My fuel gauge is indicating too much fuel and the fuel light never comes on.. Light itself works and the float to light connection is good. I thought that the problem is the gauge ( it was pre 08 gauge) but than I bought right one and it is the same... Has anyone had situation like this?

 

What year/model are we talking about??

What do you mean by, "My fuel gauge is indicating too much fuel and the fuel light never comes on."

Does the level change appropriately, but the low fuel light just never comes on?

Does the level change, but just doesn't go through the full range of motion?

Or does the level never change?

Have you checked the fuel level sender itself?

Is the float binding?

Is the rheostat board dirty/damaged?

You didn't give us much info about the issue......

 

Sorry for bad info... It is a 2008 Softail Custom. The gauge goes all the way it is just when the tank is half full it shows around 3/4 and when it is empty it is all the way down but the light doesn't come on. I measured sender resistance later yesterday. It shows around 90ohm with cca 2 gallons and 208ohm empty. What I found later it should be around 240ohm empty.
So if the nature of the gauge is, that the needle is all the way down when the light should come on, than it is probably just a bent float arm?

 

Could be a bent arm but not likely. On a bike that's nearly 20 years old, I'd just replace the sending unit inside the tank and replace the fuel filter for good measure while you're at it.

 

They start out fairly accurate then go downhill. I have thought about gentle cleaning the contacts on level. But I would not waste my time opening it up just for that. Wait until you do pump or filter.

My life I have used tripmeter.

My low fuel light still works

 

Unless you have recently opened and removed your fuel tank internals, a problem with the floats range of motion is unlikely. Your problem sounds like an issue with the rheostat on the fuel level sending unit. That rheostat sends the signal to the gauge, telling it where the fuel level is. As you have learned, and checked, the gauge reacts to the resistance measured by the rheostat.

Assuming a full range of float motion, and having a signal not within spec, would suggest your rheostat is either old and worn out, or has developed some corrosion on the rheostat contacts.

There is a trick I learned from my days of owning a Corvette.

The C5 Corvettes were notorious for having fuel gauge issues. They had a fuel level sending unit, not unlike the HD one, in that the rheostat contacts are exposed. It is just submerged in the fuel. It would over time, especially if exposed to other than Top Tier gasolines, develop corrosion on the contact surfaces.

The Corvette forum I read would have several members suggest a double dose of Techron fuel additive added to the fuel for a couple tank fills. There were numerous threads about this issue and numerous responses that the Techron fixed the fuel gauge readings.

It may be worth trying some Techron addititive to your fuel for a couple tanks, to see if yours is a dirty/corroded rheostat contact issue.

If your fuel level sender is just old and worn out, needing replacement, nothing will change... but it's worth a shot...


So you can understand what I am talking about, here is a pic from eBay, of your Fuel Level Sending unit #75276-08. There are both "A" and "B" versions, they may be identical, I haven't seen both side by side. They will work the same.




In this second picture you can see there is a metal strip attached to the bracket. Then there is a metal contact attached to the float arm. As the float contact slides up & down that metal strip on the bracket, dictated by the fuel level float moving up & down, the resistance changes. It is those contacts that can get worn out and/or corroded, that will affect the signal.






I hope some of this information helps.

 

Fantastic info from Mr. H.
My first 1996 Dodge truck had a very similar fuel sending unit. Being a always fill up at half a tank guy, the slide built up a layer of corrosion and started to get very erratic when I hit just below half a tank. Dropped tank and pulled unit. I cleaned it with a pencil eraser and took care of the corrosion, and it was good. The pointed part of the arm contacts the slide surface and kept the area clean that it would sweep through, so it was fine.
Be careful if you try and clean it. The one in my truck had a material coating for conductivity and if you rubbed it off while trying to clean the area, it was shot. That is why I used a pencil eraser over say 0000 steel wool.

Let us know what you find.

 

I'm asuming a bent float arm because there was some "work" done in the past in the tank. When I was removing gas from the tank I was simuntaleously measuring the resistance and it was dropping smoothly.
I'll measure the resistance at the top position of the float so that I'll lift the float through filler hole and than we'll see. If it will be to low than it is a probably bent arm...

 

I ordered an All ***** sending unit for my 2006 Heritage. I was going to replace the fuel filter, plastic Regulator mount and quick connect hose. For not much more I bought the whole assembly and now it's new and not 20 years old. The gauge works good but I always go by mileage anyway.

 

With my 2002 Fat Boy it stopped working correctly after a few years. It always read E. After a so called fix at a local shop, it never moved off of F. That's when I began using the trip odometer.
Eventually I had a new tank installed with a new paint job. The new tank has a fuel cap on each side of the tank. Still using the trip odometer method.