Wandering Tank Readings

[turbopilot]

I have seen many posts over on iRV2 about wandering tank readings (water, gray and black). Never paid much attention since miner were working. Well now my black tank is wandering all over the place (while empty). I have gone through all the rituals of cleaning and flushing with no change.

I am about to tear things apart to fix the problem. Unfortunately, like so many systems on the New Aire there is no documentation. So it is troubleshooting by braille. So I have some questions.

Are the tank sensors on SilverLeaf coaches the same as those used on coaches without SilverLeaf?

Ben Goodwin posted an excellent video some time ago where he totally disassembled the wet bay on his New Aire to troubleshoot a gray tank tank sensor error. Here is the video.



Ben discovered the gray and black tanks sensors between the two tanks. You can see one sensor here.

The sensor has three wires coming out that make there way to a SilverLeaf interface board on top of the tank. Here is an image.

The three wires from the tank sensor go into the right side of this module (unplugged in this image), while a "telephone cord" cable comes out the left side of the module and makes it's way to the SilverLeaf TM102 module up front. The signal is then put on the SilverLeaf network to be read in various locations in the coach.

Ben found the connector on the "telephone cable" badly corroded and had to replace the module.

You can only get to these components in the NA by totally disassembling the wet bay which I would like to avoid. So are there any similarities between the NA tank sensor system and other Newmar coaches without SilverLeaf?

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Neal]

I can help you with removing the wet bay panel which really isn't as bad as it looks. It sounds like you have the "KIB virus" as it seems the 2018 sensors and later are horrendous. Maybe you just need to do a recalibration sequence as I've heard that helps. Others with KIB can help better than I but I've heard a lot about sensor problems and the hassle in getting it resolved and how resistant KIB has been to handle these issues.

 

[turbopilot]

I can help you with removing the wet bay panel which really isn't as bad as it looks. It sounds like you have the "KIB virus" as it seems the 2018 sensors and later are horrendous. Maybe you just need to do a recalibration sequence as I've heard that helps. Others with KIB can help better than I but I've heard a lot about sensor problems and the hassle in getting it resolved and how resistant KIB has been to handle these issues.

So do you think the tank sensor is a KIB part? The tank sensor appears to be directly wired to a SilverLeaf module with no other KIB stuff downstream. I can do a recalibration in Silverleaf will give it a try.

 

[Neal]

The DSDP's are KIB and I think starting in 2018 the sensors are KIB components. I'm not sure about the Silverleaf stuff but if I were a betting man I'd say yes, it's KIB just networked in (RVC?)

 

[turbopilot]

The DSDP's are KIB and I think starting in 2018 the sensors are KIB components. I'm not sure about the Silverleaf stuff but if I were a betting man I'd say yes, it's KIB just networked in (RVC?)

Yes, that module says SilverLeaf on it. Has an RJ11 cable running to SilverLeaf TM102 Total Coach Controller.

So have folks been replacing these sensors. Looks impossible to get out without pulling the tanks.

 

[Neal]

Again I only know the DSDP's and the wet bay panel has to come off for sensor replacements, new "boards" have been getting installed but not sure where those are (the control boards I believe) and yet they still have issues. If you've been good until now then common sense says something is failing somewhere. Those with the issues have had issues since the beginning I believe and have been struggling to get good readings. Symptoms you mention are consistent with theirs though with wondering readings. Gray goes up, black goes down, empty gray and black goes up, just readings all over the place and varying.

 

[turbopilot]

So far just black for me. Generally indicates 40% empty then occasionally goes to 100%. At 100% it shuts down the toilet so I had to pull the wire on the toilet to keep it working. Could be corrosion in the contacts like Ben experienced. I am guessing I am going to have to pull that wet bay panel.

 

[Old-RV'er]

Before you take something apart, you might call Silverleaf and see if they can help you. Their technical support is excellent, and they may save you some problems. I had a previous MH with it, and they were Johnny on the spot with assistance. The sensors have to interface with the S/L System, so I would start there, not at the sensor.

 

[turbopilot]

Before you take something apart, you might call Silverleaf and see if they can help you. Their technical support is excellent, and they may save you some problems. I had a previous MH with it, and they were Johnny on the spot with assistance. The sensors have to interface with the S/L System, so I would start there, not at the sensor.

Thanks I did one more rinse with Dove and black tank enzymes, then flushed it out a couple of times. Repeated tank calibration and it has been holding at 0 since on MyRozie. Doubt that it is fixed but it is not setting off MyRozie alarms currently and the toilet flushes.

 

[Old-RV'er]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BSB7PU/?tag=rvf01-20 - FWIW I got some of this stuff and this is what I drop in the gray tank after final dump before several days of travel. I don't dump the gray tank until night before we are going to arrive at home, (actually morning we leave rv park before getting home). When I do dump, a big glob of crap seems to come out of the tank, so I know its working. I have not tried in on the black tank since I put in blue power treatment after every dump. Hope the above has fixed it.

 

[Old-RV'er]

Oh, when we were at mothership last year for maintenance/work, we sat in the Newgle class. One fellow their with MA, said he fought his Silverleaf for 18 months before he was able to get a tech to install new software. I asked him if he called SL and his answer was NO. Techs don't know Silverleaf, and most of them don't know how to fix problems with it. My suggestion to all, is to call Silverleaf first, if you cannot solve on your own. They have a wealth of documents, and information on their website, and their tech support is top notch. Home | SilverLeaf Electronics, Inc. is the link. They provide several contact numbers and you can also do e-mail support. If in OR, you can go to their facility and they will come outside to help you. They did me several times when had the other coach.

 

[Jwl_Atlanta]

I am considering adding the SeeLevel II tank monitoring system to supplement the built in monitors. Is this advisable?