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 So I figure the coolant is too hot....but the guage needle is in the normal range and the sensor to that guage has been replaced by new a one quite recently.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.

Reply to
DannyB20
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what is the temp gauge teading with air. quarter,half or 3/4 with air off what are those readings??

Reply to
p_vouers

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.

Reply to
DannyB20

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.

Reply to
p_vouers

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 ]

Reply to
Lane

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.

Reply to
DannyB20

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