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Rare Spares - LC-LJ Fuel Sender unit

Started by _hp179block_ , Jun 07 2011 08:59 PM

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44 replies to this topic

#1 _hp179block_

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Posted 07 June 2011 - 08:59 PM

Was wondering if anyone else has had problems with a new LC-LJ Fuel Sender unit not reading correctly? Bought new yesterday, at which point it read 3/4 (was close to full) and quickly went down from there in the 30 miles I did last night. Filled up when the gauge said 1/4 but tank took less than half a tank to fill. (Gauge said full when it was full as a side note.)

Also, the pipe is not straight and/or positioned correctly so that it presses against the outside edge of the hole in the boot floor. Tried bending it slightly but it seems to be quite stiff and of course don't want to wreck my brand new sender....

Any advice appreciated.

Should add - its the standard one not XU-1

Edited by hp179block, 07 June 2011 - 09:01 PM.

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#2 _CraigA_

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Posted 07 June 2011 - 09:15 PM

Check that the sender is earthed correctly.

Mine worked fine.

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#3 S pack

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Posted 07 June 2011 - 09:16 PM

Was wondering if anyone else has had problems with a new LC-LJ Fuel Sender unit not reading correctly? Bought new yesterday, at which point it read 3/4 (was close to full) and quickly went down from there in the 30 miles I did last night. Filled up when the gauge said 1/4 but tank took less than half a tank to fill. (Gauge said full when it was full as a side note.)

Also, the pipe is not straight and/or positioned correctly so that it presses against the outside edge of the hole in the boot floor. Tried bending it slightly but it seems to be quite stiff and of course don't want to wreck my brand new sender....

Any advice appreciated.

Should add - its the standard one not XU-1

Contact Rares, tell them what is happening with it and see what they will do for you.

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#4 _sunburst73-xu1_

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Posted 08 June 2011 - 08:56 AM

I had a few funny experiences with mine on the Bathurst run we did a couple of weeks ago.Same sort of thing,when we drove into bathurst we went straight to a fuel station my guage was reading a needle thickness over empty but it only took 42letres of fuel.I made sure I had a full tank of fuel and read full again but needle seems to slide down quite quickly.
cheers

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#5 _BIGCAV_

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Posted 08 June 2011 - 11:19 AM

Hi John

Let me first start off by saying that if there ends up being a problem with the sender we will happily exchange it for a new one and i would apologise for the inconvenience

if you wish to return it and get it checked that is fine mate but i thought id write a reply here to help you diagnose the problem if you so wish too

the senders are a very simple design and only require a basic undestanding of electronics and resistance, the electric components of these gauges is just basically a coil of resistive wire and a contact on a swing arm (float lever), as the float goes up and down the contact moves along the resistive wire, the more it moves the more/less resistive wire the electricity has to flow threw. your fuel gauges is basically a resistance gauge with fuel level decals instead of resistance/voltage decals.

as mentioned above make sure you have a good earth, with a poor earth it can cause your gauge to fluctuate and read wrong as it registers a greater resistance in the system

there is a simple way to test the gauges out of the car with a multimeter, set the multimeter to resistance and place a probe in the insulated output pin and the other probe somewhere on the body, i prefer to use aligator type clips as they allow you to move the float arm alot easier aswell as giving you a better earth then the standard probes

an lc lj should register 30ohm's full - 15ohm half - 0 ohms empty

see the images below for a sender i just checked to make sure they were fine, this sender registered 32ohms-1ohm, well within an acceptable range. the 32 ohms will mean it sits on the full mark for a fraction longer and 1 ohm will be as original, holden list 0 ohms but that is next to impossible to get, any electricity passing threw an item like a fuel sender will still pick up resistance along the pipes etc even if the contact is not in contact with the resistive wire

Posted Image

Like i mentioned at the start, this reply was just to try and help you out to see if it was your vehicle or the sender unit, if you choose to return it to be checked that is fine but i thought id try my best to help you out

cheers

Cavan

Edited by BIGCAV, 08 June 2011 - 11:19 AM.

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#6 _sunburst73-xu1_

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Posted 08 June 2011 - 11:56 AM

Thanks for the info Cavan
Will pull mine out this weekend and test it.

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#7 _hp179block_

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Posted 08 June 2011 - 08:53 PM

Thanks for the replies from everyone and the detailed reply from Cavan.

On taking the unit out of the tank I get 35-38 ohms at full and 4.5-8 ohms at empty. If my multimeter readings are right (don't bet on it - it's a Supercheap item), this resistance range doesn't correlate with the gauge behaviour obviously so maybe I'll try another fuel gauge (or 2) on the weekend if I get time. Have also realised at this point how confusing my multimeter is and I want a new one.

Also, I got one of the new tank sender unit sealing clamp rings and they are great. Thanks to Rare Spares for remaking them and at a very decent price too. Also wasn't expecting to get a new rubber seal with the tank sender unit either so was surprised at that. I know these are small things but they are appreciated. I ordered parts from the local distributor (Autobarn) on Sunday afternoon and they were all there by Monday afternoon. After waiting 4 weeks for an order in January (ordered online for pick up from Ipswich store) and 3 months for a rear beaver panel a few years ago from the now closed Brisbane (Bowen Hills) store this was excellent.

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#8 _Mike73_

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Posted 09 June 2011 - 02:05 PM

Hello,
I have had a recent experience with a defective fuel sender, this unit was a repoduction one , the business had bought it in for me from a different supplier.

On close examination the contact button was at an acute angle to the resistance wires and had actually grabed one of them and stretched it slightly making it subject to fauly readings and premature failure.

The short spring that holds this contact button was made too short and it was operating outside of the correct distance to make proper contact.

I do not know who the manufacturer was, but I have now sent this suspect repro part back to the company I purchased it from and I will not be purchasing another from the same supplier.

Mike

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#9 S pack

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Name:Dave
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Posted 09 June 2011 - 09:45 PM

Hello,
I have had a recent experience with a defective fuel sender, this unit was a repoduction one , the business had bought it in for me from a different supplier.

On close examination the contact button was at an acute angle to the resistance wires and had actually grabed one of them and stretched it slightly making it subject to fauly readings and premature failure.

The short spring that holds this contact button was made too short and it was operating outside of the correct distance to make proper contact.

I do not know who the manufacturer was, but I have now sent this suspect repro part back to the company I purchased it from and I will not be purchasing another from the same supplier.

Mike

Hi Mike

Sounds similar to the problems the later Genuine GM replacement senders suffered from, ie: HQ - WB and LH - LX.

The contact button was too small and would tear the wires. The copper shoe holding the button was at an acute angle (to the rheostat) because the thin rod it is attached to is too short and in some cases the thin rod was not attached with the correct alignment to the float arm.

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#10 _sunburst73-xu1_

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Posted 20 June 2011 - 06:07 PM

Well I pull my Rare Spares sender out of my fuel tank today after over the weekends club run.When I went to the petrol station it was reading half way between empty and quarter but it only took 40 liters of full at the pump.
I done approximately 250ks on our run and when I got home it was ready a needle thickness under quarter.I knew I could not have used that much fuel.
When tested today it read 0 ohm at empty and 13 ohms at half and 26 ohms at full.
So I have rang my local Rares spares and there looking into replacing it for me.
On the other note I spent a couple of hours pulling apart my original sender today and hey presto shes working,on the multimeter it read 15 ohms at half and 32 ohms at full.Put it back in my tank and its reading half a tank of fuel.
Now I'm happy. :lol:

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#11 frash da bucket

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Posted 20 June 2011 - 07:45 PM

Hi Dane,

I just soaked my original sender unit in metho,it was amazing how much dirt came out of it,then i cleaned the sender on top of it with some steel wool and the lock ring also,and the top of the tank also,to make sure i had a good earth,and cleaned the terminal spade and the main power wire also.My fuel gauge in the car was flickering pretty bad,and no more movement on the gauge.I don't like rare spares items very much at all,nothing is made to the right specifications,

Cheers John.

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#12 _hp179block_

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Posted 20 June 2011 - 08:58 PM

Thanks for the replies from everyone and the detailed reply from Cavan.

On taking the unit out of the tank I get 35-38 ohms at full and 4.5-8 ohms at empty. If my multimeter readings are right (don't bet on it - it's a Supercheap item), this resistance range doesn't correlate with the gauge behaviour obviously so maybe I'll try another fuel gauge (or 2) on the weekend if I get time. Have also realised at this point how confusing my multimeter is and I want a new one.

I have bought a new multimeter which is much more accurate and reliable.
Full - 29.6 ohms (30.2 if I apply a little pressure), 3/4 - 20.3, 1/2 - 13.3, 1/4 - 4.8, Empty - 0.4 ohms
So the readings are slightly under where they should be but I can live with that. Will have to look at the guage instead.

How do people go pulling their senders apart without breaking the tabs on the housing for the pivot arm? Can't seem to manage that myself

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#13 _sunburst73-xu1_

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Posted 21 June 2011 - 09:39 AM

Thanks for the replies from everyone and the detailed reply from Cavan. On taking the unit out of the tank I get 35-38 ohms at full and 4.5-8 ohms at empty. If my multimeter readings are right (don't bet on it - it's a Supercheap item), this resistance range doesn't correlate with the gauge behaviour obviously so maybe I'll try another fuel gauge (or 2) on the weekend if I get time. Have also realised at this point how confusing my multimeter is and I want a new one.
I have bought a new multimeter which is much more accurate and reliable. Full - 29.6 ohms (30.2 if I apply a little pressure), 3/4 - 20.3, 1/2 - 13.3, 1/4 - 4.8, Empty - 0.4 ohms So the readings are slightly under where they should be but I can live with that. Will have to look at the guage instead. How do people go pulling their senders apart without breaking the tabs on the housing for the pivot arm? Can't seem to manage that myself

I used some very small screw drivers and alot of careful patience. cheers

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#14 LC-GTR-1969

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 06:29 PM

Sorry to revive this old thread, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to remove the fuel sender unit... My guage isnt working properly- its showing 3/4 full when its on empty... I have checked the earth to the sender and its ok. The guage does work, but its completely out. Ran out of fuel yesterday when the guage read just under 3/4 full. This car is new to me.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. The car is an LC with an LJ GTR dash.

Cheers

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#15 sibhs

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 06:43 PM

I used a flag blade screw driver to tap the locking ring. ( the one with 4 upright tabs. ) I think anti clockwise just tapping one at a time.

Be gentle and it should co-operate. Marty

Edited by sibhs, 10 April 2014 - 06:45 PM.

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#16 LC-GTR-1969

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 06:51 PM

I used a flag blade screw driver to tap the locking ring. ( the one with 4 upright tabs. ) I think anti clockwise just tapping one at a time. Be gentle and it should co-operate. Marty

Thanks so much marty...

Just one more question, may seem silly, but how does the sender seal between this ring?

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#17 sibhs

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 07:29 PM

There is a big "o" ring.

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#18 N/A-PWR

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Posted 13 July 2014 - 07:49 PM

Good to know about the Fuel sender OHM's Test,

as we will end up getting a new sender,

and is the MT, 1/2 and Full, the same ohm's reading for a standard or XU1 tank's, senders?

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#19 RallyRed

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Posted 13 July 2014 - 09:43 PM

believe it is the same mate....the ohms is really about the gauge working properly...thus 10 gallon tank, 17 gallon tank, or bucket of petrol....you still need the same resistance from M/T to full.

IMHO

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#20 N/A-PWR

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Posted 13 July 2014 - 09:55 PM

Good Man Col,

Now that makes sense,

just need a Fuel gauge that works hey, the one in my GTR dash has never worked.

you still need the same resistance from M/T to full. IMHO

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#21 Ice

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Posted 13 July 2014 - 09:57 PM

I might have a spare gauge Dave but i cant remember if it is a fuel gauge its your if i find it that is

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#22 N/A-PWR

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Posted 13 July 2014 - 10:00 PM

Cool as Gene thank's

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#23 _glennhailstone_

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 10:55 AM

I just got one of these from rare spares for my LC SL but my one the feul tube goes through the floor of the boot all in one piece. But the one rares sent me stops just after the sender and then has a brass threaded fitting. Is this right, because I thought that I should just be able to take my old one out and put the GTR one in?

Cheers