Bongo Fury

Hello Folks, my fuel gauge has a life of its own so have done the earth mod using a wire to the seat slider bolt.The gauge now rises to the full position but the tank is def not full.Any opinions fully appreciated!

This should help you test what's happening, about 4 posts down - http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=33920.

Wondering if you earthed the wrong wire? Or did you just earth the tank? More info here - http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... fuel+gauge

It does sound like both wires earthed.

Try undoing your fix at the sender end and touching that end of the wire to the sender screws or any other bit of clean metal on the fuel tank. Hopefully that will give you the correct reading and you can then permanently attach the wire there.

Obvious safety warning - don't hold the exposed bit of wire while the ignition is on!

Obvious safety warning - don't hold the exposed bit of wire while the ignition is on!

Why not? it's only 12v - no way you'll even feel that, never mind get any sort of shock.

Don't lick it, fair enough, you'd feel that!

Unplug the white connector to the sender & see if the fuel gauge drops to zero? If it don't could be the actual gauge??

I think i got that right..?!! Does sound like a short at that point in the system, causing a constant full reading...? (Like the recommended gauge test..)

Right I've filled the tank so I know where I stand.I pulled the white plug out and put the wire back into the left hand side and re-attached.After half an hour the fuel gauge then only read half even though I know its full.I've now taken the new wire completely out of the white connector and attached it to one of the 8 screws on top of the sender unit[this is still connected to the chair runner bolt and plugged back in the white plug.The gauge has again risen to the full mark. I'm hoping it starts to drop as I drive about this week!

Why not do the testing as described in the link I posted? Then you'll know.

dave_aber wrote:

Obvious safety warning - don't hold the exposed bit of wire while the ignition is on!

Why not? it's only 12v - no way you'll even feel that, never mind get any sort of shock.

Don't lick it, fair enough, you'd feel that!

Several people die each year from licking PP3 9V batteries to check whether they still have any juice! 12V can give you a nasty shock and can potentially stop your heart.

Poohbear wrote:

dave_aber wrote:

Obvious safety warning - don't hold the exposed bit of wire while the ignition is on!

Why not? it's only 12v - no way you'll even feel that, never mind get any sort of shock.

Don't lick it, fair enough, you'd feel that!

Several people die each year from licking PP3 9V batteries to check whether they still have any juice! 12V can give you a nasty shock and can potentially stop your heart.

Not much voltage, but a starter batter can deliver a fair old current. You should be ok, but better not to risk it.

Poohbear wrote:

dave_aber wrote:

Obvious safety warning - don't hold the exposed bit of wire while the ignition is on!

Why not? it's only 12v - no way you'll even feel that, never mind get any sort of shock.

Don't lick it, fair enough, you'd feel that!

Several people die each year from licking PP3 9V batteries to check whether they still have any juice! 12V can give you a nasty shock and can potentially stop your heart.

I don't know about that?!! But i normally carry a spare in my pocket for my radio mike, just in case... While gigging i Switzerland earlier this year i felt my leg burning & realized the battery had shorted to a forgotten Swiss frank!

I've never licked a PP3, but i have inhaled a smoke machine....

I can see why yer cautious Pooh... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhF2v35qU2c

jaylee wrote:I can see why yer cautious Pooh... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhF2v35qU2c

Good one!

Poohbear wrote:Several people die each year from licking PP3 9V batteries to check whether they still have any juice! 12V can give you a nasty shock and can potentially stop your heart.

Pardon ? Where on earth did you read that!!!! That I am afraid is utter nonsense!

The heart needs about 15mA of current thru it to cause fibrillation, even 50 volts is insufficient to cause this when connected between the hands. Other than making a connection under the skin itself, into the dermis layer and applying around 80 volts again between hands/arms there is no way you will get the resistance down sufficiently to cause other than a mild to strong tingle in the nerves of the arms.

Regardless of which, it's always safest to keep well away from live power supplies (and charged capacitors and hot resistors etc).

My last comment on safety as it won't help fix the fuel guage!

Several people die each year from licking PP3 9V batteries to check whether they still have any juice! 12V can give you a nasty shock and can potentially stop your heart.

unless you are some sort of lizard with 2 tongues anchored deep into your chest cavity, the path of least resistance from the + to the - of a PP3 will be a long way from your heart!