Waste water reading wrong (1 Viewer)

May 23, 2012
373
342
Anglesey
Funster No
21,173
MH
Rapido 666f
Exp
2012
I have a 2014 Autotrail and the waste water tank is reading half full when it is empty. Any advice appreciated.
 

scotjimland

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 25, 2007
2,086
9,033
Suffolk Coastal District, UK
Funster No
15
MH
Timberland
Dirty probes are the usual cause.. they work by conduction current though the liquid.. if they get dirty they can show a false level..

wash out the tank and if possible clean the probes.

They are generally mounted in the top of the tank.. can normally be unscrewed for cleaning, some are individual probes others can be on a cap

this drawing shows them mounted on the side of the tank'

probes.jpg

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pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,207
48,819
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
Take no notice of it.
Even after cleaning the probes they will only get covered in crud and slime again.

When water won't go down the shower plughole the tank is full....time to empty.
 
Jan 11, 2010
2,743
9,476
Chester
Funster No
9,901
MH
Auto-trail
Exp
Well that`s our 13th year & still loving it.
We also have a 2013 Autotrail, the Sargent readout over the door is a waste of space, we are on our third and it pretty much reads what it feels like, the fresh water level is spurious at best, some of the temp readings are amazing, it won`t even keep a time setting so we have just learnt to ignore it.

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old-mo

Funster
Extra Special
LIFE MEMBER
Oct 16, 2008
16,341
93,473
Weymouth. Dorset...
Funster No
4,470
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Nearly aint got one.
Exp
Caravan & motorhome 45 + yrs
$hit on the sensor..... (y)

I don`t mean that`s what you have to do.... :lipssealed: :giggler:

But I suspect grease or summat that has been chucked down the sink has stuck to it.. :nod:

Chuck a bottle of cheap steralizing fluid in the tank and leave over night.. (y)
 

rupert

Funster
Nov 23, 2014
198
199
Funster No
34,332
MH
c class
Exp
caravaning on and off 10 years
hi on my AT there are two settings for waste level but only one sensor.
the sensor is a small float fitted into the side of tank near the top easy to remove by loosening the large plastic nut. this nut squeezes the soft rubber sleeve and forms a seal .
take it out and clean... the control panel can be configured to indicate one or two sensors.
when panel shows waste level, hold setting button down for five seconds and it will display alternative sensor. hope you understand. mine is a 2004 model
fresh water has the five sensors

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Feb 9, 2008
4,086
5,902
SW Scotland
Funster No
1,453
MH
LP Coachbuilt
Exp
Since 2008 after caravanning for 20 years
The waste water level indicators are not very sophisticated, ignore them. After using your van for a while you get a grasp on how much water is in the FW tank and the WW tank and treat them as required. After all, you know how much is in the FW tank, you put it there, you also put all the WW in that tank. As one empties, the other fills.
 

scotjimland

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 25, 2007
2,086
9,033
Suffolk Coastal District, UK
Funster No
15
MH
Timberland
Probably just me.. being a pedant but it was also my trade.. instrumentation.. so not working irks me.. just my training, it's ingrained.

if it has a level gauge I want it to work.. and yes it's not sophisticated.. if you want sophisticated you need to install an ultrasonic transmitter .. but then you need to learn how to calibrate using a 4 -20ma calibrator.. why KISS is better for motorhome tank level.

After cleaning it will last a season or more.. besides, don't put fat and grease into the grey tank and it won't foul up.. cleaned mine last April and it's still fine..

By all means ignore.. your prerogative. the OP asked advice how to get it working..

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Jaws

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 26, 2008
23,821
71,977
Thetford Norfolk
Funster No
4,189
MH
C class, Chieftain
Exp
since 2006 ( I think ! )
One of the BIG let downs to the Sargent systems is without doubt the random number generator they call a control panel !!
I have had three so far ( through the trade and at no cost ) .. Three slightly different variations..
All kept good time, all displayed a battery voltage between .2 and .4 volts down, all displayed both fresh and waste water levels at what ever the time of day/week it was being looked at ( in other words not exactly useful or meaningful information ! )

Again, I believe the problems and issues are all down to a massively over complicated system and having taken a couple apart, a failure to use high stab resistors, pee poor chip sockets and cheap capacitors meaning to some extent the temperature ( both ambient and within the units ) and voltage regulation is far from great.

I would say it really is a shame as the basic design is very sound and most of the major ( non discrete ) components are pretty darned good
 
Aug 6, 2013
11,941
16,533
Kendal, Cumbria
Funster No
27,352
MH
Le-Voyageur RX958 Pl
Exp
since 1999
It irritates me that connected to the 'sophisticated' control panel is the same old unreliable stuff that has been used since Adam was a lad. The posh panels are simply another layer of unreliability. Like the AES fridge contrioller.
 
Apr 27, 2008
11,794
13,955
Eastbourne East Sussex
Funster No
2,327
MH
Hymer low profile
Exp
Since 1972
Ours only gives an alarm when it's full, it's only gone off once so I know it works. I always empty the grey whenever I can, because although I travel with a full water tank whenever possible, I don't see the point in transporting a load of dirty water.

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Tootles

Funster
Deceased RIP
Sep 14, 2013
9,511
34,799
Lancaster
Funster No
28,093
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
Was a newbie, now a Middie.
Again, I believe the problems and issues are all down to a massively over complicated system and having taken a couple apart
Agreed. Our old Hymer control panel came out of a Sopwith Camel, but works fine! (y) Never gives a false reading. Also, we have a low fresh water sensor rod fitted in the water tank, with a warning light, but I think that's an after-market thing.
 

Jerrymjj

Free Member
Apr 3, 2014
100
27
Alton Hants
Funster No
30,813
MH
Autotrail Tracker SE
Exp
Newbie!
Ours only works when the grey water tank really is full!

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