Welcome, Guest
Username: Password: Remember me
  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2

TOPIC:

Possible to damp a fuel guage? 26 Nov 2022 11:17 #877207

  • Warren3200gt
  • Warren3200gt's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • User
  • Posts: 1436
  • Thank you received: 648
Just thinking aloud really. I find the fluctuation on the fuel guage annoyingly annoying! And whilst I've got it all apart was wondering if there was a way to dampen the guage needle either electronically or mechanically 
Bike is 82 thou j. The slightest incline or descent  with a less than full tank and the needle will read half a tank difference. When the tank is half full, under (hard) acceleration the needle will read empty as all the fuel moves to the back of the tank and the float at the front drops to the floor. 
I have some ideas but was wondering if there was an inline circuit or float/sender modification that was tried and tested? I was thinking a capacitor across the live and earth on the sender would do trick but then I'm circuitry challenged. 
Bit first world I know but as I'm out of projects to work on idle mind and all that. 
 

Z1000J2 somewhat modified!

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Last edit: by Warren3200gt.

Possible to damp a fuel guage? 26 Nov 2022 13:00 #877211

  • Scirocco
  • Scirocco's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Premium Member
  • Never change a running system
  • Posts: 3921
  • Thank you received: 1892
You have to play around with some different inline resistors or adujstable resistor (potentiometer).
Do you have the min./max. Ohm values of the fuel sender wire resistor?
It´s also possible that the soldering points of the fuel sender wire resistor are corroded and need some re-soldering for a better connection.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Warren3200gt

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Last edit: by Scirocco.

Possible to damp a fuel guage? 26 Nov 2022 13:12 #877213

  • Warren3200gt
  • Warren3200gt's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • User
  • Posts: 1436
  • Thank you received: 648
Resistors was my initial thought but after some different Google search phrases this came up. 
I can kinda see how it would work but the bit that confuses me is that I assume they are talking automotive as not to much else has fuel guage and therefor a 12v system but they advocate a 5.5v capacitor.? Not being electro savvy enough to understand why? 

Z1000J2 somewhat modified!

Attachments:
The following user(s) said Thank You: Wookie58

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Possible to damp a fuel guage? 26 Nov 2022 14:45 #877215

  • Kelly E
  • Kelly E's Avatar
  • Offline
  • User
  • Never Give Up. Never Surrender
  • Posts: 393
  • Thank you received: 297
I have a tiny resistor or capacitor on my 94' ZG1000 Concours. It is hooked up to the signal and ground wires at the sending unit connection to the harness. A guy on the Concours website was giving them away. The gauge was all over the place and now it's actually useable.
You can just barely see it on the connection, the zipties hold it in. You push the wire on each side down into the proper spot in the connector.
The Rust Bros. Garage Collection
1974 Honda CB 550 K0
1975 Honda CB 400F Super Sport
1977 Kawasaki KZ 1000 LTD
1980 Suzuki GS 1100E
1981 Suzuki GS 1100E
1982 Honda CB 900F Super Sport
1983 Honda CB 1100F
1984 Honda Sabre 700
1984 Honda Interceptor 1000
1994 Kawasaki ZG 1000 Concours
And more
Attachments:
The following user(s) said Thank You: Warren3200gt

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Possible to damp a fuel guage? 26 Nov 2022 15:23 #877220

  • Warren3200gt
  • Warren3200gt's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • User
  • Posts: 1436
  • Thank you received: 648
Kelly, that looks like through hole circuit resistor. The stripes on it denote it's resistance value and temp range. Unfortunately it doesn't show the whole resistor to see if there any more than the 2 x red and 1 x blue or black (maybe).
If your a member of the concours  site and can grab a pic from his post showing the whole resistor I would be very grateful. 
TIA. 

Z1000J2 somewhat modified!

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Last edit: by Warren3200gt.

Possible to damp a fuel guage? 26 Nov 2022 15:32 #877221

  • Mikaw
  • Mikaw's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Sustaining Member
  • Posts: 4879
  • Thank you received: 1843
Could you fab a tube around the float in the tank. It will reduce the wave action. I’m not familiar with an in tank fuel gauge. None of my bikes have them. 
1976 KZ 900 A4 kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/613548-1976-kz-900-a4
1976 KZ 900 B1 LTD
1978 KZ 1000 B2 LTD
1980 KZ 750 E1
Kowledge Speaks, But Wisdom Listens.
Jimi Hendrix.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Possible to damp a fuel guage? 26 Nov 2022 15:40 #877222

  • Warren3200gt
  • Warren3200gt's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • User
  • Posts: 1436
  • Thank you received: 648
They are essentially a wire arm with a float on the end. The other end moves up and down a variable resistor in opposition to the float. That changing resistance then gets sent to the meter which then converts it back into needle movement. 
Anything additional in the tank would be more difficult than additional out the tank. I just need to smooth out and slow down the signal sent to the guage. 
Not to sure how to calculate how much and or how slow it needs to be smoothed though. 

Z1000J2 somewhat modified!

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Last edit: by Warren3200gt.

Possible to damp a fuel guage? 27 Nov 2022 13:55 #877246

  • Warren3200gt
  • Warren3200gt's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • User
  • Posts: 1436
  • Thank you received: 648
Think I might have found it! 


Z1000J2 somewhat modified!

Attachments:

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Last edit: by Warren3200gt.

Possible to damp a fuel guage? 27 Nov 2022 14:58 #877254

  • Kelly E
  • Kelly E's Avatar
  • Offline
  • User
  • Never Give Up. Never Surrender
  • Posts: 393
  • Thank you received: 297
Here's a better picture
The Rust Bros. Garage Collection
1974 Honda CB 550 K0
1975 Honda CB 400F Super Sport
1977 Kawasaki KZ 1000 LTD
1980 Suzuki GS 1100E
1981 Suzuki GS 1100E
1982 Honda CB 900F Super Sport
1983 Honda CB 1100F
1984 Honda Sabre 700
1984 Honda Interceptor 1000
1994 Kawasaki ZG 1000 Concours
And more
Attachments:
The following user(s) said Thank You: Warren3200gt

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Possible to damp a fuel guage? 27 Nov 2022 15:11 #877255

  • Warren3200gt
  • Warren3200gt's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • User
  • Posts: 1436
  • Thank you received: 648
Thanks, red red brown gold is 220 ohm +/-5%

Z1000J2 somewhat modified!

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Possible to damp a fuel guage? 01 Dec 2022 09:33 #877390

  • Warren3200gt
  • Warren3200gt's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • User
  • Posts: 1436
  • Thank you received: 648
That didn't achieve what I was trying to do. All that did was shift the needle further up the guage for a given fuel level. Just as simple to bend the sender arm to achieve that. 

What I am aiming to do is to stop the guage needle movement being so responsive to acc/deceleration/uphill/downhill fluctuations. Ie the needle to show the "average" reading over the past 30 - 45 seconds or so. 
Thinking a capacitor of some size but not sure if it should be parallel or series on the + side of the sender. 

Z1000J2 somewhat modified!

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Last edit: by Warren3200gt.

Possible to damp a fuel guage? 01 Dec 2022 10:00 #877391

  • Wookie58
  • Wookie58's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Moderator
  • Posts: 3093
  • Thank you received: 1720
I would agree that a capacitor is the way to go, most gauges are a variation of a voltmeter so a resistor will affect the reading by changing the voltage. You will need to experiment with capacitor values as the example you posted was for an electronic gauge so may not be appropriate
Technical - Damping a fuel gauge | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)
The following user(s) said Thank You: Mikaw, Warren3200gt

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Last edit: by Wookie58.
  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2
Powered by Kunena Forum