Micro Pulse Tank monitor calibration

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by Devoman

If you are near someone that has the same rig as yours.Ask if they would switch out the sensors to see if it works.It will only take 10 min to do.At least you would know if it was that or not.

OK I'll bite...how do you get to the sensors in 10 minutes? Aren't those attached to the tanks? You aren't talking about the monitor panel are you?

Jack

[Devoman]

Isnt one of the sensors on the outside of the airstream where the dump valve is?It has the telephone wire attached to it.Am I wrong?If so where are the sensors.The dealer told me they replaced that one to get it to work.What is the gray scew in plug for then.It looked like it had a computer chip in it with some soft silicone covering it up.If I am wrong I am sorry but I would really like to know what that is though.I remember putting up a post about having bugs in it and it was leaking but I found the fix for it.

[Devoman]

Here is what I was talking about.What is this?I thought this was a sensor.Sorry about that.I did not know it was something else.Would someone please tell me what it is?

It is the gray plug on your right with the wire attached to it.
I just sent Airstream the picture and asked if they could tell me what it was.I will let everyone know once I get an answer.

[Devoman]

I just got an e-mail back from Airstream and they told me that this is the sensor and works by the weight of the water.
Here is the e-mail he had sent.

Mr.Martin,

The grey piece that the wire plugs into is the tank sensor. It works by measuring the liquid pressure in the tank and sending the information to the display.

Dick Deardurff

Customer Relations

[68 Overlander]

I concur, that is the MicroPulse sensor in that photo. It uses a resistive strain gage. We added them to our store and I had no idea they were that popular. I still like the SeeLevel as well but they use strips instead of sensors and won't work on metal tanks.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Been doing some 4th of July maintenance today.

The black tank was flashing between 1/3 and 2/3 full when empty, (just a couple gals and treatment in the tank.) Owners manual said three pots but I can see only two, grey and black, none for the fresh. Anyone else notice the same thing. Got the black reading correctly, just curious about the fresh.

Also was going to check the sensors and connections but can't find them anywhere. Checked the obvious but still in the dark.

Bob

[dsrtgrls]

sad to say my 2010 19' bambi micropulse monitor has stutterd to failure. the black tank does not even show any more empty or full. so at 5mo into my ownership i am. who ever said at 46,000.00 it should work i feel that pain. hi ho hi ho another thing on the dealers list will go.

[WineStream]

I know, I'm posting to a 10 year old thread where the last post was 5 years ago, but same topic...

So I put my micro pulse into cal. mode today for the fresh tank only. I emptied it, then filled it, then micro pulse flashed red LED at me and went back to cal mode. I tried again to cal it without completely emptying the fresh tank...still no luck. Biggest pain now is that I can't get it OUT of cal mode. Even power on / power off still makes it go into cal. mode. Anyone know how to "abort" it?

Related to above...I assume that my fresh tank sensor is shot. It was showing 5/8 full whether full or empty. Re-cal failed, so I assume sensor bad? Anyone replaced the fresh tank sensor? Easy to get at (2005 Safari 30 LS or similar)?

Also, from reading the thread there was mention of flashing cals on via palm pilot at the factory. Since this discussion was 10 years ago, does anyone know if there's a more modern way of doing this now; maybe at home / DIY? I would assume now that the cals are getting flashed with a tablet / phone? Maybe something we can download and get a USB to RJxx adapter and flash ourselves?

[GCinSC2]

Isn't flashing yourself illegal in Ohio?

[dznf0g]

Dang it, I just had the same problem last week with the black tank, but I can't remember how I got it out of cal mode. It's not in the manual.
Try one more time with a few gallons in the tank at empty and drain a few from full. They mean it when they say that most red led cal failures are caused by not enough water n tank at empty cal.
I don't know anything about a flash.
My fresh and gray work perfect. Black always reads full. I can live with that for now, as I can see down the toilet, but the proper fix is to install a See Level system one day.

[dznf0g]

Also, might not be the a sensor. Try inspecting the phone style cable at both ends for dirt or corrosion.

[WineStream]

Seems kinda strange that in order to cal something at empty that it can't be empty... And to cal as full that it can't be full? :-)

[Edistobob]

I recently had to replace a sensor and obtained the "reboot" instructions from the Catcon manufacturer. Following are the instructions to get it out of calibration mode and back into normal operation: (Incidentally, the advice about being sure the phone-type contacts are clean is very appropriate. They can become corroded and you might even have to cut off the existing one and install a new one; the tools are available for around $10 at Ace, Lowe's, etc.)


Turn the monitor on.
Monitor should flash all LED green 5 times and then stop with all LED green.

Press and release the status button 1 time. Monitor display should be FW,GW,BW lit Green or Yellow and the Empty LED should be lit Green.

The next step is a little tricky so please read all of this step before you give it a try. Press and release the status button 1 time and watch the LED’s. As soon as the Empty LED goes out and the 1/8 LED lights press and release the Status button repeatedly until only the 1/8 LED is lit on the monitor. When only the 1/8 LED is lit stop. The monitor will now reboot back in the normal monitor mode with your previous calibration values. If while you are attempting this the 1/8 LED goes out and the ¼ LED lights you will need to stop and turn the monitor off and try again.

[dznf0g]

I know, just telling it like I experienced it. See Level will go in someday.

[WineStream]

Originally Posted by Edistobob

Turn the monitor on.
Monitor should flash all LED green 5 times and then stop with all LED green.

Press and release the status button 1 time. Monitor display should be FW,GW,BW lit Green or Yellow and the Empty LED should be lit Green.

The next step is a little tricky so please read all of this step before you give it a try. Press and release the status button 1 time and watch the LED’s. As soon as the Empty LED goes out and the 1/8 LED lights press and release the Status button repeatedly until only the 1/8 LED is lit on the monitor. When only the 1/8 LED is lit stop. The monitor will now reboot back in the normal monitor mode with your previous calibration values. If while you are attempting this the 1/8 LED goes out and the ¼ LED lights you will need to stop and turn the monitor off and try again.

These instructions worked perfect to get out of calibration mode. Thanks!

Now just need to find time to figure out how to access the fresh water connector to check if it needs to be replaced or cleaned.

[KJRitchie]

Are the instructions for calibrating a single tank accurate in the Micropulse manual. I would like to calibrate my tanks one at a time. I can't seem to be able to choose my desired tank once the "Select Tank" is lit.

I may have screwed up all the tanks now.

Also, is there a calibration procedure for LP and battery? Do the calibration procedures affect the LP and battery monitors?

Kelvin

[dznf0g]

I don't think there is a cal for the batt nor the propane, but they seem to be reasonably accurate on mine. I have found the single tank cal procedure to be as accurate and as finicky as the all tank cal procedure, but the instructions work.

Also, I have found all the procedures to be MUCH more effective when disconnected from shore power. Do it with 12V batt power only. I accidentally discovered this on my last cal and it is pretty accurate in all tanks now, and has been for a few months. I conclude the Micropulse does not like 13+ volts during cal.

[KJRitchie]

OK, I'll try calibrating on battery only. From what I've read on all the posts it's best not to fill the water tank so water is coming out of the fill tube. I really want to calibrate one tank at a time so I can do it over several days.

Kelvin

[KJRitchie]

I've calibrated twice since the last post and have not had a successful calibration.

Question, how many gallons are enough to submerge the sensor in the fresh water, black and grey tanks during the Ready for Empty mode? I've been using 4 gallons to start with. Should it be less or more?

After the first effort I went out this weekend. The freshwater had been reading full but when I got to the campground with a full tank of water it was reading empty. Black and grey were reading empty but that was expected since the tanks were empty. As the weekend finished neither the black and grey moved off the last or empty LED so nothing was being monitored. When I got home yesterday and tried to calibrate again. I flushed out the black first. I used 4 gallons of water in each tank. Then filled the tanks, black flush to fill the black tank until it was a couple of inches from the toilet flange, grey was filled until it burped the shower drain then I let out a couple of gallons and the fresh was filled until I could hear what seemed the water nearing the top of the tank. Calibration then continued and the black and grey failed to calibrate but the fresh water did. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Kelvin

[Vantair]

Another new response to an old thread but our original rigs aren’t getting any newer.

With a digital inline flow meter, starting at completely drained empty, began filling fresh water tank watching the 1/10 gals to LED status change.

Here’s our findings (assuming the E to 1/8 full was due to hot water tank consuming it’s 7gals. Combined fill was 39 Gallons starting to spill out. YMMV

Hope this helps others and explains the mystery of “how much do we have?”