Date: Thu, 16 May 2019 22:41:00 -0600
Reply-To: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Coolant Level Sensor observation
In-Reply-To: <vanagon%2019051622575114@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
I have dealt with Vanagon Coolant Level Sensors since 1983 when the very 1st H2O Boxer
arrived in New Mexico, It Was Mine & I have never had to clean or replace 1 on either My '83.5
or the '90 that has been My DailyDriver since '06 ~ I have had to clean the Snsrs on several other
H2O Boxers that have passed through world & have had to replace a few due to cracks or contacts
that have gone bad but have never run across 1 that needed replacing due to Uncleanable Probes ~
ORR ~ DeanB
On 16 May , 2019, at 8:57 PM, Ed McLean wrote:
> Answer to first question: $1.80 . I've tried cleaning the pins in the
> past with limited success.
>
> Answer to second question: Distilled water with Peak Global Lifetime
> antifreeze, flushed and replaced every 4 years.
>
> Additional note to first post: The level indicator system works
> perfectly after replacement of sensor.
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, 16 May 2019 22:04:09 -0400, Larry Alofs <lalofs@GMAIL.COM>
> wrote:
>
>> I don't understand why anyone would replace a coolant level sensor,
> unless
>> it was broken and leaking. The prongs can simply be cleaned, shined
> with
>> sandpaper if you like.
>> Are you using a particularly corrosive coolant mixture? Distilled
> water
>> or water from a dehumidifier is a good thing.
>>
>> Larry A.
>>
>>
>> On Thu, May 16, 2019 at 3:28 PM email99@nc.rr.com <email99@nc.rr.com>
> wrote:
>>
>>> I have, once again, replaced the 251 919 372 Coolant Level Sensor to
> fix
>>> the blinking red light in the Coolant Temperature Gauge in my '86
>>> Westy. It is most annoying that this excessively high priced
> sensor has
>>> to be replaced on a regular basis. Certainly VW could have figured
> a
>>> way to measure coolant level rather than with this sensor. I have
> had
>>> to replace this sensor regularly about every 10 years and the cost
> has
>>> now reached the exorbitant level of $1.80. The list price from one
>>> vendor is actually $42.44.
>>>
>>> When replacing the sensor this time I made an observation that might
>>> help us all avoid this expensive repair. When the old sensor was
>>> removed I noticed one of the sensing pins was bright and clean while
> the
>>> other was black and rough. Since the level gauge measures
> resistance
>>> between the submerged pins there must be a constant small current
>>> passing through the coolant between the pins. This constant
> current may
>>> be removing ions from one pin and depositing them on the other, thus
>>> changing the electrical activity of the surface of both. After 10
> years
>>> the difference might be enough to fool the electronic circuitry and
>>> cause a false positive blinking light.
>>>
>>> Has anyone else noticed this difference in appearance of the used
> sensor
>>> pins?
>>>
>>> I suggest that the electrical connections to the sensor be reversed
> on a
>>> regular basis to keep the pins in equal, clean condition. The
>>> electrical plug is not keyed to fit in the sensor so this is an easy
>>> thing to do by rotating it 180 degrees. Doing this often will not
> be
>>> detrimental so maybe at each oil change would be easy to remember.Â
> Or
>>> maybe just do it once now and forget about it.
>>>
>>> Just my Vanagon experience today.
>>>
>>> Ed
>>>
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