Coolant level alarm

[missfixit70]

Swarf comes backwards when youre drilling, do it in place, half hour to fit the plug in mk 2 & 3 alarms, a bit longer for the mk 1.

[haydn callow]

My system is very simple to install.The tank is not removed or loosened or anything. Just leave it where it is...If you have a 2nd battery in front of it you have to remove that. You only drill 1 or 2.. 3mm holes and no coolant is lost if the instructions are followed (well ..perhaps a tea spoon full at most). No swarf enters the tank as the drill feeds it outwards.
If you are organised and have everything to hand it should take 30/40 mins to fit. Everything required is in the kit..even a 3mm drill and a blade to "smooth" the outside of the drilled holes.
500 Bongo owners carn't be wrong and 5 of the biggest dealers now fit the alarm as standard. They report a reduction in warranty claims since they started fitting them.

[haydn callow]

Kirsty !!! done it to me again !!!

[missfixit70]

I waffle less

[spout]

My system is very simple to install.The tank is not removed or loosened or anything. Just leave it where it is...If you have a 2nd battery in front of it you have to remove that. You only drill 1 or 2.. 3mm holes and no coolant is lost if the instructions are followed (well ..perhaps a tea spoon full at most). No swarf enters the tank as the drill feeds it outwards.
If you are organised and have everything to hand it should take 30/40 mins to fit. Everything required is in the kit..even a 3mm drill and a blade to "smooth" the outside of the drilled holes.

Having recently fitted one I can only agree whole heartedly.

[Trouble at t'Mill]

Ha ha! Thanks to you both.

(PS, did I mention I like waffle...)

[haydn callow]

Tend to "flap" a bit though.
"private joke" ignore me. I waffle toooooomuch

[francophile1947]

Tend to "flap" a bit though.
"private joke" ignore me. I waffle toooooomuch

- thought I'd do it before Kirsty did

[haydn callow]

The float switch looks very good, but I must admit I can't see any advantages over the Haydn system. I'm sure the sensor is very reliable, but I can see potential failure mechanisms. Like the float hinge jamming or the relay welding closed (surprisingly easy to get very high instantaneous currents caused by the capacitance of long cables) or corrosion build up on the contacts due to low "wetting" currents.
These simply don't happen in the Haydn system. Given two choices I'd tend to go for the simpler one.
Dave

The advantage of the float sensor is just the cost...about £20 by the time you have fitted it...There are no contacts to get "wet" It is a simple float which has a articulated arm. Magnets embeded in the plastic cause the "switch" to operate.
Given the amount of "gunge" that can build up in the Bongo Tanks...this could be a concern...gumming up the hinge. However..I stand by my main argument..I don't think the seal between the 16mm float arm and the 23mm hole in the tank is reliable enough within the heat/pressure of the Bongo tank. The other big disadvantage is having to remove the tank entirely and then fit...test...bleed.

Hi Haydn, "wetting current" is a term used for the minimum switching current needed to keep the contacts clean (nothing to do with water). If reed relays switch very low currents, then they become unreliable. Mercury wetted relays avoid this, but I don't know whats fitted in the switch.
But, speaking from many years of experience, the main failure mode of a reed relay is to weld closed caused by the capacitance of long cables connected to the switches.

However, given all that, I would agree the dominant failure mode would probably be the seal.

Dave

Thanks for that...wasn't aware of those facts...I thought you were refering to ..what we call.."probe/sensor filming" This is what happens when you put to much current between the probes in coolant. Causes problems...That is why our alarm uses a current of only 45 micro amps and why I advised against using the "anyone want a cheap alarm" in a recent topic.

[Grahame at work]

Hi All

A very interesting and healthy debate.

I posted on this thread with details of what I have done in response to the original question. I do not advocate this device as a suitable modification for Bongonauts in general as the hand crafting required is probably beyond most but the ‘competent’ enthusiast. Although it was the cost that sent me down this particular road my background in instrument manufacture and maintenance meant I’m quite comfortable with this type of pressure system and plumbing. Although the components are cheaper than Haydn’s system it can not be commercial alternative because there is a greater risk and cost in the installation.
(If I hadn’t done this I would have probably bought Haydn’s system)

I am happy and confident with this system in my own Bongo but as for the reliability of the seal, only time will tell. (thanks to Haydn for the test results and comments ) And I will let you all know if I ever have problems or failure. I should be aware of any failure in the device as it will either fail ‘ON’, i.e. alarm all the time, fail at the seal and alarm with loss of coolant or fail ‘OFF’ in which case I will not get my usual ‘beeps’ when I set off in the morning.

I should also point out that I do have insurance with this system – the tank is a second hand item – the original is in tact and sitting in my spares pile ‘just in case’

Aethelric – a very valid point regards the switching current – I don’t know what type the contacts are in this switch but I am only passing a very small current through it as it feeds 12 volts to one of the inputs of the buzzer unit. This is a semi-conductor device gate / base – I haven’t actually check what it is – but it will be relatively high impedance.

I am hoping to post in the spring with initial results of phase 3 of the development of my Bongo Engine Condition Monitoring System – I’m about to start work on the fitting a pressure sensor in the heard tank – I’m sure that will raise a few eyebrows as well.

Seasons greetings to all

Grahame

[haydn callow]

Corked wine
Should that read "To much corked wine" ??