Electronic help needed: Making the fresh water display better

[Pcforno]

On my last trip I was reminded how dismayed I am with the fresh water sensor display. (I have the older tank sensors on the sides). Full or green is really only the top, then there's yellow which is pretty much the whole tank except the very bottom which is red. Then I noticed there's that extra light for the fridge LP indicator. Mines electric so I don't need it.

What if I put an extra water sensor in there and wired it to the LP light, and divided the tank into fourths with each sensor 1/4 of the way down. That would be much more useful. But I know there's some electronics stuff going on there on the circuit board so not all the lights go on at once. I'm an electronic moron. Are there any electronic hobbyists (or professionals) out there able to tell me how to wire in an extra sensor and indicator light to the circuit board?

[raoul mitgong]

So dead on. I have never seen my green water light illuminated in the 8 years I've owned my Westy. Maybe good for indicating when to shut off the water when filling but I always have filled from inside so I just look in the hole.
-d
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84 Westy with a 2.1 (Groover)
86 Tintop Syncro (Crow)
86 Tintop Syncro to Westy project (Tom Servo)
91 Westy (Only the top 12 inches of this van (a burn victim))

[Pcforno]

Yeah it would be pretty helpful to add an extra light (which is already there anyway) and move the sensors to give accurate 1/4 readings. You could move the red led down into the lowest position where the LP sensor is and add say an orange light above it so you'd have green-yellow-orange-red as 4/4-3/4-1/2-1/4.
Would be easy to do - I just don't know about the wiring on the circuit board - I bet it's not hard to do - I just don't know anything about it...
I know someone will suggest to get an aftermarket RV indicator instead, but I like the look and feel of the old one

[PDXWesty]

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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[timichango]

Funnily enough, my next wee project in our van is installing a new float sensor that's been sitting on the shelf for a few years now. I'll take a look and see what kinds of readings it generates.

If it's doing a simple on/off signal for each position, then we're probably scuppered in terms of getting anything more useful out of it — but if it's generating more of a ramped voltage signal, ie. if it's giving a dropping voltage from one sensor as it gets further away from it, and a stronger signal as it approaches another one, then I should be able to get something more nuanced out of it using an Arduino board to take those signals and calculate something off of those voltage differentials.

Might be I could rig the Arduino to drive an RGB LED to give a different colour mix depending on the tank level — eg. red is empty, and it traverses the spectrum towards green as it becomes fuller (and vice-versa, more importantly).

Alternatively, might be able to use PWM from the arduino to show two LEDs at different ramping brightnesses (eg: fade green, and brighten yellow, as the level drops).

I'll look into it when I have a free afternoon...
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Vroomhilde-San: Our 1991 Silver Vanagon Westy automatic + Subie EJ25

[Pcforno]

Again - not looking for a whole new solution- just looking to rewire the "extra" led and add a sensor on the side in addition to the other three. The sensors are simple as they just complete a circuit- but I know just enough electronics to know that there's some circuitry in place so that not all the lights come on below the highest lit level. I would just need to know how to wire in the extra sensor so that it does the same thing...can someone with electronics knowledge look at the little board and say if it's feasible and how to do it?

[PDXWesty]

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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[Pcforno]

PDX - if you saw my original post - I don't have a later model float level. It has simple sensors on the side that completes a circuit when water comes in contact with the sensor. And if you saw it - don't have pictures in front of me- the green sensor is positioned at the very top so goes off after you use a gallon or two, and the yellow represents nearly the entire tank until the last couple gallons. So it's not very functional.

[PDXWesty]

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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[PDXWesty]

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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[Pcforno]

Dude- it's in this thread as in the top of it. As in my first sentence. Not somewhere else.
I think this is a perfect example of people skimming threads without reading and then replying to a question not being asked!

[PDXWesty]

[Pcforno]

Again - PDX - read the post - not what I was asking or proposing. Never mind.

[PDXWesty]

[Pcforno]

PDX - yes you could move them - that's quite obvious- What I was asking was about adding a 4th sensor for more accuracy and utilizing the extra led that was the LP indicator as many no longer have the LP fridge. This way you could divide the tank into 4ths.

[PDXWesty]

Here's a post that has some pretty good info:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7590969
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[Pcforno]

Very cool PDX - thanks!!
Now I just need some electronics person to help figure it out