TechMod : XJ900S Fuel Gauge Sensor

Repair
How to repair your Yamaha Diversion XJ900S Fuel Gauge Sensor

Unfortunately a faulty fuel gauge on a Yamaha Diversion XJ900S is

a case of "They all do that mate". A new one, part number 4KM-
85752-01, is expensive (around € 84,00) but with a bit of 'DIY' it
is possible to repair it yourself. This repair scheme has been
written by Keith Straw (Keith's Original Guide) and Michel
Deventer (Michel's Approach) who has also added the pictures.
Some of the original pictures have been replaced as your
webmaster had the same sensor problem but replaced it by a new
part.
Keith's Original Guide
The problem is that the pivot of the sensor arm wears to an oval section
allowing the arm to move sideways. This pulls the sensor feelers off their
track with the result that the fuel gauge stops working. If left in this
condition too long, the feelers which are very fine slips of metal will
break making the device unrecoverable. However, if the feelers are still
in place, it is possible to repair the pivot. Remove the fuel gauge sensor
and disassemble it. Measure the thickness of the pivot arm. It should be
about 2 mm. Buy a piece of brass tube of the type used in radio control
models with a bore of 2mm. Take the pivot arm with you to check the fit.
It is available from most good model shops Europe-wide.

The next part is tricky. Either: Use a very fine drill (about 2.5mm) to drill
out the original pivot tube to accept the brass pipe. Or cut the original
pivot tube off and use an epoxy resin glue to glue the brass tube in its
place. You might also be able to braze the pipe into place if you regularly
build model railway engines and have that sort of skill of hand! You can
then reassemble the fuel gauge sensor and reinstall it.
Michel's Approach
I've used a slightly different approach. I've drilled out the original pivot
tube using a drill 1/10 mm smaller than the width of the replacement
pivot tube. Then I've used waterproof sandpaper (grain P600) to match
the width of the new pivot tube and the drilled hole. (so I've actually
sandpapered the new pivot tube, but only for a few 1/100 mm) After that
I've cleaned the lot and put the new pivot tube in its place by using a
small and light hammer.

I was not able to braze the new tube in its place! The two parts kept
breaking off.

Finally I've used epoxy resin to glue the arm onto the plate and into the
new pivot arm. The arm, the plate and the pivot tube now end up being
one single component.

Marcel's Approach
Na herhaaldelijke ergernis aan het niet goed functioneren van de
benzinemeter op de Diversion 900 heb ik besloten om een serie nieuwe
busjes te draaien. Na het leeg laten lopen van de benzinetank kan men
beginnen met het verwijderen van de vlotter en de sensor. Ga dan als
volg te werk:

Met behulp van 2 kleine schroevendraaiers wipt men voorzichtig de

aszegering van zijn plaats zo dat men de vlotter met zijn stang kan
verwijderen. Vervolgens demonteert men het aluminium onderdeel uit
zijn kunststofbehuizing (wees voorzichtig met die kleine sleepcontacten).
Zaag voorzichtig de versleten bus er af en boor met een boor van 3,9 of
4 mm het gat op. Doe dit niet met de hand maar onder een boorkolom.
Vervolgens tikt men de nieuwe bus met kartel (met behulp van LOCTITE
270) in het uit geboorde gat. Let op de uitsparing onder in de bus voor
de stang van de vlotter. LOCTITE uit laten harden en vervolgens
monteert men de vlotterstang en de aszegering (liefst een nieuwe) op
zijn plaats. Monteer alles weer voorzichtig terug in de tank en sluit de
stroom connector en de benzineleiding weer aan. Denk aan het open
zetten van de bezinekraan.

Marcel klein Goldewijk

Pictures
 Complete
assembly

Close-up of the
fuel gauge
sensor

The problem:
Sideways
movement
lifting the
fingers off the
track
Close-up of the
tiny little
"fingers"

Close-up of the
circuit board

This is what is
causing the
trouble
 Another
mistery solved.
For some
reason the fuel
red light on the
dash kept
working
properly. This
second sensor
is at a fixed
height in the
tank. If the fuel
level drops
below this
sensor, the
light will come
on.

The new pivot

tube in it's
place

Other side

Last update 30-Jan-2008