Coolant Loss Sensor for 4.8

[Clem]

Its essential for any engine without an existing self protection mechanism.

[Tinus lotz]

Well, yes but the point is that the 4.8 doesn't need it. Its already got a self protection mechanism built in.

Clem imho I don't ever want my head to overheat to 150deg your motor dont like it to get that hot....
For that 750 odd rand to replace a clamp or something small its a great help i will put that in or even a full madman
The madman stands loose from the car electrics and will not interfere with anything
The audable alam is great so you dont have to watch it all the time

[SJC]

Is it necessary to watch the egt's on a petrol motor?
I have been wondering about fitting a madman to the 4.5 - but not sure if need to fit an egt gauge?

[Picasso]

Absolutely right Clem.

I guess..... that sudden coolant loss is one of the main contributor of terminal engine failure.

As you said the 4.8 has apparently an engine protection mechanism which cut the engine of at a certain temperature ........ so does the 4.5.....

The question is... does this function reliably work ? How can you make sure that it works ?

I had an incident at Christmas day...

On Christmas Evening the PATROL , fully packed with presents ... cursing like Saint Ruprecht sledge into the setting sun.

It was one of this situations when the light conditions were less than perfect in order to see all the dials.
I was initially cruising on the highway. Thanks to e-tolling I decided to get of the highway to avoid the gantries . When I had to stop at the first intersection I saw steam escaping the bonnet. I looked at the temperature gauge and it was on the far right of the dial. I turned the engine off immediately.
When I opened the bonnet I noticed that the thermostat pipe has burst and there was no water left in the system. I do not know if the above mentioned system would have still cut out the engine automatically or not.

So.... I would say ..... even so that these vehicles are suppose to have an automated protection system,
adding another simple system which measures the engine water temperature (in and out) is not a bad idea.

[Clem]

Thank you for that. It tells me a couple of things, including that the temperature gauge actually does work properly! An audible alarm option is always the best.

[Picasso]

Yip !

Sorry I forgot to say...... it was a 4.5... and I just caught it in time. No engine damage !

It would have bee a different story if I would have continued on the highway ....
due to the speed you do not see any steam escaping; the only indication was the temperature gauge being on the far right (which I initially did not notice). No audible or optical alarm from the vehicle and I can not say if the automated shut down system would have still come into play ? However I would say I was less than a minute away from blowing up the engine.

[Tinus lotz]

Is it necessary to watch the egt's on a petrol motor?
I have been wondering about fitting a madman to the 4.5 - but not sure if need to fit an egt gauge?

Fanus net gewoonlik op turbo diesels word dit gemeet nie n probleem op petrols nie

[SJC]

Fanus net gewoonlik op turbo diesels word dit gemeet nie n probleem op petrols nie

So gedink.

[dph]

I'm also interested in this topic. My 4.5 dropped the top radiator hose while I was driving around on the farm. I was looking out the side window for Eland and wasn't really worried about the instruments. Luckily, my eye caught the temp gauge and I switched off. What followed, was a character-building experience. I had about 2 liters of water in the vehicle, but another 4 liters in empty bottles. It was a typical Southern Namibian summers day. About 40C and very dry. I came to a stop about 1.5 km from the nearest dam. Lyk mos lekker naby! Kom ons stap en gaan haal water! Walking there and back almost cost me my marriage, but we survived. Patrol was filled up and a couple of days later made an uneventful trip down to Cape Town. So I don't think I hurt it too much.

I subsequently found that the radiator's top tank had developed a crack and that the mounting pipe had been too short for a proper hose fitment. Found a place that welded a new tank and pipe onto the radiator and she seems good to go.

So, in the interest of not having to walk that far again, I would like to know what the general opinion is regarding installing a coolant loss sensor for the 4.5? The Madman (minimal one, about R800, I think) looks cool, but I don't think the sensors in the expansion tank is ideal. I would prefer having a sensor in the top hose. What is typically done on the 4.5?

[Michael]

The Madman system uses a sensor on the top hose and not in the expantion tank.

The expansion tank sensor will not work as it is not really part of the coolant in the radiator. The onlt time this tank kan be used is when it forms part of the high preasure system like the ZD30 and the 4.8......not sure how the 4.5 system works.