Cheap coolant alarms psssffft ;(

All of a sudden my coolant alarm stopped to do its usual bleep test on ignition... Thought I best check. Getting sorted tomorrow for a drain / refill so I took the expansion tank 8mm bolts off then raised the tank as high as I could, then unclipped the top hose n tie wrapped it to the boot hinge, no water lost.

Next I pliered the bottom hose clip up in the air and wedged it near the oil dip stick.

Then I felt a familiar warm water trickling down my leg... Only kidding the expansion tank wee'd on the floor.

So now the tank was investigated.

The two "stainless" screws that makes the alarm go off were:
1. Covered in crud
2. The bottom screw had corroded!

So an email to the seller will be in order as the screws / system is not fit for purpose, I'm not holding out much hope to be honest.

Here are the pics. The bottom one just below the min line had corroded.

Anyway I put my expansion tank in the dishwasher and to be honest it didnt do a lot of difference so I'm looking for a new tank.

I swapped the better screw to the bottom and reconnected up, put a bit of water in and hoping for the best.

This cheapo alarm has only been on my car for 4 months!

Crap!

So now I'm chancing my luck driving with a rusty screw until I can find another expansion tank.







SO BEWARE!!!!! These are caccka poo pooop

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170927068334
Low Coolant Level Alarm 12V ........110mm Screw..... Completed

Plan B could be to put a nut and bolt through it instead, but stainless has let me down :slapme:

But... I'm taking a gamble mgF it!

Hmm I seem to recall saying that this is a problem a few months back in a tooic: even industrial grade stainless probes need regular cleaning. It's not the stainless that's let you down, it's the design of the alarm set being unsuitable for the working fluid.

I'll try and find the thread in question so I can say ' ner ner nee ner ner, told you so.' :broon:

Crazy not to supply proper stainless in the first place, can only save a few pence.

Good luck with the fix!!

:drive: :drive: :drive: :drive:

It's not the metal: salts would depose onto any metal. :broon:

John and Sue wrote: It's not the metal: salts would depose onto any metal. :broon:

wonder if that "waterless",coolant would perform better??

Or would crud still be a problem??

Think it wasn't tested on hard Yorkshire water seller says he's sending out some stainless screws as the screw provider sold him the wrong ones

It looks like galvanic action that has caused the depletion of the material.

I think the screws have become sacrificial anodes; is any +ive voltage coming in contact with the screws where they are immersed in the coolant?

So I've made a nice plating tank thinkthis alarm is getting binned.

Please don't tell me that you screw the self tappers through the wall of the coolant tank???? :omg:

Badger wrote: It looks like galvanic action that has caused the depletion of the material.

I think the screws have become sacrificial anodes; is any +ive voltage coming in contact with the screws where they are immersed in the coolant?

I don't think it's electrolytic action personally: if it was then one screw would be more buggered as the sacrificial point.
Even if the screws were platinum, rhodium or unobtainium the crud would depose: a mix of heat/cool cycle and dissolved solids I'd reckon.

Iirc the kit was 9.99: Nuff said.

cjj wrote: Please don't tell me that you screw the self tappers through the wall of the coolant tank???? :omg:

OK. I won't...but they were. :dry:

I blame Halfords. :yesnod: