Thanks a bunch! Found the video and Robert links to this kit. For $200 cheap insurance vs a catastrophic coolant loss and losing an engine. Seems a major gap in design that the coolant temp doesn’t warn nearly quick enough.
False positive warnings this week and sensor eventually failed. Will see if Swedish Auto Parts will provide a replacement. Glad I saved the old cap.Krons wrote: ↑12 Feb 2023, 06:37 Update on this. Installed the sensor yesterday on my 08 C70 T5. With long nose pliers was able to pull the connector and install the jumper harness without full air box removed. Had to free it from the mounting pegs and slide to driver side.
Overall build quality of the piece is ok, not great but not bad by any means. For $200 a lot of time saved over making your own. Hopefully it’ll hold up. Main challenge is not twisting up wires when tightening the cap. It does work well, my coolant was between max and low and on hard acceleration got engine temp hot warning. Topped off coolant to just a tad above max to not get unnecessary warnings.
How did it go with the replacement?Krons wrote: ↑11 Jul 2023, 21:23False positive warnings this week and sensor eventually failed. Will see if Swedish Auto Parts will provide a replacement. Glad I saved the old cap.Krons wrote: ↑12 Feb 2023, 06:37 Update on this. Installed the sensor yesterday on my 08 C70 T5. With long nose pliers was able to pull the connector and install the jumper harness without full air box removed. Had to free it from the mounting pegs and slide to driver side.
Overall build quality of the piece is ok, not great but not bad by any means. For $200 a lot of time saved over making your own. Hopefully it’ll hold up. Main challenge is not twisting up wires when tightening the cap. It does work well, my coolant was between max and low and on hard acceleration got engine temp hot warning. Topped off coolant to just a tad above max to not get unnecessary warnings.
It is a great idea. Just sold my C70 so “fixed” the problem lol.
I know this is an old thread, but, there is a fix for this issue. Swedish car parts offers a really nice expansion tank with molded in place low level sensor that plugs in in line with the thermostat wiring and triggers the temp light on the dash for low coolant. I've installed this unit on my c30 with their aluminum thermostat housing.MadeInJapan wrote: ↑06 Aug 2016, 12:23 I'm sorry- no write-up yet, but I'm going to be working on this- it's a new project of mine.
Why???
Well, because our cars don't have a sensor in the expansion tank (reservoir) to tell you when your coolant is low. This is a huge Volvo over-sight, or is it? Is it just another way to make more money from us??? This should be the first defense against loosing your coolant and overheating and rendering your Volvo as pretty much toast!! Ask the many members on the different forums whose lower radiator hoses broke and immediately shot their engine temps through the ceiling, toasting their aluminum engines. I had a close call yesterday. it wasn't a hose but after getting to work, I looked out my window and saw coolant all over the ground under my car. My expansion tank had cracked and spewed my coolant out. Fortunately for me, that was the extent of my loss! I got some fluid from the local auto parts store and although I looked for a replacement reservoir, I could not find any from our local parts stores so went to the dealer for full retail price. Still, better than a blown engine.
So, I wonder, why is there a windshield washer fluid level sensor but not one for the coolant?
I'm working on a, I hope easy solution, to add a level sensor to our expansion tanks, tie into the wires from the window washer tank so that you will get a warning on your dash if either of these tanks are low. When the message comes up on your dash, at least this way, you know to get out and check your coolant level.
I'll keep you posted in regards to this. In the meantime, if anyone here has any ideas on this, please let me know. As things are progressing, I'm thinking that this is going to require a placement of a float in the reservoir, hopefully from the top with a locking washer on top so the tank will still hold pressure.
-MIJ
