Car Tank Water Sensor Circuit

Last Updated on July 6, 2019 by Swagatam 5 Comments

The article explains a simple car tank water sensor alarm circuit using IC 555 and a pulsating signal on
the sensing probes to pevent corrosion on the probes. The idea was requested by Mr. Peter.

Circuit Objectives and Requirements

1. I couldn't find how to post a project proposal on your website. May be you can help me with
this:
2. I have searched the web extensively for a "No Water Alarm" circuit to use in my car.
3. I want to put a sensor (probes) in the plastic radiator expansion tank that can sound an alarm
when it detects no water.
4. I can't find anything on internet, only water present alarms or level indicators. Like rain
detectors, flooding detectors etc.
5. From what I've seen using a 555 timer to create an AC signal to go to the probes is best in order
to prevent corrosion due to a DC circuit for the test probes.
6. probes go inside expansion tank

The Design
Referring to the figure below, the proposed car tank water sensor circuit can be built using an IC 555
astable design.
Although I am not sure whether a pulsating DC or even an AC signal on the water level sensor
probes is able to prevent corrosion in it or not, here we employ the principle as expressed in the
above request.
In the design the IC 555 is rigged as an astable multivibrator circuit, at a frequency that may be able to
produce the most desirable tone on the connected loudspeaker. This can be experimented by adjusting
the values of R1/R2/C connected at pin#2/6/7 of the IC.
The pulsating signal required for the probes inside the car water tank is derived by breaking the base
connection of the transistor connected with the pin#3 of the IC. In the absence of water, this transistor
remains deactivated, which allows the next transistor to conduct and it sounds the alarm indicating an
absence of water in the car tank.
However as soon as water presence is detected, the first transistor now begins getting the base bias
through probes due to the water bridging across the probes. This enables the pin#3 transistor to conduct
and illuminate the LED at its collector, indicating the presence of water inside the tank.
This action also forces the second transistor to stop conducting, and the speaker tone is halted
complementing the LED indication regarding the presence of tank water inside tank.
Circuit Diagram