Fuel Sender Gauge Interface?

[sj-bradley]

I've just been thinking about how my fuel gauge is not entirely accurate and I was wondering if this is the case with all kit cars, would there be a market for a little electronic circuit that would:

 

a ) Be adjustable to match any sender to any gauge and

b ) Have some damping adjustment to slow the speed which the gauge registers the amount.

 

It would be a small circuit that would only need switched live, ground and input / output terminals

and could sit behind the dashboard easily enough.

 

The question is, would anybody be interested in this kit?

 

(I have added a poll for answers)

 

Thanks,

Simon.

Edited February 21, 2015 by Simon B

[Guest 2b cruising]

Nice one Simon. Should be handy for quite a few kit car owners of one kind or another.

[alanrichey]

Could it be adapted to cure the fuel gauge reading backwards ?

[kevin the chicken]

Car builder solutions sell one of these, the manufacturers name escapes me at the moment. I tried to use it on my kit before realising that the sender was not working. They also can provide another small pcb that slots in to the unit to allow you to fit a low fuel warning light.

[sj-bradley]

Could it be adapted to cure the fuel gauge reading backwards ?

 

Yes, I had thought of that since I thought some sender might work backwards. It could be made configurable with a simple jumper setting.

 

I will have to think on this and find out more readings on sender resistances etc. At the moment it's just an investigation into feasibility.

 

Thanks,

Simon.

[Guest chrispine]

My gauge read backwards when I got the car, swap earth and live wires over on sender.

There is already a circuit available to correct fuel gauge, a firm was demonstrating it at Donnington last year.

Edited February 21, 2015 by crazy chris3rd

[alanrichey]

But Simon's will be much more fun

[sj-bradley]

Hi,

 

I've now found it on CBS and nearly choked, £38.40 for an op-amp and some miscellaneous discrete stuff ? WHAT? !

 

Interesting.

Simon.

[ozz]

I have a fried one somewhere. Reverse engineering prof?

 

[ozz]

I have a fried one somewhere. Reverse engineering prof?

 

[sj-bradley]

Ooh, yes please, that would be interesting. Looks like a simple circuit too being single sided PCB.

 

PM sent

 

Simon.

[speedtripledan]

I.d be interested simon, my gauge will tell me when i.m getting near empty other than that it reads full on half a tank. I could give you resistance readings if it helps in your devolpments. If you made something where you could program max and min reading of the sender that that then created a liner output drop it could have tintop application as well perhaps

[Guest 2b cruising]

The idea of a warning lamp included appeals to me. Would deff have one off you.

[sj-bradley]

A warning light - That could be an easy add on I hadn't thought about.

 

And, Dan, If you could note down full / empty and 1/2 full resistance readings if you can it would help.

 

I noted that fuel tank senders may not produce a linear output, but that can be accommodated for. Hopefully I will manage to get hold of a dead version and see if I can improve on it.

 

It will take a while before I can work out exactly what needs to be done together with all possible variations etc. I will keep this forum informed as I have done with the fog light controller (yet to be fully tested, boxed and tested in my car before final release)

 

Thanks,

Simon.

[biksz]

Simon I have a fuel gauge with a little screw on back to adjust the lights on it as it Selectric led one you can have a lookif you want if any good