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HybridZ

Auto Meter Fuel Gauge


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There is a sticky on this around here somewhere. Since they moved the stickies, I'm not sure where.

 

In any case, here's an explanation about the "non-linearity" that you have observed, and why you can't fix it with resistors, different senders, etc.

 

The stock Z sender is designed to output in a non-linear fashion. The stock Z guage is linear. The Autometer sender is linear. The autometer guage is near linear, but compensated.

 

The problem is the stock Z gas tank. If you look at it, it contains much more fuel in the bottom third of height than the top two-thirds. What that means is that the tank fills in a non-linear way. Bending the float and/or putting in resistors will only change the F and E indications, but not the indications in-between. The stock Z sender was designed to be non-linear to compensate for the differing amount of fuel this oddly-shaped tank contains at a given height. Remember, the float indicates a height, not a capacity. In a regularly-shaped tank (a rectangle), the fuel height is directly proportional to a volume. In the Z tank, it isn't.

 

The solution I am using is to use the Autometer sender and guage combination, adjust the F and E points using the float arm, then fill the tank a gallon at a time, re-marking the guage at the accurate capacities for 1/8 through 7/8. In effect, I am re-calibrating the guage to read in a non-linear, but accurate fashion.

Edited by Oddjob
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