Thread: High Temp Light Coming On When Running AC

Hello.

I have a 2001 Grand Prix SE, approximately 125,000 miles.

Today, while I was driving home from work, the High Temp light came on; the gauge was at about 3/4s of the way up when I noticed. My commute, with traffic, takes roughly an hour each day and it is pretty warm out (87 with high humidity), so I was running the AC at full blast with temp at max, as I have done for the last few weeks. Once I got near to being home, I noticed the air coming out of the vents was a bit warmer than what it should be. When I looked at the temp gauge, the TEMP light was on. I immediately turned off the AC and just cranked up the heat full blast. Almost immediately, the gauge dropped back down to half and the light went out. When I got to the house, before turning off the car, I turned the AC back on and cold air was coming out of the vents. I let it run for a few minutes and the gauge never moved up.

I shut off the car and looked around underneath to see if fluid was dripping on the ground and saw nothing. I let the car cool down for about 45 minutes and went and checked the coolant level and everything is A-OK with that.

Any idea what could cause something like that? Is possible it was just a result of a really warm day and lots of idling in traffic?

I should note, the car didn't actually over-heat and there was no steam coming from under the hood. I'm a little concerned about this, though, because it's never happened until now. Just this past Monday, I took my car in for an oil change over lunch (Jiffy Lube) and the tech recommended I have the radiator flushed, so I had them do that, as well. Now, a few days later, this happens. Maybe it's just coincidence.

Anyway, any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

Very similar issue happened to me. I went through the whole low coolant/ coolant replacement and have been okay for a day now. I drove max AC for 30 minutes and it's about 95 out

Originally Posted by stealthee

If they just flushed the radiator I bet you have air in the system. You need to bleed it out.

Also NEVER take your car to Jiffy Lube. They are the crooks of all crooks that are shops. So many shops have been caught on camera billing for work that they do not do, or recommending stuff that is not needed.

Thanks a bunch! I actually just called the shop and the guy mentioned the same thing as the likely cause. He also asked if the tech told me to come back in after a week to have the system checked, but the guy mentioned no such thing to me. I hear ya on not taking my car there and it won't happen again. When I popped the hood to check things over this afternoon, the transaxle dipstick was nearly completely pulled out.... talk about attention to detail. :/

Anyway, thanks again; I'll be burping the system tomorrow... myself.