Fuel Tank Empty Gauge Still indicating Fuel

Stumpuller

Member

Equipment
Kubota GL 5240, Wicked Grapples, 1949 Case DC, IH 364, LP RCR1860
Oct 29, 2011
35
0
6
Wellston, OK, USA
I have a L5240HSTC-3 400 hours and I recently ran out of fuel even though the fuel indicator showed two hash marks up from empty. Wasn't really a problem bleeding the fuel system and getting it started. But, I would like to know if anyone has experienced this problem and could give me some advice?
 

Tooljunkie

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Equipment
L1501,home built carry all, mini plow blade.
May 13, 2014
4,150
27
48
59
Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba,Canada
By disconnecting fuel sender and grounding
Sender wire you should be able to make guage
Do a full sweep. If it does do a full sweep, i would say
Sender needs to be adjusted. Will need to
Come out of tank and rod adjusted. Unless
Something caused the sender to hang up.
 

Tarmy

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Equipment
L2800, BH76A, FEL,box scraper
Nov 17, 2009
409
266
63
Lake Almanor, Ca
I have an L2800 and have a similar problem...just started one day. Is the best cure for this type of problem to disconnect as described and "reset" the gauge...sorry to tag onto this post...but curious if this is common.
 

gpreuss

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L3200DT w/FEL, K650 Backhoe, 5' Rotary, 40" Howard Rotavator, 6' Rhino blade
Oct 9, 2011
1,166
6
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Spokane, WA
Any time my gauge shows less than half, I refill the tank. When I ran out of gas just below 1/4, I had a heck of a time getting the air all out of the system...
 

Stumpuller

Member

Equipment
Kubota GL 5240, Wicked Grapples, 1949 Case DC, IH 364, LP RCR1860
Oct 29, 2011
35
0
6
Wellston, OK, USA
Thanks Tooljunkie. I going to take the FEL off today and look for that sending unit and other PM's. In order to get a reset, once grounded, you turn the key on to make the circuit? Is that correct. Thanks tarnstrong and spreuss. Ditto on the losing prime. Losing prime on my IH364 just about takes ever tool in the box to get the air out. The L5240 is a snap. I was wondering too sense I have to lift fuel to fill, 4 gallons at a time, I normally never have operated with tank full.
 

Tooljunkie

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L1501,home built carry all, mini plow blade.
May 13, 2014
4,150
27
48
59
Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba,Canada
Yes, generally speaking most sending units
Are one wire, with key on and wire removed
Gauge will go to one side, and to the other when grounded.
Usually most senders can be removed without much difficulty.
 

dmanlyr

New member

Equipment
L3200, Hustler Super Z
May 30, 2012
330
1
0
Graham, WA
Thanks Tooljunkie. I going to take the FEL off today and look for that sending unit and other PM's. In order to get a reset, once grounded, you turn the key on to make the circuit? Is that correct. Thanks tarnstrong and spreuss. Ditto on the losing prime. Losing prime on my IH364 just about takes ever tool in the box to get the air out. The L5240 is a snap. I was wondering too sense I have to lift fuel to fill, 4 gallons at a time, I normally never have operated with tank full.
There is no way to reset the gauge. All you are doing by grounding it is to ascertain that it is moving full sweep.

If the gauge reads off, then removing the sender and adjusting by bending the float arm or replacing the sender if the resistance is off is the only way to correct the issue. UNLESS you have a unexpected high resistance in the wire between the sender and the gauge. That issue would have to be repaired, otherwise even a new sender and gauge would still read off.

Again, no way to "reset" the gauge. These are not smart instruments, they have no IC in them to make them smart, just a simple variable resistor in the sender to change the position of the needle on the gauge, the gauge which has a certain expected sender resistance range to indicate the various levels.

And yes, there are as many different sender and matching gauges out there that there is absolutely no universal standard on what the tested ohm's resistance range should be. That information is in the service manual.

David