Aux. fuel tank level gauge.

[Archive]

Has anyone tried hooking up the sender from your aux. fuel tank to read on the truck fuel gauge? Looks like, from reading the service manual that the signal goes through the PCM?

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White 99 3500, QC, 3:55, auto. most options except leather, Line-X bed liner, fiberglass running boards Rancho 9000s, bug shield and window vents, black vented 5th wheel tailgate, 100 gal. aux. fuel tank.

 

[Archive]

It does and when you switch over the tank from main to aux you will have to turn the ignition off then on and then you wiill get a second reading. Once you do that you will read the aux tank and then when you put the switch back on main you will have to switch the key again.

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2000 DODGE SLT,ULTRA-RUNNING BOARDS, AMERICAN TOOL BOX/FUEL TANK,AND REESE 20K HITCH,GTS BUG SHIELD,RHINO LINING . MEDIUM SIERRA BRONZE, QUAD 2500 LONG BED. 4:10 POSI-TRACTION REAR END W/AUTOMATIC. STAN'S 4" EXHAUST SYSTEM TURBO BACK, AND VOYAGER BRAKE CONTROLLER,PIRO/BOOST/AND TRANY GUAGES. ULTRA-BOARD MUD FLAPS. HEAVY DUTY TOWING AND ALL ACCESS. A POSI-TRACTION 4:10 REAR END. K&N AIR FILTER. MOPAR DEEP ALUNIUM TRANY PAN. KLEEN WHEELS, DD STAG 1 INJECTORS. CUSTOM BURLWOOD DASH KIT AND WINDOW SWITCH COVERS. 29' ALPENLITE 5TH WHEEL W/SLIDEOUT. 5" GENO'S CHROME EXHAUST TIP. STULL ALUMINIUM BILLET GRILLE. STAINLESS WHEEL OPENING TRIMS. POWER VENTED TRANY COOLER. Hellwig 3500 progressive overload springs.

 

[Archive]

Thanks Alpenlite, I may try to install another gauge for the aux. tank. That could get tricky if you were coming down Wolf Creek pass. bg

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White 99 3500, QC, 3:55, auto. most options except leather, Line-X bed liner, fiberglass running boards Rancho 9000s, bug shield and window vents, black vented 5th wheel tailgate, 100 gal. aux. fuel tank.

 

[Archive]

B G,

You are right and so is Alpenlite. My auxiliary tank gauge works that way too. It is a PIA. On my other trucks, '92 & '97, when you switched the tanks the gauge immediately went to the proper tank. Now I don't know if the tanks really switched except by watching the gauge and see if it keeps dropping. You can run out of fuel on that tank(Been there-Done that!! That's a real PIA!!!) Sometimes the electric motorized transfer valve sticks and doesn't switch tanks unless you flip the switch back and forth several times.

I have had this happen on this truck and found a bad ground connection from sloppy installation job(should have done it myself). They left one of the return line hose clamps loose and it blew off and I ran the truck out of fuel 10 miles west of Amarillo on I-40. That's partially my fault since I should have crawled under the truck and checked the clamps myself. Oh well, if you want it done right, do it yourself!!

Bill

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Y2K 3500QC, 6 Speed, 4. 10, SLT+, Camper & Tow Pkg. , Westin Chrome Nerf Bars, Mopar Flaps, Reese 20K Hitch, V-A CPC, EGT & Boost Gauges, RPM 45 Gallon Aux. Fuel Tank, Highway Products 5th Wheel Toolbox, ECM Controlled PacBrake, Painless Wiring Kit, Mag-Hytec Diff. Cover, 80% Towing Hitchhiker II 31', 2 slideouts, 19,750 GCW

 

[Archive]

Possible solution:

I think that maybe the PCM freaks out because when you switch senders it reads no resistance. In other words, as you move the switch from one position to another, there's a brief point where neither sender is connected to the PCM.

If this is true, there's a simple solution. You can replace your switch with a make-before-break switch. These switches are designed to close one connection before opening the other. That way there will never be a position of the switch where there is no sender attached.

It might be worth a try to see if it works... ???