Fuel gauge issues

[mangus580]

Well, I ran out of fuel already!!! Hard to believe I have already put close to 16 hours on it!

Also hard to believe I ran out of fuel...



I will be contacting the dealer.... Sorry, but this just aint right!!

 

[Guesseral]

Float is probabley stuck!

 

[boomer632]

Sorry to see that. Not sure about the other LS models but the R series models are notorious for being inaccurate. It has been discussed here before. My 4041 is living proof albeit not as bad as yours. When mine hits 1/4 tank I start making my way to the fuel depot.. Luckily I haven't run dry yet.

 

[Thomas]

Some Kubota L2800 has the same problem.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Mine is opposite, it shows empty when it still has about 1/8 of a tank so it is pretty accurate. I would much rather it show less than actual than the other way around. No way should it show 1/4 or more and run dry. New sensor time.

 

[Guesseral]

Mine is opposite, it shows empty when it still has about 1/8 of a tank so it is pretty accurate. I would much rather it show less than actual than the other way around. No way should it show 1/4 or more and run dry. New sensor time.

X2 on that mine is the same.

 

[mangus580]

Just got off the phone with the dealer, he said they have seen it before, and what happens is the float hits the side of the tank and doesnt drop all the way.

He is sending one of his guys over this afternoon to fix it.


Still a little shocked I ran it dry at roughly 16 hours of LIGHT use!

 

[rwork]

Fuel consumption sounds about right. Roughly 1.5 hrs runtime per gallon.

 

[mangus580]

Fuel consumption sounds about right. Roughly 1.5 hrs runtime per gallon.

Thanks!




So he came and pulled the sensor, messed with it for about 5 minutes, and decided he is ordering a new one. He said he didnt like how it was behaving in the bottom range of motion.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Just got off the phone with the dealer, he said they have seen it before, and what happens is the float hits the side of the tank and doesnt drop all the way.

He is sending one of his guys over this afternoon to fix it.


Still a little shocked I ran it dry at roughly 16 hours of LIGHT use!

Specs say tank holds 8.3 gallon and did you have it completely full. About 2 gallons per hour doesn't sound bad for a near 40 HP engine.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Forgot to ask, did you have any problem starting it up after running out of fuel?

 

[mangus580]

It was supposed to have been full (dealer filled it upon delivery)

I never really put much thought into how much it SHOULD use... Just know I was surprised I went through that much already. Not so much after I realized how many hours I have on it I guess!

 

[mangus580]

Forgot to ask, did you have any problem starting it up after running out of fuel?

Nope. Turned the key on after filling it, let it clatter the electric fuel pump for a second and fired it up. Didnt even skip at all for a second like I expected.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Same thing with my 7010. I ran it out once when the gauge quit working and the tank was leaking. I knew it was full because I filled it up before I left on my 8 week out of country rotation. Got home ran it about 10 minutes and while crossing a ditch it died. It wouldn't fire at all. Popped the cap and tank was dry. Put in 5 gallons and it fired right up and that is when I noticed it dripping. At first I thought I had spilled some fuel but it kept coming back, then I found the 4 cracked bolts that were embedded in the tank. Took 6 weeks to get a new tank, but I fixed the old one with JBWeld and it is still holding almost 2 years later. Maybe I should put the new tank on before I get too weak and feeble from old age to handle it. Every time I have had the fuel tank off or empty, it fires up with little to no bleeding.

 

[George2615]

If you hadn't posted the fuel gauge pic showing almost half a tank (when in actuality empty) I was going to say they don't run on air alone. You do have to refill them once in a while. If you got 16 hours from an 8.3 gallon tank that's only .51875 GPH (slightly more than 1/2 GPH). Real good for its size.
My little 26 HP uses just under 1 GPH running at about 1800-2000 RPM under load.

 

[mad deranger]

Mine is opposite, it shows empty when it still has about 1/8 of a tank so it is pretty accurate. I would much rather it show less than actual than the other way around. No way should it show 1/4 or more and run dry. New sensor time.

My R3039 has the same 'issue'. As the guage indicates less fuel than actual, I leave it be. Nothing wrong with having a reserve. I still get 16 hours per indicated tank running mostly under 2000 RPM.

I have also found that all (at least til 97) Ford pick up's fuel guages have their own 'personality' too.
LS knows it's an issue and will give it some thought on the next models. We all learn from experence.