dgd

i asked my dealer about cutting the wires to the coolant reservoir tank and was told the red light would stay on all the time.
So wouldn't pulling the plug at the top passenger side of the coolant tank be the same as cutting the wires?

I wonder about sorting the two wires together?

revrower

The dealer hasn't got a clue!

I just pulled the plug out of it's socket and then partially re-inserted so it wouldn't hang loose. Bingo - no light! Cutting the wire would have the same effect.

A proper solution would be to do the fiddly job of replacing the bottle but you are likely to have a nightmare with all the extra complications.

Best option may be just to add more buoyancy to the float with a dab of super sticky PU foam.....

TomX8

Tell your dealer that he is retarded and should quit being a mechanic. I disconnected the coolant reservoir sensor and the light went off.

Just remember that anytime you even think about bringing your car to a mechanic, it's these kind of retards that work on your car.

Reoze

For what it's worth, I had this issue. Replaced the entire coolant bottle and it persisted. It wasn't until I replaced my radiator hoses that this problem seemed to go away entirely. I didn't see any obvious leaks, but I can't help but notice the correlation. It might not always just be a faulty sensor.

gwilliams6

Another permanent option, though more expensive:

AST Spec. A Kit RX8

dgd

I'll try the plug pulling. Maybe the plug contacts corrode just a little and pulling off then on again can be a fix. I'll pull it off and see. i had the dealer overfill expecting the light to never come on, but it did.

Supra1jz

my light used to worry me constantly causing me to needlessly pull over and cool. pulled the plug set it in half way like that other guy now I drive with confidence of not breaking down. Doubt it was going to before either; but lights are annoying. I was driving around with a snap on verus to watch my temps and started to believe I was reading air pockets when the light was on and would stay on just a dummy light.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, why spend $150 to fix something right when you can half-*** it.
If you're really lazy, you can just stick a piece of electrical tape over the light.

Supra1jz

It's a useless light and the reservoir is holding pressure. Why throw away 150 bucks on something like that it's wasteful more plastic being thrown away

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

This.

Supra1jz

Any circumstance where the float warns you before imminent failure faster than a digital temp gauge or the regular temp gauge can is highly unlikely big gator. Just school me and ill learn. When would that float save me and nothing else could have?

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

How many people will spend thousands of dollars, or even know what a Snap-on Verus is?
Unless someone offers a reasonable alternative to monitoring the coolant in real time with a warning light or alarm, I will never say it's OK to disable a warning light.
Advising new or less knowledgeable owners to defeat a warning system is irresponsible.

Reoze

Devil's advocate here...

When the sensor throws more false positives than correct ones that data channel becomes complete trash. Yes you should probably just replace it, though if I had to pick and choose the things I was fixing on my car for budget reasons, it probably wouldn't be on the very top of my list.

The problem with relying on coolant temperature is if you spontaneously run out of coolant the sensor is not going to read a temperature related to the block, but the temperature of the air now in the coolant passages. You'd probably see a slight decrease in temperature before it starts rising. Meanwhile, your block is complete toast.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Good points.
I'll respond by saying if one sweats spending $150 to properly fix a problem on an RX8, then they own the wrong car.
They should buy a Honda, Toyota or some other less maintenance dependent toaster oven on wheels, not a sports car.

Reoze

I can't keep playing the devil's advocate with a straight face. When I picked up this last RX8 the first two things I ordered were a Power steering harness and a new coolant bottle. I agree 100% that this is a very critical sensor for those "oops" moments. Then again my oil level sensor is shot and I've poured quite a few thousand dollar in the car the last few months and still have not even looked into getting it fixed.

If someone were to make a conscious decision that they'd rather get a SOHN adapter, or a brake job this week and replace the bottle next month I don't think I could really fault them for that whatsoever. Now if they picked up a brand new perfectly running R3 with a bad bottle, then yeah you'd have to be an idiot not to fix it.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

In theory, yes.
HOWEVER, you shouldn't let your brakes get to the point of being a safety issue, and that should be a maintenance item and be part of a scheduled maintenance budget, tires also.
Sohn adapter isn't a critical fix, it's a modification, secondary to the proper coolant light solution in importance.

Supra1jz

Supra1jz

Anyone can obtain a 4 dollar obd2 connector and some piece of potatoe technology to communicate with it and get the same digital coolant temp signal as a verus. Theirs instances where the radiator light doesn't come on even with a bone dry bottle, can you still rely on a sensor then? Isn't it more preventative to pop your hood sometime and check your fluid levels. Honda Toyota Mazda new and old.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Whatever.
I've wasted enough time.
Do what you want to do.
Hopefully new members have common sense and know when to disregard bad advice.
Until then, as usual, every few months when someone says "Unplug it" I will continue to say advising someone to disable a warning light instead of fixing it properly is irresponsible and stupid.
If even one person understands the logic, it's worth it.
Move along now.

gwilliams6

I agree with BigCajun, it is foolish and stupid to unplug the sensor and rely only on occasional visual inspection of the coolant. Get it fixed or replaced. That is a lot less expensive than replacing a cooked engine, by thousands of dollars !

Don't follow bad advice, it can cost you big time with these cars.

Supra1jz

dgd

Pulled the plug of the coolant overflow tank.
Red light gone right away and still gone many KM later.
I'll just check the level visually as I always do.
Taking my chances I know but I don't want to ignore read lights from other systems.

gwilliams6

Good luck Dgd, hope you don't wind up with an expensive regret for not getting it fixed or replaced.

Supra1jz

You'll be fine you. Everyone should be checking their over flow bottle before the light comes on anyways; but they won't so shops and dealers will continue to make big bucks installing and replacing dumb *** lights for dumbasses.

New Yorker

The light is not there to remind you that your coolant level is getting low. Its sole purpose is to alert you to a SUDDEN and potentially catastrophic loss of coolant. Like when a flying rock or debris suddenly punctures a cooling hose or your radiator.

Disable or ignore it at your own risk.