"Low-Fuel" light stays on.

[barnstorm2]

I burned off all but about 3 or 4 gallons of fuel and low on fuel I decided to check the tank bottom.

I drained all of the AVGAS from my tank this weekend to check the condition of the inside of my tank (it was nice and clean).

After refilling the tank my "low fuel" light won't go back off. It is stuck ON.

I have since turned my gyro on and off several times flew it 5 hours and have burned fuel down to 1/3 and refueled.

The dang light is still on.

Any ideas?

My inaccurate fuel gauge is still 'working' and indicates just as it used to.

[Caribean_gyro]

check the ground , did you removed the tank?
I cna not remember hou the Mitche instrument indicate low fuel,

charles

[barnstorm2]

Charles,

No, I did not make any changes other than draining all of the fuel and then replacing it with fresh.

[Paul_in_Ohio]

Initiate Emergency Repair Procedure #1 - kick it! :D

Just kidding! Just kidding!

Some ideas....
Stuck relay (if it has one)
disconnected or shorting sensor
Something blocking the sensor (oxidation)
space-time distortion putting the sensor out of phase with the fuel...:rolleyes:

OK, OK... I'm sitting down now.

[Caribean_gyro]

i THINK YOU HAVE THE SAME GAUGE SENSORS. wHAT i AM THINKING IS THE WARNING INDICATOR. in the capacity sender there is a warning feature but in the resistvie type dont know how. unless is a light connected to the meter in some fashion.

Tim do you know hwre the light conects to. If it doesnt work cut the wires

[Caribean_gyro]

mitchel dont have a low fuel indicator. this must be added this is theire site http://www.mitchellproducts.com/

so the sender that turn the light is somepalce else. trace the light back.

also when some one sits on the back and seat is not tight nhe can move sender cables. chek it also.

[Rick Whittridge]

Mine does`nt have the light so I`m not sure what to look for.I did have to redo my float to make it read right.

[Caribean_gyro]

Tim you have me working

I found this site that show how to do a warning
http://www.aircraftextras.com/FSensorInstall.htm

[Rehan K.Janjua]

Hello Tim.

Check your fuel level sending unit.
It might be stuck at bottom level when you drained your tank.

Dismount it from the tank and move it by hand and see if the fuel guage works with the movements, this way you can also calabrate your sender unit by twisting the lever up or down as required.

Some units that come with a low light system, these work with a electronic
circuit which sences the resistance/ohms and at certain reading the light comes on. Or it might be just a wire contact with the sender unit when the fuel has reached a low level.

Keep us posted and Good luck.
Rehan

[Rick Whittridge]

The fuel gauge in the picture shows full so it is not stuck but could be a ground issue.

[Brent Drake]

My EIS system has already saved my butt once. I recommend to spend the $1,000 and install one. Tim know how much fuel,and how long till empty, plus all the temps,voltages,barometer is well worth it. Its a good piece of mind.

[Caribean_gyro]

Brent no matter what ssytem used if there is no good habit of preflights and inflight checks any sistem is useless. AS keb brock told me once, If you install instruments and dont use them why you need the extra weight.

Chuck

[barnstorm2]

Brent.

I would LOVE a system like you have. I have still not gotten over the purchase of my blades and hub yet but once my credit card has recovered I will be looking into one.

Did that price include all of the sensors you need?

[Brent Drake]

I bet you spent alot Tim. You have done lots of improvements to you machine. I love the Red color. I always feel on edge in the plane trying to time my gas usage. I will either sell the plane or put a system in it also.
But as of now, I'll probably sell it. So I can have more money for gyro's

[Caribean_gyro]

Brent your gyro came with the EIS? WHen I was building mine I evaluate this one and the statomaster, but dicided for the GX2. I thoughtI was the first gyro with it and then sparrow hawk came with it. The only thing I dont like is

1: no low fuel warning
2: if you use rotor RPM the fuel flow meter dont work. But this can be solve with another instr.
3: backlight at night too bright. But now they can do a chep mod in the factory.

Now putting 2 panel in parallel with same senders is a plus on this panel. so for the back sit is great.

I wish we could add color to it, but will drain too much current

Chuck

[barnstorm2]

Ok, just back at Connies house to pickup my laptop and head back to the hangar for more work and dinner.

The low fuel sender is a seperate sensor from the fuel gauge.

I am reluctant to take it out as it seems stuck pretty tight. It looks like it should just "pull out". Famous last words eh?

I have some good pictures I will post them when I get to the hangar.

[barnstorm2]

Ok, Here is what I know so far.

It is an on-off Kelch sender.

The web site has a simular model but not the same as mine.

Inside the tank the sender has a plastic tube that I assume has a float in it.

There appears to be no ground problem. (see ohm meter) but as I don't have the specs I can not be absolutly certain.

I was able to get a few neat pictures of the inside of my tank.

Charles, you once sent me some data on the fuel meter system. Can you resend that to me please I can't seem to locate it now.

[barnstorm2]

Initiate Emergency Repair Procedure #1 - kick it! :D

.

WE have a winner!!!:D

Well I messed and messed around with it trying to pry it out of the tank.. no good. I tried sticking things in the tank to 'wack' the tube to see if that would unstick something now that I had a suspision that it was a mechnical devise and not a resistance wire.

I tried tapping the top. Then I took a screwdriver and whacked the top... and TA-DA the light went off!

I hope it is now unstuck and working well.

Another adventure I got to have tonight was on my way to the pilot lounge to grap a vending-machine dinner.

The pilot of a restored P-51 Mustang was in need of help getting her in the hanger and when I stopped on my motorcycle to watch he asked me to help.

[Caribean_gyro]

If you see something floating you whaeck it for sure. The sistem that you are asking is the mitchell site or this onehttp://www.aircraftextras.com/FSensorInstall.htm

but it seems this is the same as the fuel meter. resistive that when it get down short the circuit thta turn the light.

any way lt me know wwhat you need I have zillion of links
chuckP

[barnstorm2]

Thanks Chuck,

What I need information on is the Mechanical Float-Type Fuel Level Sensor.

I need to make some adjustments and out side of bending the bar I am not sure what can be done.

I did not take a picture of the unit but I do have a fuzzy picture of the float.

It is a VDO and has the following numbers stamped into it:

1 551 004 082A

226 001

[Rick Whittridge]

Tim, That appears to be like my sender. If you look close you will see that it is adjustable. I kept adjusting untill I got it right. Take a measurment from the top of the tank to the bottom of the tank. Then measure your sender with float hanging down. You will see how far off or how close it is to the bottom of the tank.

[Caribean_gyro]

they basicclly are the same , one will increase resistance as it rise and the other types will come down. I still hvae the original one that came with the twinstar. I have to change it since the GX2 panel works oposite to what the sender measures.

http://www.egauges.com/vdo_send.asp?Sender=10_180ohms&Cart=

[barnstorm2]

That's it! Thanks guys. I noticed the hight adjustment but I thought there might be some sort of resistance adjustment.

I just ordered a CruzPro FU30 B intelligent Digital Fuel Gauge with Consumption Calculator. It works with all of the resistance senders and "learns" your gas tank and can give fuel burn info ect. Accurate to 2%. $189.00

[Caribean_gyro]

THATS GOOD, BUT SOON YOU WILL NEED A BIGGER PANEL. My next instrument will be fuel flow. help to make inflight calculations easier