mistergrumpy
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 05:46 PM |
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Fuel Gauge Problems
Can anyone help? I've an electrical white faced Smiths fuel gauge and a float sender on the tank that has just one terminal.
The sender is around 0 - 260 ohms.
Problem is that when the tank's full the gauge shows empty and when its empty the gauge shows full.
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adam1985
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 05:50 PM |
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sounds like the sender and dial arent compatible
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 05:52 PM |
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Christ don't say that. These are probably the only 2 things I haven't had to change yet on the damn thing. 
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907
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 05:53 PM |
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Bend the float wire so it works the other way?
Paul G
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Paul (Notts)
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 06:04 PM |
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Two questions...
What are the conections labled as on the back of the gauge ?
Is the tank Earthed ?
sounds more like a wiring problem than a non compatable sender and gauge.
Paul
[Edited on 26/10/08 by Paul (Notts)]
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 06:19 PM |
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Yeah the tanks earthed. The gauge has 3 contacts. Middle one for gauge earth, left one for 12v and right one for sender.
I did think of bending the float the other way too but like Paul suspect summat else.
I've just read that Smiths gauges follow the European standard of I think 10 ohms empty and 180 ohms full and the American standard is 240 ohms
empty and 33 ohms full. Reckon its this?
[Edited on 26/10/08 by mistergrumpy]
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Snuggs
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 06:21 PM |
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The sender I got from Europa for my Smiths guage had the variable bit mounted on a metal rod.
This could be removed from the rod and reversed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Spider pig, spider pig, does whatever a spider pig does.
I doubt therefore I may be.
Luposlipophobia : Fear of being chased by wolves around a freshly waxed kitchen floor, while wearing only socks on your feet.
My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely!
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 06:23 PM |
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Yeah thats the one that's standard for Smiths gauges I think but It's a 5 hole mounting.
The one I have has 6 holes already so I would have to buy a new gauge.
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big_wasa
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 06:27 PM |
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Yep I had that untill I read the instructions.
There is a steel rod that has the pot on the bottom and the arm connects to this.
The hole thing needs turning upside down by undooing the one screw.
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 06:34 PM |
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Not sure what you mean there Wasa. Are we talking about the sender or the gauge here?
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907
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 06:50 PM |
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The superb  drawing below shows how the sender could work the other way.
If arms can be reversed that's even better.
Paul G
p.s. Offers of employment as a draughtsman will be considered. 
 
Rescued attachment float.jpg
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big_wasa
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 06:51 PM |
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The sender,
There is a steel rod that goes down in to the tank.
On the botom is a Pot with a float atached. There is a wire that runs up the rod and conects to the terminal.
The resistor box with float is atached to the rod with two M6 screw.
Undo it and turn the pot and arm upside down.
Do screw up.
You will need to adjust the height to make it read full and empty.
Hope this helps?
cheers.
[Edited on 26/10/08 by big_wasa]
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Paul (Notts)
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 06:51 PM |
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You can alter the sender so it reads the other way round in term of resistance
as the above posts indicate.
Paul
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 06:59 PM |
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I had this problem with my Greengauges supplied parts. I had followed the instructions on their website but they show the tank unit incorrectly
assembled . just remove the pot from the rod and turn it upside down (if that makes sense. )as others have suggested . Might be worth having a look at
the Greengauges website to see what I mean? would put in link if I could
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big_wasa
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 07:03 PM |
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Link
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Paul (Notts)
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 07:05 PM |
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http://www.greengauges.com/help/faq24.asp
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 07:11 PM |
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That's not the sender I have. It's this one:
 
Fuel Sender
(photo courtesy of Optimum Balance Products)
I could bend the arm back on itself but then it wouldn't reach the bottom of the tank and so would show empty when its not.
I could try and extend it but its a stainless arm so I couldn't weld it. Problems problems.
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 07:17 PM |
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Bending and extending it may be the best bet. If you can't get the extension welded how about using a couple of the block type electrical
connectors with the screws in? Strip of the plastic and Bobs your mothers brother
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big_wasa
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 07:18 PM |
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Smith's/greengauges sender should be
10-180 Ohms
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Paul (Notts)
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 07:30 PM |
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Can the float arm be rotated in this fitting so it faces the other direction and so turns the resistor the opposit way?
just an idea...
PaulImage deleted by owner
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 26/10/08 at 07:34 PM |
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Now there's an idea. I don't think it could be rotated as such but it could be bent through 180 degrees at that part. As it is it has a
stopper at the top and bottom to restrict the arms movement but I could get around that I think.
Good idea, ta.
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iscmatt
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| posted on 27/10/08 at 12:25 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by big_wasa
The sender,
There is a steel rod that goes down in to the tank.
On the botom is a Pot with a float atached. There is a wire that runs up the rod and conects to the terminal.
The resistor box with float is atached to the rod with two M6 screw.
Undo it and turn the pot and arm upside down.
Do screw up.
You will need to adjust the height to make it read full and empty.
Hope this helps?
cheers.
[Edited on 26/10/08 by big_wasa]
This is exactly what i had to do with my smiths gauge. Also i found after a while that my float had a small hole in it after the tank continued to
read empty. Some araldite sorted that out though
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 18/11/08 at 01:37 PM |
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hi there,
this post was realy useful thanks for your help. I had previously assumed that my comedy gauge was something much more complicated.
FWIW I found a way of solving the problem that didn't need any work on the rod at all. Once I had taken the sender out of the tank I noticed
that I could take it apart. Two cross head screws undone, and then it is easy to see the workings. On the one that I have got there is a small 1cm x
2cm bit of PCB type material with what looks like brass windings on it. The wiper moves across this variable resistance. On my sender it was
possible to tug out this PCB and turn it around. This effectively swaps the resistance range.
It sounds complicated but its trivial. Just be careful not to damage the windings, as I suspect that would turn it into junk.
Yes, yes, yes. I should have taken a photo, but didn't.
Matt
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 18/11/08 at 01:54 PM |
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No worries Matt. I did exactly the same thing then just bent the limiting tabs a little in accordance with the upper and lower resistances.
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