Coolant level sensor

[tonybeirut]

Hi. There is a water level sensor for the windshield with a Light on the dashboard when it gets low.
Did anyone installed a coolant level sensor on the plastic bottle or the radiator to notify the driver when the radiator / engine coolant goes low? Grand cherokees has this warning feature from factory.

I'm asking this coz a friend of mine lost his engine completely, no more water in the engine coz of a water pump failure and the temp gauge on the dashboard was pointing to normal. The engine went so hot both water and oil evaporated.

Thank you.

[Cheromaniac]

A coolant level sensor in the expansion reservoir is only going to help you if you have a very slow coolant leak. When the engine cools down and the coolant level in the radiator drops, it'll draw coolant from the expansion reservoir and the level inside the reservoir will go down. This will alert you that there's a problem and give you enough time to top up the reservoir before it becomes completely empty and the radiator only draws air.
In the case of a sudden loss of coolant due to a leaking water pump or a burst hose, the sensor won't really help you 'cause without having the engine switched off and cooling down, the level in the expansion reservoir won't change. Unless you're lucky enough to have spare parts & coolant in the Jeep at the time, you'll be stranded on the roadside (basically up the creek and without a paddle) waiting for a tow truck to come to the rescue.
Unfortunately the coolant temp. gauge may not necessarily rise towards the red zone even if you lose a large amount of coolant 'cause it'll be measuring the temp. of the steam pocket inside the system. An aftermarket oil temp. gauge will give you some warning that the engine's overheating but if you're losing coolant, the coolant smell will be the earliest warning as long as it isn't just water.

http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/oiltemp.html

[tonybeirut]

A coolant level sensor in the expansion reservoir is only going to help you if you have a very slow coolant leak. When the engine cools down and the coolant level in the radiator drops, it'll draw coolant from the expansion reservoir and the level inside the reservoir will go down. This will alert you that there's a problem and give you enough time to top up the reservoir before it becomes completely empty and the radiator only draws air.
In the case of a sudden loss of coolant due to a leaking water pump or a burst hose, the sensor won't really help you 'cause without having the engine switched off and cooling down, the level in the expansion reservoir won't change. Unless you're lucky enough to have spare parts & coolant in the Jeep at the time, you'll be stranded on the roadside (basically up the creek and without a paddle) waiting for a tow truck to come to the rescue.
Unfortunately the coolant temp. gauge may not necessarily rise towards the red zone even if you lose a large amount of coolant 'cause it'll be measuring the temp. of the steam pocket inside the system. An aftermarket oil temp. gauge will give you some warning that the engine's overheating but if you're losing coolant, the coolant smell will be the earliest warning as long as it isn't just water.

http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/oiltemp.html

Good info. But the grand cherokee has a coolant level sensor in the plastic bottle with a warning light on the dash when it drops down. Can an xj have the same system?

I will Install an oil temp and a trans temp gauges. Good to have those warnings too.

[4.3LXJ]

One other thing to add, if you have a radiator leak, it will not draw coolant from the bottle. It will just leak and the vacuum needed to replace coolant will just draw air from the outside since it is easier. Best thing to do is not rely on the idiot lights and check fluids periodically