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10-27-2019, 09:34 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Coombs
Posts: 2
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Black tank sensor?
New to forum recently bought a 2013 Cougar having trouble with the volume in
my black tanker sensor shows 1/3 when empty any help would be good Thanks in advance.
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10-28-2019, 01:44 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Woodbridge New Jersey
Posts: 823
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Welcome from New Jersey, the sensors aren't 100% accurate, yours may just be dirty, fill the tank with water,add some Dawn dish detergent about 1/2 cup and calgon water treatment take the camper for a ride to swish the mix around and then flush the tank. Warm water wouldn't hurt either. Good luck.
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10-28-2019, 05:14 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: grand rapids
Posts: 596
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read everywhere....YOUR SENSORS DO NOT RECORD CORRECTLY.
You just need to learn when to dump. Black water for us (2) can be up to 2 weeks before we dump.
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10-28-2019, 06:12 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: South Jordan, Utah
Posts: 2,223
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If your Cougar is equipped with a black tank rinse, use it to fill the black tank. Empty and fill again. It may take 2 or 3 rinse cycles to clean the "stuff" off the sensor. If that doesn't work, then the soap and water softener suggested by Chris is a good next step. Some folks have had some luck with a rinse wand that is used through the toilet to clean the sensors. As said, the sensors are not real accurate. But, ours reads empty after emptying the tank and gives us a good estimate of the fill level while we're camping.
__________________
2017 Cougar 279RKSWE
2007.5 Dodge Ram 2500 6.7 Cummins
Retirement Training Completed
I think the little voices in my head have started a chat group.
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10-28-2019, 04:14 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 503
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Get used to it. Sometimes it might read full when empty, it's a flawed design but it's cheap to install.
Eventually you will get an idea of how long it takes to fill. You may be able to look in the toilet and see the contents.
Often the toilet will burp when flushing. If it does, get thee to a dump station. The reason it will burp is once the contents reach the bottom of the vent pipe, the vent ceases to work.
__________________
2018 Cougar 26RBS
2016 Chevrolet 3500DRW D/A
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10-28-2019, 04:32 PM
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#6
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,741
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The subject has been discussed at length in the past. Just click on the search and enter "black tank sensor" and you'll have plenty of reading material for this winter.
My take is about 50/50 on those reporting they're useless or they work "perfectly". Personally I think there's just too many variables to make a blanket statement. So read up, make notes and try some of the "remedies" suggested.
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
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10-28-2019, 05:46 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Mechanicsville
Posts: 478
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I replaced my next to useless sensors with Horst Miracle Probes. They aren't perfect either, but much better than the button sensors that come with these trailers. Welcome to the Forum.
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10-28-2019, 07:59 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Picacho, Az
Posts: 6,809
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What does it indicates when tank is full? If yours works as well as all my past/present RVs it probably reads the same 1/3 when full.
Get yourself a clear fitting to place on your waste drain before adding the stinky slinky, this way you'll know when it's empty & don't bet the farm that it will ever be accurate when full.
__________________
Full-timed 10+ years
Sold '13 Redwood FB
Traded '13 GMC Denali DRW D/A
Replacement undetermined
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10-29-2019, 04:31 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Mico, TX
Posts: 7,447
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fjr vfr
I replaced my next to useless sensors with Horst Miracle Probes. They aren't perfect either, but much better than the button sensors that come with these trailers. Welcome to the Forum.
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My black tank idiot light has read full since buying the RV. I have replaced the sensors with Horst Miracle Probes, replaced the sensor pigtail wires and replaced the control board where the idiot lights are located. The resistance values (given to me by Horst customer support) are where they should be between the probes. The idiot light still reads full all the time. I gave up.
__________________
wiredgeorge Mico TX
2006 F350 CC 4WD 6.0L
2002 Keystone Cougar 278
2006 GL1800 Roadsmith Trike
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10-29-2019, 04:45 AM
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#10
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,319
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I must be doing something wrong. Every RV I have either owned or worked on has proper reading sensors in ALL tanks. Just sayin...
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2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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10-29-2019, 05:00 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Mico, TX
Posts: 7,447
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckster57
I must be doing something wrong. Every RV I have either owned or worked on has proper reading sensors in ALL tanks. Just sayin...
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Makes me feel better hearing YOU don't have any issues. I guess I will just have to feel good about being good lookin and cool.
__________________
wiredgeorge Mico TX
2006 F350 CC 4WD 6.0L
2002 Keystone Cougar 278
2006 GL1800 Roadsmith Trike
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10-29-2019, 05:27 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Florissant
Posts: 700
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckster57
I must be doing something wrong. Every RV I have either owned or worked on has proper reading sensors in ALL tanks. Just sayin...
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Me too, mostly. We had a black tank sensor acting-up in our Jayco which was instantly fixed with a directional spray wand.
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Skids
2019 Bullet 248RKS
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10-29-2019, 05:46 AM
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#13
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,981
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wiredgeorge
Makes me feel better hearing YOU don't have any issues. I guess I will just have to feel good about being good lookin and cool.
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Possibly, Some people's "poop don't foul" (the sensors) and the rest of us, well: Not so much.....
__________________
John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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10-29-2019, 08:02 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Picacho, Az
Posts: 6,809
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I've owned 6-7 different RVs the last 40+ years & the sensors on all them worked great.......ONCE when new.
__________________
Full-timed 10+ years
Sold '13 Redwood FB
Traded '13 GMC Denali DRW D/A
Replacement undetermined
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10-29-2019, 01:17 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Mico, TX
Posts: 7,447
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When I was a lad... ah heck, never mind; it has already been done 7 times in this thread alone. I am going to back out of this discussion and go look for my magic wand and see if I can take a shower at the same time as flushing out the tank bwhahahaha
__________________
wiredgeorge Mico TX
2006 F350 CC 4WD 6.0L
2002 Keystone Cougar 278
2006 GL1800 Roadsmith Trike
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10-29-2019, 02:08 PM
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#16
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,741
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wiredgeorge
When I was a lad... ah heck, never mind; it has already been done 7 times in this thread alone. I am going to back out of this discussion and go look for my magic wand and see if I can take a shower at the same time as flushing out the tank bwhahahaha
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Use plenty of soap and don't get upwind of the neighbors !
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
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11-03-2019, 08:34 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Young America MN
Posts: 372
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Like the note on your mirror that says objects may be closer than they appear these should say level may or may not be as indicated.
__________________
39 foot Forest River Vengeance dragged by GMC 3500.
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11-03-2019, 09:24 AM
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#18
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Freeland, MD
Posts: 15
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The sensors are not accurate as mentioned! After I empty the tank, I put about a gallon of water in the tank, a cap full of Calgon Water Softener and a little bit of Dawn Dish soap. It is not perfect but I have good luck with this combo. It helps keep the sensors working (although no guarantee).
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11-03-2019, 09:44 AM
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#19
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: North Myton Bench
Posts: 42
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Black tank sensors are there to annoy you.
As long as the full sensor works you're good to go. Dump that is.
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11-03-2019, 06:56 PM
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#20
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lynnwood, WA
Posts: 40
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You probably have a combination of two different problems, sensors that are both misreading and inaccurate. I've had two different Outbacks and neither one had accurate sensors. There wasn't much I could do but live with it. I have also had times where completely empty tanks would read 1/3 or 2/3 full.
The misreading part I could do something about.
If I am having misreading problems I park the trailer with the offending tank full of clean water, add Thetford level gauge cleaner and let it sit for about a week. I'll tow it to the next campground and drain the tank. This has always worked for me.
As for the inaccurate sensors, with the tanks completely empty I've hooked up to city water and measured out 5 gallons at a time with a bucket filling with the handheld shower. I then dump the 5 gallons either down the bathtub drain or toilet depending on which tank I want to test and check the level on the control panel. From that I've learned that my "just full" 30 gallon gray tank will completely fit in my 25 gallon waste tote. Doing this test will let you know what full means and how much wiggle room you have once the full reading is reached.
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2009 Silverado LT 1500 4X4 Crew Cab, 9500 lb towing capacity with Putnam XDR and Equalizer 10K, + 2013 Outback 250RS, Truffle
Me ('65), DW ('68), DS1 ('99), DS2 ('03), Dwoof ('12)
We all bleed Orange and Black, GO BEAVS
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