HELP: Gas Gauge Stopped Working
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2005
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HELP: Gas Gauge Stopped Working
Yesterday I took off the tank to install the HD oil pressure gauge kit and some lighting. Everything is back together and plugged in but my fuel gauge doesn't work. It does have power and the low fuel light is lit but the gauge itself doesn't function.
I checked the wiring under the tank and it is connected. I also pulled the gauge out and all the wiring is in place.
Any ideas as to why the gauge isn't working and what I can do to fix it? Is there a float in the tank and how does it connect? Can it become disconnected?
I checked the wiring under the tank and it is connected. I also pulled the gauge out and all the wiring is in place.
Any ideas as to why the gauge isn't working and what I can do to fix it? Is there a float in the tank and how does it connect? Can it become disconnected?
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RE: HELP: Gas Gauge Stopped Working
I'm gonna start to charge for all this info
Look here.. https://www.hdforums.com/m_66687/tm.htm
Don't mean to sound stooooopid here, but did you put the gas back in the tank?
The float could be hung up also.
Look here.. https://www.hdforums.com/m_66687/tm.htm
Don't mean to sound stooooopid here, but did you put the gas back in the tank?
The float could be hung up also.
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Road Captain
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RE: HELP: Gas Gauge Stopped Working
TC, yes 
, the tank was filled with approximately 2 gallons.
I re-checked all of the harness snaps and everything is connected. Nothing was overlooked, including the small three wire harness under the tank from the gauge itself.
When the tank was off, I had it on it's side but not upside down. The quick disconnect was leaking like a sieve and I found that the internal o-ring was not seated properly. I tried to take the mounting hardware off the bottom of the tank but it didn't want to come off freely. It felt like there was something connected on the inside.
Anyhow, while I was fixing the leaky QD, the tank was on it's right side.
I think you may be right about the float being stuck but I don't know how that would have happened. I'll tear it apart today to take a look. I believe the wiring is OK as the low fuel lamp is lit so I know it's getting juice.
Last night I took it for a 20 mile ride, hoping that if the flat was stuck that it would settle back into place. Plenty of bumps, railroad tracks and pot holes didn't do anything.
On a side note ... a $3.00 siphon from Wal-Mart made the tank drain a snap. I think there were too many beers involved Friday night when I first attempted to drain the tank via the cross-over. Two showers later, the gas smell was less offensive. Thank god my crack pipe didn't ignite the fumes ...
, the tank was filled with approximately 2 gallons. I re-checked all of the harness snaps and everything is connected. Nothing was overlooked, including the small three wire harness under the tank from the gauge itself.
When the tank was off, I had it on it's side but not upside down. The quick disconnect was leaking like a sieve and I found that the internal o-ring was not seated properly. I tried to take the mounting hardware off the bottom of the tank but it didn't want to come off freely. It felt like there was something connected on the inside.
Anyhow, while I was fixing the leaky QD, the tank was on it's right side.
I think you may be right about the float being stuck but I don't know how that would have happened. I'll tear it apart today to take a look. I believe the wiring is OK as the low fuel lamp is lit so I know it's getting juice.
Last night I took it for a 20 mile ride, hoping that if the flat was stuck that it would settle back into place. Plenty of bumps, railroad tracks and pot holes didn't do anything.
On a side note ... a $3.00 siphon from Wal-Mart made the tank drain a snap. I think there were too many beers involved Friday night when I first attempted to drain the tank via the cross-over. Two showers later, the gas smell was less offensive. Thank god my crack pipe didn't ignite the fumes ...
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Road Captain
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RE: HELP: Gas Gauge Stopped Working
I took it apart this morning and it didn't appear to have any problems. It is entirely possible that it went back to default position when taking the assembly out of the tank. Not to complicated and my gasket looks like new.
I did cut the fuel line clamp (as the manual states) and put a regular hose clamp back on. After doing so, I see now that cutting it wasn't necessary. Does anyone forsee a problem with using a normal hose clamp in place of the crimped clamp? Not sure how I would tell if it's holding pressure or not. It's inside the tank ...
I did cut the fuel line clamp (as the manual states) and put a regular hose clamp back on. After doing so, I see now that cutting it wasn't necessary. Does anyone forsee a problem with using a normal hose clamp in place of the crimped clamp? Not sure how I would tell if it's holding pressure or not. It's inside the tank ...
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Road Captain
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RE: HELP: Gas Gauge Stopped Working
Everything is back to normal, tank filled & voltage present to the gauge but it's still not working. The low fuel lamp is lit and its doesn't look like the gauge itself wants to budge. Fuses are good, tripple checked ...
I checked the float and it moves freely, no problems there. Everything inside the tank looks "normal" so again, I'm dumbfounded.
TC, the link you pointed me to doesn't appear to be related to my 2001 EFI Softail. And I could not find that diagram anywhere in my service manual.
The connection (under tank) is good, the lamp inside the gauge is on and the low fuel light is lit. The voltmeter shows me +12 volts at the gauge itself.
Back to square one. What's next? How to I check the resistance on the EFI model? Can't find it in the book. This is frustrating me so the page may be overlooked.
What could have possible happened when taking the tank off? Like I said, nothing looks out of the ordinary. What would cause the gauge itself to fail when it does have power AND the float is free.
I checked the float and it moves freely, no problems there. Everything inside the tank looks "normal" so again, I'm dumbfounded.
TC, the link you pointed me to doesn't appear to be related to my 2001 EFI Softail. And I could not find that diagram anywhere in my service manual.
The connection (under tank) is good, the lamp inside the gauge is on and the low fuel light is lit. The voltmeter shows me +12 volts at the gauge itself.
Back to square one. What's next? How to I check the resistance on the EFI model? Can't find it in the book. This is frustrating me so the page may be overlooked.
What could have possible happened when taking the tank off? Like I said, nothing looks out of the ordinary. What would cause the gauge itself to fail when it does have power AND the float is free.
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2005
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RESOLVED: HELP: Gas Gauge Stopped Working
Low and behold, my fuel gauge problem has been fixed. Looking back at all the work put into this (i.e. ripping the tank apart) I feel even dumber than ever.
While re-re-re-rechecking the wiring harness connections I noticed that one wasn't snapping into place. It was the three pronged harness that feeds the fuel pump & sending unit mounted on the top plate over the tank.
Troubleshooting the issue I unplugged the connector and tried to start the bike. It didn't. When looking at the wires, I saw the familiar black, orange and yellow wiring that also connects on the left side under the tank, those going into the fuel gauge. When I put the plug back together, it wouldn't snap or fully seat. Grabbing a flashlight and looking through the bars (plug faces forward) I see that the number two pin (yellow) was bent down. Correcting the allignment with a screw driver and PROPERLY seating the harness gave me my gauge back.
Funny how the black & orange were making contact, enough to allow the bike to start and run but the yellow wasn't even close. It could easily have been the orange wire not making contact and the bike wouldn't start. I even rode about 50 miles with the connector just barely making contact.
Learn from my mistakes
... don't overlook the little things.
While re-re-re-rechecking the wiring harness connections I noticed that one wasn't snapping into place. It was the three pronged harness that feeds the fuel pump & sending unit mounted on the top plate over the tank.
Troubleshooting the issue I unplugged the connector and tried to start the bike. It didn't. When looking at the wires, I saw the familiar black, orange and yellow wiring that also connects on the left side under the tank, those going into the fuel gauge. When I put the plug back together, it wouldn't snap or fully seat. Grabbing a flashlight and looking through the bars (plug faces forward) I see that the number two pin (yellow) was bent down. Correcting the allignment with a screw driver and PROPERLY seating the harness gave me my gauge back.
Funny how the black & orange were making contact, enough to allow the bike to start and run but the yellow wasn't even close. It could easily have been the orange wire not making contact and the bike wouldn't start. I even rode about 50 miles with the connector just barely making contact.
Learn from my mistakes
... don't overlook the little things.Trending Topics
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,064
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
RE: RESOLVED: HELP: Gas Gauge Stopped Working
It's always the simple little things that mess you up.
Glad to hear you're back up and running.
Glad to hear you're back up and running.
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Road Captain
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RE: RESOLVED: HELP: Gas Gauge Stopped Working
Yes, the kind of exciting I don't need. The upside of all of this is that I am becoming more intimate with my bike. I know a lot more about it today than I did last Friday.
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