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I have a 1999 Alero. I was driving then I noticed on my dashboard an indicator light came on on the left side of the dashboard. But I don't know what this indicator light is. It's a red box and near the bottom of the box there is this line that looks like ocean waves. Could it be my anti freeze is running low?


After driving a while the light will disappear and then reappear again. Then today the check engine light came on. Is it possible that the two may be linked together? Any help is appreaciated.

 

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Yeah thats your coolant light. If you have the V6 you could be losing coolant because of the lower intake manifold gasket. When the gasket leaks it mixes oil into your coolant which makes a mess in the overflow tank, which is where the sensor is at. The oil turns to slug in the water and that can cover the sensor which will make it come on.
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Hey rusty, thanks for replying. So right now, should I just add coolant or replace the entire intake manifold gasket to fix the issue? If i add coolant how much of the dexcool stuff should I add?
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Your owners manual has a list of all the indicator lights. Check there.


Before replacing the lower intake manifold gasket ($600-800), you should do some more research.


Is there sludge in the overflow tank? How about evidence of antifreeze in the oil (it will make the oil appear milky)? Do you see any leaks on the front and sides of the engine?


Go to Autozone, they will scan the car to find out why the check engine light is on for free.


I would add antifreeze (your owners manual will tell you how) and drive it for a while (a few hundred miles), then recheck the level to see how fast it is leaking.
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I would find out for sure if you lower intake manifold gasket is leaking or not. Like Iflylow said it will cost $600-800 or more to have a mechanic fix it but if you have some mechanical skills you can do it yourself for way less.


Being in Canada I'm not sure if you have Autozones up there. You can buy a scan tool for pretty cheap thought.


I would get your cooling system flushed along with the gasket, if thats your problem.
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hey thanks for all the replys. Great information. I would definetely agree with Iflylow on the owners manual thing. If I had one, it would make life a lot easier. Apparently I bought the car used and the guy didn't have one. Might pick on up at the dealership. But I will definetely check up on those suggestions. Thanks.
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I would check ebay or a junkyard for a manual first, you won't want to pay dealer prices.
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You can also go to www.oldsmobile.com and go to the owners center. Register in the owners center and you can download the owners manual in PDF for whatever year you own.
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