ATF fluid condition sensor

[Ducked]

Dunno if this qualifies as an "article", but if you've ever wondered about how the electrical oil-condition monitor gizmo's are supposed to work (For example, Lubricheck et al, http://www.lubricheck.com/ This didn't seem to catch on, even here, which I find slightly surprising) this might give some clues.

https://www.google.ch/patents/US20040117147

It goes into the basic principles in some detail, with graphs and scarily complex flowcharts (Maybe that's why it never caught on)

Its a patent application, so I dunno if its actually been implemented in any production cars. I found it while searching for "ATF fluid condition sensor" after reading "the fact that there is a fluid condition sensor in the unit to monitor viscosity and temp means when the fluid looses its viscosity it will flag limp mode" which I hadn't heard of.

Anyone know any models of car that have this kind of thing fitted?

 

[Ohle_Manezzini]

My 2001 C5 Citroen has a calculator that measures life by a few parameters like fluid temperature, distance and time. The tranny goes into limp mode and there's a message to service it. It's considered a for life fluid and it never advised me on that, thouh.
"Creative technologie"

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: Ohle_Manezzini
My 2001 C5 Citroen has a calculator that measures life by a few parameters like fluid temperature, distance and time. The tranny goes into limp mode and there's a message to service it. It's considered a for life fluid and it never advised me on that, thouh.
"Creative technologie"

That's kind of different since its not measuring any inherent property of the fluid. The above gadget claims to be based on correlations of the electrical properties with laboratory Oxidation and TAN measurements.

It doesn't measure viscosity, and I don't know if any on-board sensor actually does.

 

[Jetronic]

Originally Posted By: Ohle_Manezzini
My 2001 C5 Citroen has a calculator that measures life by a few parameters like fluid temperature, distance and time. The tranny goes into limp mode and there's a message to service it. It's considered a for life fluid and it never advised me on that, thouh.
"Creative technologie"

Is that the dreaded ZF 5HP? I'm sorry to inform you that it's not going into limp mode because of a calculator, but because the fluid is contaminated and the box isn't workig properly. A change saves some boxes, but not all.

 

[Ohle_Manezzini]

Originally Posted By: Jetronic
Originally Posted By: Ohle_Manezzini
My 2001 C5 Citroen has a calculator that measures life by a few parameters like fluid temperature, distance and time. The tranny goes into limp mode and there's a message to service it. It's considered a for life fluid and it never advised me on that, thouh.
"Creative technologie"

Is that the dreaded ZF 5HP? I'm sorry to inform you that it's not going into limp mode because of a calculator, but because the fluid is contaminated and the box isn't workig properly. A change saves some boxes, but not all.


Nein, it's the dreaded AL4 even. I changed mine with 100k miles or 160k kms. Its still fine, with all original, including the dreaded solenoids.