# Idiot light and bad water pump

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/idiot-light-and-bad-water-pump/53996>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** coolant, lights\
**Created:** [August 23, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/idiot-light-and-bad-water-pump/53996 "2010-08-23T04:14:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![haglered](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/haglered/32/159_2.png) [@haglered](https://community.cartalk.com/u/haglered)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/idiot-light-and-bad-water-pump/53996/1 "2010-08-23T04:14:55Z")

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Recently my Low coolant light came on. There was plenty of fluid in the resevoir. Then the car started squeling-the noise tide to the speed of the engine, not the speed of the car.  
  
  
  
 I started suspecting that the water pump after remembering the low coolant ligh.  
  
  
  
 Is this possible. will a bad water pump cause the low coolant light come on even if the car has plenty of coolant?

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**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/idiot-light-and-bad-water-pump/53996/2 "2010-08-23T04:51:32Z")

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Make, model, year, miles, etc would help.

On my 93 Caprice I believe the low fluid level sensor is attached to the coolant overflow tank. Other vehicles I can’t speak for. Besides the overflow tank has the raditor fluid level been checked?

Ed B.

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**Author:** ![haglered](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/haglered/32/159_2.png) [@haglered](https://community.cartalk.com/u/haglered)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/idiot-light-and-bad-water-pump/53996/3 "2010-08-24T01:24:50Z")

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Yes, I opened the radiator cap and confirmed that I had plenty of fluid in the radiator itself.

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**Author:** ![haglered](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/haglered/32/159_2.png) [@haglered](https://community.cartalk.com/u/haglered)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/idiot-light-and-bad-water-pump/53996/4 "2010-08-24T01:27:15Z")

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Miles are over 250,000 The Make is 97 chevy Lumina. It is a retired police car.

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**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/idiot-light-and-bad-water-pump/53996/5 "2010-08-24T01:53:08Z")

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It is almost certain that the low coolant signal is not indicating a failing water pump. If the pump causes overheating and subsequently the loss of coolant then there will be a relationship.