Cooling system and method

A coolant sensor assembly comprising:

• a sensor package having a first end and a second end, the sensor package comprising a partially transparent or semi-transparent sight glass housing a coolant level sensor and configured to receive a flow of coolant therethrough;
• a first valve coupled between the first end of the sensor package and a coolant tank;
• a second valve coupled between the second end of the sensor package and the coolant tank;
• a third valve coupled in flow communication with the second end of the sensor package;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to the coolant sensor, and, if present, one or more additional sensors, the controller comprising one or more processors and a memory device, wherein to execute a diagnostic test for the coolant sensor assembly, the controller is configured to:
• isolate the sensor package from the coolant tank by actuating the first and second valves from an open position to a closed position;
• actuate the third valve from a closed position to an open, drain position to drain coolant from the sensor package;
• record sensor data output from the coolant level sensor;
• and
• analyze the recorded sensor data to determine whether the coolant sensor assembly is experiencing one or more failure modes.

A system of a vehicle, the system comprising:

• a cooling system of a vehicle, the cooling system including a coolant tank;
• a coolant sensor assembly in flow communication with the coolant tank;
• and
• a controller configured to execute a diagnostic test of the cooling system by:
• cycling the cooling system through a plurality of operating modes;
• and
• in each operating mode of the plurality of operating modes:
• recording first sensor data output from the coolant sensor assembly to detect a level of coolant in the coolant tank;
• isolating the coolant sensor assembly from the coolant tank;
• recording second sensor data output from the coolant sensor assembly as the coolant is drained from the coolant sensor assembly;
• and
• analyzing the recorded first and second sensor data to determine whether the cooling system is experiencing one or more failure modes, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
• retrieve historical sensor data from a memory;
• analyze the recorded first and second sensor data and the historical sensor data to determine a rate of coolant loss during any one or more operating modes of the plurality of operating modes;
• and
• based on the rate of coolant loss, identify one or more sources of the coolant loss.

A method of diagnosing a cooling system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• (a) recording, by a controller, first sensor data output from a coolant sensor assembly in flow communication with a coolant tank of the cooling system, to detect a level of coolant in the coolant tank;
• (b) isolating the coolant sensor assembly from the coolant tank;
• (c) recording, by the controller, second sensor data output from the coolant sensor assembly as the coolant is drained from the coolant sensor assembly;
• and
• (d) analyzing, by the controller, the recorded first, the second sensor data, and historical sensor data to determine whether the cooling system is experiencing one or more failure modes.