Previously, as a result of driving without enough engine-coolant (the temp gauged showed normal temp!) my engine was steaming when I came off the highway. After it cooled down and on re-starting, it was missing, i.e. seemed to be running on 5 cylinders, water leaking from the head gasket and a worrying rattling noise from the bottom end. So the mechanic pronounced it `dead' and in need of a replacement engine. Hence my previous posts on searching for a new engine. However, today we fired up the engine and after a while the engine missing and rattling noise disappeared. Drove it around for a while and it seemed smooth as silk. We're really really mystified as to the sudden full recovery !??? The oil smelled pretty cooked. He noticed that there was a water leak from a tube and the bottom part, and someone had bypassed the heater system and plugged those tubes up (don't know why). The mechanic will run a tube across to let the engine coolant circulate, and it may need just the heads to be skimmed flat, new head-gaskets and a new radiator. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hopefully my quest for that elusive donor engine in China has ended ! BTW, the coolant temp sensor apparently does not register temperature changes if there is no coolant touching it and may read normal so beware if you're low on coolant ! A very bad design indeed. Anybody no a good fix for this to prevent future re-occurrence? Is there an after market sensor that works of the engine body or perhaps a coolant level gauge? Fergie
yep .... contact k-zed on this forum .... he has designed ........ a chip-based TEMPERATURE WARNING DEVICE which has saved at least 2 zed engines on the gold coast in the last 6 months ... sells for around $50 plus postage, a very cheap insurance policy ... there are plenty of threads on the oem temp guage ( nortoriously unreliable) and k-zed's TWD ... also check HEATER CORE FAILURE, which is probably why the mod was done to the vehicle in the first place ... and whack "china" in your profile so that respondents who did not see your earlier post will know where you hide out...
reek ... oh purple people eater ... !! check out my thread on non-zed related " ok .. now for something different " and you will understand .. f@#***g possums .. in the pantry or where ever ..!!! and i have golf later today ...!!!! and what the hell are you doing ..posting at this time anyway >>>??? go to bed, cos i am right now .. the dawn is coming and the f'ing possums will go to sleep with me ..!!!!!
Re: does the TWD warn you when no coolant is in the system? No, it detects the voltage output at the CTS. but I can assure people that it is an excellent device. I had a faulty radiator neck and it wasn't sealing at the cap properly, so I lost enough coolant on a trip to cause an overheat. The TWD came on in plenty of time to save my engine. I then replaced my radiator, and the increase in cap pressure blew apart my bottom hose on a cruiZe, and I lost "all" my coolant in a matter of seconds. The TWD came on again and told me straight away. It saved me twice, and both times through a lack of coolant, so I just say get one for ur Zed.
chewy I believe at one time you had designed a water level warning device - or was that someone else?
A beeper sound (high pitched and loud) rigged to the TWD would be a good enhancement. I installed a simple small beeping device on my motorcycle's indicators to remind me to turn the damn thing off. I purchased it from Radio Shack when I was living in Canada; very cheap. But the best device I reckon is one that works off the water level, cause the TWD may not work if the coolant suddenly and QUICKLY bursts out.....it'll still record a normal temp reading as the sensor needs to be in contact with the coolant. Perhaps rigging a "fuel-like" sender unit in the plastic coolant reservoir that beeps when it drops to a certain level might do the trick? Anyone who makes one let me know; I'll certainly buy one.
TWD does it all now actually The new circuit (pcb) is 3-in-one & can have a relay installed for activating audio alarm or thermo-fan. Frankly, an audible alarm is NOT really necessary (unless seriously vision-impaired ) as the flashing red LED is immediately noticable... ask Baz. The TWD pcb may also be configured as a low water alarm although I'm not building it in this configuration due to sensor/probe installation difficulties. The one off-the-shelf probe I found to screw into an OEM radiator has nearly trebled in price & DIY adaptors may cause more harm than good. As experiend by Pex & Baz, the TWD has provided warning of coolant loss in both instances.
The standard TWD function incorporates LED as warning only >>> Secondary function, i.e. activating thermo-fan, requires addition of relay & diode... really only required for ppl doing circuit work, or adding a/m thermo-fan. [Your TWD is without relay.]
yep .. i can confirm all dat ...! you simply cannot miss the led light ... it flashes rapidly with a highly intense red light .. i reckon that it would even alert a blind man ..!! just good stuff ....certainly saved me ... :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
found one ! check out this site i just found. The first water temp sensors fits right into the upper hose and should be able to be rigged to a bright led/buzzer instead of a fan. https://secure.visav.co.uk/avshop/products.asp?getcats=true&cat=39&scat=95
low water level warning kit I enquired but the kit is only for "shop fit" and they don't have instructions for DIY. Anybody know of another source for this kit ?
