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Old 09-23-2019, 10:35 AM   #1
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Holding tanks' electrical connection oxidation.

Holding tanks sensors’ electrical connections on my rig (just like on many others) are outside under the chassis and exposed. To reduce the amount of abuse those connections and wires take I’ve installed a mud flap on that side of the vehicle, it helps a little. It protects from the rocks and stops at least some mud. However, the connection points are still getting much water and everything else that comes from under the wheels from the road. Those connection points have absolutely no protection and screws are rusting. I’m sure that electrical contact will be lost soon due to rust. All this does not look right. I’d like to ask what people doing about this problem. I’ve thought of replacing screws with SS screws and covering those contacts with silicone grease every so often, but it most likely won’t stay there for any long time. Any other ideas?

Thank you.
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Old 09-23-2019, 10:54 AM   #2
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You may be able to clean the threads and add a new connector and nut, but I would be very cautions not to cause a leak in the process. You could then possibly add some sealer compound over the connections for a little protection, but if the outside of the sensors ( screws) are that bad the inside is likely much worse. My black and grey sensors are incorrect most of the time anyway so I pretty much ignore them.
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Old 09-23-2019, 08:49 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flybob View Post
You may be able to clean the threads and add a new connector and nut, but I would be very cautions not to cause a leak in the process. You could then possibly add some sealer compound over the connections for a little protection, but if the outside of the sensors ( screws) are that bad the inside is likely much worse. My black and grey sensors are incorrect most of the time anyway so I pretty much ignore them.
Thanks for writing. Yes those sensors were reading wrong. I had no problem to clean those sensors inside. I think if I clean them once a year they will be OK. At least they work just fine now. However on the outside I have a screw, not a nut holding that wire. You are right - I'm afraid to touch that screw not to break the seal.
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Old 09-23-2019, 09:30 PM   #4
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There is a company called Seelevel that has sensors that mount on the outside of the tank and read through the plastic. They work really good, read accurate every 3% and don’t get clogged up. Easy install using the existing wiring.

https://www.amazon.com/Level-709P3W1...a0c90aa4238d9b
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Old 09-24-2019, 11:32 AM   #5
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There is a company called Seelevel that has sensors that mount on the outside of the tank and read through the plastic. They work really good, read accurate every 3% and don’t get clogged up. Easy install using the existing wiring.

https://www.amazon.com/Level-709P3W1...a0c90aa4238d9b
Very interesting. Thanks! I've known about and used similar sensors, but those would not work outside. I need to find out if these will. Thanks again!
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Severin & Ellen
1991 Westfalia Vanagon GL full camper
1997 Eurovan full camper
1984 Catalina 36 hull 268 (sailboat)
2017 Coachmen Freelander Micro 20CB
Ford Transit 350 HD cutaway chassis.
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Old 09-24-2019, 12:04 PM   #6
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Very interesting. Thanks! I've known about and used similar sensors, but those would not work outside. I need to find out if these will. Thanks again!
I just talked to their tech support. These sensors are not waterproof and they do no recommend installing them outside. However, they say that people do that spraying rubberized coating over the sensor. If the sensor installed outside the warranty will be voided, that's what they told me.
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