I have a 2008 Wrangler X. For the past two years, it’s been overheating. Despite six trips to the dealer, nothing has fixed the problem. Sometimes the red lightning bolt light comes on randomly and at the same time, my temperature gauge drops to zero, indicating it’s cold.
Here’s what has been done so far:
New radiator
New water pump
New thermostat
New radiator cap
New ambient temperature sensor
Dealer has checked all wiring twice
The red light usually comes on when the engine is warm and can make steam come out of the radiator cap if I keep driving. But sometimes it comes on right after starting the Jeep when it’s cold. It can also come on when the engine is cold and I’m going downhill with little stress on the engine. When the light comes on, the fan switches to high immediately.
Another odd thing is if I turn off the engine and restart it right away, the light goes off and the Jeep runs fine again for a while—maybe 5 to 15 minutes—before the light might come back on.
The dealer doesn’t know what else to do. Has anyone else had this problem? Any ideas? It’s frustrating and expensive. The Jeep runs well otherwise, but I’m afraid to take it out of town for fear it might overheat in a remote area.
The red lightning bolt symbol on your Jeep’s dashboard serves as a warning indicator for issues related to the Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) system. This system manages the engine’s throttle electronically, as opposed to using a conventional cable mechanism.
The red lightening bolt on a jeep, dashboard thus indicates a problem with the Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) system. The Electronic Throttle Control system is always responsible for the management of the throttle body by using electronic signals instead of a traditional mechanical linkage. When the red lightning bolt warning light comes on, it suggests that there may be an issue with the throttle body, throttle position sensor, or other related components.
It’s true that the red lightning bolt indicates a throttle body issue. I mistook it for the typical car’s red battery icon, which indicates a problem with the charging mechanism.
The Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) system is usually the source of the red lightning bolt symbol on your Jeep’s dashboard. The red lightning bolt warning light will come on when there is a problem with this mechanism, which controls the throttle body.