Dashboard light

[themadscotsman]

Hi Guys,

I am glad to be part of that great group of people known as Ford Transit owners.
I have a 1993 Transit motorhome and I have a light which intermittantly appears on the dash. It looks like a water cannister or jerrycan and is orange. I think that it is meant to indicate water in the fuel or fuel filter. the engine runs perfectly well when this light is displayed and I have never had any problems with the engine. It was serviced last year and the light was there before the service, I would assume that a new fuel filter would be included in a service but maybe not, when I worked in a garage it was but maybe the Germans have a different system. I have not been back to the garage to complain or enquire( a Ford dealer no less) as it seems to have no effect on the engine.

It is a LHD 2.5 non turbo diesel engined van and I believe it is a Mk3 variety

Am I correct in my interpretation of the lamp ?

Will it have any long term affect on the engine if I keep running it this way and should I worry about it?

I only do 5000 miles or so a year in it and it has 98000 kilometres on the clock, I have had it for 5k of those having had the van just over a year.

Otherwise the van runs a treat and always starts first turn of the key.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Andrew Robertson

[Nighthawk]

It's the water in fuel filter warning lamp.

As it's flickering on intermittantly, it my only have a small amount of water in the trap. It could however be a defective sensor or chaffed wiring loom causing it.

1st.... unclip the multiplug from the bottom of the fuel filter sensor, have a good look at the 3 cables, are they twisted together, hardened or showing the inner copper core?

2nd.... with the multiplug disconnected still, place a small bowl under the filter and unscrew the sensor a few turns...not all the way out as it can be awkward to refit with diesel running out of the filter! allow the diesel to flow into the bowl for around 10 seconds to ensure the trap is free from water.

If you've tried steps 1 and 2 and the light still comes on it's time for step 3

That means you need to replace the sensor, but it's not cheap! In fact the last time I looked at one, it was cheaper to replace the complete filter and head assembly than it was to change just the sensor.

Barmy!!! the cost of the sensor was within £2 iirc of the cost of the sensor, filter and head.

[MrMPuk]

I don't normally bother with the sensors, can't remember the last time I had one connected.

[ezza]

MrMPuk, what do you put in place of the water in fuel sensor?

Basically my problem is that it is dripping fuel constantly. I have replaced the o-ring seal with limited sucess.

So I have 2 questions.

1. How does the sensor work, is it a solenoid of some sort?

2. What is the thread size (to blank of the hole in the bottom of the fuel filter). I suspect 12mm, but maybe not standard?

Mt transit is 1998 2.5 TD with the bosch type (self bleed) fuel filter.

Also, I used to get the orange light on startup (much like oil light etc) but not any longer.

This problem arose after replacing the fuel filter.

Thanks in advance.

[100ps_drw_hicube]

MrMPuk, what do you put in place of the water in fuel sensor?

Basically my problem is that it is dripping fuel constantly. I have replaced the o-ring seal with limited sucess.

So I have 2 questions.

1. How does the sensor work, is it a solenoid of some sort?

2. What is the thread size (to blank of the hole in the bottom of the fuel filter). I suspect 12mm, but maybe not standard?

Mt transit is 1998 2.5 TD with the bosch type (self bleed) fuel filter.

Also, I used to get the orange light on startup (much like oil light etc) but not any longer.

This problem arose after replacing the fuel filter.

Thanks in advance.

mine is a td and the orange light illuminates for a few seconds after start up then goes out but once it stayed on through a journey so i stopped at the side of the road and drained the water out the bottom of the filter and has been ok since the light still comes on when starting up when you replaced the filter did you plug the cable back into the new filter ?? also try a squirt of wd40 as the connections might be a bit corroded

[ezza]

Yeah plugged the cable in. Im not to bothered about the sensor working or not really. Not paying £80 for a piece of plastic!! Im gonna go for the blanking off option.....if anyone knows the exact thread please... :p

[100ps_drw_hicube]

Yeah plugged the cable in. Im not to bothered about the sensor working or not really. Not paying £80 for a piece of plastic!! Im gonna go for the blanking off option.....if anyone knows the exact thread please... :p

£80 sounds about right i enquired at our local stealers the other day about a set of 270o rear door hinges with the vat the whole kit comes to £906.88 just for 4 door hinges and 2 stays what is the world coming to

didnt you get a black plastic cap with the new filter?? when that is done up tight it will be diesel proof as we have done this mod to all our vans except mine (i think cos mine works we left it) if you havent got the cap i have got loads here as we tend to change the filters fortnightly

[MrMPuk]

The genuine filter from fords comes with a plug in it, all you do is remove the plug to put the sensor in. So just leave the plug in and away you go!

[ezza]

Cheers guys.

I stupidly threw out the old filter and of course the cap from the new one!! I think I may have sorted it with another o-ring but im not to convinced its gonna be perfect.

[themadscotsman]

Thanks for the info,

I will have a go at this over the weekend if its not too chilly outside. I need to get under the bonnet anyway as the alternator has decided to start playing up and is only producing 9 volts at any engine speed. I think it needs replacing as not worth repairing, what do you think?
If the sensor is faulty then I will just unplug the bugger.

It's the water in fuel filter warning lamp.

As it's flickering on intermittantly, it my only have a small amount of water in the trap. It could however be a defective sensor or chaffed wiring loom causing it.

1st.... unclip the multiplug from the bottom of the fuel filter sensor, have a good look at the 3 cables, are they twisted together, hardened or showing the inner copper core?

2nd.... with the multiplug disconnected still, place a small bowl under the filter and unscrew the sensor a few turns...not all the way out as it can be awkward to refit with diesel running out of the filter! allow the diesel to flow into the bowl for around 10 seconds to ensure the trap is free from water.

If you've tried steps 1 and 2 and the light still comes on it's time for step 3

That means you need to replace the sensor, but it's not cheap! In fact the last time I looked at one, it was cheaper to replace the complete filter and head assembly than it was to change just the sensor.

Barmy!!! the cost of the sensor was within £2 iirc of the cost of the sensor, filter and head.