Problem with coolant

[josephs911]

Ok so I live in Michigan and right now its very cold, well when I first start the car it seems that the low coolant light will come on, and then once I get going it then it stops, what causes this and is there a solution. I tried searching but didnt find anything that seemed to help me. My GA is 2003, Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

[rixGAphx]

You are low on coolant.
Fill it, with antifreeze-water mixture, to the 'Full-cold line on the reservoir; this is about 1" below the bottom of the filler neck.
The coolant needs this 1" air space to expand into as it warms.

Right now, as it warms it rises a little in the bottom of the reservoir as it warms.
This also lifts the little floaty-thingy that signals the 'Low Coolant' light ot come ''on', thereby turning it 'off'.

Only tighten the pressure cap as much as an average woman can easily do one-handed.
Any tighter and you risk damaging or distorting the delicate rubber sealing washer, preventing the cap from sealing to 14 psi pressure as is necessary.

Find out why your coolant level has dropped.
A *little* loss, mebbe a cup a month, is normal.
Any more than that, and you have a problem that needs to be solved before you get some very expensive damage.
First step is to check the engine oil on the dipstick.
It should look like black motor oil.
If it looks like a thin, chocolatey milkshake, report back here at once and don't drive the car.

Good luck,
-Rick

[lilniemo]

I agree, first check the oil to make sure it is black (or still running pretty clear *amber in color* if you had a recent oil change) - if it does look milky at all then I feel your pain because that's what happened to my '00 GAGT. Going to need to the heads fixed and that'll cost ya a pretty penny.

If the oil looks fine, then top it off with Prestone's DexCool (the orange coolant) per Rick's recommendation. If you still have a problem, most local GM dealers sell these stop leak tabs that you can break up and mix with the coolant. The coolant turns into a jelly-like substance and keeps from draining to where ever it's draining to. That's what kept my old '00 running for awhile without a problem. I finally had to take it in and get the heads fixed which ran about $500 back in '06. Good luck :)