Fuel gauge not accurate?

[Michigankubota]

My Fuel gauge will not go over the 2nd to the last bar. There’s one more bar to full and it works when the gauges go through the start up procedure. So even when the tank is filled to the top it’s still one bar down. It seems to work fine as the fuel level goes down and I fill it back up. Anyone else have this? I guess it’s not a big deal just annoying.

 

[armylifer]

That is a common occurrence when the fuel tank is over-filled. Believe it or not, if you fill the tank all the way to the top of the filler neck the tank is considered over-filled. As you noted, as the fuel level goes down the gauge starts to show full and will start to normalize its reading.

 

[Michigankubota]

That is a common occurrence when the fuel tank is over-filled. Believe it or not, if you fill the tank all the way to the top of the filler neck the tank is considered over-filled. As you noted, as the fuel level goes down the gauge starts to show full and will start to normalize its reading.

The thing is no matter what, it never reads full. Doesn’t matter if it’s plumb full, or a few inches below the top.

 

[armylifer]

When I read "It seems to work fine as the fuel level goes down and I fill it back up." I thought that you meant it showed full after running awhile. I don't know what to say now except that if it is accurate when you get near empty that is the most important thing. You don't want to run out of fuel because of an inaccurate fuel gauge.

 

[Fordtech86]

Has it been like that since it was new? Assuming you bought it new.

 

[bearbait]

This is my 3rd Kubota and not one fuel gauge worked right, I just learned to live with it.

 

[skeets]

I guess some guys dont remember when we did not have a fuel gauge, and we had to top off the tank before we started, cause walking back to the barn and carrying 5 gallons of fuel back out to the tractor, because we were in to big a hurry to check the tank, was a big deal. Not that I ever had that happen to me mind you

 

[hope to float]

I guess some guys dont remember when we did not have a fuel gauge, and we had to top off the tank before we started, cause walking back to the barn and carrying 5 gallons of fuel back out to the tractor, because we were in to big a hurry to check the tank, was a big deal. Not that I ever had that happen to me mind you

Ever since my days working on golf courses, I fill up and check all levels every evening. Nothing worse than a queue at the fuel tank when you are trying to beat the early birds. Everybody did it, so you knew that whatever machine you were taking out it was good to go.

 

[William1]

I watch the gauge. When it is down in the lower third, I watch it more and if the drop speed increases, I go and get fuel. So many fuel gauges in so many machines are inaccurate that I slowly learn to 'read' them and get a relative idea of the fuel status.
I too, refill completely at the end of the day, so it is always full for the next round of work. My garden tractor/mower (gas Craftsman) uses about 3/4 of a tank for a full mowing, about three hours for 2 gallons. The Kubota will go about 12 hours perhaps more on a tank (5 gallons???) though I fill at the end of the day unless the job was just a 30 minute 'touch up'.
That reminds me, my fill tank is empty.....

 

[Michigankubota]

Has it been like that since it was new? Assuming you bought it new.

I bought it with 111 hours on the clock. It’s been this way since I took ownership.

 

[Michigankubota]

I guess some guys dont remember when we did not have a fuel gauge, and we had to top off the tank before we started, cause walking back to the barn and carrying 5 gallons of fuel back out to the tractor, because we were in to big a hurry to check the tank, was a big deal. Not that I ever had that happen to me mind you

Hahah! Right!

 

[Michigankubota]

I watch the gauge. When it is down in the lower third, I watch it more and if the drop speed increases, I go and get fuel. So many fuel gauges in so many machines are inaccurate that I slowly learn to 'read' them and get a relative idea of the fuel status.
I too, refill completely at the end of the day, so it is always full for the next round of work. My garden tractor/mower (gas Craftsman) uses about 3/4 of a tank for a full mowing, about three hours for 2 gallons. The Kubota will go about 12 hours perhaps more on a tank (5 gallons???) though I fill at the end of the day unless the job was just a 30 minute 'touch up'.
That reminds me, my fill tank is empty.....

Same here with my JD L118 this Kubota replaced lol! BTW, not sure how I went this long without the BX! It seems to find its own work.

 

[AndyM]

I have had only two issues with my BX25 - fuel gauge acts just as Michigankubota has stated (the other was the loose throttle linkage Wildfire so kindly made us aware of). Bit of a nuisance but if that's as bad as it gets, I am fine.

 

[Michigankubota]

I have had only two issues with my BX25 - fuel gauge acts just as Michigankubota has stated (the other was the loose throttle linkage Wildfire so kindly made us aware of). Bit of a nuisance but if that's as bad as it gets, I am fine.

Thanks. It’s not a big deal. I was just curious.
Not sure why I waited so long to purchase a tractor over a lawn tractor. I guess I didn’t think I could utilize it as much as I’ve been.

 

[troverman]

I wonder if the float on the sending unit has become a little saturated so it cannot quite get to full? Or maybe the rod the float rides on is slightly bent somehow?

I've got three Kubotas and the fuel gauge works well on all of them - B2920, L4310, and MX4800.

I would note that when on a sidehill, or going up and down a slope, the gauge will not be accurate. Automotive gauges are "stabilized" meaning they will not register changes until a brief delay to account for sloshing, angles, etc.

 

[boz1989]

My kubota fuel gauge reads like my old chevy.. The first half of the tank is much bigger than the last half.

Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk

 

[D2Cat]

If you have any equipment that uses a gauge like this one, it will not work correctly unless it is mounted exactly vertical. Any angle and the resistance in the two side pieces doesn't allow the float free movement. The greater the angle the worse it is.

 

[NoBiffBetter]

The thing is no matter what, it never reads full. Doesn’t matter if it’s plumb full, or a few inches below the top.

Check your fuel sending unit.. most likely the culprit.. by what you said in your OP the gauge is more than likely not the issue.. the only other thing that could be the problem given what you said and your scenario would be the fuel sending unit.

Check out a workshop manual to figure out where the sending unit is located and how it comes out. Once you get the sending unit out of the fuel tank turn the key on and slide the float up and down.. the gauge should Mimick what your doing to the float.. if the float is all the way to the top and your gauge still reads 1 bar low then the issue is absolutely the sending unit..

A sending unit works off what is called a “potentiometer” which works off resistance... when the sensors get dirty or worn out they start reading incorrect resistance which then throws the gauge off..

Check it out and let me know what you find but I’m sure that’s gonna be your issue. You can also clean the potentiometer sensor with electrical contact cleaner but ONLY if you can get the cleaner to shoot on the contacts of the sensor .. otherwise it’s not going to help.

Hope this helps.


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