fuel gauge not working

[weareontheGO]

i have a 2002 alfa seeya we bought in august.  fuel gauge only works part of the time.  stays all the way to the right most of the time.  pulled gauge out  of dash.  i am getting 7 volts at gauge.  should it be  volts?  if so, what would cause low volts.  all other gauges work fine.  

[kaypsmith]

Welcome to the forum weareontheGO. Your question appeared last Sunday and I answered in detail, then the forum went down and those posts have dissapeared since. I have found a pretty good read for you since, so rather than to retype it, here is a website with a very detailed to your question. https://www.sailmagazine.com/diy/test-replace-fuel-gauge-sending-unit

Hope that it will help.

Edited January 5, 2021 by kaypsmith

[hermanmullins]

I have seen quite a few Topics just popping up as if they are new. I just hope they all come back 

It was found that someone tried to attack the Forum. They have increased the security. Hope it over. 

Herman 

Edited January 5, 2021 by hermanmullins

[weareontheGO]

thank you kaypsmith.  i will check it out

[richard5933]

My guess would be something on the tank end of things. Assuming you have a traditional fuel gauge, do you have access to the top of the tank where the mounting plate would be for the gauge sending unit?

[manholt]

Herman, have noticed the same!   What's on the Forum to attack, it's a open book?

[hermanmullins]

I believe the OP, asked before, Would he have to drop his tank to check the sending unit.

If your Alpha is like most Diesel Pusher you can fill from either side. The fill nozzles should be located in a bay door on either side. If so you should be able to have access to the tank and the top where you will find the sending unit. You should be able to check for loose wires, power and oms.

I know there was more good information before and maybe the responders will answer again.

Good Luck,

Herman

  

[jleamont]

Not sure what chassis ALFA utilizes. On the Freightliner the top of the fuel tank is buried between the frame rails just below the interior floor deck, you must drop it for access. Most of the Roadmaster lineup, the top of the tank is accessible from the basement, easily. Spartan, couldn't tell you and from memory each chassis model is slightly different.

[hermanmullins]

Thanks for the info. on the Freightliner chassis. It appears the Alpha See Ya is on a Freightliner chassis.

Herman

[manholt]

Yes, on the See Ya it is a lock box chassis...the Alfa Gold is on freightliner XC chassis! Last built Alfa was in 2007.  When Fleetwood went bankrupt, so did Alfa...owner of Fleetwood died with no will (I'm going to live forever), that meant Calif put a 55% death tax on the estate or I believe it was in excess of $80, million! 

REV Group, a division of Allied, bought the rights of all Fleetwood products, except for the Fleetwood Mobil home division!

Edited January 5, 2021 by manholt

[kaypsmith]

If anyone had read read my first instructions, there are ways to measure both electric and resistive to determine where the failure is. The website that I referred to does both, so there was no need to retype all that I typed before. The sending unit is nothing more than a potentiometer (rheostat) inside the tank that raises or lower the resistance to ground which in turn raises or lowers the voltage at the gauge. If no resistance between the + and - on terminals on gauge, then 0 voltage will occur but a test between the + terminal and a known ground then battery voltage will result, the op was measuring 7 volts which shows both voltage and resistance, therefore, time to look for stuck or broken float.

[weareontheGO]

thank you kaypsmith.  i will check it out this weekend.  anyone know what the correct volts coming into the gauge should be. is 7 correct or should it be 12? i am tempted to cut the power in the harness and run a 12 jump wire. any thoughts?