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dual fuel tank question

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solo

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96 Silverado dump truck. dual tanks. as the primary tank uses fuel the secondary tank pumps into primary tank. on the driver side frame rail is a relay to run the secondary tank fuel pump. just below that is the balance module. when i bought my truck, they eliminated the secondary tank. So, there's no working fuel gauge. if i hook the purple wire (output to gauge) to the blue with white tracer (signal wire primary sending unit) together and plug it back in? instead of an average, will the gauge give me an accurate reading?
 
Welcome to the forum @solo

I would think so, if both tanks has a level sender in them, just running the sender from the primary tank direct you should get an accurate reading to the gauge. honestly if you still have both tanks, just not the equalizing hardware and plumbing, you could adapt it all to run both tanks separately on a toggle switch similarly to how a normal pickup is setup with dual tanks. the toggle switch would control a switching valve. the valves usually have a set of supply and return coming from each tank with a single supply and return going to the engine along with the inputs and outputs that would connect each gauge sending units.

this is something I have been wanting to implement on my truck between the truck tank and the aux tank in the bed.
 
dbrannon79 said:
Welcome to the forum @solo

I would think so, if both tanks has a level sender in them, just running the sender from the primary tank direct you should get an accurate reading to the gauge. honestly if you still have both tanks, just not the equalizing hardware and plumbing, you could adapt it all to run both tanks separately on a toggle switch similarly to how a normal pickup is setup with dual tanks. the toggle switch would control a switching valve. the valves usually have a set of supply and return coming from each tank with a single supply and return going to the engine along with the inputs and outputs that would connect each gauge sending units.

this is something I have been wanting to implement on my truck between the truck tank and the aux tank in the bed.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the reply. I wasn't sure if that was the way it would work or not. But that would be a good idea also. To be able to switch them yourself like all the others I've known to. This is the first I've ran across that balance.i had no idea.
 
a lot of big rigs were setup to have the tanks equal out acting as one tank. most had a valve on one or both tanks to isolate them so you could run off a single tank, only difference that I'm aware of was there would be two gauges in the dash one for each tank.
 
Now depending on the gauge and the setup. the gauge can possibly read up to only half for one tank. it all depends on how the gauge is setup, it will read off resistance where the sender and float sensors resistance changes according to the level. there is a max reading and a min reading, most GM sending units are setup backwards where when the tank is empty the resistance will read it's max value and when full the resistance will be at or near zero. on my 95 pickup the sender is setup from 90-ohms to 0-ohms from factory. you can test this using a multi-meter on the ohm setting while moving the float up and down. also by grounding the lead coming from the gauge to the sender. there usually is only a single wire from the gauge and will use a ground on the frame. sometimes there will be two wires, but one will always be grounded. connecting a test light from ground to the gauge wire should make it slightly glow as the gauge will pass a small amount of power through it to the sender.
 

Diagnosing dual tank balance module

Anyone with dual tanks having problems with fuel gauge or the automated balance flow system this may help. This module is located by the front (main) lift pump. Slightly toward the rear of vehicle along the frame rail. On top of this module is a fuel pump balance relay, it turns the rear...
www.thetruckstop.us
 
solo said:
96 Silverado dump truck. dual tanks. as the primary tank uses fuel the secondary tank pumps into primary tank. on the driver side frame rail is a relay to run the secondary tank fuel pump. just below that is the balance module. when i bought my truck, they eliminated the secondary tank. So, there's no working fuel gauge. if i hook the purple wire (output to gauge) to the blue with white tracer (signal wire primary sending unit) together and plug it back in? instead of an average, will the gauge give me an accurate reading?
Click to expand...
My 1969 Ford, had an electrical switch that changed which tank the dash fuel gauge read.

There was a hand valve that switched fuel tanks
 
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