low washer fluid sensor- '87 5ktq

[SJ]

Figuring out these puzzles can be an interesting hobby.
The trick to fixing things is narrowing the possibilities, and bypassing
sections of the circuitry.

My 90 Bentley shows the low fluid sensor as a switch. That could mean two
contacts submerged in water . . .producing a low resistance input to the
auto check control unit.

You can substitute a real short for the "switch". Jump the connector
contacts and drive around for a while with connector shorted. If the light
still goes on, then you have an intermittant open between connector and the
auto check unit.

If the light goes on with shorted contacts, the problem may be in dirty
contacts in connectors along the way to the auto check circuit. Unplug and
use contact cleaner on the connectors.
There may be only one connector . . .the one at the Instrument cluster where
the auto check is located.

If you are handy with soldering and such . .you can always solder in a short
right at the auto check unit. If the light still goes on . .. the problem my
lie with the auto check unit itself. Again, most likely . .an internal
circuit opening up.

SJ
85 Dodge PU, D-250, 318, auto
85 Audi 4k - - sold but still on the road
88 Audi 5kq
90 Audi 100q


> From: barry at moonbeast.com
> Okay, I hate it when a recently fixed item on my car mysteriously un-fixes
> itself.
>
> My "low washer fluid" light was coming on every time I started the car,
and
> would remain on all the time regardless of the amount of fluid in the
tank.
> Needless to say, this is irritating.  Cleaning the electrical contacts
didn't
> help.
>
> So, I pulled a tank with sensor and pump attached out of a junker at the
local
> yard.  The light goes out after I replace the tank, and all is hunky-dory.
> Administered the recommended number of pats to my own back.
>
> One month later or thereabouts, that damn light is back on.  Is it common
for
> the sensors to go out in these tanks?  Do I have some kind of other
electrical
> problem perhaps, or was I just unlucky in picking up another sensor that
was
> about to die?  Can the sensors be cleaned, or do I have to head back to
the
> scrapyard?  Is the better solution to disable the sensor by replacing it
with a
> resistor or something and be done with it?
>
> Thanks mucho-
> BB



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