Fuel gauges

[daveola]

My fuel gauges have a weird habit of either reading the correct amount, or just reading zero.  They're all connected, it just seems that sometimes the gauges don't feel like waking up in the morning (I have three of them, one was the stock gauge in the bus and I have two auxiliary tanks).  Every once in a while they get excited and bounce back and forth between the correct reading and zero.

Why do fuel gauges do this, and is there a fix?

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

The only sure way to have consistently accurate readings is to run down to Home Depot and get a 1/4" diameter x 3" long dowel and keep it in your fuel bay like I do.  It gives VERY accurate readings for years to come. 

[oltrunt]

Gary, you forgot to mention that he will need to buy the $842 connectivity kit to make the stick work.

Kidding aside, make sure the ground wires on the tank and gauge are good.  If they are, try disconnecting the wire that goes from the tank to the dash and test it for continuity.  Wiggle the wire along its path as best you can in case there is a break in the wire along the way that sometimes makes a connection and sometimes doesn't.  Sometimes the sending units develop high resistance and refuse to operate.  Jack

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Yes, I agree with Old Runt on this one.   Probably most of the fuel, temperature, oil and all other gauges problems as well as exterior lighting are related to a bad ground.  That is always the first thing I check because of a thing we call rust.  Doesn't hurt to put a bit of dialectic grease on all ground connections whilst you are at it.

Unlike Old Runt that started with a brand new chassis and had no rust issues, most of us run into rust now and then. 

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Hey Old Runt, you need to put a photo of that old bus that Lorna refurbished in your profile for all to see now that you only have one bus.  

[oltrunt]

Gary, you must mean this one.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

If that is the one you are driving around today.  I kind of like it when it was painted Yellow. :-)  Maybe put the old pix on there instead. 

[oltrunt]

Gary, with all due respect---though there is none due on this occasion---I'll change the avatar when you promise to put the "T" back in 'ol trunt so people will know that I CAN'T SPELL, but will have no question as to my stature.

You sure know how to run a thread off track .  Jack

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Ok Old Trunt, you win. plz put the award winning skoolike photo in your profile so people can see that Lorna spent so much time on. 

[oltrunt]

Thanks Gary.  Here she is in all her glory at the Lake Mead BCM non rally.  Jack

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Hummm.  No pix?  Try again.  Is anyone else seeing an image.  Perhaps your image is too high resolution.  Not sure what the limitation is, but it should indicate in the profile section.

[oltrunt]

Hmm indeed.  Lets see if she works now

No luck--any ideas?  The size doesn't seem tom be the problem.  Guess I'll go with this one taken in Yosemite until I can get the Lake Mead pic to work.   Jack

[daveola]

make sure the ground wires on the tank and gauge are good.

Fair point, I've definitely had some ground issues.

I didn't really think it was that originally because I started having problems with the new gauges that I installed in the new tanks in exactly the same way, and all those gauges are with new wire.  But I'll check where I"ve grounded them.

We'll see!

[Lin]

Do all the gauges fail at the same time? Do they share a common ground?

[daveola]

Nope, they all fail intermittently and regardless of the others.