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ecoflame: Have you had any issues with your fuel gauge?
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hupshall: Like what? Mine works just fine. I also love the way the ring flashes when the fuel light is one.
@rkrenicki: No, but I do know that some people have issues with their fuel gauges sometimes on the A-C type clusters for some reason. I havent seen the problem in person yet, so I do not know what the issue would be.
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ecoflame: It will randomly drop to empty and then rise back up. Sometimes it throws a code. P0462 fuel level sensor "A" circuit low.
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ecoflame: I've been meaning to message you for any insight.
@rkrenicki: Yea, you are not the first person to tell me about that. Actually, didnt we talk about it before? I know I have talked to at least 3 people with that issue, and they all had earlier type clusters (010, 020, or 030)
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ecoflame: We conversed over what ended up be a mis-wired ground. I have two BFM clusters and it will do it with both of them. Ones the manual version (010?) and the others an auto (030?).
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ecoflame: I'm thinking it might have something to do with the adapter harness, but I don't know where to start.
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hupshall: So, the P0462 code will certainly come from the fact that the needle drops down to empty - The ECU is looking at the voltage between the gauge and the actual sensor in the tank - the voltage is how it determines the resistance and therefore the position of the float in the tank. This power comes from the circuit inside the BFM itself, I would perhaps take the unit apart, check to make sure none of the solder joints are cracked.
@rkrenicki: Do you have one of my PCB adapters? I don't have my list handy of those who have em
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ecoflame: Robert - no I made one similar to yours off SLi before you had the boards made.
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ecoflame: Huw - fair point, however I have two BFMs and it happens with both. While possible, the likelihood of both having a damaged or defective component is low. I'm thinking I should probably go ahead and pull the adapter out and resolder the fuel gage wire to the pin.
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hupshall: Depending on how often it repro's - if you have access to a data logger which can log voltage, run with that for a while and see if the voltage on the output of the meter really does go down to 0
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hupshall: Also, I know a guy over on the Peninsula who's also stated he has issues - so I'm wondering if there is something subtly different in the A-C wiring
@rkrenicki: The A-C wiring is different from D, but the fuel gauge is just one wire connected to the cluster.. not exactly rocket science.
I wonder if either A) the fuel line is shorting to ground somewhere intermittently.. or B) The way that the fuel is monitored by the ECU is different between the A-C and the D type.
Now, I did used to have a C type (030) cluster in my car for a short time until I sourced my first D type H6 cluster. During that time, I had no issues with the fuel gauge, but I didnt have it there for more than a couple of months. But, that is on an H6 car.. which may or may not make a difference.
@rkrenicki: Okay, to sum up.. Four people have my A-C type speedometer adapter. Three of them have this issue that I know of. @
Grimmrican also has this issue, but does not have my adapter.
I did not experience the problem in my car, but my experience with the C type cluster was not extensive. @
Grimmrican had a A/B type cluster in his car that I re-pinned.. and I do not believe he had this problem. @
amgarrety does have one my adapters, and I do not believe he has seen this issue either.
I have never seen this issue on any D-type cluster.
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ecoflame: I'm suspecting it has to do with the wire and soldered pins. Huw mention a good point the resistance fluctuating. And @rkrenicki you make a fair assumption about the wire shorting out somewhere along the adapter.
As of right now I feel my best coarse of action would be to open the dash back up, remove the adapter harness and either resolder the wire and pin for the fuel meter or just attempt to better insulate the connections.
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ecoflame: Ultimately it could be the actual A-C clusters by being 100% comparable with the USDM ECU and or harness. Which I hope is not the case.
@rkrenicki: Are you talking about touching up the solder on the cluster connectors, or on your adapter? I am thinking that all of these may be aged (15-17 years old now..) solder connections on the back of the cluster PCB.
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ecoflame: I was referring to the adapter. I don't trust my skills enough to mess with the PCB.
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ecoflame: I have noticed that the levels are different between USDM and JDM. Basically when the needle gets to the JDM "E" position there's is still around 1/5 to 1/6 of a tank left. I know this based of miles per tank.
@rkrenicki: I believe that each cluster has a different calibration for the fuel. My silver car has seen over a dozen different clusters, as I use it for testing.. Every one seems to have a slightly different position for fuel. In fact, the current cluster (the one in the photo above) is quite off.. my low fuel light comes on super early, somewhere around 1/4-1/3 of a tank.
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Grimmrican: Uber late to this party but my cluster did have this issue. After a year it started to drop to zero fuel then eventually find its way back up. But as @rkrenicki mentioned my hunch was a grounding issue or more leaning to the fact that my fuel floater was faulty. Which I knew the float would not read correctly in most cases once it dropped below 1/4 tank.
@rkrenicki: Huh.. I didnt know that. I also found out that @
amgarrety's also had this issue. So, its official. Every single A-C type cluster that I have been aware of has had this issue, regardless of adapter type (car repin, wire adapter, pcb adapter).
It must be a compatibility issue, or they are all developing the same fault due to age.