[Whitty10]

Hello Everyone,

I’m having issue w my black/gray tank showing 100% full but it’s bone dry.  Also, I’m also not able to open or close the valves to open. I removed the connection to sensor on tank to make sure it was making good contact but that didn’t help. It too big consequence for both sensor and buttons to open close valves to all stop working together so makes me think something that controls both is giving me the issue. Any suggestion before calling Newell? I also filled the black/gray tanks 1/2 full and drove around thinking that may help but nothing changed.

[DK on the road]

I'll address the valves opening or not. There is a manual allen wrench to open and close the valves to dump on each valve. I have damaged both of my dump valves by holding the safety and dump button too long. Curb side and Drivers side dump valves. It may have stripped the worm drive, but non the less, they didn't work and I had to resort to the allen wrench. They are not hard to change out, just make sure the tank is completely drained and I also tipped the coach away (towards the Drivers side) to make sure no effluent came out while I worked on it.

These 2 items should be different and not connected, the best I can tell

As far as sensors, there is another thread here on this site that talks about a universal monitor that other have used, if the problem is with the sensor itself.

I'm not an electrician ( very armature) but I'm confused that your getting a full reading. Others will correct me, but that either means your getting power at the monitor when you shouldn't or your not getting power when you should. My black tank was reading correctly and now shows empty all the time.  I'll watch for information from the wiser Guru's here on what we should look into.

[Richard]

Matt,

My comments may be way off base since I have not laid eyes on your system. That caveat issued. If your sensors penetrate the tank, then there is a rather simple cause for the tank reading full.

If you have the system where your sensors penetrate the tank, the electronics sense a change in capacitance for the individual sensors. If the end of the sensor inside the tank becomes corroded or fouled, then the electronics “thinks” the sensor is in contact with liquid. The only solution that works for any period is to replace them. It’s not particularly hard. http://newellgurus.com/showthread.php?ti...1#pid45101

[Jndroark]

Matt

Our waste tank was showing full all the time also. Upon investigation, we had a very small leak in our ice maker water line and the waste tank water sensor was getting wet. I fixed the leak, unplugged the RJ11 telephone wire from the sensor dried out both sensor and wire, then reconnected the cable and all was good. Hope this helps.

[folivier]

A lot of the Foretravel guys that have had the factory sensors (which are different than Newell uses) go out have added the Seelevel system. Seems easy to install and very accurate. They attach to the outside of the plastic tank.

[Whitty10]

Thank y’all for the replies. I’ll see if perhaps I have water in the plug. I did switch the fresh and gray tank plugs and my fresh water was showing 100% full but I’ll also check for water. I did go ahead and order new sensor from Newell.

[Winegrower]

Matt,
I just ordered a product called Unique Tank Sensor Cleaner from Amazon in hopes it may solve the problem. I'll let you know if it works.
In the meantime I'd still like to know where the sensor is located. Perhaps I can remove, clean, and replace it. As it is I'm watching water consumption and dumping the black tank before it is full. During the rinse and refill cycles to clean the tank I overfilled once and had water accumulate in the bay. Fortunately it was after several purges and was clear water but I found out why the plugs are in the floor.

[Winegrower]

The p20001 black tank sensor is located at the bottom left front corner of the black tank in the plumbing bay on the driver's side just behind the city water shut off valve.  It is a brass sensor with 3 leads. 

First empty the black tank.  If you don't you won't forget your mistake.  With the tank empty, the sensor is easily removed.  Be prepared for a small amount of residual black water which will flow from the hole.  The hole can easily be plugged with a paper towel wound to the hole size.  Once removed the small internal orifice in the center of the sensor can be flushed out then cleaned with a slightly reduced volume of cotton on the tip of the cotton tip applicators.  Use multiple applicators until the bottom of the applicator comes out clean.  Then clean with a suitable astringant.   Not having any isopropyl alcohol I subsitituted a rinse with a small quantity of Trapiche Malbec.  I know a waste of perfectly good wine but what the heck it does have antiseptic qualities and if it's good for you going in why not on the way out?

After applying sealant to the threads the cleamed sensor was reinserted and lightlly snugged into place followed by a good spray of Deoxit on both male and female connectors before reattachment.  Depending on the state of the connections deoxidizing the additional connections associated with the sensor may be a good idea while you're in the vicinity.

The empty tank now reads 0% when empty instead of 100%.

       

[Richard]

Great writeup Bob!

[Winegrower]

Thanks Richard