| Author | Message | ||
     Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 342 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,.... Ok, interesting issue,... Camilla has been sitting a month. She was filled with fuel last trip out at the start, end of last trip there was just under half a tank showing on the gauge. This morning I start her,... Only this time the gauge drops to 0. Also the low fuel warning light comes on,... I am a little baffled but think maybe it was low voltage as she has been sitting for a while,....? Nope, everything is charging,... So on my way out to be safe I put 17 liters in as by the owners manual the low warning light comes on with 15 liters left in the tank,... Gauge didn't move off of 0 and low fuel light still on. So I go about 30 miles and fill the tank. No change. Did a short trip of less than 10 miles then on the way home (50+ miles) The needle starts to move imperceptively, its 3/8th up from 0 and the warning light has just gone out,.... Could I have a bad earth maybe,....? All other gauges work just fine. Graham. | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 749 Registered: 05-2016 |
Turn on ignition and press oil level button on the dashboard to check if you get an oil level reading on the fuel gauge, if that reads properly then your fuel gauge is probably OK so you need to check the wiring contacts at the fuel level sender unit in the boot/trunk under the carpet as you may have a corroded contact there. There are other tests but try the above obvious probabilities first and see how you get on. On my Silver Shadow 11 the low fuel warning lamp illuminates when I still have at least 1/3 of a tank of fuel left. | ||
| Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 343 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,.... Well the gauge works ok,... Pressed the oil cheak button and it works just fine so the problem must be at the other end,.... Will have to see about removing the carpet and go from there. Graham. | ||
| Hubert Kelly Frequent User Username: h_kelly Post Number: 413 Registered: 03-2012 |
Do you have any bumpy roads over in Australia, from memory your roads are perfect?. Anyway .. just a thought ..If float stuck or sticking.. A good old drive over a bumpy road might kick the float into action?. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 2245 Registered: 05-2012 |
Float may be punctured or partially full of petrol - another thing to check when you've removed it, after checking all the external wiring of course. | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 750 Registered: 05-2016 |
If you decide to remove the float disconnect the battery beforehand. Obvious I know but it's possible to become distracted. | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3859 Registered: 04-2003 |
Hubert, No problems finding a rough and bumpy road close to home anywhere in Australia; city or country doesn't matter. You name it and we are certain it will not be hard to find not far from wherever you are. Sealed or unsealed? No problem............ Corrugated road to check for squeaks?  Chances of getting caught breaking road rules?   | ||
| Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 345 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,... Ok,. this afternoon I removed enough of the carpet to get to the sender unit.   Cleaned the contacts just in case there was any high resistance, nope, problem still there.   Guess when I get more time and I lower the level in the fuel tank I'll pull the sender. Also I managed to swap out the old broken battery box base for the new one.  I had to change out the rubber grommets. Also I have these wires someone has added to the box, don't know what they are for.  Here's a close up,..   And mostly put together,... The brown wire to the positive battery terminal is the live wire to the alternator.  Later I'll have to put a hole in the back so that wire can be routed in as it was in the old box. Graham. | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Frequent User Username: wraithman Post Number: 666 Registered: 11-2017 |
The 2 small square components are thermistors which change resistance according to temperature. They are part of the charging system of the CAV voltage regulator which should be located nearby. They help increase voltage when it's very cold outside. They are taped to the battery case. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 2246 Registered: 05-2012 |
I've wrapped a couple of layers of insulating tape around the frame that clamps the battery down, where it is close to the positive terminal. Paul Yorke pointed out this area is a fire risk as a frayed or loose cable can form a direct short to earth. Graham's battery area is obviously well maintained, but it is worth being aware of this potential hazard. | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 751 Registered: 05-2016 |
OK, If you intend to remove the fuel tank sender unit you will need a new gasket when reinstalling or replacing the unit. Before attempting to remove the unit you can test it in situ by disconnecting the green/slate wire and turn on the ignition, gauge should read low. Then very briefly touch same green/slate wire to earth and gauge needle should jump to max off scale. It would help if you have an assistant to keep an eye on the gauge as you shouldn't short the green/slate wire for more than a split second. If you don't achieve these results then the sender unit or wiring have a fault. | ||
| Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 346 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,.... There was an old piece of what must have been tape behind the old box,.... I've just bunched up those thermistors behind the battery box, I'm going to secure them with cable ties. Yes the CAV voltage regulator is just to the left of the battery box right where the negative cable you can see is earthed to the frame, you can just see the edge of the regulator between the cable and body. Yeah I am going to encase the positive cable in foam rubber tubing and tape that, that should stop any vibration cutting its way through the cable and causing any shorting. Any wear should be evident before it makes its way through to the cable. I'll try a very BREIF earth of the sender wire and see if I get that result. Graham. | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 753 Registered: 05-2016 |
Hi Graham, I reckon that if you briefly earth the green/slate sender wire and if this causes the gauge to register full it means that your wiring is OK but that the problem lies in your sender unit or its float (that's assuming that your fuel level is actually higher than the gauge is showing). | ||
| Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 347 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,.... Well when I took those pictures I have only done 36 miles since filling the tank. She has'nt moved since so far. Since the gauge worked perfectly before I'm leaning towards a sender failure. Guess we will find out this comming weekend. Graham. | ||
| Patrick Lockyer. Grand Master Username: pat_lockyer Post Number: 2412 Registered: 09-2004 |
Get to the job quickly, do as Larry states testing. guessing is is a no go! | ||
| Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 349 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,.... What would a new sender unit set me back? Think I might be needing one,.... Graham. | ||
| Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 354 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,.... With luck I will be collecting a new sender unit and a new boot seal this Thursday. Fingers crossed. Graham. | ||
| Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 355 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,.... Well I got the new sender unit,...   And for good measure I got a new boot seal as Camilla's was going hard and starting to crack.   And would'nt you know it,... I get half way there to collect the parts and the gauge starts working again,... Just like that! Seriously,... Its as if it knew,... Graham. | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3879 Registered: 04-2003 |
Graham, Murphy's Law is still alive and well................. However, from hard-earned experience, the problem will lie dormant until the time is right to cause the greatest inconvenience. I would schedule a routine check up of the fuel gauge, the sender and wiring in case there is an active intermittent fault. . | ||
| Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 357 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,... Well this morning I went to put Camilla back into the workshop and yup,.. gauge is back to not working,.... Graham. | ||
| Patrick Lockyer. Grand Master Username: pat_lockyer Post Number: 2422 Registered: 09-2004 |
Pity testing is not carried out at the time of the failing. | ||
| Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 358 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,.... I'll have to do that tomorrow as I need to go out again,.... Will give Camilla another day out. Graham. | ||
| Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 384 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,... Though I have put the presiding events in 'working on Camilla' thread I'll put the finish here. The other day I put one of the two new sender unit gaskets I got on Camilla.   Fitted.    Remnants of the old gasket:  All sealed in, no more fuel leaks/smells,.... Graham. |
