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LPG Tank Senders/Gauges. (how to find ohm range now?)

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 12:26 pm
by Rhysta
How exactly do these work. Are they a ohm's based thing like petrol tanks?

Or is it all to do with pressure?

Reason I ask, is im trying to get a 2" speco guage to go with the tank.

Its difficult becuase id ont know what the ohms of the speco guage are..

If anyone knows of 2" fuel guages that you can get in differnet resistance, let us know please.

Rhys

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:18 pm
by chimpboy
Yep, it's just resistance. There's an arm in the tank with a float on it, and as it floats up it moves a contact along some coiled resistance wire.

You should be able to work out the required resistances for the gauge pretty easily with a few resistors; it should just be linear.

Once you've worked it out I would say that it's at least a 50/50 chance you can just correct for your car's sender by putting a resistor in parallel.

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:24 pm
by batcho101
easiest way to get the ohm reading right woudl be to find/remove the guage from the tank and test the ohms at empty and 1/4 half 3/4 and full then work it otu from there mine runs off a float with a magnet in it which moves the contact. i think some even have the ohms written on them

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:48 pm
by DamTriton
Are we talking real "gas" tanks (LPG), or the American gas (petrol) tanks?

We only have petrol or diesel tanks here, or LPG cylinders....

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:59 pm
by Rhysta
Yep gas. LPG whatever you want to call it.

All i want to do is run this speco guage with my lpg tank.

Speco are useless and dont have info on what ohmage (is that even a word?) their guage is.

Or find a similar guage that will do the job.

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:59 pm
by chimpboy
Sorry, I thought we were talking about petrol tanks.

But it's still just a variable resistance i believe.

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:33 am
by Rhysta
Ok then, ill get the gauge and may need some help when it comes to getting the resistance right..

So keep a look out for this topic again please ;)

Thanks for you help guys, look forards to gettin abit more later on.

Rhys

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:22 pm
by Rhysta
Ok just a question, to find out what ohms my sender is putting out would I be right if i unplugged the wires at the back of the guage. +ve on the sender wire and -ve on the earth?

And have the multimeter set to the funny ohms picture thingo.. that looks like a upside down U sorta..

Rhys

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:45 pm
by chimpboy
Rhysta wrote:Ok just a question, to find out what ohms my sender is putting out would I be right if i unplugged the wires at the back of the guage. +ve on the sender wire and -ve on the earth?

And have the multimeter set to the funny ohms picture thingo.. that looks like a upside down U sorta..

Rhys
Yes. Ω. You probably have a few different scales to choose from, not sure which is right but you'll be able to work it out.

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:04 pm
by V8 Middy
I have been told its 0 - 90 ohms but I'm not sure whether full or empty is the 0 or 90.

Easy enuf to check if u test once with a multi meter at empty, then fill it and check again. I don't think I've ever seen a fuel guage that is linear, they always seem to move slowly thru the first 1/4 to 1/2 then faster (ie more accurate) for the second 1/2. as long as the 0 - 90 bit is right at both ends u can get used to how the needle moves pretty easily

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:49 am
by aussie_stu
hey buddy, also check out vdo I think they have a gauge made for gas, I've been searching myself, trying to get rid of the daggy LED one and found this........


http://www.sso.siemensvdo.com.au/html/g ... age&id=269

on page 21 of the document (page 11 in adobe) there are some gauges that go 0-90 ohms, and it says the vdo gauges can be used with LPG

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 5:24 pm
by Rhysta
Just ordered a autometer guage, that is 0-90 ohms.

Tested my sender and it was close enuf to 90 at full and getting pretty dam close to 0 at empty. Soo this will give me a better indication then my poxy LED one with like 3 out of 8 LED's that still work. :roll:

Any guage would be compatiable with gas, as long as I had the right ohm's range.