fuel gauge or sending unit?
- Thread starter mav623
- Start date
Rod Stewart
Active Member
I had the exact same problem on my 1997 Road King in Florida last year. It has 60 K miles on it.
The local dealership said it could be either.
I wound up pulling the guage and sender out of the tank, and testing it by swinging the float arm.
The sender resistance changed, but the guage sat still at full.
So I changed out the guage and all is well.
Be aware that the replacement guage is a more generic type designed to fit several models, and the wiring is not exactly plug and play.
You have to do some cutting and reconnecting, but everything you need is in the kit.
If it's the sender I recall it was quoted as about $180 for the whole unit. The guage cot me $145 as I remember.
Good luck,
Rod
The local dealership said it could be either.
I wound up pulling the guage and sender out of the tank, and testing it by swinging the float arm.
The sender resistance changed, but the guage sat still at full.
So I changed out the guage and all is well.
Be aware that the replacement guage is a more generic type designed to fit several models, and the wiring is not exactly plug and play.
You have to do some cutting and reconnecting, but everything you need is in the kit.
If it's the sender I recall it was quoted as about $180 for the whole unit. The guage cot me $145 as I remember.
Good luck,
Rod
Rod Stewart
Active Member
I just remembered something important.
When you pull the guage out, it just pulls straight up. There is a rubber ring that holds it in the tank.
There are 3 wires connected to the guage, including one (orange maybe?)that connects directly to a big screw in the center of the sender unit, right below the guage. DO NOT undo that big screw! If you do, the sender guts will drop into the bottom of the fuel tank.
Instead, undo the 5 or 6 torx screws around the circular plate, and withdraw the sender right out of the tank. It takes a little twisting and fiddling, but it comes right out.
There is also a black wire attached to the sender that drops down through a hole that looks like it goes into the tank. But it's actually a tube that passes right thru the tank and comes out underneath near the front cilinder spark plug.
Rod
When you pull the guage out, it just pulls straight up. There is a rubber ring that holds it in the tank.
There are 3 wires connected to the guage, including one (orange maybe?)that connects directly to a big screw in the center of the sender unit, right below the guage. DO NOT undo that big screw! If you do, the sender guts will drop into the bottom of the fuel tank.
Instead, undo the 5 or 6 torx screws around the circular plate, and withdraw the sender right out of the tank. It takes a little twisting and fiddling, but it comes right out.
There is also a black wire attached to the sender that drops down through a hole that looks like it goes into the tank. But it's actually a tube that passes right thru the tank and comes out underneath near the front cilinder spark plug.
Rod
thanx, i checked the sending unit with an ohm meter, and when i rocked the bike side to side,the readings changed, so i think that the sending unit is not the problem.i also found a thread that said to connect the sending unit wire to ground, and turn on the ignition, and the gauge should read full. the problem is the gauge always reads full, so that was no help at all. but i would think that the gauge is bad. i'll let you know.