Are Fuel Gages Really Necessary?

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Does your Bus Conversion have a Fuel Gage?

Asking for a Friend.   

[Dave5Cs]

Yes but that one is empty.
Year ago I bought a new folding tank reader from Luke and when I pulled the old one out it was socked and the float was not floating anymore. I put the new one in and it floated but still doesn't read correctly. Re did the wires etc but still reads to 1/2 tank and stops. I use a piece of romex to stick the tank.

If the genny doesn't start I am at 1/2 tank and go fill up

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Yes but that one is empty.
Year ago I bought a new folding tank reader from Luke and when I pulled the old one out it was socked and the float was not floating anymore. I put the new one in and it floated but still doesn't read correctly. Re did the wires etc but still reads to 1/2 tank and stops. I use a piece of romex to stick the tank.

If the genny doesn't start I am at 1/2 tank and go fill up

From what I understand, the sending unit has to match the ohms of the gauge, so maybe you need to also change gauges?

[Dave5Cs]

It was the same as the one I took out to include wire length and size but maybe.  I didn't check the ohms on it. Thanks

[ol713]

      Yes  - - - -  That and a volt meter were the first things I added when I got the bus.
                                               

[lvmci]

My 5A didn't have a fuel gauge. I was told that Greyhound always knew what distances and mountains their buses would travel, so they didn't need fuel gauges. But I installed one in the blank gauge hole...

[Van]

Does your Bus Conversion have a Fuel Gage?

Asking for a Friend.   

Yes it does. Does it work? Yes!
Do I need it? No. What I needed when I bought this bus was a Shop towel restriction gauge right next to the Temp gauge.🤨

[dtcerrato]

Didn't have a guage as oem but does now. My favorite campfire story is when a Texas highway patrol cited me for towing a passenger in the towed vehicle, when I told the officer that she was pushing me to a fueling station that's when the story gets interesting but only at a campfire!

[Melbo]

I lived without one for a long time but forgot once to fill up.  Died at the gate to the storage yard.  I bought a sending unit guage combo kit from somewhere and modified the sending unit to match the tank depth.  Works great and I have never run out of fuel again. 

Melbo

[David Anderson]

Yes, OEM gauge with the eagle emblem on it and it works.  I also installed a low fuel sensor and posted details on the eagle forum

https://eagles-international.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4909&sid=e5b6b8d4a5194c32bd57eeac6b6b53c8&start=10

810 miles and the light comes on with 35 gallons left to bone dry. 

[Sebulba]

Yes our d3 has one.  Based on several things learned on this forum, my practice is to fill up at about 700 miles.  That being in the neighbor hood of 100 gallons or half my tank.

So, doI need it?  Probably not, but redundancies are good.

Seb

[luvrbus]

Just for driving I would not need a fuel gauge,the Aqua/Hot and 12500 Onan use the same tank a gauge I sorta depend on now,and I also have the low fuel warning light for below 30 gals   

[windtrader]

I have one in the MC8 and do look at it but mostly based fuel stops on distance from last top off to the next cheap station. One thing that can throw things off is the webasto and generator use diesel. If I used them quite a bit and remained park for some time, it's hard to calculate how much has been consumed without some guage.

[buswarrior]

Nice to have as PART of your decision making.

In equal parts, how far have I driven/accessory run-time and expecting to see the gauge in a related part of its sweep.

Our buses do a lot of sitting, time and distractions readily detract from fuel discipline. Floats and their linkges stick/sink, wiring and gauges get more corroded, fuel tanks develop leaks...

Defend yourself from both gauge failure and yourself, notes taken, and referred to on your pre-flight. Expect to find something, investigate when it deviates...

Assuming a pre-flight gets done....

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Glennman]

In my previous buses ('68 Fishbowl and '74 MCI), neither one had a working fuel gauge. My current '02 MCI D4500 does, and it appears to work quite well. I'm not afraid of not having one though.