2011 Twin cam fuel sender unit

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tspivey

tspivey

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I know there are lots of posts about fuel strips on earlier bikes but has anyone had a problem on one of these? I’m assuming it’s got the float, not the strip.
Mines just started to flash yellow triangle, Fuel, nothing showing in the column and it’s got half a tank. Everything else works fine.
I’ve had the clock assembly off to fit a sat nav bracket and wired the sat nav using the plug under the nose behind the oil cooler. Correct plug and socket used. Disconnected it and no difference.
GS911 shows no faults at all.
 
I should add I’m referring to a GS as I believe the R still had the strip in 2011. It’s too coincidental that I’ve been doing something and it’s gone wrong.
The only ‘mistake’ was when connecting the dash surround mounted 12v power socket directly to the battery. The wires were the wrong way on the socket and the in-line fuse blew when I put it in. As it’s connected directly to the battery I didn’t think it would affect anything Canbus but who knows.
 
an adventure with all the toys of 2011 got the float the other's got the strip
if u have those faults its highly likely your strip is dead - if u have ESA then you can convert to a float
they just released (in last week) a later strip
 
I noticed it has two wires (green/white) from the connector on the pump so thought it was a float model.
Looking at the Haynes wiring diagram it appears to be two wires for float, four wires for strip. Is that right?
I’m wondering if the sensor has gone but not heard or seen posts about problems on float models.
 
As you have a GS911, do an autoscan and look at the report, under ZFE-High it will say Lever type fuel sensor.
On early bikes with floats the assembly was mounted on the fuel pump on 2010-2012 bikes it was mounted on the filler neck.
It is a normal potentiometer and float assembly reading 0 to 100 ohms.
Check the float has not got snagged and the track on the potentiometer is ok.
Yes 2 wires for float and 4 for strip.
 
Thanks Mistacat, it does say ‘lever type fuel sensor’ It was reg new March 2011, factory order and the latest manufacturer date in the report is ABS of Dec 2010 so the bike is obviously sometime after that. Should that mean it’s filler neck?
I suspect I’ll be having to fit a new sensor, is it just the potentiometer bit or all the float assembly?
 
Should be on the filler neck but you may have to remove the pump to unplug it.
I would think that you have to buy the whole assembly but check it first ,could be a loose connection at the sending unit.
You could jury rig a 100 ohm potentiometer into the circuit to test, but remember the gauge is very slow to respond.
0 to 100 ohms are common values for aftermarket sending units for cars, I have fitted aftermarket sensors when doing the conversion from fuel strips to floats but this takes a bit of engineering / mackling.
 
Thanks again, looks like I’ll be taking it to bits to investigate, in the mean time I’ll try to work out what “jury rig a 100 ohm potentiometer into the circuit to test” means.
 
odd I see drawings on OEM today I've never seen before - they have a nasty bracket that goes to the filler neck upon which you attach the float - just as the same part can go direct on the pump.... so I guess they think it gets a better reading ?

usually it would show the strip - so that's odd as it also shows two different ZFEs where non ESA bikes needs the strip which they've now omitted
 
My feelings are that they re-positioned the sending unit to the filler neck so that the float would be able to get a greater range of the tank full to empty.
When mounted on the pump this was limited by the shape of the tank.
Also when the sender was mounted on the pump there were instances of the float getting hooked up on the transfer pipe inside the tank.
There are only 2 wires to the sender wire 1 to one end of the track and the other to the wiper, the suggestion was to use a 100 ohm potentiometer in place of the sender wired that same way just to prove the rest of the system.
 
Update - Tried rocking it back a forth to activate the float, checked all the easily accessible wiring, went for few rides on it not wanting to fill it up in case I needed to take it to bits, re scanned on the GS911. No change.
In the end I thought sod it I want to be riding not taking it to bits so I’ll put up with it till winter, filled it up at the garage and it righted itself, had two tanks of fuel through since and all is well.
 
yep, its seems to want to finds its bearings - I guess it has some logic trying to optimise what the display shows, and until its had enough data to make a reasonable assessment it shows nothing - MANY report the reading starts wild and improves
 
botus said:
yep, its seems to want to finds its bearings - I guess it has some logic trying to optimise what the display shows, and until its had enough data to make a reasonable assessment it shows nothing - MANY report the reading starts wild and improves
Click to expand...

Or maybe it was just stuck.....:nenau
 
gazza12adv said:
I did think that as well. But, stuck showing no fuel with half a tank? The other way round I'd understand.
Click to expand...

Stuck in the Empty Position?
Too much Electrickery these days, Who knows?
Unrelated really, but I once hired a Rover 214 (IIRC), and the Fuel Gauge worked Ass about Face.
I set off to Kent with a full Tank and the Gauge showing Empty, and as I progressed the Gauge just kept getting higher.
Very disconcerting!
 
The early 2004 GS floats could stick, usually solved easily by hoisting a minger.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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