RedTRex Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 As title suggests, fuel tank is reading full but the tank is about 2/3rds full. Float stuck at top? Link to comment
philbytx Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Could be crushed tube due to vacuum in tank Link to comment
RedTRex Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 Ok. If it helps I had tank off and on its sides/end while I was bleeding ABS unit. could I have stuck it some how? It was reading fine after I reinstalled, filled about 1/2. Went to station filled up and it hasn't come down since. Link to comment
philbytx Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Did you hear any whoosh when opening the tank? Link to comment
joeb Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Hi. Had a similar problem on my 03, r1150rt. Fuel gage shows half full ( or is it half empty ) as the lowest amount. Works fine at full tank to half tank. When I purchased bike the fuel vent was blocked. What tube could be crushed due to vacuum ? And what is the large canister inside the fuel tank that sits next to the filter and pump ? Thanks. JB Link to comment
dirtrider Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Afternoon JB Here is the part that get crushed in. Link to comment
n5926g Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Large "cannister"... There are TWO fuel sensor,s in the tank,one is the fuel level sender,and THAT is attached to the pump/filter assy.IT has a float attached to an arm that shows the actual fuel leven on the RID...the cannister (from what I understand) is the "low fuel level sensor" that merely turns on the light when it gets down to a point. Link to comment
dirtrider Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 And here is what the crushed in tube looks like when damaged. There are two very fine wires that run inside that tube that the float moves (slides) on & those are very easy to damage if you drill a hole in the tube across from the ding then use a round ended tool to drive the ding out of the tube.-- Or the bottom of the tube is removable then the inside comes out to allow a mandrel to allow hammering the ding out (not an easy repair but with patience it IS doable. Link to comment
dirtrider Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Large "cannister"... There are TWO fuel sensor,s in the tank,one is the fuel level sender,and THAT is attached to the pump/filter assy.IT has a float attached to an arm that shows the actual fuel leven on the RID...the cannister (from what I understand) is the "low fuel level sensor" that merely turns on the light when it gets down to a point. Afternoon n5926g You have that backwards, the float arm attached to the pump pass-through is for the LOW FUEL light & the long slender (vertical) tube with a sliding float in it is for the fuel gauge reading on the RID. Link to comment
n5926g Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Large "cannister"... There are TWO fuel sensor,s in the tank,one is the fuel level sender,and THAT is attached to the pump/filter assy.IT has a float attached to an arm that shows the actual fuel leven on the RID...the cannister (from what I understand) is the "low fuel level sensor" that merely turns on the light when it gets down to a point. Afternoon n5926g You have that backwards, the float arm attached to the pump pass-through is for the LOW FUEL light & the long slender (vertical) tube with a sliding float in it is for the fuel gauge reading on the RID. THAT my friend doesn,t surprise me....Sorry!...:-) Link to comment
joeb Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Thanks guys. Looks I have a hobby for the next day or two. I assume I have to take the pump assembly out so I can disconnect the wires, then remove the tube from the top. Any " gotchas " with the tube removal ? Link to comment
dirtrider Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Thanks guys. Looks I have a hobby for the next day or two. I assume I have to take the pump assembly out so I can disconnect the wires, then remove the tube from the top. Any " gotchas " with the tube removal ? Afternoon JB Not really as it is pretty straight forward. Yes, the pump pass through needs to be accessed to disconnect the wires. I always tie a string on the wires going to tube before removing the tube, then pull the string out the pass through hole & allow the string to pull out with the tube wires (you will thank me for this when you go to put it back together). Link to comment
joeb Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Morning. Just a kwik update on my fuel gauge problem. Solved ! Took the fuel sending unit out of tank and found it to be crushed. Slider could not travel down the tube. Ran into one problem during removal. As I was pulling the tube out from the top, it became disconnected and snapped the sensor wire from it's soldered post. $ 176 for a new unit, so decided to repair it. The wire is the size of a thin human hair so it was a bit of a hassle to work with it. You need 2 people with at least 5 very small hands to perform the neuro surgery , but, in the end managed to reconnect. Removing the wire from the tensioner springs gave me enough slack to work with, after it was reconnected to post I simply lifted wire back onto tensioner. Checked it with an ohm meter and had good readings. The tube was easier to sort out. Pushed a police billy club up tube ( insert your own joke here ) as it was the right diameter to push out dented portion. Needed a little more diameter , so I cut a slot in the top of wood, looked like a big slotted screw head, inserted wood in tube to the section that needed pushing out , then used a screwdriver as a wedge in the slot to expand the head. Worked perfect. Reassembled and saved $176. Question. I am thinking of putting an auxillery tail/brake light under the stock light. If I just tap into the light harness at the rear light, will that cause any problems with the computer ? I notice that the brake light runs thru the abs system first. Any potential problems. My bike is a 2003 rt. Thanks for your input. JB Link to comment
greiffster Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Well done. It always make me smile when I know I'm not the only one in the garage rigging up "billy clubs" trying to save a hundred bucks. Link to comment
PAS Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 What causes the tube to get crushed? Link to comment
Boffin Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 What causes the tube to get crushed? Usually a plugged charcoal canister. Certainly this issue seems to be limited to the USA which are the only bikes with a canister. Andy Link to comment
dirtrider Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 What causes the tube to get crushed? Afternoon PAS Basically, the crushed sender tube is caused by a plugged fuel tank venting system. It usually happens on the Evap canister equipped bikes (US & some Canadian) but I have seen it happen on bikes with the evap system removed so it doesn't HAVE to be US or Evap system bike. All it takes for a crushed tube is for the tank vent hose to get plugged, either from a pinched vent hose or from mud or gunk plugging the bottom of the vent hose exiting behind the R/H foot peg. What happens is: with a plugged vent hose or plugged vent system, as the gasoline is pumped out of the fuel tank by that high pressure internal fuel pump, that gasoline MUST be replaced by make-up ambient air. If no outside air can get into the tank to replace the used gasoline that then causes an internal negative pressure (vacuum) in the fuel tank. That internal vacuum sucks the side of the plastic fuel tank in & deforms the tank & crushes that thin walled fuel sender tube right where showed in the lower picture (posted above). Link to comment
PAS Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Thanks gentlemen. I have removed the canister but will keep an eye on the mud daubers this summer! Link to comment
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