Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Coolant light - how does the circuit work?

Well aware of the coolant level/light issues, here's my question.

My light won't go off at all, period, so its rather useless to me.

I took the tank off while servicing the system yesterday and found a white sensor/prope that comes out of the tank, along with a magnet/fload inside the tank that seems to move up and down with level.

I speculate that the white sensor reads the height of the magnet's movements.

What I'm wondering is which is likely bad, is the magnet/float deal no longer floating, or is this white sensor/probe bad?

Also, does the system work open or closed. I was told before that I could just unplug it and that would make the light go out, but it doesn't. Should it? Or should jumpering across it with a paperclip or wire make it go out? I haven't tried the latter.

Thanks,
Scott

You know you can post this all in one thread, you don't need to start a new thread for each current issue.

Bill Jenkins http://www.teamfordparts.com/
Level sensor - 2.5 liter 95-00 $10.43
Part #7

I'm guessing it's pressure on a sensor? Whatever it is mine died some time ago so I unplugged it.

According to this post from less than a month ago...

http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=trouble&Number=1099750&Forum=trouble&Words=Karl&Match=Entire%20Phrase&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Old=3months&Main=1092233&Search=true#Post1099750

...unplugging the sensor won't turn out the light...at least not for me or several others. There are some tests that can be done to test whether or not the float is working. I haven't had a chance to try this yet.
Karl

Sorry, should have been more clear. I started a new thread because I was moving onto a different part of the system. I meant to ask about the electrical function, not the mechancial function, of the coolant light warning system.

The link and following the links in that thread are good education, thanks, sorry I couldn't find those on my own.

Scott

You jumper across it and the light goes out. That is, the switch is CLOSED when the coolant is at the proper level. Or is supposed to be, anyway.

Ford makes a jumper that's perfect for this, used as the SPOUT jumper in older cars with distributors as well as the octane adjust jumper in 95 Contours/Mystiques.

Since I've ripped the computer harness out of my brother's 1995 Contour and replaced it with a new one due to the cracking insulation, and it has two of those jumpers on it, I can look and get the engineering number for this jumper off of it and post it here later on.
Bill Jenkins ought to be able to cross it to a part number.

I doubt replacing the sensor will fix it; I think the problem is often the float inside the tank.

Maybe I pulled the lamp?? I know I left one lamp out in the dash for some reason. Last fall I almost yanked the CE lamp! This is one thing I look for on used cars. Turn the key to on and see if all the idiot lights come on...