Coolant alarm problem

[teenmal]

Weekend is probably best, see how it goes after a accurate batt test. Shout if you need.

The low coolant alarm is actually telling you something, but only Haydn speaks the coolant alarm language. Over the 10 years we had our bongos I loved ours, never any false alarms, 2 real alarms after a water pump failure, and a pipe leak. I fitted about 10 to other people's without issues. You can even use them to bleed the coolant system using the seesaw method to listen for the level in the expansion tank, I fitted the high level add-on that Haydn made in limited numbers, this helped you bleed the system with your eyes closed.
I noted that occasionally I did repairs to the Lecky systems on bongos that accompanied coolant alarm squeals or activations,these were usually related to low voltages seen at the alarm wherever it was taken from,usually an ignition switch live as advised.
Alternator problems, battery issues or glow plug or circuit/relay etc are the usual.
After the starter battery has started the engine particularly in harder to start colder months when the glow plugs can be on off for quite a while, the starter battery is recovering from the starting hammering it's just had, the alternator may also be slow to up it game, the lights and wipers go on, the Aircon demist goes on is it hard to imagine the voltage seen at the low coolant sensor may dip slightly, this dip is not as evident when the glow plugs are fresh and the alternator is quick to up its game etc. I always listened to the coolant sensor as it was telling you something was not quite right.
I'm not related to Haydn, or have any connection to jo, I have used their alarms for years without any gripps, they do have their limitations but they are an aid and nothing more, with a bit of common sense they are the best I've found to do the job.

Ps. Haydn, I will pm you my address for the Xmas card. Lol.

It would be worthwhile checking the voltage at the sensor screw on the header tank.


These " Coolant "alarms are very pernickety, they don't like some coolants/they don't like cold weather, they don't like some batteries .And it now looks like they have fallen out with the poor wee heater plugs.It now gets better ,"The low coolant alarm is actually telling you something, but only Haydn speaks the coolant alarm language.

Looks like we now need to learn a new Language

[haydn callow]

Can you tell us what the voltage at the screw should be ?.

[haydn callow]

Teenmal, from your input over the years I guess you think our Low Coolant Alarms are a expensive waste of time, fortunately for us you are in a minority in your opinion, there are many thousand satisfied customers out there hundreds of which have cause to to be very thankful they had one fitted. You are, of course entitled to your criticism but equally we are entitled to respond.

[teenmal]

Teenmal, from your input over the years I guess you think our Low Coolant Alarms are a expensive waste of time, fortunately for us you are in a minority in your opinion, there are many thousand satisfied customers out there hundreds of which have cause to to be very thankful they had one fitted. You are, of course entitled to your criticism but equally we are entitled to respond.

THAT LANGUAGE i understand.

[haydn callow]

I did try and keep it short and simple.

[Bob]

Mine paid for itself when it warned me the coolant had escaped while parked on the drive.

Turned out to be a pin hole in the bleed pipe, but without the alarm I would have driven off to work...

Alarm, say, £100 fitted, 11 years ownership = <2.5p per day, engine saved once, so far.

[haydn callow]

Thanks Bob ... we have had hundreds of similar positive testimonials over the years, we have yet to receive a negative comment, this could be down to our after sales response to any problems, over the past 5 or 6 years we have yet to have a faulty alarm returned, we have had a few returned but in every case the alarm has tested good and we have worked with the customer to sort out any underlying problems.

[mikeonb4c]

Teenmal's in bah humbug mode. It must be Christmas

Afraid I'm with Bob on the LCA - it gives the occasional false chirp but its given 12 years valuable service and peace of mind, and never not worked. And, lets face it, not every car (very few in fact) gives 12 years faultless service, and they cost a lot more than an LCA

[Two R's]

Picked up from my garage yesterday. Battery and glow plugs tested fine.
He changed the terminal ring - and probably did a better job of it than me. He told me that hadn’t managed to get any false alarms from it.
I drove it two miles home and there wasn’t a single squeal.
Drove ten miles to work this morning. All was well. 8 miles in it squeaked for ten seconds. Off for two minutes. Squeal. Off.
On way home squealed three times for 30 seconds at random times.
Will see how it is tomorrow. I don’t have much time at the moment to work this out so may go back to garage to switch it off if it gets worse and come back to it later.
Thanks for all help so far.

[mikeonb4c]

Picked up from my garage yesterday. Battery and glow plugs tested fine.
He changed the terminal ring - and probably did a better job of it than me. He told me that hadn’t managed to get any false alarms from it.
I drove it two miles home and there wasn’t a single squeal.
Drove ten miles to work this morning. All was well. 8 miles in it squeaked for ten seconds. Off for two minutes. Squeal. Off.
On way home squealed three times for 30 seconds at random times.
Will see how it is tomorrow. I don’t have much time at the moment to work this out so may go back to garage to switch it off if it gets worse and come back to it later.
Thanks for all help so far.

Feel your frustration. Its distracting when mine chirps but luckily it doesnt do it often and switching on something like sidelights momentarily seems to settle it. All very strange, but its pluses have far outweighed its minuses.

[Two R's]

Latest update:

We were lucky enough to win a Bongo Health test from Bongo Spares from their Xmas promo on Facebook. The battery was reported as poor and despite the alarm going off most of the way there they couldn't get it to go on while in their garage (we were there for an hour).

The coolant level in the tank was reported as higher than normal.

On the way back and for the next week the alarm didn't go off... and then.. the dreaded screech came back. Not as much as before, just a few peeps, but over the next few weeks it got worse - to the point where it was on most of the time.

So - I got a new battery - the garage we bought the original one from replaced it as the old one was still under warranty.

On the way home - no alarm - so I assumed that had fixed the problem.

Yesterday morning - I set off to work and it went off for around ten minutes and stayed off for the next half hour my journey.

Same on the way home 8 hours later.

I put it down to the cold weather, but this morning it was on for my entire journey - nearly an hour. Feel totally stressed before I even start work. The battery reading was 13.88

I'm going to give the screw another clean today, but not expecting miracles and I don't want to keep having to do this.

I'm not sure how easy it is to remove? I don't have anywhere I can work on my van - I have to park in the street and it's dark when I set off - dark when I get home so I might have to take it in to a garage.

[haydn callow]

Hi, well you seem to have tried most things....the alarm is easy to remove or disable.
BUT — The fact remains that you do have some sort of gremlin within your Bongo.....despite everything there is no fault in the actual alarm....we can swap yours for a new one and I am 99% sure you will have the same problems....if you are ever down Somerset way please get in touch.
Haydn

[mikeonb4c]

Yup if all it does is false alarm then best disconnected. Mine had a minor turn driving into the freezing gale last Sunday. I wondered if a lot of cold air rushing through the under bonnet could have contributed. There is generally with mine i think a link between cold and false alarming. But my incidents are v minor compared to you i think.

[haydn callow]

Might be worth your while contacting Northern Bongolow who is a oracle for all things on this forum and lives ‘opp north’ he can sort most things.

[teenmal]

Two R's , I would strongly advise you to have this LCA physically tested to make sure it actually sounds/alarms when the coolant is actually bellow the trigger.

If that proves to be ok then I would advise you to Jack up Wing Mirrors and replace Van , or call Ghostbusters , up North.

Take care .