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Topic: Fresh water tank gauge on SilverLeaf doesn't work right! (Read 921 times) previous topic - next topic
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Fresh water tank gauge on SilverLeaf doesn't work right!

Yahoo Message Number: 11514
After completely filling my fresh water tank on my '04 Magna, I noticed that the gauge goes up to full, then backs way back down to only 16-20%, or so. The tank must be full because it discharges out under the coach through some overflow thing. Is there some kind of "re-program" thing that I can do on this to make it read correctly? Anybody else encounter this problem?

Re: Fresh water tank gauge on SilverLeaf doesn't work right!

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11569
Quote from: Glen Gieg
After completely filling my fresh water tank on my '04 Magna, I > noticed that the gauge goes up to full, then backs way back down to > only 16-20%, or so. The tank must be full because it discharges

out

Quote
under the coach through some overflow thing. Is there some kind > of "re-program" thing that I can do on this to make it read > correctly? Anybody else encounter this problem?
The likely problem is that the tank itself doesn't have enough venting. While you are filling the tank, pressure builds up and makes it appear full, then the pressure slowly diminishes.
There are a couple simple tests you can do yourself. First, go to the VMS 200 on the dash and press DIAG three times so you see a "House Diagnostics" Menu. Select "Tank Monitor", then "View Raw Data". This should give you a screen that shows raw "counts" from the sensors.
Simply watch the numbers for the fresh water tank while running water down the sink or tub. You should see the fresh tank number slowly decrease. (Empty should be 150-250, full perhaps over 1000.)
If this is the case, then the sensor is working properly. Try filling the tank again, but this time take the cap off the direct-fill inlet.
This will allow air to escape from the tank while it fills. This should eliminate the it-was-full-but-then-it-wasn't phenomenon.

Finally, you may want to recalibrate the sensors and the tank dimensions. To calibrate the sensor, empty the tank, then go back to that diagnostic screen we talked about above. Select "Calibrate Fresh", then "Calibrate Dry Offset". This will let the sensor know 'this is what empty looks like'. You may also adjust the Calibration Points, which simply enough are the distances above the zero point corresponding to those levels. For purposes of illustration, let's say your "Full Point" is 10.0 inches, but you notice that when the tank is overflowing the unit reads 96%. Then you will want to adjust that Full Point *down* slightly, to about 9.6 inches. (You should also adjust the quarter and three-quarter points as well.) You can use those raw counts mentioned earlier to tune this very exactly.
(Don't forget to level the coach!)
This may be "too much information", but I thought I'd put it all here for the benefit of anyone who might want to fine-tune their system. I don't generally troll this bulletin board - we have our own at
www.simply-smarter.com - but while I was in the neighborhood . . .
 

Re: Fresh water tank gauge on SilverLeaf doesn't work right!

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11570
--
PokeP,

Wow, this is kind of "heavy" stuff for me to comprehend on first and second read through, but good stuff. Thank-you. I'll try just what you are outlining. Thanks again!

Glen Gieg

(headin' out Wed. morn)

- In Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com, "PokeP" wrote:

Quote
>

Quote from: Glen Gieg"[/quote
Quote
>]
> After completely filling my fresh water tank on my '04 Magna, I > > noticed that the gauge goes up to full, then backs way back down

to

Quote
only 16-20%, or so. The tank must be full because it discharges > out

> under the coach through some overflow thing. Is there some kind > > of "re-program" thing that I can do on this to make it read > > correctly? Anybody else encounter this problem? >

The likely problem is that the tank itself doesn't have enough > venting. While you are filling the tank, pressure builds up and

makes

Quote
it appear full, then the pressure slowly diminishes.

There are a couple simple tests you can do yourself. First, go to

the

Quote
VMS 200 on the dash and press DIAG three times so you see a "House > Diagnostics" Menu. Select "Tank Monitor", then "View Raw Data".

This

Quote
should give you a screen that shows raw "counts" from the sensors.
Simply watch the numbers for the fresh water tank while running

water

Quote
down the sink or tub. You should see the fresh tank number slowly > decrease. (Empty should be 150-250, full perhaps over 1000.) >

If this is the case, then the sensor is working properly. Try

filling

Quote
the tank again, but this time take the cap off the direct-fill

inlet.

Quote
This will allow air to escape from the tank while it fills. This > should eliminate the it-was-full-but-then-it-wasn't phenomenon.

Finally, you may want to recalibrate the sensors and the tank > dimensions. To calibrate the sensor, empty the tank, then go back

to

Quote
that diagnostic screen we talked about above. Select "Calibrate > Fresh", then "Calibrate Dry Offset". This will let the sensor

know

Quote
'this is what empty looks like'. You may also adjust the

Calibration

Quote
Points, which simply enough are the distances above the zero point > corresponding to those levels. For purposes of illustration, let's > say your "Full Point" is 10.0 inches, but you notice that when the > tank is overflowing the unit reads 96%. Then you will want to

adjust

Quote
that Full Point *down* slightly, to about 9.6 inches. (You should > also adjust the quarter and three-quarter points as well.) You can > use those raw counts mentioned earlier to tune this very exactly.
(Don't forget to level the coach!) >

This may be "too much information", but I thought I'd put it all

here

Quote
for the benefit of anyone who might want to fine-tune their

system. I