Cold start... coolant temperature warning

For the last two mornings I've had to start in near zero degrees(F) temperatures. Both days the engine started right up however the coolant temperature warning light came on within the first minute. I turned the engine off and restarted it with the same result. When I let the car sit for 10-15 minutes and tried starting again she fired right up and the warning light did not come on.

I attribute this to the cold temperatures but is it something I should be concerned about? Is there something I should be checking? Thanks for the help.

Have you checked your coolant level at all?

I had not done that.... it's easy to forget the obvious.
It is low and I'll take care of it tomorrow.

Thank you.

Yeah, check the coolant level. Winter temperatures certainly cause everything to "contract", and there is nothing wrong with needing a little coolant top-up once or twice a year. If you are topping up once or twice a month, then there is a problem.

There's something about very cold weather that causes this to happen... lots of owners have reported it.

Mine did it last winter even though I was careful to keep the coolant level between the marks.

Doesn't hurt anything... just another mild VW annoyance.

Mel