combined sensor? SC2, sort of long.

Hello, I have a '97 SC2 w/50k miles. Auto-trans.w/air con. No other
power equipment on car. Live in the midwest, USA, and it has been very
hot here lately so I have been using the air con. every day w/no
problems. Sat. night I was on a trip about 15 min.'s, the temp. was
only in the 80's outside, and the warning lights above the temp. guage
started flashing. The temp. guage was in the normal range. Not hot. I
checked out my manual and it says those lights are a "combined high
engine coolant temperature/automatic transaxle fluid temperature/low
coolant level warning light."
So that must mean there are three sensors that could trigger the
warning light. So how to tell which is the problem? When the lights
first started flashing I turned off the air. con. and after about 30
sec's the lights went out. So I figure the coolant is too hot....but
the guage needle is in the normal range and the sensor to that guage
has been replaced by new a one quite recently.
I let the car cool and checked the coolant level and it is right where
it is suposed to be. That fluid was changed after 5 years.
I also checked the auto. transaxle fluid and it is at the proper level.
That fluid was also changed at 30k miles. The next morning I drove the
car with the air con. on and the warning lights came on again after
driving only 2 miles. I turned off the air con. again and the lights
went out. Later in the same day when the outside temp. was over 90 dgs.
I drove the car for an extended period and the lights never came on
again and have yet to come on again so far.
Any thoughts, ideas, or similar problem?
Thanks, Dan.

 

what is the temp gauge teading with air. quarter,half or 3/4
with air off what are those readings??

 

what is the temp gauge teading with air. quarter,half or 3/4

With the air on the guage is reading slightly over 1/4. With the air
off the guage reads the same.
I tested the guage by running the car at idle with air off. The guage
goes up to just over half then the fan kicks in and it drops to near
normal then the fan shuts off. It cycles like that till I start driving
again.
I did notice one more thing toady. Driving the car with air on the
warning lights start to flash but instead of turning off the air I just
kept driving After about 30 sec.'s the lights stopped flashing.
Weird.
Dan.

 

well flashing lights usually mean misfire or ignition problems but that
gauge should go to 3/4 before the fan kicks in. I think you said the
etc wash changed but was it changed with the one from saturn??
Also can you get the car to a place like autozone and give us the codes
that it is setting??
Thanks
BTW my problem was very similar and it was a combination of the upper
o2 sensor and a bad or kinda bad temperature controll sensor.
Once I changed those my car has been fine.

 

So that must mean there are three sensors that could trigger the

You plug into the diagnostic port and read the stored trouble codes. That
should tell you definitively. Stop by your local Autozone and they will do
it for no charge.

Lane [ lane (at) evilplastic.com ]

 

You plug into the diagnostic port and read the stored trouble codes.
That
should tell you definitively. Stop by your local Autozone and they
will do
it for no charge.

Thanks Lane, I thought there were only stored trouble codes when the
SES light was on. I have the day off tomm. and will go to our local
Autozone shop and have them check it out.
Will post up tomm. with the results.
Thanks again.
Dan.