Fuel idiot light no longer working

Hi guys this may be a topic that may have allerady had a thred but here goes

the idiot light for fuel no longer works and i am having hell finding a new one has their ben any luck fixing these has anyone tryed ? what is the common break in this part ? is it somthing we may go to radio shack and replace a blown resistor or such .

Looking for your thoughts / sugestions sorry all i ment the tank sensor


Thanks

 

According to the info I've got that low fuel warning light in your dash panel is just a 14v 3.4w light bulb Honda part number 37237-SA5-003.

Part number 2 in this pic.

 

LOL sorry my bad i know the dash light is good i replaced them all in the fall i ment to say the tank sensor again i am sorry for being a knotthead and not being clear

 

So you've tested it at the plug with an ohmmeter ?

 

check the connector under the tank, use DMM on both sides, checking for switch actuation on the tank side, and that you don't have an open circuit on the other side. if you have a wiring diagram its your new best friend. if you can continue to cut the system in half until the problem is located.

 

I've got the same issue. The light worked at the end of last season before I put the bike away, but has since given up the fight. The indicator light itself works, it lights up when the bike is first started, then quickly goes out.

Are you referring to testing the sensor itself to check its resistance or check the wiring harness connector? Are there known values that the sensor is supposed to provide when the tank is full or on reserve?

 

There should be a range of resistance, but if you have NO continuity at all at the plug, that component needs replacement. Although (WARNING !!) i have not studied the service manual on your model, based upon similar experience, i'd guess that grounding the fuel sensor wire should light up the warning light if things are OK.

If not, fuses are cheap.

 

Squirrel is right on this test, just keep your fuel fill cap closed or a full tank as a precaution.(liquid gasoline does not burn, but the vapours are explosive)
now the safety is out of the way, older fuel idiot lights use a differential resistance circuit to measure the fuel level and light the idiot light if the resistance from the fuel sender is the same or less than the reference resistance. even older systems use the light blub as the reference. so grounding the lead to the tank usualy will test the circuit. if grounding does not work then the circuit in the guage cluster is damaged and will need repair or replacement(far easier to repair if your capable).

 

Ok, so I think my fuel light circuit sensed its inevitable demise, because it decided to kind of work later that night. The light came on about a minute or so after I had to switch to the reserve. Grrrr.

So I got back and decided to have a closer look at everything. Upon closer inspection, I found a couple of things out:

1.) The idiot light would light up (sometimes), but upon revving the engine, the light would flicker, and occasionally go out entirely.
2.) I disconnected the sensor and jumped the leads on the harness connector... dash light instantly lit up with no fading, flickering, etc.

As I had less than a gallon of gas, I decided it would probably be in my best interest to not connect multimeter leads to the sensor itself. The flicker upon engine revving (increased vibration) caused me to think it was an electrical contact thing coupled with what ZEN biker had to say, and probably not at the guage end since it willingly lit up once the connector was jumped. I began inspecting the leads on both sides of the connector to find that the contacts were rather grody...

After cleaning the contacts, clipping the wires back a smidge, and soldering the connectors back onto the wires, it appears as though everything is 'happy' for the time being. When the light does come on, it no longer flickers at all. I just filled up, so hopefully we'll see what happens once this tank gets low. I did notice that the wires running to the sensor are definitely corroding, so the next time the tank is off, I may just replace all the wire between the connector and the sensor to rule out that added resistance to the circuit.

Thanks to squirrelman and ZEN biker for their fast replies!