Hi everybody!

I'm an owner of a Skoda Fabia 2007, Ambiente with a diesel engine. Lately, it has been very cold where I live. I've experienced a dead-battery a few times in the last months so I'm on my way to have a new one installed. But the problem I'm about to describe is something I've never experienced before:

Last Friday I put the key in the ignition, and waited a few second before I started the car. Before I had the chance to start the car the Engine Coolant Temperature Indicator Symbol blinked and piped three times. According to the car's manual, one of the three of the following, is the  reason for this to happen:

1) The engine is dangerously warm 2) The cooling system is not properly filled 3) One of the fuses in the engine is blown.

However, I cannot see that in this case any of these explanations is valid.  1) The engine is not warm, it's cold outside and the line that indicates the temperature in the engine doesn't move from zero 2) I have checked and the cooling system is filled properly. 3) I checked the fuses, they're not blown.

I tried to start the car nevertheless but it wouldn't start, because of a dead car battery.

So basically, I have two questions:

A. Can there be a correlation between my dead-battery issue and the sudden blinking of the Engine Coolant Temperature Indicator Symbol? Can the Indicator blink because of the low outside temperature? I doubt it since it has been cold for a while now so why would this happen all out of sudden? I've experienced a dead battery a couple of times in the few months but this has never happened before.

B. Can I jump-start the car in this state? As I told you earlier, I've made sure that the engine is not dangerously hot, the cooling system is filled and the fuses are not blown. If I could jump-start it I'd have the opportunity to drive it to the nearest garage.

Thank you for your time and patience!
 

Edited 16 January, 201610 yr by KeyraBil

It's most likely due to the battery being flat tbh.

Should be no problem jump starting it.

check the coolants not frozen maybe? just somthing els to quickly check before jump starting it.

check the coolants not frozen maybe? just something else to quickly check before jump starting it.

+1, mine had been doing it on and off for a while (when it dropped below 4c).

New coolant and it has been fine the past few days and they have been -2,-3 when I am getting up.

I've got similar "issue" in my Octavia. Especially on cold mornings the coolant symbol flashes even so the level coolant is normal. After a mile or so if I restart the car, all is fine. I think is the the level sensor in expansion tank having rust or some residue on the probes thus resistance reading is higher resulting in the same results as low coolant level.

Hi guys, thank you for all the answers, I really appreciate it

 

I checked the coolant precisely and it's not frozen, however there are some tiny white particles floating in it. I suppose that has something to do with the temperature!

So changing the coolant is definitely a vice thing to do.

 

I haven't decided if I'll try to change the coolant myself or if I'll take the car to the local garage to have it done. In case I choose to do have it done for me, I'll have to get the car to the garage. Do you think it's safe to jump-start the car when you have these tiny white particles floating in the coolant?

 

Thanks!

Hi guys, thank you for all the answers, I really appreciate it

 

I checked the coolant precisely and it's not frozen, however there are some tiny white particles floating in it. I suppose that has something to do with the temperature!

So changing the coolant is definitely a vice thing to do.

 

I haven't decided if I'll try to change the coolant myself or if I'll take the car to the local garage to have it done. In case I choose to do have it done for me, I'll have to get the car to the garage. Do you think it's safe to jump-start the car when you have these tiny white particles floating in the coolant?

 

Thanks!

 

Yes, it'll be fine.

Im going to say no in that case then untill more digging has been done.

have a squeeze of the coolant pipes and check it flows ok in and out of the bottle.

Best bet is to just wait untill it warms up a little bit, mid day maybe? and try it yet.

 

it will probably be fine, but when they freeze the water pump can freeze with it and sicne the water pump runs off the timing belt it can end badly so worth spending those extra five minuets for piece of mind. 

Im going to say no in that case then untill more digging has been done.

have a squeeze of the coolant pipes and check it flows ok in and out of the bottle.

Best bet is to just wait untill it warms up a little bit, mid day maybe? and try it yet.

 

it will probably be fine, but when they freeze the water pump can freeze with it and sicne the water pump runs off the timing belt it can end badly so worth spending those extra five minuets for piece of mind. 

 

What you're forgetting Hutchy is that if the coolant isn't frozen now it definitely won't freeze once it's moving because a moving fluid has a lower freezing point than a static fluid.

I was thinking more along the lines of the thinner water ports might be frozen but the coolant bottle having more water in wont be frozen. you know like a small puddle frozen but a pond isnt.

 

Might be rubbish, Might well be fine, ive never delt much with frozen engines other than a citroen once where it pushed the core plug out the back of the block.

I was thinking more along the lines of the thinner water ports might be frozen but the coolant bottle having more water in wont be frozen. you know like a small puddle frozen but a pond isnt.

 

Might be rubbish, Might well be fine, ive never delt much with frozen engines other than a citroen once where it pushed the core plug out the back of the block.

 

I had a Bedford CF nearly 30 years ago which popped a core plug in exactly the same place, whacked a new core plug in and it was as right as rain.

I had a Bedford CF nearly 30 years ago which popped a core plug in exactly the same place, whacked a new core plug in and it was as right as rain.

 

Thanks for joining in sepulchrave! This is getting a bit advanced for me, but do I understand you correctly that you don't estimate jump-starting the car in it's current state as risky?

Thanks for joining in sepulchrave! This is getting a bit advanced for me, but do I understand you correctly that you don't estimate jump-starting the car in it's current state as risky?

 

Yes, no risk if the coolant is not already frozen.

Yes, no risk if the coolant is not already frozen.

Thanks! And by frozen you mean completely frozen right, i.e. a few tiny white particles don't count as "frozen", I suppose?

Thanks! And by frozen you mean completely frozen right, i.e. a few tiny white particles don't count as "frozen", I suppose?

 

No, it doesn't count as frozen, those particles could be anything.