Fuel gauge does not work

[Guest]

I have a 1983 Suzuki gs1100e. The fuel gauge shows that the tank is always full basically it looks to me as if it is stuck on full all the time even though the tank is almost empty, I checked the wires that plug to the fuel tank and they are connected and look good. Does anyone know how I can check to see if the sending unit is broken or if the gauge it self is broken or any good way to test what might be wrong with the gauge? Thanks for any help on this

[cowboyup3371]

Have you removed the sender and verified nothing is hung up on the inside of the tank? When you checked the wires, did you verify you have good voltage readings?

[chuck hahn]

If you unplug the wires at the harness the needle should fall to the E position because there is no electricity going to the bimetal strip to heat it up and move the needle. If this doesnt happen, the needle is stuck. First try tapping on it to see if it releases. if not, youll need to remove the tach and open it up. If it does fall off F, then its the sending unit in the tank..or the wires in the harness are touching each other somewhere..usually somewhere where the wirs culd come into with the area the tank mounts to the frame. Also, if theres a sliver of the plastic cover at the connectors that could touch metal it may be shorting there also.

[chuck hahn]

Once the tach is out of the dash you just pry up the crimp on the bezel ring to remove the glass..go slowly all the way around a few times to get the crimp pried up well. Then you can mve the needle to get it unstuck also. clean the gauges face and inside the glass and reassemble it. Type in opening gauges in the search box and many threads come up on the subject

Heres one showing the crimp once it has been reset and it give you the idea of where I am talking about..

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?186108-Speedo-tach-gauge-disassembly&highlight=pry+bezel+ring

[posplayr]

On the 1100E there is no bi metallic spring, but you can still test the gauge and the sender. Given the gauge is staying deflected (up), I would guess the sender is screwed up. So is mine but not quite as yours. The senders have a resistive wire wrapped around a piece of composite board that tends to warp in the gas. It screws up the linearity of the swiper.

I would follow the tests in the manual to test both gauge and float sender.

Also no need to open the tach, the fuel senor is it's own gauge.

[chuck hahn]

I was basing the response on my experience with the 1000s. I honestly didnt even look at what bike he had.

[posplayr]

. I honestly didnt even look at what bike he had.

I do the same sometimes

[wymple]

Before you go to all that trouble, mine will read full all the time if the 2 wires are crossed.