The Fire Ant® Engine Overheat Warning System was invented by Travis Barnes.

The FIRE ANT®  Engine Overheat Warning System can be fitted to almost any vehicle.

The device triggers when the engine temperature overheats, the built-in alarm will sound through the stereo (it plays a message in plain english telling the driver the vehicle is overheating and to switch the ignition off immediately)  and a flashing light will turn on.

When activated a text message goes to the employer/owner and another text message is sent when the vehicle is turned off.

The alarm and flashing light are virtually impossible to ignore, saving thousands of dollars in potential damage or new vehicle.

With the text alert function you have a log of when the vehicle overheated and how long it was running for.

NOTE: The system works in the absence of coolant, so regardless of how much coolant is in the engine the device will trigger when the ENGINE temperature starts to overheat (around 110°C) . The FIRE ANT® uses the stereo speakers to audibly play a message telling the driver to pull over and switch the ignition off during an overheat event. The stereo is wired up through the FIRE ANT® in order to make this happen, it is impossible for the driver to turn down the volume of the message being played as this is set by the unit. 

The FIRE ANT® monitors the temperature of the engine for you. When it starts to overheat, the Ant gets to work and lets you know to pull over and stop the vehicle.

**You will need a basic understanding of how to connect wires together and some common sense before attempting to connect this device to your vehicle. A wiring diagram for your vehicle will also make the job easier - If in doubt please seek professional advice. 

IMPORTANT!

The Fire Ant Overheat Warning System is a warning system only, damage may occur if an engine overheats, Creative Dimensions NZ Limited is not responsible for any damage that may occur to an engine due to overheating.

Installation instructions.

Step 1. Find a suitable place to fit the temperature sensor on the engine, the best place is usually the bottom of the cylinder head or the top of the engine block, this is usually where the combustion chamber is located and where a lot of heat from the engine starts from. The sensor is triggered to open circuit once the engine temperature reaches 110°C, it does not rely on coolant to operate. The sensor has a thread size of M10x1.5, if the engine does not have a spare bolt hole of this size an adaptor may be used provided the sensor does not get mounted too far away from the engine. Alternatively other sensors with different thread sizes can be ordered from www.fireant.co.nz upon request.

Step 2. Find a suitable place to fit the FIRE ANT® unit, usually there is sufficient room to fit the unit behind the stereo, the unit will need to be secured so it does not vibrate or rattle behind the dash, the unit contains delicate circuitry which may become damaged if left to vibrate or rattle, it is recommended to secure the unit using cable ties. In some vehicles that have very tight dash spaces the unit may be fitted on the outside of the dash such as below the passenger glove box and above the passenger footwell, in this circumstance the unit will need to be secured to under the dash using cable ties (note, holes may need to be drilled into the dash for the cable ties to fit through).

Step 3. Connect the FIRE ANT® wiring harness to the corresponding wires on the vehicle, the front speaker wires must be cut away from the stereo and connected to the FIRE ANT® unit,  pay close attention to the “Blue band” and “Green band” wires, they MUST be connected to the SPEAKERS and then the “Blue + Black band” and “Green + Black band” wires MUST be connected to the STEREO otherwise the unit will not be able to play an audible message through the speakers.  NOTE: The ACC+ Feed to the stereo must also be cut and re-wired through the FIRE ANT® so that if an engine overheat event occurs the FIRE ANT® can turn off the stereo. 

Step 4. Run wires from the sensor to the FIRE ANT® unit, if fitting the unit to a truck with a tilt cab, take care to fit the wires along the existing wiring loom so that when the cab tilts the wires do not get stretched or broken. A supplied LED can also be fitted to the dash but it is optional, if fitting the LED to the dash, drill a 6.5mm hole and push the supplied LED mounting clip through the hole from the front, then push the LED through the mounting clip from the back until it “clicks” in place.

Step 5. Test the FIRE ANT® unit is working properly, to test the unit, start the vehicle and wait for at least 15 seconds (this is to let the FIRE ANT® connect to New Zealand’s 4G network), unplug one of the sensor wires from the sensor (BE CAREFUL NOT TO TOUCH ANY MOVING PARTS ON THE ENGINE). With the sensor wire unplugged it will simulate an overheat event (open circuit from the sensor) and the FIRE ANT® will 1. Turn off the stereo. 2. Play an audible message through the front 2 speakers of the stereo. 3. Send the pre programmed warning text message to up to 2 programmable cell phone numbers. 

NOTE: The numbers and message need to be programmed by “Fire Ant Limited” in order to send a text message, if the numbers and message have not been programmed please contact “Fire Ant Limited” for programming. Programming the unit can be done remotely over the phone, the user will need to be at the vehicle to switch the ignition on and off when prompted by the “Fire Ant Limited” phone operator. 

If the audible message plays immediately when the vehicle is switched on then there is an open circuit to the sensor (the sensor wires may be damaged or not connected properly).

IMPORTANT:

Do not mix up the wires to the speakers/stereo. The “Blue band” wires MUST go to the front left SPEAKER, the “Green band” wires MUST go to the front right SPEAKER, if these wires go to the stereo instead then the FIRE ANT® will not play the audible message through the speakers, it will instead send the signal to the stereo which may cause damage to the stereo and/or the FIRE ANT® unit.