Inaccurate Tank Sensors in 2020 Cornerstone

[BigKahuna]

My last visit to the Factory had them replace the tank sensors due to a recall.

Soon afterward, the black tank would show about 75% full when empty.

Just to make sure it was empty, I filled the tank with about 20 flushes and a cup of waste digester. I let it set for a couple of days and then drove it 400 miles (first leg of a trip) before draining. Didn't help any, but I'm 99.999% sure the tank is clean and empty, as I've added waste digester and drained 4 or 5 times since.

I took it to a non-Entegra repair facility and they charged me better than $400 to replace a sensor. I assumed fixed and didn't check when I picked up on a Saturday. When I got home both the Grey and Black tanks showed 34% and 74% respectively. I drained both to make sure the didn't drain after testing, but they were already empty. I had to leave the next day, but called the repair place to mark my invoice that it wasn't fixed and I'd be back.

On the trip I just returned from, the black tank started at 74% when I left and 85% five days later without draining. The Gray appeared to be working. At one point, a miracle happened and the black read 35%, the gray was 31%, and fresh 31% when I'd checked in the morning. That actually seemed correct. 400 miles later (same stop over at Stennis NASA) when I got home to dump, the gray was 35% and blacks 75%. After draining, the black dropped to 54% and gray 35% with tanks empty - but I noticed that the outside monitor had a message that said something to the effect that the monitor was off-line. I forget the exact words.

Suggestions?

[vent on]This is my third Entegra (2015 Anthem and 2017 Anthem) and 13th Coach since my new '94 Cruisemaster, and it has been an absolute nightmare. I hate this Damn thing and will never buy another Entegra or Spartan chassis coach. Frankly much of my problems were caused by Spartan, who refused to make right.[vent off]

[RVFunlovers]

Sorry you are having all the sensor issues.

My 2017 the tank sensors worked well. At least they seemed fairly accurate.

When I got the 2022 the tank sensors were worthless. I just muted the alarms and ignored them. They gave crazy reading that were often impossible.

I got the tank sensor recall done last fall and have had no issues since them. They seem fairly accurate.

We don’t dry camp very often so we generally have full hookups. We just dump every day or two.

I have certainly had my share of coach problems with our new one but we love using it. Between NIRVC, Spartan, and Entegra we have had good service people dealing with the problems.

[BigKahuna]

Originally Posted by RVFunlovers

Sorry you are having all the sensor issues.

My 2017 the tank sensors worked well. At least they seemed fairly accurate.

When I got the 2022 the tank sensors were worthless. I just muted the alarms and ignored them. They gave crazy reading that were often impossible.

I got the tank sensor recall done last fall and have had no issues since them. They seem fairly accurate.

We don’t dry camp very often so we generally have full hookups. We just dump every day or two.

I have certainly had my share of coach problems with our new one but we love using it. Between NIRVC, Spartan, and Entegra we have had good service people dealing with the problems.

I'm a drag racer who about ten weeks a year spend Wednesday through Sunday living at the race track without any hookups. I really need to have working sensors.

Because of the message on the outside monitor, I'm wondering if there is a configuration (like Bluetooth) issue.

[Bobby Dowdle]

We have had issues with the recalls out of the box. I would recommend having your dealer install another recall and see if that corrects your issue. The sensors are stuck on but use the Garnett system to communicate with your firefly system.

[BigKahuna]

Originally Posted by Bobby Dowdle

We have had issues with the recalls out of the box. I would recommend having your dealer install another recall and see if that corrects your issue. The sensors are stuck on but use the Garnett system to communicate with your firefly system.

My coach is now out of warranty and my dealer 400 miles away sucks. You have to make an appointment a month in advance just to drop off, and then another month at the shop fighting with factory for parts - so says they the last time I took the coach to them.

[BigKahuna]

this is why I think a communication error

[RVFunlovers]

Are you saying your Vegatouch shows an incorrect tank reading but the reading outside in your wet bay look correct?

[voltdoc]

I don't have a Vegatouch, but remember seeing on a friends Anthem, a setting to switch between the TruTank and SeeLevel. Maybe that's why the "offline" message because the TruTank is gone?

As a reminder, the Garnet SeeLevel used in the recall has sensors that stick to the sides if the tanks. The SeeLevel device is connected to the sensors and reads the tank levels. Then the SeeLevel broadcasts the tank levels onto the RV-C network, the Vegatouch and/or remote display reads the levels off the network and displays them on the screen. There is no Bluetooth involved.

The fact that your tank displays are showing any levels at all would indicate to me the communication between the SeeLevel and Vegatouch is ok. So the issue is more likely to be between the SeeLevel and the sensors or the tanks themselves.

You didn't mention your fresh tank, does that work correctly? If so that confirms the RV-C portion is functioning properly.

I have had similar problems with the SeeLevel sensors due to crud on the tank walls. Improper sensor position (like too close to a corner) can throw them off too.

You may want to consider getting a professional tank cleaning. I have never had any luck with the digester products.

My gray tank in particular used to start off by not going to zero, then over a few weeks the "empty" value would gradually increase. At times it wouldn't go below 60 for example when empty.

I resolved it by pouring in 4 or 5 gallons of vinegar, filling the tank, and letting it sit for a couple of weeks.

Since then I have started trying to keep the tanks "wet" as much as possible. For example I never leave my gray tank drain open all the time, but let it fill and empty as needed just like the black tank. If we are not using the coach (rare) I store it with both tanks full.

This has worked for me and I rarely have serious errors in the level readings anymore.

[Gary.Jones]

Rob

I do the same. Tanks full or virtually full always when not using the coach. Also, a good long blast of water at full flow rate to the black tank sprayer / cleaner on a regular basis. This last time I dumped, I connected the "sprayer" hose and let it run a good 10 minutes full blast. I have a clear section at the end of the 3" stinky-slinky and can watch what comes out, and I saw a lot of dark brown, thin "material/stuff" come out with the long blast of the sprayer and my guess was that I was watching thin layers of "stuff" peeling off the walls and bottom of the tank. My inside Vegatouch display also showed a lower bottom level empty-tank percentage indication than I had been getting before I did that.

I have plastic tubs I have gotten from my stays in hospitals, and those are in the double sinks. My procedure is to dump three of those pan-fulls of fresh water into the toilets immediately after emptying tanks. I NEVER let my black tank sit without at least those three pan-fulls of new fresh water in the empty tank. I also add half of the Happy Campers black tank additive to each of the first two pan-fulls of water dumped into the toilet. I've been very happy with what the Happy Campers does since "finding" it.

Gary

[neilnoff]

Following this thread closely. My experience is similar to the above. I had NIRVC-Atlanta do the recall for the tank sensors about 4 weeks ago. Now, my Gray tank even when empty shows 42%. After dumping the Black tank, when I hook up the hose to flush it, the reading on the Black goes to 80% in just a few seconds, then immediately to Full. I haven't been doing a good rinse since then because I'm not sure of the real level of the Black and don't want an accident! I've contacted NIRVC and am waiting for a response. I may have just gotten a bad set of sensors, but what sucks is that I live in Houston and if I have to go all the way back to Atlanta to have this fixed, I won't be pleased. I may have to wait until I'm at Entegra for some other service items in October, but I sure don't want to have to pay for what was not correct when the recall sensors were installed. I was pleased with the service at NIRVC but think they may have just received a bad set of sensors.

[BigKahuna]

Originally Posted by RVFunlovers

Are you saying your Vegatouch shows an incorrect tank reading but the reading outside in your wet bay look correct?

Both read wrong

[BigKahuna]

Originally Posted by neilnoff

Following this thread closely. My experience is similar to the above. I had NIRVC-Atlanta do the recall for the tank sensors about 4 weeks ago. Now, my Gray tank even when empty shows 42%. After dumping the Black tank, when I hook up the hose to flush it, the reading on the Black goes to 80% in just a few seconds, then immediately to Full. I haven't been doing a good rinse since then because I'm not sure of the real level of the Black and don't want an accident! I've contacted NIRVC and am waiting for a response. I may have just gotten a bad set of sensors, but what sucks is that I live in Houston and if I have to go all the way back to Atlanta to have this fixed, I won't be pleased. I may have to wait until I'm at Entegra for some other service items in October, but I sure don't want to have to pay for what was not correct when the recall sensors were installed. I was pleased with the service at NIRVC but think they may have just received a bad set of sensors.

I live south of Houston, so I feel your pain

[brobox]

Originally Posted by neilnoff

Following this thread closely. My experience is similar to the above. I had NIRVC-Atlanta do the recall for the tank sensors about 4 weeks ago. Now, my Gray tank even when empty shows 42%. After dumping the Black tank, when I hook up the hose to flush it, the reading on the Black goes to 80% in just a few seconds, then immediately to Full. I haven't been doing a good rinse since then because I'm not sure of the real level of the Black and don't want an accident! I've contacted NIRVC and am waiting for a response. I may have just gotten a bad set of sensors, but what sucks is that I live in Houston and if I have to go all the way back to Atlanta to have this fixed, I won't be pleased. I may have to wait until I'm at Entegra for some other service items in October, but I sure don't want to have to pay for what was not correct when the recall sensors were installed. I was pleased with the service at NIRVC but think they may have just received a bad set of sensors.

Why not go to the Dallas store of NIRVC?

[Fun Chaser]

Has anyone had their black and grey tank cleaned by a pressure washer? I had it done to what i thought were clean tanks and was amazed on the scale from the black and gunk from my grey tank. After that my gauges read correctly.