coolant loss detection gadget

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Thu May 10, 2007 7:37 pm

Well !! it's arrived. It looks a very well made and comprensive kit. It also looks as though it is going to be very easy to fit.

Post by **Ian** » Thu May 10, 2007 9:01 pm

Excellent! Keep us all informed.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:48 pm

Yum yum - this will be interesting. Start using your negotiating skills Ian for a good price to members. The difference should be at least enough to make non members wnat to become members cos they'll get mostof it back when the buy one of these, which most sane people will probably want to do! h god, more £ going west.

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Fri May 11, 2007 10:36 pm

Fitted kit this afternoon. Dead easy about 20 mins so far, lost about a half liter of coolant, only needed to top up header tank, so no bleeding required. Will fit the electric bit as soon as it stops raining and keep you in formed. Very impressed so far. I think this is going to be a engine saver and a winner.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Sat May 12, 2007 12:06 am

Great news indeed. Cant wait for the final installment

Bonza · Post by **Bonza** » Sat May 12, 2007 7:15 am

Looks good Haydn, well done.Is this a special one off for the Bongo or is it there standard kit?
The place you've installed it means that with total loss of the expansion tank the alarm will go off before the engine uses up what remains of the coolant.
Big negative is the Ozzie dollar exchange rate. Its at its strongest its been against the pound for 2 years-bugger. Shouldn't be too bad but it makes it a few quid more expensive than a few months ago.

I've had the tiniest loss of coolant from the header tank over a year and twice the garage report back that they can't find a leak. Probably the rad cap.
The engine water is nice and clean from the rad and expansion tank.
Bonz

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Sat May 12, 2007 8:25 am

This is a one off prototype kit for the Bongo. If all is well we will arrange to have a batch/run made if the demand is there. The coolant/header tank dosn't even have to be empty, only as far as the higher of the two pipes.

Bonza · Post by **Bonza** » Sat May 12, 2007 8:39 am

Whats the second sensor for Haydn?

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Sat May 12, 2007 10:11 am

the second sensor is a earth return. Not 100% required but fitting it makes the whole sysyem more efficient. Here is a quote from the emails I have been getting from Oz.
Not that simple however as the current has to be kept to a microscopic level to prevent electrolysis (43 micro amps we use)
We have made them work at the level of 10 microamps however we settled on 43 to give totally reliable operation due to manufacturing tolerances in the various components we buy. Reliability is everything in an alarm system.
Any more than around 170 micro amps and a reaction starts to take place which degrades the coolant over time.
Also as time goes on the coolant builds up a high resistance coating on the probes that dramatically reduces the current.
Most units on the market need the probes cleaning periodically. Ours do not.
We have been very successful with our electronic module in this regard and the two pole probe takes the 43 micro amps directly back to the battery earth, so virtually no current passes through the radiator or engine

petebee · Post by **petebee** » Sat May 12, 2007 12:01 pm

once lost my vauxaul viva engine due to coolant loss on the motorway temperature gauge changes didnt give enough time to respond.had my Bongo 6 weeks[for glastonbury] such a great vehicle Ill be keeping it for a long time. therefore this looks like a must have gadget
brilliant research from Haydn

waycar8 · Post by **waycar8** » Sat May 12, 2007 3:20 pm

Bonza wrote:While any device envisaged here will detect loss of coolant is that totally what we wish to achieve?

I am under the impression that some peeps had blockages in the cooling system caused by sludge etc that created hot spots and cooked the head.
Is "loss of coolant" detection the way to go?

Those peeps who cooked their heads may care to comment as to whether "loss of coolant" is the way to go. I wonder if the blockages caused damage before the coolant finally boiled out!

Bonz

i am with you bonza on this one.............this device is basically a lazy persons water filler upperer. like a warning light for the fuel

basically if your coolant gets that low that the alarm goes off, then your not checking your coolant,(like you do before setting off on a long journey when you check oil/water for washers and coolant ect). all thoe you are supposed to check it routinely

if you have a pin prick in a hose and your loosing coolant slowly then you would notice a slow loss of coolant as your checking it routinely.

if you had a hose blow off, then you would notice straight away, steam/smell ect

so other than that for me this device is a "bongo extra" thats for the worrying type. like the new bongo forum members that post the questions like..........

hi i have heard all these story about bongos overheating, is this true

ect.

i dont see this as a bongo extra that will stop or prevent overheating at all..........its just a warning light for low coolant

so IMHO...........not needed

ChrisEm · Post by **ChrisEm** » Sat May 12, 2007 6:39 pm

Very unlikely that you will notice the steam or smell if you lose coolant whilst travelling down the road at 60mph. I know it's happened to both my new transits on 3 occasions! The first I notice is when the engine starts losing power then look at the gauge and see it buried in the red! If you read my earlier posts about this it's why we fit a similar device to our excavators, a water level sensor is a much quicker reliable method of preventing potentially serious damage occurring through rapid water loss. It is not a lazy mans reminder to check coolant level.

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Sat May 12, 2007 7:00 pm

...............and as I've mentioned before - the coolant temperature sensor is designed to register coolant, not air temperature accurately, so more often than not, if you miss the gauge "burried in the red" it will drop down below the 11 o'clock position reading air temp in the head meanwhile the engine is roasting by now

haydn callow · Post by **haydn callow** » Sat May 12, 2007 11:58 pm

Chrisem... couldn't agree more. It's got to be a good extra which we hope to never need. Bit like insurance.

Vanmanerik · Post by **Vanmanerik** » Sun May 13, 2007 12:55 pm

Hi Haydn, from the photos you have put up it looks as if you have fitted the sensors down at battery top level, I would have thought that the higher they were the earlier warning of coolant loss or was this not physically possible to implement?

coolant loss detection gadget

Water warning