2.5 TD 4WD first time overheating

[haydn callow]

Drop in coolant level ??? it will pick this up.....
When most folks say "drop in coolant level" they mean drop in the level in the tank. That is what the alarm detects....No more and no less.
I give up.....!!!
It is NOT a airlock detector....high temp detector or anything else other than a Low Coolant (in the tank) Alarm.

Perhaps someone could start work on developing the "detects anything wrong" alarm or DAW Alarm

Personally with my theory (rightly or wrongly) I was not implying that the alarm did not work ........only that IF an airlock caused the expansion tank to keep the level within the High/Low parameters and above the trigger point as Northern Bongolow suggests that the alarm would not warn the user that the coolant level was low..... which it wouldn't as it would be within normal operating levels....

it is not designed to do that !!!

[mikexgough]

Drop in coolant level ??? it will pick this up.....
When most folks say "drop in coolant level" they mean drop in the level in the tank. That is what the alarm detects....No more and no less.
I give up.....!!!
It is NOT a airlock detector....high temp detector or anything else other than a Low Coolant (in the tank) Alarm.

Perhaps someone could start work on developing the "detects anything wrong" alarm or DAW Alarm

Personally with my theory (rightly or wrongly) I was not implying that the alarm did not work ........only that IF an airlock caused the expansion tank to keep the level within the High/Low parameters and above the trigger point as Northern Bongolow suggests that the alarm would not warn the user that the coolant level was low..... which it wouldn't as it would be within normal operating levels....

it is not designed to do that !!!

All I was saying that....in addition to previous posts by Northern Bongolow and myself.....that IF the Expansion tank coolant level happened to be maintained due to an airlock caused by an issue with the cooling system allowing air in...... that the LCA would not warn that the cooling system could be low as it monitors the expansion tank level .... nothing more than that.....

The LCA does the job well that it is designed for.....which is monitoring the coolant level in the expansion tank and warning if it becomes low.....

[mister munkey]

Calm down Haydn.

No one is disputing that the LCA is a fine piece of kit.

Its a fact that it does exactly as it says on the tin & certainly the best investment made on mine by far.

Fact is, a certain percentage of the time a lock will manifest itself somewhere deep & lead to damage that could be possibly identified earlier.

As some of our more elderly models are into their 17th year, every little bit of experience helps.

[missfixit70]

So nobody read my post then?
The high level alarm add on should (& did in my case) detect a level rise in the header if there is an airlock - precisely why I fitted (& tested the alarm position for Haydn) the high level add on in the first place after reading about Simon Jones having similar issues on his a couple of years ago

[paulandyt]

Thanks for all your feedback, interesting discussion! I will get an engine temperature gauge fitted for the future.

I think the situation got worse over time. I did notice that I was spending more on fuel and the power got gradually worse, and this is over the space of 6-7 months.

[dobby]

So nobody read my post then?
The high level alarm add on should (& did in my case) detect a level rise in the header if there is an airlock - precisely why I fitted (& tested the alarm position for Haydn) the high level add on in the first place after reading about Simon Jones having similar issues on his a couple of years ago

Hi Kirsty

Does it always over pressurise when there's an airlock? I'm assuming it does.

[B*Witched Blingo]

So nobody read my post then?
The high level alarm add on should (& did in my case) detect a level rise in the header if there is an airlock - precisely why I fitted (& tested the alarm position for Haydn) the high level add on in the first place after reading about Simon Jones having similar issues on his a couple of years ago

Yes I did.

Can we have a pic of this please?. Maybe it will make things a bit clearer as to it's purpose. I must admit I did not know that there was a difference in a Low Coolant Alarm and a High Coolant Detector. I thought it was the same thing modified. How stupid am I (Don't answer that)

Personally I think the more I know about the state of my machine whilst driving the better in my opinion.



Come on lass get ya finger out. It's going dark....

[dobby]

I've now got three alarms, an LCA, a Mason Alarm and a TM2

Occasionally I look where I'm going

[missfixit70]

So nobody read my post then?
The high level alarm add on should (& did in my case) detect a level rise in the header if there is an airlock - precisely why I fitted (& tested the alarm position for Haydn) the high level add on in the first place after reading about Simon Jones having similar issues on his a couple of years ago

Yes I did.

Can we have a pic of this please?. Maybe it will make things a bit clearer as to it's purpose. I must admit I did not know that there was a difference in a Low Coolant Alarm and a High Coolant Detector. I thought it was the same thing modified. How stupid am I (Don't answer that)

Personally I think the more I know about the state of my machine whilst driving the better in my opinion.



Come on lass get ya finger out. It's going dark....

Can't be arsed taking a photo , it's just a probe drilled/screwed into the neck of the header, it's an add on that plugs in to the low coolant alarm that will sound if the water level rises that high for more than a few seconds, ie if it's forcing water out of the pressure cap/overflow.

[haydn callow]

The high coolant Alarm is a "add on" to the low coolant alarm and you MUST have a Low coolant alarm fitted before you can "add on" the High Alarm. We produced it a couple of years ago because of criticism from a couple of Forum members (long departed) that we were just sitting back and counting our vast profits when we should be doing R & D.....It took about 4 months to perfect it and make it work although personally I didn't really see the need for it (one Oz farmer developed his own by extending the tank overflow tube into the cab so it spat boiling coolant over the drivers feet) The result of our labours was a batch of 20....4 were given away to testers and 6 were sold @ about £30......I have a few left which will be available at cost price to Bash goers.....when they are gone no more will be produced.
To fit a High alarm involves a 2nd sensor screw in the TOP of the header tank and then just "plug" it into the low coolant wires...very simple...
Kirsty's did actually warn her as mentioned above....That is the only case of the High alarm activating that has been reported.
We have now developed the Low coolant alarm using programmable componants and it is now a very small unit indeed.

The "cube" alarms ,although a very good bit of kit have been a big cash/effort loser and when the present stock has gone that will be the end of them. (cost price at the Bash)

We will concentrate on the LCA, i-alert, TM-2, ESTC and the combination alarms in future.

[dext924]

All very interesting stuff, and a lively debate!

Being a newbie, and making the fitting of a LCA and temp sensor primary fitting, I am still very naive as to how these vans work properly, but learning all the time.

Mine temp gauge on the van is not modified, so sits at 11 all day. The temp sensor sits at 82-88 in average driving, rising once to 95 when stood in traffic and and bloody hot day! Soon as I was moving, down the temp came.

Would a temp sensor detect an air lock, i.e by which I mean the engine temp rising, and staying hot due to the air lock, even though all might seem well in the coolant level department? Surely the constant high temp while normal running will cause alarms bells?

I know there are 1000's of post on this overheating issue and how best to cope with it, but I reckon its time well spent as it appears to be the biggest cause of deaths to our bongos

Big thanks to Haydn for producing such appliances

I shall now go and get MY coat ...................

[mikeonb4c]

Perhaps someone could start work on developing the "detects anything wrong" alarm or DAW Alarm

Interesting point. Supposing there was an airlock in a bad place (say around the head area) so that a local hotspot might form and cause damage. How might this be detected? Would the coolant temp. rise. I'm not sure. Might the coolant boil locally, causing pressure build up and an overflowing header tank? Possibly. I guess a high level detector is then a good idea though I imagine coolant erupting from it only a short period after it overtops the high mark would warn you anyway.

You give up Haydn? Never!

Sniff - I read your post Kirsty

Sounds like I was on the right track then if Haydn thinks likewise and his Oz friend just fitted a 'spit tube'

This house observes that debates on overheating always get overheated. Discuss

[dobby]

Is there a correlation here between a wee tube and a spit tube

[mister munkey]

So nobody read my post then?
The high level alarm add on should (& did in my case) detect a level rise in the header if there is an airlock - precisely why I fitted (& tested the alarm position for Haydn) the high level add on in the first place after reading about Simon Jones having similar issues on his a couple of years ago

Me too.

T'was the point I was trying to make. As we mature we become more prone to being bloated.

Hence I guess is why the Lo-Hi alarm was devised.

It could well be the next Big Thing.

[mikeonb4c]

Is there a correlation here between a wee tube and a spit tube

Similar, but ones for overflowing old blokes and the other for overflowing Bongos