COOLANT ALARM CONSTANTLY GOIN OFF

[Philjones]

Hi folks
Ok so our bongo has been parked up on our drive for last couple of months as weather to vile to go bongoing! I've taken it for a couple of small trips to stop rusty brakes etc. Anyway for the past 3-4 weeks the low coolant alarm has sporadically been sounding off for hours at a time. I've checked the coolant level each time and it's definitely full. I've turned the engine on and left it ticking and after a few minutes the alarm goes off. Yesterday we went for a 60 mile trip to give it a proper run and the alarm didn't go off once so know water levels are fine but this morning the alarm was going off again. So I have to assume I have some dodgy wiring problem. We bought the bongo 8 months ago and had the alarm fitted then and used the bongo nearly every weekend untill the vile weather arrived with absolutely no problems with this or anything else.

Any ideas please.

Thanks in advance and roll on bongoing weather again!

[the laird]

Try taking out the screws in the water tank where you top up,clean the screws refit and try its about the first place to start ,good luck

[Simon Jones]

Seems quite common for the alarm to stay on for a little while longer when the temperature is a bit low, although it should go off after a few seconds. As suggested, give the screw a clean with a fine wire brush (like a suede brush) and also check the strength of the coolant mixture in case it's a bit weak. Lidl were doing an antifreeze tester the other week for under £2.

[haydn callow]

Make sure the coolant level is up to the full mark when cold.....can you see the level through the side of the tank....if not dip the level vertically after removing the cap....should be 2 cms......check the screw in the tank is not a bit loose allowing the wire to be loose........failing that make sure the bullet connector by the alarm unit under the dash is plugged in properly............another test is to get a bit of wire and touch one end to the tank screw and the other to earth...that should stop the alarm and prove it is not faulty.......these alarms either work or not at all.....if it's intermittent it is always a dirty screw or bad connection

[petebee]

I have had this problem,every time the screws were cleaned things worked fine for a week and then slowly the alarm started murmuring and sounding full time.Eventually changed from red to blue anti freeze and all works perfectly now.Hope this helps and you get yours sorted.

[haydn callow]

New RED antifreeze will affect the alarm (coat the screw) but only for a few weeks at most. Once it,s been in there a while it should be fine.

[mikexgough]

Was in the motor factors today..... he was telling me that he won't be able to get the Blue IAT G11 coolant much longer and certainly not next winter as there is a much less call for it and it's mainly for Pre 1990 motors anyway.... You might find some lurking in the odd warehouse for a few year but the time has come to use more friendly alternatives.

He is offering the Yellow Prestone All Engine coolant instead which we all know will mix with any coolant type. Like oat is borate,phosphate & silicate free, long life of 5 years or 150,000 miles. It can be purchased as concentrate or pre mix.

The alternative is Evans waterless coolant or the Propylene Glycol based AAA Classic Coolant which like Evans is Fit n Forget- AAA Classic Coolant is IAT but without the nasties that lend the ethylene glycol version to be in the realms of toxic waste.

AAA Classic Coolant can be used in all cars and compatible with Silicone hoses....