| Author |
Message |
Ruffnit (65.81.133.213)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 2:52 pm: | |
Wondering if any of the MCI folks have purchaced and installed a fuel guage. I'd like to have one, and was hoping that someone who had purchaced and installed one could share details such as cost and diffulticulty of the installation. Thanks |
Earl-8-Ky (199.174.1.228)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 3:36 pm: | |
I have a MC8 too with the idiot light. I am going to install a fuel gauge and I will use one of the existing wires for it. It should be a simple thing to do. |
DaveD (64.235.198.76)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 6:27 pm: | |
I've never had the nerve to run low enough to let the idiot light come on, but I have thought that a fuel gauge could fit through the same openbing in the tank. I've seen some sending units and gauges advertised that look like they should be easy to install.
DaveD |
Mike (130.245.220.188)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 7:32 pm: | |
why does a mc8/9 not come with fuel gauges? |
RJ Long (Rjlong) (24.127.74.29)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 7:54 pm: | |
Mike - I can think of a few reasons:
~ A fuel gauge was an option. Many first owners didn't bother ordering it because:
~ Their operations are such that the coach is fueled every night, in the case of charters returning to the yard, or. . .
~ Extended charter drivers know to look for fuel every 500-600 miles, or. . .
~ Line-haul (Greyhound, Trailways, etc.) operators have pre-scheduled fuel stops. (Example: Sacramento to Los Angeles via Fresno. About 400 miles, easily w/in the range of an MC-9. They're fueled in Sac before they leave, in Fresno, and again upon arrival in Los Angeles. Overkill? Maybe, but you rarely see a 'Hound broken down alongside the road, let alone one that's run out of fuel!)
Any of these types of operations, realistically, do not need a fuel gauge when the service staff are doing their jobs properly.
HTH,
RJ
PD4106-2784
Fresno CA |
Buswarrior (Buswarrior) (64.229.210.172)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 11:48 pm: | |
Ruffnit,
The fuel sender and gauge are available new from MCI parts.
Sender bolts right into one of those plates in the front of the fuel tank, and the gauge goes in one of your empty dash holes, usually installed in the upper right one, but do what you want.
All you need to add is a wire from tank to dash, and pick up power under the dash.
The bill for mine is lost in the bus file somewhere, so I can't quote you dollars. MCI parts has an 800 number on their website.
On the low fuel light issue, if that light comes on, you are most likely in a perilous situation.
Any old salt that I know who ever saw one come on who did actually make it to the gas station just about filled the tank. The rest didn't make it. When I had my tank empty for a patch job, the light didn't even come on at all.
The wise old driver keeps track of mileage between fills, doesn't trust gauges and lights, and to be sure, fills it up or uses a dipstick.
Chief reason to exclude a fuel gauge?
So no one would rely on it and run out of fuel.
happy coaching!
buswarrior |
Lyle Jensen (12.24.198.12)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 17, 2003 - 12:11 am: | |
You can get a used sender and gauge from Caylor supply in Kansas city.
The wireing is allready there in the harness by the tank and under the dash |
TomNPat (68.128.42.156)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 17, 2003 - 12:43 am: | |
Our mechanic installed ours at a total of $87 for parts. Can't determine the labor, but since the wire was there, doubt it could be an hour. At the time we were too busy to 'do it ourselves'. I love it.
WEBYSU
TomNPat |
Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.6)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 17, 2003 - 8:20 am: | |
One of the reasons I have seen that no fuel gauge is installed in fleet vehicles is that they may not read accurately or have differing positions on where empty really is. When you have different drivers jumping into different vehicles they aren't familiar with it is very easy to rely on a mal-functioning fuel gauge and run out of fuel. So often times the management figures no gauge means the driver will have make sure he has fuel and not rely on a gauge.
--Geoff
'82 RTS CA |
Rufnit (65.81.133.213)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 17, 2003 - 8:39 am: | |
Lyle, do you have a phone # or URL for Caylor Supply? |
Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj) (65.194.145.35)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 18, 2003 - 5:52 pm: | |
My brother and I (well, mostly my brother) really tried to fix the sender in the tank on my Crown. Fortunately, access was very easy. Unfortunately, he never got it exactly right.
The gage acts goofy. Sometimes correct, sometimes wierd. What I did was to use a broom stick to simply dip the tank, which is also very easy. Even cut notches every 25 gallons.
Seems the broom stick is more accurate more of the time than the gas gage which doesn't work most of the time. Sometimes simpler is better. Thanks. Henry of CJ |