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Topic: Fuel Guage / Bad Sender Unit ?? (Read 669 times) previous topic - next topic
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Fuel Guage / Bad Sender Unit ??

Yahoo Message Number: 12986
When I start my coach my fuel gauge is dead pegged to the right (well past the full mark). It never moves from there. I'm thinking it is a bad sender unit in the tank.

Does anyone have other things to check before I drop the tank and replace the sender unit ???

Also has anyone replaced the sender unit and can tell me what that involves ??

This is on an '01 Intrigue #11224.

Thanks,

Michael

Re: Fuel Guage / Bad Sender Unit ??

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 12992
Michael, I had one replaced on a 00 Intrigue, and it wasn't necessary to drop the tank. The tech reached over the rt frt tire and removed the sensor from the top of the tank. I don't know it the 01 is different, but I would check it out.

Walt Rothermel
03Allure30811

Re: Fuel Guage / Bad Sender Unit ??

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 12994
Not sure if the sending unit is like most other sending units, they depend on variable resistance to ground. If it were me, I would start at the gauge and work toward the tank. Disconnect the lead on the gauge that goes to the tank. Gauge should go to 'E' or full left. If not, I would suspect gauge is bad. Using an ohm meter check for continuity between the sending unit lead and ground. If there is continuity then look for any shorts to ground along the wire length if possible. If nothing found then suspect the tank sending unit.
Jim

2000 Allure #30511

Quote from: matsprt1984

Re: Fuel Guage / Bad Sender Unit ??

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 12996
Hi Michael,

The indication you reported is open wire between the sender and the gauge or a bad sender. The standard test is to remove the wire at the sender terminal, the gauge should be pegged to the right. Next ground the lead, the gauge should be pegged to the left or zero. Sometimes things are reversed as with the temperature sensor. So grounding the lead will tell you quickly which way it works. Now if grounding doesn't do anything, then go to the gauge and ground the sender input there with the wire removed at the sender end.
Fred Kovol

Re: Fuel Guage / Bad Sender Unit ??

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13058
Hi, My sending unit has been replaced twice. The second time after a very costly 2 1/2 day adventure alongside the road and out of fuel. CC dealer replaced the first one and it was improperly installed. Fuel gauge read full and I left on a trip. They didn't replace the fuel when they lowered the tank and I ran out of fuel because the gauge showed a full tank.
Since then I have been running on mileage instead of the gauge. I had to disconnect the low fuel signal wire (#84 on my unit) from the gen set or else the generator wouldn't run. Seems CC has never really found a reliable system for gauging fuel tanks, which would seem to be a rather embryonic technology these days. They claimed that starting the engine while connected to shore power would have something to do with blowing the sending unit. ----Whatever?????

--- matsprt1984 birdman2688@...> wrote:

Quote
>

When I start my coach my fuel gauge is dead pegged > to the right

(well past the full mark). It never moves from > there. I'm thinking

it is a bad sender unit in the tank.

Does anyone have other things to check before I drop > the tank and

replace the sender unit ???

Also has anyone replaced the sender unit and can > tell me what that
involves ??

This is on an '01 Intrigue #11224.

Thanks,

Michael
Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today! http://my.yahoo.com
 

Fuel Guage / Bad Sender Unit

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13083
My father just spent hundreds to replace a bad sender in a $10k motor home.
For 40 years, he always fueled semi-tractors on mileage, not gauge. Now retired, he is not willing to use his odometer. He will not run past 1/4 on gauge for fear it is wrong, but won't resume use of odometer for fuel need indication.

He can't understand why my CC gets fuel after 600 miles regardless of gauge indication. We have bought fuel 100 miles past gauge empty, but we have also bought about 90 gallons with gauge still on 1/4.
Why trust a $0.5 gauge on a sender known for poor repeatability & poor reliability? Odometers are well known for accuracy & reliability.
If your worst M/G was 5.7, you could comfortably run 570 miles before filling a 110 gallon tank.

Your gauge manufacturer should be able to provide resistance values to test gauge. For instance a 151 ohm resistor connected to gauge & ground might be specified to cause a 1/2 indication. Same resistor connected to leads at tank should give same indication. Possibly, fuel gauges all use same resistance values. Any comments?

Silverleaf always shows more than actual fuel use (so far) and plenty accurate enough to select fuel stops near empty.

How much remains in CC tanks when engine sucks air?