Elec, gremlin strikes again

[Pony Ruiz]

I thought all was good then something happened...

my gas gauge went from full to empty before my eyes. not sure if the temp went at the same time but I think it did.

So I thought, "now what?"

Let it sit for a few days - go to start it and it worked. Worked for awhile.....

Then today - after sitting outside covered in the cold and wet it decided to do it again. Not sure if the cold and wet had anything to do with it before, but there may be a connection here (no pun intended).

I am thinking just that - loose connection, but where? And I hope I don't have to take the fairing off to get at it..

Fuse - wouldn't work intermittantly no?

Any other ideas? I understand there is a relay or some such inside the gauge, but that is beyond me at this point.

Any ideas? Thanks!

And a Good Year to ya All!

 

[bk2valve]

Yep, take your moto seat off and pull the connectors off the fuel gauge sending unit (the round thingy in the middle of the fuel tank,,,right under your seat)....clean them up good and the bayonet fittings on the sending unit itself...replug and see if that doesn't help....
Brian

 

[captaindan]

Is your temp gauge working?

 

[joedrum]

as brian said ...pass that its probably the regulator in the instrument guages pony ...if it is this you need to fix it before it takes out the guages

 

[AApple]

I'd lean towards the voltage regulator being the culprit, too. Mine was doing the same thing when I first bought it. I found the connections from the regulator to the gauges were corroded, and loose. Once I cleaned and reconnected them, both gauges work fine. Every now and then, my fuel gauge will drop, or not read properly, but cleaning the connections under the seat always gets it back in shape. One of these days, Imma gonna re-do that connection, and make it a little more weatherproof.
I haven't had to remove my fairing for any of the wiring I've done up there. It's a little tight sometimes, but I always seem to manage.

 

[Pony Ruiz]

AApple: so the connections to the gauges at the voltage regulator were the culprit? I did the one under the seat - no effect whatsoever.

I do think the heat gauge wasn't reading either.

 

[Pony Ruiz]

I will try cleaning the contacts to the voltage reg.

JD: so you dont think its the relay in the instrument panel? that would be good I do not want to get in there...

 

[captaindan]

Pony,
some info from another website maybe this will help
https://www.goldwingdocs.com/Store.asp

 

[AApple]

AApple: so the connections to the gauges at the voltage regulator were the culprit? I did the one under the seat - no effect whatsoever.

I do think the heat gauge wasn't reading either.

The regulator operates both the fuel and temp gauges, so if there's a problem with it, or the connections, it will effect both gauges. The regulator drops the system's 12 volts down to 7 volts for those two gauges. The connections under the seat will only have an effect on the fuel gauge. :good:

 

[dan filipi]

I agree probably not the voltage regulator causing the problem.

Try shorting the fuel sender wire to ground, the gauge should go to full. Give it 15-20 seconds to move.
If it does go up then likely the sending unit has a bad spot in the coil.

If it doesn't go up then you'll need to trace forward on that wire and circuit.
There could be a loose wire connection at the gauge even or could turn out to be a bad gauge.

 

[Pony Ruiz]

Ap,

Thanks,

that is what I recall having gone through this several months back.

Now do these things just quit - never to work again or is there the possibility of coming back to life?

Ya reckon the connections at the plug to the regulator under the false tank or inside the instrument cluster are the culprit if indeed it is a connection...

I can ride it like this but seems these are key indicators no? I could use the trip meter for gas and I do have a infrared thermo, but it is kinda hard to use that riding :doh:

Dan;

there are two wires on the fuel sender - one presumably ground. take the hot and ground it?
how does that make the gauge work? (electrician I am not)

tanks

 

[dan filipi]

One of the wires at the sender is ground (green), the other goes to the gauge (yellow).
What the sender does is provides a varying amount of ground to the gauge to make it read fuel level.
It works much like reading resistance on a Volt/Ohm meter.

 

[joedrum]

the guages are 7volt ...when the regulator is bad the guages get 12 volts if you leave it this way it will take the guages out eventualy...and yes they do come in and out a lot mine did ...when i change the regulator out everything went to normal and never had the problem again

 

[cyborg]

if you need a good used regulator, i have some

 

[Pony Ruiz]

thanks,
I have a couple speedo's I could salvage one from...

kinda cool - these guys made their own - if I could do it out of wood i'd be in business
https://www.goldwingfacts.com/forums/vie ... ght=7+volt

 

[Pony Ruiz]

I assume I have to take the fairing off to get to the back of the speedo and the 7v reg.

 

[AApple]

I haven't had to remove my fairing to work back there. It may be a pita, but it is doable.

 

[danf]

Pony when those two guage's start freaking out like that it's usually almost always the 7 volt regulator....If it's just one, I'd check connections as stated above..

 

[Pony Ruiz]

Guys,

At last writing I was all geared up to go after it, but when I started it up (just to hear it run) the gauges were working. I went on a couple hour ride and they are still working.

I did see that I could take off the windshield probably and get at the back of the thing there. I have a low mile speedo / tach cluster I could / might just swap out. Goes with the motor anyway (17k!).

I will keep my eye on it for sure....

 

[toytender01]

Saw several 7v regs on ebay this week