# Ford Escape Low Water Warning Light

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-escape-low-water-warning-light/37121>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** escape, ford, lights\
**Created:** [September 25, 2009, 6:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-escape-low-water-warning-light/37121 "2009-09-25T06:29:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MikeM95831](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@MikeM95831](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeM95831)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 6:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-escape-low-water-warning-light/37121/1 "2009-09-25T06:29:14Z")

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Gah. It’s me again.  
  
  
  
 On my 2002 Escape, the low-water warning light is on almost all the time. The water level is fine, according to a Ford service bulletin (about 1" over the seam in the degas tank), and yet the light stays on anyway.  
  
  
  
 The degas tank in this car has a built-in water-level sending unit. Is it possible that over 7 years and 140k miles in seering Sacramento heat, the sending unit is simply haywire? It’s a $60 fix.  
  
  
  
 Or should I look for something else?

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**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 7:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-escape-low-water-warning-light/37121/2 "2009-09-25T07:23:33Z")

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Your hypothesis is a very reasonable one. I bet the sender is just a switch. Check for continuity at the connector, remove some coolant and try again. I hope that you are not using water in your cooling system. You might have a wiring harness problem. I don’t know how much I would spend to fix a sensor that is not really needed. Just find the wire to the light and sever it. Check your coolant now and again the old fashioned way.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MikeM95831](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@MikeM95831](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeM95831)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-escape-low-water-warning-light/37121/3 "2009-10-14T05:40:57Z")

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I put in the new tank. It works great – no more light.

Pleased.

I think there may actually be a leak, though. But at least now when the red light comes on, the car actually means it. Under $70. Job takes 10 minutes. This problem is noted all over on Ford and Escape forums, and this is the only known fix.

OTOH, after 142k miles, who am I to complain?