Ebay No Drilling Coolant Alarm - Thoughts?

Most folk on here who haven’t had a factory fitted unit will in all probability have one fitted.
Seeing it’s a regular contributor who makes them, it harsh to be critical but as there’s nothing to criticise I’d get one sorted.
I have to own up to not using one but only because my header tank isn’t standard & the all important water reservoir isn’t where the sensor could read.
Is it Bruce who makes them, I can’t recall.
M

Thanks - I've gone ahead and purchased one this morning.

I have a few questions and would be really grateful for help in answering them:

1) What glue can be used to attach the sensor to the expansion tank? I'm looking for a glue that won't compromise the integrity of the tank plastic

2) Is there anyone local to Southampton/Eastleigh who could help me fit this kit?

Many thanks

Matt

GreenComet wrote:

Thanks - I've gone ahead and purchased one this morning.

I have a few questions and would be really grateful for help in answering them:

1) What glue can be used to attach the sensor to the expansion tank? I'm looking for a glue that won't compromise the integrity of the tank plastic

2) Is there anyone local to Southampton/Eastleigh who could help me fit this kit?

Many thanks

Matt

Thanks! I've received your order and posted it already. It should be with you in a few days. Had you contacted me here you could have saved a few pounds on the purchase price. But, hey, it's super cheap already

It's all in the instructions, but you can use pretty much any adhesive that is reasonably heat and moisture resistant. I have always recommended the slow-setting Araldite Standard but from the feedback I have received more people use some kind of silicone adhesive, such as Sikaflex. If not marking the vessel is important to you, you could always fix the sensor to the tank with a long cable tie, (or two joined together).

For anyone else who is interested in one of these, please contact me here, by private message, to receive a significant discount.

A very good coolant alarm that is simple to fit. Ive fitted to 2 TFs and wouldnt run one without. Its very much a DIY fit, no wires need cutting due to the way that Bruce has made the loom. I used CT1 silicone adhesive to glue the sensor to the coolant bottle and put tape round it temporarily whilst it set.

GreenComet wrote:

Thanks - I've gone ahead and purchased one this morning.

I have a few questions and would be really grateful for help in answering them:

1) What glue can be used to attach the sensor to the expansion tank? I'm looking for a glue that won't compromise the integrity of the tank plastic

2) Is there anyone local to Southampton/Eastleigh who could help me fit this kit?

Many thanks

Matt

I have fitted that system to a 2002TF. Very happy with the results:
I added a low-current-demand LED, which I positioned in the vacant "Transmission Fail" instrument panel position:


I have had a couple of brief False Alarms, only when ascending steep hills & cornering. My wife finds it annoying that it sounds both when ignition turn to 1st position, then again at engine start, but I like that "feature": You KNOW it is "available for duty". To kepp the buzzer & wife quiet, I have added a switch between buzzer and the "output" side of the circuit, so that ONLY the light illuminates when:
1. Wife is in car
2. I have remembered to isolate the buzzer!

Other pictures you might find helpful if you choose the LED route (assuming your car is NOT Steptronic/Stepspeed)

P.S. If you fancy a trip to East Devon (Honiton area), I would be happy to show my set up and offer guidance on how I routed wires, chickened-out of using reversing-light feed and found spare output on fuse box etc.

P.M. me if you need to
John E

Ive added a cheap Ebay variable delay circuit to mine to avoid the alarm giving a false positive squawk on hard cornering. Ive set it to about 10 seconds delay, plenty enough to stop the alarm going off whilst driving round bends. The input current it needs is less than the sounder so i deemed it was safe not to overload the alarm sensor. The delay pcb has s a relay on the output, so it switches a separate live feed to the sounder, hence no additional load on the sensor. (The sensor would otherwise fail if the load across it is too high)

EllisoJo wrote:

I have fitted that system to a 2002TF. Very happy with the results:
I added a low-current-demand LED, which I positioned in the vacant "Transmission Fail" instrument panel position:


I have had a couple of brief False Alarms, only when ascending steep hills & cornering. My wife finds it annoying that it sounds both when ignition turn to 1st position, then again at engine start, but I like that "feature": You KNOW it is "available for duty". To kepp the buzzer & wife quiet, I have added a switch between buzzer and the "output" side of the circuit, so that ONLY the light illuminates when:
1. Wife is in car
2. I have remembered to isolate the buzzer!

Other pictures you might find helpful if you choose the LED route (assuming your car is NOT Steptronic/Stepspeed)

P.S. If you fancy a trip to East Devon (Honiton area), I would be happy to show my set up and offer guidance on how I routed wires, chickened-out of using reversing-light feed and found spare output on fuse box etc.

P.M. me if you need to
John E

Thanks for the support, John. A couple of comments on your intelligent modifications.

The LED in parallel to the switch is a common modification. I have never offered it as an alternative or addition to the sounder as it makes the wiring so much more complicated for those inexperienced in car maintenance/repair/modification. The same applies to the 12v supply; the fuse box makes good sense but, despite the awkward position, it is much simpler to run the wire to the recommended connection.

For anyone thinking of connecting an LED in parallel with the sounder, please use either a 12v LED, or LED with a suitable current limiting resistor, to keep the current to a maximum of about 25mA. 500Ω to1kΩ should be about right.

The comment about the startup beep is interesting. When I made my first prototype, I was delighted that it provided a brief beep at startup as it provided reassurance that it was still working. About 1yr later, the design of the sensor changed and there was no startup beep. I received a lot of complaints from customers who were expecting this 'self-test' warning. I complained to the manufacturer and a year or two later, the warning beep was back. The reason there is a second beep on starting the car is the same as the reason the radio goes off and on. The starter nicks all of the electrical power and so the alarm circuit stops and restarts.

During the period when there was no 'self-test' warning, I came up with a dual-purpose switch which, either sounded the buzzer on demand, or silenced the buzzer in an alarm situation. But I never pursued this in the version for sale.

In my experience, false alarms are incredibly rare. Provided the sensor is positioned correctly and the coolant is at MAX (top of the seam or just covering the internal plastic extrusion), it doesn't seem to happen. Perhaps it's because I drive more like a granny than a teenager

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I'm debating whether to do this solo or with some help. It strikes ne that the hardest part is the bullet connectors on the yellow green wire. Am I likely to have trouble with these?

Many thanks
Matt

Those red blue or yellow insulated crimp connectors are the work of the devil, damned things are more trouble than they are worth.
Much better of with un insulated crimp connectors you carefully crimp over the tangs and then use a little solder to ease the deal as it were followed by some heat shrink tubing to insulate.

Cobber wrote:

Those red blue or yellow insulated crimp connectors are the work of the devil, damned things are more trouble than they are worth.
Much better of with un insulated crimp connectors you carefully crimp over the tangs and then use a little solder to ease the deal as it were followed by some heat shrink tubing to insulate.

Hey, Cobber! The supplied bullet connectors have been of the type you describe for a few years now. I should probably update the image as there are also other different parts now. The problem is that everybody recognises the picture. It's even at the top of this thread!

I have tried using the same type of crimps in the rest of the kit. Unfortunately, they have been a bit troublesome for various reasons, mostly to do with insulation, so I have stuck with the plastic insulated crimps. I have a 0.2% failure rate reported involving these crimps. They work well if assembled carefully with decent crimping pliers.

I do tend to agree with the sentiment of the comment though. In my car, apart from the said bullet connectors which connect to existing connections, everything is soldered and heatshrinked

GreenComet wrote:

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I'm debating whether to do this solo or with some help. It strikes ne that the hardest part is the bullet connectors on the yellow green wire. Am I likely to have trouble with these?

Many thanks
Matt

Obviously, if you are unsure, a bit of help is always welcome.

There is no doubt that dealing with the connection of the bullet connectors is the most awkward part of the installation. It MIGHT take a short period of cursing but everything else is a doddle. There are not many places in the engine bay where you can pick up a switched 12v connection, unless you want to try cutting into one of the ECU wires!

Some people have complained that undoing the rear hood clips is the worst part of the job. Others have claimed that taking the engine cover off is a pain. To me, both of those jobs seem trivial. One person has claimed that he made the 12v connection, as described in the instructions, from under the car, but I don't see how this is possible.