Had the sheet metal off to do some paint work and this fuel gauge has me baffled. How the heck does it register the fuel level when the cylinder that if fits in is not in the gasoline. The wires from the fuel gauge travel down a tube (not in the gas) through the tank and out the bottom to a connector. Magnets maybe??? Just curious!

 

Don't know but it could be magnets. Some older airplanes had Magna-sticks. They had floats with metal in them surrounding tubes with magnets inside. As the float went up or down the magnet followed.

BG

 

heres what I learned early on........ no gas, needle points to" E"
tank full needle points to" F"

hope this helps!!!!

 

on a EFI bike the fuel pump and float is one assembly. As you add fuel the float rises similar to the way a toilet tank float works. Well you get the idea...
The fuel gauge has 3 wires that are connected to the fuel pump/float. Within the assy, there is a mechanism that works w/ the float to determine fule level. The tube you mentioned, goes to the bottom of the tank so fuel wont splash out of the guauge area.
Hope this helps.

 

Fuel Gauge...how does it work? not very well!
sorry could not resist I use the trip meter never trusted the gauge.

 

The sending unit works the same as in the automotive industry. The unit itself has a coil and as the float rises/fall...makes contact on the coil. This produces resistance and the guage itself is caliberated for this.

It is actually a very simple device...

 

Hi:

This is my first post, so please don't beat me up too bad if i sound like the newbie I am...

I have a 1996 FLHR (not EFI). My fuel gauge once stuck way below E, but came back after a couple of fill-ups. Now it's stuck again and has not come back after many many tanks (been stuck for a year or two). When I looked at the manual (which I can not find now that I've moved houses twice since I last saw the book...) it looked like a float that mechanically turned the needle in the gauge. I think the float is just stuck again.

I can't seem to get the gauge out of the tank to free up the float, and I don't want to break it. Can anyone tell me how to get it out and if there are any gotchas to watch for? I have never had good service at any of the dealers around here, so I don't trust them.

I appreciate any help.

Bytorok

 

I would just forget about the fuel gauge. I think their junk. Mine broke on my 98 about 2 years in and never even thought about replacing it. You have two other fuel gauges on the bike, the tripmeter and when you hit reserve.

[IMG]local://upfiles/35421/6174A422FE5A44D5B8E8546B72E81ADC.gif[/IMG]

 

I agree that it's not critical. That's why I didn't bother to fix it for two years. I understood from all the posts I read when searching before posting that the gauge isn't so popular. I'm just tired of looking at it broken.

I'd still appreciate any help in learning how to get it out of the tank without breaking anything.

T.I.A.

Bytorok

 

First get a maintenance manual.
You'd be very surprized what you can find in there reading away a beer soaked snowy Saturday afternoon. (sorry, I am traveling so I don't have mine handy.)

While my 03 Road King has EFI, the float assembly is probably in the same location (fuel down spout). The manual will tell you how to take it off and you may discover that there is something hanging it up (a part loose or broken). Or it may just be dead.

I like the gage, but always depend on the trip meter.

...gene