Vehicle coolant systems

A vehicle coolant system comprising:

• a pipe of a vehicle, the pipe configured to facilitate a flow of vehicle coolant through the pipe;
• a light source configured to transmit at least one wavelength of light through the vehicle coolant in response to activation of the light source;
• a signal detector configured to receive at least one wavelength of light transmitted through the vehicle coolant, and to generate a signal intensity value corresponding to a measured intensity of the at least one wavelength of light received at the signal detector, wherein the light source is configured to transmit at least one wavelength of light towards the signal detector in a direction parallel to a direction of the flow of vehicle coolant through the pipe;
• and
• a controller in communication with the light source and the signal detector, the controller configured to:
• activate the light source to generate transmission of the at least one wavelength of light;
• receive the signal intensity value from the signal detector after activating the light source;
• identify a coolant contamination threshold value corresponding to the vehicle coolant;
• compare the signal intensity value received from the signal detector to the coolant contamination threshold value;
• and
• initiate a vehicle coolant remedial action according to a result of comparing the signal intensity value received from the signal detector to the coolant contamination threshold value.

A method for monitoring vehicle coolant, the method comprising:

• activating, by a controller, a light source to transmit at least one wavelength of light through vehicle coolant;
• receiving, by the controller, a signal intensity value from a signal detector, the signal intensity value corresponding to a measured intensity of the at least one wavelength of light at a signal detector after the at least one wavelength of light passes through the vehicle coolant;
• identifying a coolant contamination threshold value corresponding to the vehicle coolant;
• comparing the signal intensity value received from the signal detector to the coolant contamination threshold value;
• initiating a vehicle coolant remedial action according to a result of comparing the signal intensity value received from the signal detector to the coolant contamination threshold value;
• storing the signal intensity value received from the signal detector as a first signal intensity value at a first time;
• obtaining a second signal intensity value from the signal detector at a second time subsequent to the first time;
• comparing the second signal intensity value to the first signal intensity value to determine whether signal intensity is decreasing over time;
• and
• generating an alarm in response to a determination that a rate of change of the signal intensity exceeds a specified contamination rate of change value.