you lose that much coolant. Look for white powdery residue. That's a sign of a leak. Karl

Taeo, I also have a 4/98 build C2 with about 34k miles, and I had the same experience as you did a few months ago, fortunately right before I took my car in for 30k mile service. I topped up the coolant tank, and the light went out, but at the sevice, the tech discovered that something in the coolant system was cracked, and that coolant was leaking. It was not an expensive part, as I recall - I have an aftermarket warranty (1source), though, and it picked up the cost. I did not have any visible drops below the car, so I can only assume that it leaked while I was driving, or that the leak wasn't very big. Best of luck.

Recommend you get an extended warranty. Coolant tank issues should not be lightly regarded as they can lead to an expensive replacement. The engine needs to be dropped in order to replace. It is not a recall issue but a TSB notice where the tank is recommended to be replaced if the engine needs to come out for any reason. However, look for coolant leaking and check to see if you can find where its coming from. Don't assume its just overflowing via the overflow tube. If its coming from the side of the tank between the tank and the body of the car suspect a split in the tank. You can't see it you'll have to get your hand in there and detect fluid. At first it is minor and turning the engine off/on wil reset the sensor. Then you will notice you are topping up now and then. Suddenly you'll be topping up every a week, then every day then get your **** into get it sorted quick! read "coolant problem" posting

I have had two cooling problems on 99. The coolant expansion tank will have a crack and coolant leaks out when pressurized and drops on your exhaust and evaportes. Eventually, you will notice the sweet smell in your garage. If you need to top it off at all have them look at it as it is not worth worrying about it. I already had the coolant tank replaced under the TSB before the crack and since it was done the Dealer replaced the tank even though my warranty was up because the repair had a warranty on it. Jim Ellis is great in Atlanta for that kind of thing.