One Fuel Bar Showing no matter quantity

[grand rouge]

Greetings from Sacramento CA.

My 85 LTD is displaying a couple of issues. I have the factory manuals including Electrical and so far have not figured out precisely what is going on.

Background: Fuel gauge has been erratic during the 4,500 or so miles I have owned this 85,000 mile machine. When ignition key turned and bike ready to start, instrument panel lights and vertical graphs etc. do their 'thing' ..everything normal.

When tank filled, all bars showing and FULL readout on the travel computer screen. Within as little as 20 miles and as many as perhaps 50, quantity indicated on dash was 3 or 4 bars. Trip computer would show a quantity number that matched closely the bars on gauge. Always, bars and numbers were wrong....wayyy negative....confirmed with a fill up. The Low Fuel light illuminated when roughly a half gallon of fuel remained. No issues in my observation other than the erratic reading on dash and agreeing trip computer. No flashing dashes either on trip computer in all fuel scenarios. I read the posts re the Thermistor and I ordered just in case I needed em.

I removed the fuel sending unit, thinking maybe debris or wear on the resistance windings or the tab that contacts windings when float rises /drops. Well, the unit is a clean and shiny as new, I checked resistance values per book with arm at full, half empty etc. All good. The float perfect etc. Had decided that since no flashing trip computer dashes, Thermistor OK. I cleaned connector just ...because.... All wiring on machine is un molested (3 wire Stator connection is the exception...proper mod) and in beautiful condition. Anyway......sender re installed and connected. I now have the flashing trip computer dashes indicating Thermistor failure.....And.....no matter fuel quantity, have only 1 fuel bar showing on dash. Disconnecting connector at sender still leaves 1 bar. The oil pressure / oil temp feature works properly as does the coolant temperature.

What am I missing? Thanks. Grand Rouge

[DaRamblerman]

When you reinstalled the float did you get it stuck in the tank?

[grand rouge]

DaRamblerman….. Thanks for your question.

No float is not hung...up or down.

Steve McQueen showed us what a real motorcyclist does to check fuel quantity..... Remember, in The Great Escape, fuel cap off, look into tank, move bike around a bit, listen perhaps for any sloshing sounds.....and roar away.