new header tank woes

[fARQUARE]

I bought a new header tank from ECP after trying (and failing) to clean the old one, which looks quite worse for wear after a oil cooler bursting on the last owner.

I can physically fit the tank, but the connector underneath is being quite stubborn and doesn't seem to want to attach to the wiring plug.
As a result I constantly get the check coolant showing on the DIS. So, being a bright spark I decided to run wires from both spades to the connector to the plug, but somewhere along the way I must have shorted the circuit as the display went totally blank. I checked vagcom (no codes) and disconnected the battery for a bit and eventually just put the old tank in as I had to use the car. The display sorted it's self out and has been fine since (2 weeks).

Now I have the time to fit the new tank again but am puzzled by the sender in the bottom. I should just be able to extend the wiring using male and female spade connectors, no?

Any ideas why the DIS went totally black when I shorted the wires?

And finally, if the sender in the tank is removable I'll just take it out the old tank and stick it in the new one. Can anybody confirm that you can swap them and if so is there a trick to getting them out?

Thanks in advance.

 

[aragorn]

There are two different plugs on the bottom of the tank, and the sensors are not interchangeable afaik

Early cars are round, later ones have a rectangular one?

 

[fARQUARE]

yes, the 1st header tank i got was the rectangular type. I swapped it on the spot for the round type.

The OEM one has a lug so you can only connect the plug 1 way, the new one does not have this lug, so potentially could go on backwards.

I cant get the plug to seat on the connector though - its like it doesn't fit very well (coupled with the fact i'm not sure if its back to front).
Do you know if you can remove the sensor?

 

[Broken Byzan]

i know first hand that a facelfit one would not have worked had you swapped connectors. I have a faceloft one, and have the wires bypassed to stop the DIS complaining

 

[fARQUARE]

tried again, last night. Looks like the sender in the header tank is faulty. I'll get an exchange and see how i get on. I'm not going to start swapping senders out.

Just out of curiosity - how did you by-pass the sensor?