fuel tank

[fitz]

why is it when i start my bike my fuel gauge shows the correct amount then shuts down to show just (fuel) on this 82 maxam

[MartyA]

Mine shows full after I top it off, then after the 1st gallon it shows empty. I never bothered to try to fix it, I just watch the miles and fill it every 100-125 miles.

[skids]

I'll bet the sender unit is like the xs11, where the float position causes contact on a variable resistance bar. It could be that the windings have some coating of crud on that spot or the tang needs a little more tension on it (rebend it).

[TonimusMaximus]

I actually took my sending unit apart and went "Wow. This is ancient technology." I let the unit sit in acetone for a while to get the gunk off of it and calibrated it with the specs from my repair manual. Works fine so far.