Coolant level sensor - voltmeter testing

[wagenbod]

83 CS 1600D

My red led has started flashing all the time. I've put a new level sensor in and it still flashes.

Can I test the sytem with a voltmeter?

Anyone know what readings I should get from the brown and blue/green wires if the systems ok and not ok?

Any other ways to test it?

[Aidan]

bridge the two wires on the plug on the loom and flashing should stop, if not then it's a wiring fault which you'll have to track down
basically the sensor is getting continuity across the probes from the coolant, when level drops it goes open circuit and you flash

often the fault is poor contacts in the fusebox due to damp water ingress from the windscreen, taking out the load reduction relay and popping it back in again to clean the contacts often work ime

[wagenbod]

Thanks Aidan

Already tried bridging the wires by sticking a paper clip in the connector, no luck.

I know there's some minor (so far!) water ingress, also noted a bit of green verdigrease in the fuse box. Where's the load reduction relay? Seen some info on taking the fusebox out and checking connectors above the box, in the dash. Is that it?

Difficult to trace the wires once they go into the box in the engine compartment. Does one goes to earth and the other along the loom via the coolant pipes to the fuse box?

Many thanks
Neil

[Aidan]

Neil

sorry I didn't notice yours is the early van, wiring a bit different to what I'm used to

Angelo is the man to advise

[wagenbod]

Hi Aidan

Will get the fusebox out and see what contacts I can find up there to clean up. Won't do any harm anyway.

Thanks a lot for the advice.

Neil

[Aidan]

probably a bad earth, usually is

[eg0u3067]

Hey,

Just a note, I had a similar problem a while back with the sensor light flashing, and after a little investigation it turned out the printed circuit board in the dash was loose. So i secured it and the problems fixed.

Simple success

[wagenbod]

[quote="eg0u3067"]Hey,

Just a note, I had a similar problem a while back with the sensor light flashing, and after a little investigation it turned out the printed circuit board in the dash was loose. So i secured it and the problems fixed.

Simple success[/quote]

Had a look round the circuit board area this morning, had a press around with fingers, nothing seemed loose, though I'm not sure where the flimsy plastic bits disappear to. Difficult to see. Accessibility isn't great. There's a little circuit board which sits at right angles to the dash in between the dials. Is that the part which was loose in yours?

[eg0u3067]

My issue occurred on the green pcb which help the LEDs, the securing pins which kept the pcb tight and inplace had been damaged which meant that when I drove over bumps in the road the dash would shake cutting power to the pcb starting the bulb flashing.
I'd say make sure the pcbs are secured, and keep an eye out for any tell tale signs of loose components, i.e. hit some bumps, then problem occurs.

Hope its of help.