Oil & Fuel Fuel gauge stuck on E

[boost2525]

I have a MAX22 and the fuel gauge went dead on me a few months ago. Doesn't mater how much I add the needle just stays on E. I've been getting by with visual inspection for the time being but I FINALLY have a free weekend coming up and I want to see if I can fix this.

• I don't think it's an electrical problem in the dash - because all the other gauges work.
• Maybe it's a dead gauge, but I find that the most unlikely scenario.
• My suspicion is it's the float (stuck?) or the sending switch itself.

Anyone have experience with a dead Mahindra fuel gauge... or better yet, tips on disassembling the fuel tank/float/etc. and schematics?

 

[747driver]

I know its a Kioti but he info ight help you.

I have a 2004 manufactured year CK30hst with the fuel tank at the fire wall behind the engine. The float arm would drag on the side of the tank. I pulled out the sending unit and re-bent the arm that attaches to the float. It would never get stuck at empty but just read wrong. Also had the original sending unit go bad. I measured the resistance with an ohm meter and it was way off. If your tank is at the rear of your tractor then things could be different. I'd remove the sending unit and check to make sure the float still floats and doesn't have a hole of some sort in it. If ok, then measure the resistance. At empty, the ohm meter should read 103-117. At full, the ohm meter should read 1-5 ohms. As you move from empty to full, the ohms should steadily decrease and then steadily increase if moving from full to empty.

 

[George2615]

Not familiar w/ Max 22 but trace out the wire from the sending unit from tank to gauge. The wire on my 2615HST got ripped off by a tree branch and did the same thing. Luckily I had enough wire to splice it back together with a heat shrink crimp connector.
There is also a chance the sending unit arm in the tank got bent somehow and won't let it move. Never heard of that happening but I'm sure it could be possible.
Also not sure if your wire to gauge is fused but check you owners manual for fuse identification to see if there is one.

 

[flyerdan]

Quickest test would be check for +12v on the hot side of the gauge, if it's there, check the wire to the sender for ohms. If it's open, there is a break in the wire or the sender is bad. The gauge can be tested with a decade box in place of the sender to confirm.

 

[boost2525]

Thanks everyone. I had some time this weekend and dug into it.

For future googlers... the sending unit is located on to of the tank, and the tank is located under the dash (behind the firewall, not under the hood). The sending unit can be removed from the tank without removing the tank. It's located on the top left side of the tank. You need to remove about 6 bolts (2 under the hood) to remove the dash trim and the dash. That took about 10 minutes. Once that is out of the way you'll see it, can't be more than 6 inches from the filler neck. There is a two wire harness connected to it with a quick disconnect.

I tested the harness and the sender with a multimeter and both checked out ok, so i went ahead and removed the sending unit from the tank. When I operated the sender by hand the gauge worked fine, and the float didn't have any holes. It must have just been wedged in there nice and tight. I've noticed my tank has a tendency to created a really strong vacuum, when I run it down to 1/8 empty you can hear the air rush in after you break the vacuum. I'm theorizing that the vacuum managed to pull the float down into a nook/cranny and wedge it there. I put it all back together and power cycled it a few times and everything appears to be back to normal.

 

[dickfoster]

Thanks everyone. I had some time this weekend and dug into it.

For future googlers... the sending unit is located on to of the tank, and the tank is located under the dash (behind the firewall, not under the hood). The sending unit can be removed from the tank without removing the tank. It's located on the top left side of the tank. You need to remove about 6 bolts (2 under the hood) to remove the dash trim and the dash. That took about 10 minutes. Once that is out of the way you'll see it, can't be more than 6 inches from the filler neck. There is a two wire harness connected to it with a quick disconnect.

I tested the harness and the sender with a multimeter and both checked out ok, so i went ahead and removed the sending unit from the tank. When I operated the sender by hand the gauge worked fine, and the float didn't have any holes. It must have just been wedged in there nice and tight. I've noticed my tank has a tendency to created a really strong vacuum, when I run it down to 1/8 empty you can hear the air rush in after you break the vacuum. I'm theorizing that the vacuum managed to pull the float down into a nook/cranny and wedge it there. I put it all back together and power cycled it a few times and everything appears to be back to normal.

Sounds like the vent in the cap is plugged. You might be collapsing the tank under vacuum thus jamming the fuel sender. I'm guessing the max has a plastic tank and there is no canister or closed system etc. as there is on cars these days especially with diesel as it's a lot less volatile than gasoline.