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Fuel gauge reading wrong.


Anglefire

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Ever since I’ve had my Spitfire 1500 the fuel gauge at best reads just over 1/2 tank. 

I had a look today and I have 10v at the sender when disconnected and when it was pretty much empty- I think! (dipped it and it had about 2” fuel in the tank) it was giving out about 5v - which to my simple mind suggests 1/2 tank. I’ve not checked it again now I’ve filled it up to be fair, but any thoughts on the potential issue. 

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Mark,

The voltage stabiliser should be putting out 10.5 volts, or there abouts. How's the temperature gauge? Both gauges work off the voltage stabiliser. Worth changing to an electronic stabiliser, £10 off Fleabay. Cheaper than a new sender unit, a good upgrade even if it doesn't cure the problem.

Doug

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I should have said. The temperature gauge is spot on. Just a shade under 1/2 way when hot. (The old engine rarely got to 1/2 way only when stinking hot )  

Regulator was changed last year to electronic - I assumed it was the original- but it was already electronic. 

I will have to remove the sender I think and see if it works correctly. Just got to let the tank level drop ?

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I also found when I removed the cardboard panel in front (behind ?) the tank a couple of wires which should have been connected to the boot light - which doesn’t exist - though the hole in the cardboard does!

I’m wondering if the float has gone porous it has a hole in it and it’s not floating properly. Seems that is a common issue. 

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also if you havs a top entry suction tube the float arm can foul up on the pipe

I woulldnt bother with a new sealing ring most are now made of rubbish rubber and swell wildy in petrol.   Really useful !!!

You never know some PO may have fitted a early none stabilised sender, that gives very odd readings

If the floats leaked and now has petrol in it, just replace with a couple of wine  bottle corks ,, they cant sink Hic !

Pete

 

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ther ok if left in place but if you need to remove it for more twiddling it becomes enoumouse  and wont fit again ,

old design days the drawing would state must be tolerant of fuels and oils etc   same on pedal rubbers ,  etc. these days they just make the shape 

and  now i reckon  they just use recycled environmental 2nd hand bungy off cuts  

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

Well, to resurrect a fairly old thread!

I bought a new sender sometime ago but the tank was never low enough at the right time to have a look. I also decided to get a new rubber and locking ring, which arrived this week (Was only three quid or something.

Anyway tonight, I dipped the tank with my wooden stick and reckoned it was  low enough to have a look.

It was, but not by as much as I was expecting TBH.

Anyway dropped the old one out and fitted the new one (Which came with a new seal) and the securing ring was in good nick - so didn't need my new one..........

The design is different - the resistant "box" is on a fairly long angled bar. The old much nearer to the hole it sits in.

Question now is, I've fitted it and it is showing about 1/2 full - which is probably about right - but should the locating cutout be at the top or bottom - its currently at the bottom and looking at the picture again I/ not sure it shouldn't be top?

s-l1600.jpg

 

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Well, I've answered my own question!

The grove goes to the bottom - the other way it simply doesn't fit, it fouls the top of the tank. This is actually 90' round compared to the old one - which was wrong too as the float was about half way up the tank! So either the wrong sender was fitted or it was bent to suit something! So I did bend it so it was down to the bottom of the tank and it was reading empty - but when lifted up was still not reading full - now I may not have left it long enough, but putting the new one in was reading empty when the float is down and full when its up.

The real test will be to fill it with fuel - and two things be right - the gauge read full and it not to leak!

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I've just been out and put some Vaseline on the seal - given its low enough to get at it at the moment!

I also remembered that I meant to replace the vent pipe at the top of the tank - given that I touched it last night and it was as brittle as a brittle thing can be without falling to dust!

Had a length of fuel pipe - may or may not be R9 - but it will do for a while - so removed the remnants of the old pipe and pushed the new pipe on - its a bit long, but may drill a hole in the floor to vent it yet - but for now screwed a long bolt in to seal it.

Hopefully that will eliminate one source of fuel smell!

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  • 1 month later...

To drag this one out again.

My fuel gauge is still reading just under 3/4 full - which given I've driven over 200miles since the last fill up I thought great :)

But tonight I had a peer down the hole - and the bit you can see is dry - so peered a bit more and the level is just below the "shelf" - which with the best will in the world is at best 1/2 full and probably nearer 1/3rd - assuming the tank does actually step in about 1/2 way down and is not a crude baffle? 

Which means my "new gauge" is not reading right. 

All the senders I can see pictures of, don't look the same as the one I took off and do look like the one that I fitted - so I have fitted it wrongly or will it just plumet any time soon?

I do have a spare gallon in the boot so even if I run out I should be ok. But I would like the gauge to be a bit more realistic!

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What does the gauge do when you wire up the sender independent of the tank? Does the movement of the rheostat correspond with gauge movements? Do both your old sender and the new one give the same result on the gauge? If you short out the sender, does the gauge read full?

Gully

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Before I put it in it read empty/full. 

I think it’s a mechanical issue in so far as it’s being hung up somewhere. It seems to have a very long bracket to the float from the tank edge. 

Certianinly a lot longer than the old one. But that one didn’t drop more than about 1/2 way. 

Ill keep driving it and keep checking the level from the filler for a bit. It holds about 7gallons I think so should get another 100 miles out of it in theory. 

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I can’t even see it Pete - or couldn’t yesterday. But ill have another look tomorrow when I’m back home. 

I’m going to guess it does somewhere - as it goes in so far into the tank. 

It has moved down a bit. But not a huge amount. 

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