Tips of getting fuel sending unit out of tank on 04 Viper ER

steveg_nh

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Jan 13, 2013
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Southern NH
Hey Guys,
Anyone got any tips on how to get the fuel sending unit out of an 04 viper er? The sending unit is located directly behind the steering column. Do you have to take the steering column out, or move it aside, or if you pull the bolts on the sending unit, is there enough play to sneak the sending unit out next to the steering column? I don't want to try unless I know I can get it out, because if I mess it up bad, I wills crew up a 4 day trip I have this week.

Off to look over the service manual to see if it helps.

Thanks!
 

If I remember right you can sneak it past... It's tight. I defiantly would not pull column. You can unbolt the fuel tank to move it around first.
 
Got it done, thank you! Loosen and slide the tank back about 1-2" and you can work it out. Finally! Thanks a million.
 
Pretty sure I broke it when changing the in tank fuel filter. I hooked it and bent the wire. Bent it back and seemed to work but really it didn't. When riding it would slowly work it's way to empty and then flash as if I had 0 gas. If you stopped and waiting it would slowly return to a Full reading. But always Full. Never accurate. Measured the old one and resistance was all screwy. At full it read 40 ohms and empty like 150. Should be around 5-10 for Full and about 100 for empty. New one is great.
 
Thanks for the tip. My fuel gauge recently began doing the same, but I haven't yet checked the variable resistance. I'm gonna order up a new sending unit.
 
Actually yea, thanks for the offer Steve. I'm pretty handy with a DMM and all of my tools, but my job makes me lean more towards going by the book so I know exactly what to expect.
 
Actually yea, thanks for the offer Steve. I'm pretty handy with a DMM and all of my tools, but my job makes me lean more towards going by the book so I know exactly what to expect.

I know what you mean. Anyway, here's the page from the service manual. Remove the airbox, and you'll see the green connector to the fuel sender, which bolts into the back of the tank. If it looks like mean it's a square brass colored plate with 4 philips screws with the wire coming out of the middle. Set your DMM to the lowest ohm range, not K or M, or Auto. This will allow you to easily see the change in resistance is you lift the float wire in tank.

fuelsender.JPG
 
fwiw: I have had them test fine on the bench, but not work in the sled. Swapping with another sending unit fixed the issue. Never really determined why.
 
Wow, that's interesting. I tested mine once it was out, as I was pretty sure it was bad. And sure enough it was. Maybe the gas around the unit affects it?

Anyway, I should have mentioned, but thought it obvious - make sure before you pull that sender off that you have drained the tank down below the sender bolt on point. I drained down to a 1/4 tank and that was fine on my Viper.
 
Anyway, I should have mentioned, but thought it obvious - make sure before you pull that sender off that you have drained the tank down below the sender bolt on point. I drained down to a 1/4 tank and that was fine on my Viper.

Aw. now you went and spoiled the fun and excitement !!! LOL

Yah that could be very bad if one was using an open flame heater to have gas spilling all over the garage floor. A small jet skidded off the end of the runway at the small airport a few miles from here yesterday. It went through some trees and knocked both wings off which of course exploded the fuel. We could hear the explosion from inside the house loud and clear. Pilot was only one on-board and miraculously survived.

Ok - I am being Johnny Off-Topic - I will be quiet now LOL
 
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Hahaha!! Not emptying the tank or at least getting it low enough to work on the fuel system would just be dumb! Don't worry fellas, I ain't no newb or rookie like that!
 


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