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n801bh(at)netzero.com
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 Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 10:34 pm Post subject: . Fuel gauge issue.. |
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For all you guys with flying Zenith stuff and any other ones that use the VDO fuel gauges and senders. My 801 has 120+ hours on her and a quirk has reared it ugly head. On initial fireup the gauges read correctly, after about 10 minutes the right one peggs to full fuel. if I turn off the master switch and wait for a few seconds and power up the panel again it does the same thing, 10 mintes and the gauge heads towards full. I am guessing it's the sender unit... Any guesses out their???
Ben Haas
N801BH
www.haaspowerair.com
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p.mulwitz(at)worldnet.att
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| Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 3:28 am Post subject: . Fuel gauge issue.. |
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I don't think the sender is smart enough to act this way. The gauge
seems like a better guess.
It is relatively easy to test the sender and gauge separately. If
you disconnect the wires at the gauge (a much easier trick than
disconnecting them at the sender) and look at the resistance between
the sender and ground you should see instantaneous results that don't
change with time. The sender, after all is only a variable resistor
with a value in the order of 100 ohms. If you don't already have a
multimeter you can get a cheep one at Radio Shack that will do fine
for this level of work.
It is relatively easy to replace the gauge. If there is a loose wire
in the cockpit or engine compartment that is also relatively easy to
fix. The last thing you want is to open the wing to get to the
sender or fuel tank ground wire.
Good luck,
Paul
XL fuselage
At 11:29 PM 6/23/2006, you wrote:
| Quote: | For all you guys with flying Zenith stuff and any other ones that
use the VDO fuel gauges and senders. My 801 has 120+ hours on her
and a quirk has reared it ugly head. On initial fireup the gauges
read correctly, after about 10 minutes the right one peggs to full
fuel. if I turn off the master switch and wait for a few seconds and
power up the panel again it does the same thing, 10 mintes and the
gauge heads towards full. I am guessing it's the sender unit... Any
guesses out their???
Ben Haas
N801BH
www.haaspowerair.com
.
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davgray(at)sbcglobal.net
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| Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 4:09 am Post subject: . Fuel gauge issue.. |
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Ben
If the wire from the sender unit is broken the fuel guage will peg on the full side.
This happens because the sender unit has variable resistance from zero ohms empty to about 180 ohms when full (maybe 165 ..don't have the data sheet handy). Anyway a broken sender wire is infinite ohms so you will read a pegged guage on the full side. The guage is likely OK. Check the wire first.
Gary Ray
[quote] ---
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gfmjr_20(at)hotmail.com
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| Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 2:49 pm Post subject: . Fuel gauge issue.. |
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I am guessing it's the sender unit... Any guesses out their???
Have you tried swapping the wiring to the senders---left to right right to
left. If the problem follows the switch it's the sender, if not its
probably the guage
George May
_________________________________________________________________
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p.mulwitz(at)worldnet.att
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| Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 3:25 pm Post subject: . Fuel gauge issue.. |
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One unpleasant possibility comes to mind. It is a faulty ground
between the sender and aircraft structure.
This ground must be accomplished with two separate tricks. First the
connection between the main plate of the sender must be connected to
the gas tank by insuring electrical contact through one or more of
the mounting screws. Second, the tank must be grounded to the
aircraft frame with a wire. If these are not properly done then the
sender circuit is not completed.
Another way to do this is to weld a tab to the sender plate and run a
ground wire from this to either the airframe or to the gauge.
These are unpleasant possibilities because the wing skin must be
opened to get access to the sender to correct them.
Paul
XL fuselage
| Quote: | I am guessing it's the sender unit... Any guesses out their???
Have you tried swapping the wiring to the senders---left to right
right to left. If the problem follows the switch it's the
sender, if not its probably the guage
George May
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