REFLECTOR: Low Fuel Warning Sensor False Reading: SOLVED?

[Brian Michalk]

Agreed.  I can throw something over it for a test.  Just a taxi will do.
I have also in the past troubleshot the problem by placing a flashlight 
against the tank, allowing me to see the actual fuel level.  If it were 
painted, I couldn't do that.

On 4/28/2014 4:11 PM, Dave Philipsen wrote:
> Just a thought:  You might wanna just cover the sump with something 
> temporarily to block the light.  A few years ago I had to do some 
> troubleshooting/repair work on my sump and the fact that it was *not* 
> painted was helpful in that I could roughly see the fluid level and 
> then when I did the repairs I didn't have to strip off any paint.  
> Just an idea...
>
> Dave Philipsen
> Velocity STD FG
> N83DP
>
> On 4/28/2014 1:23 PM, Brian Michalk wrote:
>> Correct. The back seats are currently not installed.
>>
>> On 4/28/2014 11:42 AM, Dave Philipsen wrote:
>>> Are you flying without the back seat?
>>>
>>> Dave Philipsen
>>> Velocity STD FG
>>> N83DP
>>>
>>> On 4/28/2014 9:55 AM, Brian Michalk wrote:
>>>> An update to those of you using an optical fuel level sensor.
>>>>
>>>> I had installed the Carlo Gavazzi sensor from McMaster Carr ( 
>>>> http://www.mcmaster.com/#liquid-level-sensors/=rqf988 ) because 
>>>> it's a solid state optical sensor that should never wear out.
>>>>
>>>> I have had problems with it falsely indicating a low fuel situation 
>>>> in the sump.  Finally yesterday while flying I deduced that 
>>>> whenever I flew west towards the sun, the low fuel light would 
>>>> illuminate, and when I flew east away from the sun, the light would 
>>>> extinguish.
>>>>
>>>> The manual does say the device doesn't work in sunlight, but I 
>>>> never considered bright light to be the culprit.  I am going to fly 
>>>> with the sump covered with material to confirm my suspicions. If 
>>>> confirmed, I will be painting the sump tank so that sunlight will 
>>>> not penetrate the sump.
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>
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