Community Forums

GoneFishin · 04-23-2008, 08:32 PM

Hope someone knows about calibrating the fuel tank / sensor. We asked our dealer to check our fuel gauges since we are not able to get the gauge to show FULL. The technician removed the 'sensor' (I believe that is what he called it), put it into another container full of something and it read full. Then removed the sensor from the container and it showed empty. Then reinserted the sensor in the container and it read full. Then put it back into our MH and our tank gauge now reads full (we need to double check). However, we estimate that we are down about 20 gals in our 70 gal tank. We asked him to explain the process a couple times, but he says that's how it's recalibrated. Does this make sense to anyone? Can anyone explain the recalibration process or guide me to more info on this? Thanks and I apologize if this doesn't make sense. (Doesn't to me.)

GoneFishin · 04-23-2008, 08:32 PM

Hope someone knows about calibrating the fuel tank / sensor. We asked our dealer to check our fuel gauges since we are not able to get the gauge to show FULL. The technician removed the 'sensor' (I believe that is what he called it), put it into another container full of something and it read full. Then removed the sensor from the container and it showed empty. Then reinserted the sensor in the container and it read full. Then put it back into our MH and our tank gauge now reads full (we need to double check). However, we estimate that we are down about 20 gals in our 70 gal tank. We asked him to explain the process a couple times, but he says that's how it's recalibrated. Does this make sense to anyone? Can anyone explain the recalibration process or guide me to more info on this? Thanks and I apologize if this doesn't make sense. (Doesn't to me.)

bg1811 · 04-24-2008, 12:35 AM

I had mine readjusted at the Elkhart plant a couple of years ago. They asked me to go in with a full tank of fuel. The tech raised the cover on the driver's side to expose the fuel tank. He then used either a small wrench or a screwdrive (I can't remember which) and had me get in the coach and tell him when the gauge showed full. It was just a matter of turning the sensor on the tank. It was not removed.

beaverjim · 04-24-2008, 02:07 AM

bg1811, thats correct. i installed a new sensor a couple of yrs. ago and adjusted it as you said using a small screwdriver using the same guidelines, having the tank full. i might add that we now have a fuel gauge that is actually accurate! jim.

AKBrick · 04-24-2008, 04:38 AM

Hi Mick,
I didn't know that you could adjust the tank sensor, but I'm glad to hear it. We can always get the guage to read full but it seems that when we fill the tank at around half full there is usually about a ten gallon difference between fillups. I don't know if it's the fuel pumps or just us not getting the MH into Flying J's at the same time. Yesterday we put in 59 gallons at just above the full mark. Other days we would get around 45 to 49 gallons. Also there may be different times that the pump kicks off when the fuel gets above the full mark. ?
Quite frankly at these prices I'd like the guage to read full all of the time! This trip back to Junction City is a lot more expensive than the one comming down last fall.

Maybe we'll have ours re-adjusted too. Thanks for the post Mick.

Good Luck you two,

Tom

bkphotog · 04-24-2008, 04:56 AM

Hi everyone:

I found this topic interesting because as I speak my unit is in the shop for the very same problem. I have not been able, since day one, of owning my current MH of showing a "Full" mark on the gas gage.

I really do not know what is about to take place in correcting this but as soon as I find out I will get back to all of you. All I know is that when I fill the tank, I fill it until I see the gas coming up the fill pipe. Then when I get inside and start the engine the gage only shows just over 3/4 full. So up to this point I have been keeping it filled and I never let it go below 1/4 full on the gage. So we will see what the repair place / dealer finds out.

Flyer · 04-24-2008, 06:14 AM

I had the same problem and fixed it myself. In my owners manual there are instructions on how to adjust the fuel guage. As mentioned before, the adjustment screw is easily accessed on the top of the tank. I'm not near my RV so I can't quote the exact procedure.

Happycarz · 04-24-2008, 08:13 AM

Mic & Ric,
If your owner's manual does not have the procedure in it for as guage calibration, call me and I will read it to you, as I am a slow typer. It does mention that if put in a container of fluid, it must be fuel and not water. But, the correct method is to calibrate it in the coach.

Pusherpilot · 04-24-2008, 08:48 AM

Funny!! Mine reads full all the time!! On a couple of occasions it has worked properly but not for long. We use the Aladdin fuel usage figuers to let us know when we need fuel. The gauge is in a horrible place and is the only one that I have to rise up in the seat to read. It's bad, but I don't care!
Ron

Happycarz · 04-24-2008, 12:13 PM

Here is the link to Centroid for calibrating the senders in Monaco coaches.Centriod for Monaco

PP,
If there is water in the tank,the gas guage will read above full, according to there website. Does yours stay at full or above full?

ronboc · 04-24-2008, 02:10 PM

Great link, happycarz! Something definitely worth saving. Thanks.

On every tank-sender that I've seen, there is a small slotted adjustment screw on the top of the sender unit (mine was covered with undercoating, so it took a bit of digging to find it).

Like the Centroid info implies, make an adjustment and then WAIT A BIT! Do not immediately begin tweaking on the adjustment right away, give it time to settle down before cranking on it again.

There is also a bit of 'fudge-factor' or guesstimating involved in determining EXACTLY what a full tank is/should be. Don't forget, most of our tanks run the width of the coach and the filler-neck isn't at the exact top of the tank either - but more appropriately a bit down on the side(s). That means it's gonna be real tough - especially at some fuel-islands - to get the coach perfectly level and the fuel to be at the tip-top of the tank itself. I'd guess most of us typically end up 4-7 gallons shy of a full load (so to speak).

So even if we fill it til it dribbles out, we're still not going to be at an exact capacity each time (a degree or two off-bubble will make a big difference over the almost-8ft wide of our tanks!). It may be futile to expect to get the perfect fill, but more-likely a repeatable one each time.

Therefore, time and patience will help a lot in getting the sender calibrated to what reasonably register as a 'full-tank'. Do a good fill and tweak the adjust-screw til it shows full, and then wait to re-tweak a bit less the next time you fill up. It may help to keep in mind to 'split the difference' each time you do the adjustment - ie, first time is a big adjustment to get close, second time is zeroing in a bit closer, and so on. Otherwise, you may be swinging too far each way and never get to the small incremental changes.

Check out the threads on replacing the fuel pickup-tube too, if your genset seems to run out of fuel at the 1/3 to 1/4 point. Why drive a coach (especially in the summertime) when the 'usable' capacity/distance may only be 60-75 gallons?

HTH,
Ron

FishBum · 04-26-2008, 09:26 PM

Thanks for all the very helpful information. We topped off with 37+ gallons and told our service writer that we NOW have a full tank and the technician can re-do the adjustment. I've also found the adjustment screw and know how to fine tune it from now on. In fact, I'll probably watch him this time. Thanks again all!

UPS 34 · 04-27-2008, 12:28 AM

I need to find some money to fill my tank. Maybe I can just adjust it full when i need fuel.

RonNBama · 04-27-2008, 02:15 AM

My gauge shows over-full for the first 300 +/- miles of driving. It's basically empty at the 1/4 mark (generator shuts off due to fuel starvation) and will take 100 gal +/-. I have learned to live with it and kinda know what to expect now. The annoying thing is that fuel usage while stored in winter (Aquahot, generator exercising, etc) I really don't know my range until the needle starts dropping from the "F" mark.