fuel gauge

[froggy Steve]

Hi folks, jumped in truck today to find fuel on Empty - drove to the range and a shoot, filled up. Card limit stopped at 99.61€, so though sod it, put card in again and continued to fill it brim full. Thought I would be clever and stick the remainder of the cards limit in the aux fuel tank. So total of 200€ later ......
Jumped in car and noticed the main tank still read empty but the light was off.....switched to aux tank and it happily climbed to just under 3/4 full. Its the same gauge btw.......switched back to main and it dropped like a stone. Could it be the float stuck down as it was almost empty? If so, how the heck to I get it to come back up with out removing the main tank? Maybe I should go and take it on some rough terrain to bounce it free lol. Any idea's?
TIA

 

[fbnss]

theres the little inspection plate under the 2nd row of seats

 

[Chris]

I have an 80 that does that sometimes. Reads zero even though I know it's full. A bit of a jiggle later and it's up. Ooooohh Matron!

 

[froggy Steve]

Cheers guys! I will have a mooch about tomorrow what an awesome site

 

[Dave2000]

Hi Steve, second row out, lift carpet, unbolt oval plate, remove fuel lines and connector. Lift entire assembly out in one, the main cause is the windings on the level indicator break through wear, good time to clean the in tank filter as well.

Low fuel light is a seperate circuit, and the level indicator for the light is fixed, this makes it a reliable warning to rely on if need be.

Having the extra fuel tank, I hope it does not gravity feed, you might be in for a diesel bath when releasing the sender unit.

Regards

Dave

 

[froggy Steve]

Lol, I don't think it is gravity fed, as it's switched in the cab. So you can run from main or aux tank...but, I will find out!

 

[Dave2000]

Just a quick heads up Steve, Chris's recent gauge issue brought about a tank rheostat check, it seems 95 > don't have a seperate warning for low level light.

So completely ignore that 'bit' in my earlier post.


Regards

Dave

 

[froggy Steve]

It's all changed! Last night Dawn took the truck to the stables and when she got home noticed that the fuel read full.... which it is. With the engine running a flipped the switch to the aux tank and that read full too, which it isn't. However I might not have left it long enough. I will have to take it out over the weekend and have a play...

 

[Chris]

Hmm sounds like a wiring thing perhaps. Gauge clearly moves, but perhaps a sticking solenoid / switch isn't doing what it should giving a false signal to the dash.

I stuck a meter on the two pins on the main sender (two big sort of brass bobbins inside) and moved the arm. The resistance went from 10 - 3 whatsits which is exactly what the book said.

 

[clivehorridge]

It's all changed! Last night Dawn took the truck to the stables and when she got home noticed that the fuel read full.... which it is. With the engine running a flipped the switch to the aux tank and that read full too, which it isn't. However I might not have left it long enough. I will have to take it out over the weekend and have a play...

Sounds more like a good excuse to play, to me...

 

[Iwan]

Just a quick heads up Steve, Chris's recent gauge issue brought about a tank rheostat check, it seems 95 > don't have a seperate warning for low level light.

So completely ignore that 'bit' in my earlier post.


Regards

Dave

I was reading this thread a week or so ago and thought that mine did not have a low fuel light! And low and behold tonight when I turned up at a local sawmill which is set on a very steep hill there it was working! After owning it for so long and not running real dry ever! I've always looked at the fuel tank emblem and seen a square around it .. I had been thinking that there was a light behind there and its orange!

Nice to know that the second circuit is working!!! Maybe it needed a steep downhill to reactivate the feed!!

A conclusion to what I had read and wondered!

 

[clivehorridge]

It's all changed! Last night Dawn took the truck to the stables and when she got home noticed that the fuel read full.... which it is. With the engine running a flipped the switch to the aux tank and that read full too, which it isn't. However I might not have left it long enough. I will have to take it out over the weekend and have a play...

Sounds more like a good excuse to play, to me...

 

[clivehorridge]

Not having a working gauge, I rely on my low fuel warning light on occasions, so I can confirm that on my 1995 GX, the gauge & warning circuits are different.

 

[Dave2000]

Not having a working gauge, I rely on my low fuel warning light on occasions, so I can confirm that on my 1995 GX, the gauge & warning circuits are different.

Reading Chris's experience his 95 has no seperate circuit, perhaps there is a changeover period as they phased one system and one in? Does your 95 have a 94 or earlier dash Clive, unlikely I know but just fishing for information?

I seems there is minimal gauge or instrumentation threads out there, so reliable are these 80's.

Regards

Dave

 

[clivehorridge]

Reading Chris's experience his 95 has no seperate circuit, perhaps there is a changeover period as they phased one system and one in? Does your 95 have a 94 or earlier dash Clive, unlikely I know but just fishing for information?

I seems there is minimal gauge or instrumentation threads out there, so reliable are these 80's.

Regards

Dave

I wouldn’t know TBH Dave, it’s a Euro spec HZJ so there’s quite a lot of differences from the UK spec HDJs and I rarely see UK models to spot the differences.

I can take photos if that helps ... ?

 

[Dave2000]

I would have assumed the curved dash for that year but a photo would be good if you don't mind Clive?

If you do have the later dash, then it might be assumed you have the same sender unit as Chris, so perhaps a resistance style? Do you find when getting low, the light 'comes and goes' with cornering or braking?

If yes, it would indicate your float is rising and falling and triggering the light, this may lead you in the direction as to why your gauge does not work?

Perhaps the actual gauge needs looking at, I am typically curious how it works for future reference when modifying for an extra tank.

Offer of a pic appreciated.

Regards

Dave

 

[clivehorridge]

I would have assumed the curved dash for that year but a photo would be good if you don't mind Clive?

If you do have the later dash, then it might be assumed you have the same sender unit as Chris, so perhaps a resistance style? Do you find when getting low, the light 'comes and goes' with cornering or braking?

If yes, it would indicate your float is rising and falling and triggering the light, this may lead you in the direction as to why your gauge does not work?

Perhaps the actual gauge needs looking at, I am typically curious how it works for future reference when modifying for an extra tank.

Offer of a pic appreciated.

Regards

Dave

Here’s some stock picks from November 2015, it hasn’t changed much since then Dave... except the cup holder is back in the open slot above the radio.

Note the 60’s style heater sliders, no push-button clima-control for me in my tractor.....

Oh, and its a lot cleaner now since I found some good German made stuff that gets the grime off steering wheels (dont remember the name)...

As for the gauges, I’m 99.9% sure my fault is in the sender. it worked fine when I fitted the replacement Karl sent to me, even if it was for just 3 weeks till it went the way of the original, just freezing where it felt like.

I noticed the replacement one had a larger pipe diameter than mine, maybe there's a difference between the HZJ and the HDJ...

 

[Iwan]

I've just remembered that when I changed my fuel lines last week. I blew low pressure compressed air down the old lines to empty them of fuel.
So could well be the reason why the low fuel light has popped back in to action.
Being low now it does come on going down hill and around corners.. handy to have!

 

[Geert]

My low level light doesn't work any more. I know for sure, because I ran the cruiser dry
It is a 94.
I tested the bulb, it works. But once it is in the dash, I can't get it to work. Even if I apply current to the ciruits... Any ideas? Is my dash faulty?

 

[Dave2000]

Thanks Clive, that is the curved 95 dash so I remain non the wiser.

100% definete the 94 has two independent systems, a typical float rheostat for the gauge, and a fixed length rod with a (resistive?) sensor.

Chris just had the float, which means that must control the guage and the light, so unsure how that can work? If the windings in the rheostat failed the both the guage and light would fail, perhaps there is another physical switch to bring on the light?

No doubt someone will come up with an idea, perhaps dual windings?

Regards

Dave