Faulty fresh water gauge

dougA
dougA Forum Participant Posts: 142
edited September 2017 in Motorhomes #1

Hi, my elddis 196 Fresh water gauge is playing up. It's shows full but I know that the tank is no more than half filled. is this a simple fix or is it back to the dealer under warranty. Any help would be much appreciated.

Comments

  • Wex
    Wex Forum Participant Posts: 139
    edited September 2017 #2

    I'd get them to fix unless filling it full and emptying it again fixes it.

  • EJB986
    EJB986 Forum Participant Posts: 1,153
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2017 #3

    Water gauges are often very unreliable, however if yours did give good readings I would get it fixed.

    I've never had a good one caravan or MHwink

  • dougA
    dougA Forum Participant Posts: 142
    edited September 2017 #4

    Thanks wex, I ran out of water so filled it back up but the gauge seems to be stuck at full.

    thanks EJB986, only had the MH since June but prior to my first trip down south the gauge seem to be pretty accurate. 

    Ill phone the dealer tomorrow to get it in to be fixed 👍

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2017 #5

    Tank gauges are known for being inaccurate. When the water flows out of the overflow, it's full.

    You know roughly how long a full tank will last so fill before it runs out. I never expect the gauge to tell the truth.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2017 #6

    It may just be a case of recalibration using the control panel, it depends on the system. 

    David

  • ocsid
    ocsid Forum Participant Posts: 1,395
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    edited September 2017 #7

    If it is of the type with a row of LEDs and the multi probe sender is readily accessible, I would simply wipe the probes clean. These can get gunged up corrupting the readout. 

  • dougA
    dougA Forum Participant Posts: 142
    edited September 2017 #8

    Hi, the water gauge is an analogue round glass on the panel.the top of the gauge shows the leisure battery charge, you press a button on the panel to show the water level within the same gauge. The battery level is working fine.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited September 2017 #9

    Your gauge is the same set up I had in my Lunar. As ocsid suggests, more likely to be the sensor, but it's only a simple affair that might very well respond to a good clean up ..... & check its connections.

  • dougA
    dougA Forum Participant Posts: 142
    edited September 2017 #10

    Thanks, booked into dealer on the 29th so first dry day I'm going to go under MH and check and clean connections to see if that works if not it's back to the dealer. 

    Thanks again and I'll update once the game lt is fixed 👍

  • GROGGY64
    GROGGY64 Forum Participant Posts: 18
    edited September 2017 #11

    Our Bailey dealer was not a bit surprised when I reported an inaccurate, bleeping, flashing CP relating to levels in the freshwater tank. "Common problem to most makes of MH" the Service Manager said, "it will be the sensor in the tank"!  It was duly replaced under the warranty, but this "accepting" attitude really amazes me.  Even if the components are as "cheap as chips" to replace, the fitters labour costs should not be discounted.  

    We take delivery of our new Bailey 79-4 on the 18th of this month so I will let you know just how prevalent this problem is!

  • Hallsontour
    Hallsontour Forum Participant Posts: 199
    edited September 2017 #12

    In all my years of having Motorhomes I've never known a water gauge to be accurate. I too have an Ellddis and this one shows either full or after a long while, half full when it's actually near empty. I just guess how much water I have in the tank. I know I must be close to empty when the waste tank gets full 😊

  • dougA
    dougA Forum Participant Posts: 142
    edited September 2017 #13

    I've had a look and cleaned the spade connections on the side of the water tank but I think I was actually at the water tank heating element 🙁. I believe the access to the water tank sender unit or what it's called is on top of the tank and you need to lift the floor panel to gain access.

    I have booked it in to my Elddis dealer for them to rectify the fault a week on Friday.

    Ill update after that date.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited September 2017 #14

    How do you tell how full your grey waste tank is? You can tell I'm new to this MH stuff. It was easy to look into a Wastemaster.

  • dougA
    dougA Forum Participant Posts: 142
    edited September 2017 #15
    1. Hi cyberyacht, not sure on other motorhomes but on our Elddis a light comes on at the switch panel when full.
  • dougA
    dougA Forum Participant Posts: 142
    edited September 2017 #16

    Well today as we were leaving lomondwoods caravan site I pressed the fresh water level switch to find the gauge is working again.

    What's  going on here? Gauge was worked by fine then we went to Great Yarmouth and the gauge was just showing full. Now after a couple of fills with Scottish water its working  again.

    Just wondering has it something to do with the hard water down south......as I'm sure I read this somewhere.😤

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2017 #17

    Thete'll be some sort of warning, CY. Eventually you'll get to know how many days you can Ieave it before emptying - and the same goes for filling the fresh tank.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2017 #18

    As I said on the previous page, gauges are notoriously inaccurate. They often stick.

    If it's working now, just forget about it and learn to guess when it's time to fill.

  • Hallsontour
    Hallsontour Forum Participant Posts: 199
    edited September 2017 #19

    Hi Cyberyacht, I would think yours is the same as ours and a red light comes on, as Doug has mentioned.

    Incedentally, just be careful that your water tank heaters don't accidentally come on in the winter. They are 12v and run your Lesuire battery down very quickly. We had an issue with ours in our first winter, long story, but I ended up fitting a solar panel and disconnecting the heaters completely. I know others have had the same problem. Also be aware that when you're on hook-up it does not charge your engine battery at all, only your Lesuire battery so if you don't have a solar panel charging both you need to run the engine every 3weeks in the winter or the engine battery goes flat with the drain of the alarm mentioned in my other thread. All learnings from me in the first few months of owning my Elddis 😊 However, it's not all dome and gloom, enjoy your van. We are really pleased with ours in general. I've had other Motorhomes and this one is certainly no worse.

  • awhitham
    awhitham Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited May 2018 #20

    Doug. Did you water gauge keep working ? We have a 196 as well and water gauge just stopped working.

  • dougA
    dougA Forum Participant Posts: 142
    edited May 2018 #21

    Hi awhitham, my 196 been back to my dealer twice for the faulty gauge reading. I had it in last week for its first habitation service and the sender unit was cleaned and recalibrated again and was told all working.

    Went home filled up fresh water tank until water was coming out the overflow pipe and the gauge only reading 3/4 full.

    Phoned dealer as I was not happy and they have now submitted a warranty claim for a new sender unit.

     

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