n00b dash light question: mystery dash light [problem fixed]

[karbon]

Don't worry, it's not another thread on the "lincoln memorial" dash light, so you don't get to use the funny picture.
It's the rightmost, lowest yellow light on the group of them. It depicts a container of water. I know it's not brake fluid or oil. My coolant resorvior is full, adding power steering fluid to my resorvior did nothing (it was on the MIN side of the stick), and I can't get the cap off the damn clutch resorvior (previous owner broke the tab off). The only other thing I can think of it being is my washer fluid, but I've run that dry a couple times with no indicator lighting up. I'd look it up in the factory manual if my car came with one

 

[92redman]

Coolant level or washer level are the only that come to mind.

 

[Grn95GST]

Its the coolant/radiator light.

 

[karbon]

Thanks a bunch. It's really obnoxious because it comes on and goes off without any rhyme or reason. I'm thinking the sensor is probably taking a dump, since my resorvior is full. Does anyone know where the sensor is?
I forgot to mention that my collant temp is just fine. That's what makes me suspect the sensor.

 

[92redman]

sensor is one of the several things screwed into your thermostat housing.

 

[Eclipse_GS]

sry for getting off topic but I got a question... I found out last week that theres a gas light in the car (I know it sounds stupid but I found out the hard way) and I was wondering if anyone knows how many gallons of gas/how many miles you have left when it goes on?

 

[Perch - Tsi]

roughly, two, though mine comes on and goes off intermittetly for a while whenever it gets low, this is assuming ive got an eleven gallon tank, 'cause itll take 9 and a bit more with the light on....
yours may vary from that though, FWD models have an entirely different gas tank

 

[karbon]

sry for getting off topic but I got a question... I found out last week that theres a gas light in the car (I know it sounds stupid but I found out the hard way) and I was wondering if anyone knows how many gallons of gas/how many miles you have left when it goes on?

If I remember right, there's about 25 miles left after the light goes solid, but this is on an AWD gas tank. What you could do is when it goes solid, reset the trip meter and go fill up a 2 gallon gas can. Keep it around until you run out of gas. Bam, now you know
Either that or you can refill when you're down to a quarter of a tank. You could have it worse like a lot of us and have your light come on just above a quarter of a tank, and the needle will not go any further down than that. (I know about the trimmer pot fix, yes. Have yet to do it.)

 

[karbon]

sensor is one of the several things screwed into your thermostat housing.

Along with not one but 2 temperature probes I'm pretty sure the gauge one does not work, as my factory water temp gauge is dead, but it hasn't worked since I had the car. I'll have to check out that sensor. Unplugging it SHOULD trip the light on all the time, right?
Thanks for the replies.
Sorry about the double post, but for some reason I'm not allowed to copy and paste to make two quotes and I don't feel like retyping your messeges.

 

[92redman]

Unplugging switches almost always turns the light out unless the light is controlled by a module. Normally a switch has to be grounded in order for the light to come on and unplugging it will prevent the circuit from grounding unless there is a short.
Have you checked the level in your radiator back into the system and therefore leave you with low coolant level.? If your cap has a bad vacuum valve, it would not allow the coolant from the overflow to be drawn back into the radiator when it cools down.

 

[Defiant]

Don't worry, it's not another thread on the "lincoln memorial" dash light, so you don't get to use the funny picture.

There's an effing relief.

It's the rightmost, lowest yellow light on the group of them. It depicts a container of water.

Windshield washer resevoir. The filler's on the driver's side hatch gutter, just aft of where the hatch strut mounts.

The only other thing I can think of it being is my washer fluid, but I've run that dry a couple times with no indicator lighting up.

Well, something's healed, apparently.

I'd look it up in the factory manual if my car came with one

Well, get the hell over to eBay and grab one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...item=7962027694&category=6762&sspagename=WDVW

Hold out for a specific year, if you must- but it's not necessary.

 

[karbon]

Well, apparently the sensor healed itsself by some kind of automotive magic! I refilled the washer tank and viola (not walla), light's been off. Imagine that.
In the search for the problem with the cooling system, I noticed that the compressor intake pipe was rotated and the S bend was pressing against the lower water hose and folding it a bit, so I rotated the pipe so the bend wasn't smashing it anymore.

Well, get the hell over to eBay and grab one

Thanks, I was just looking a couple days ago. 96 is close enough
Thanks for the help, everyone.
Holy living christ, we have a lot of new emoticons. I'm so thrilled.

 

[talontsiboy24]

So that light that looks like a square castle or garage is a coolant light? its right next to my cel light on my 92 talon tsi awd....

 

[Lofty]

Good job bumping a 5 year old thread....

To answer your question.. yes..