90ft
Parking Attendant
Posts: 8
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posted October 22, 2001 08:21 AM
2000 model fuel leak
I have a fuel leak somewhere.
What was the problem that a lot of people had.
Anyone.
Was a recall - was it the tank that split or a pipe coming off it.
My dealer won;t order a new tank unless he has exact details.
Thanks
  
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BigJ12
Expert Class
Posts: 107
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posted October 22, 2001 08:49 AM
Yes it's a recall.
Your dealer should know all about it! If they don't you tell them that it is a recall! Mine was not leaking when I brought it in and they put some kind of weight system in the fuel tank on the vent line that keeps it from cracking.
If it's already leaking then the tank must be replaced with the updated tank.
BigJ12
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ZXtra
Expert Class
Posts: 490
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posted October 22, 2001 11:37 AM
2000 model fuel leak
90ft...You're dealer hasn't sold too many ZX12's, has he. It's his job to know about safety recalls like this. This was a major recall. He should have service bulletins and you should have gotten a bulletin in the mail.
Along with the tank they will also recalibrate (with shims) or replace your fuel gauge sending unit.
Service is always the biggest problem. Good luck!  -ZXtra
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The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick!
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redelk
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
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posted October 22, 2001 01:04 PM
Shims?
How and where are these shims used? The reason I ask is that I have had both my tank and sending unit replaced. Actually, I did them both myself and I don't remember any shims with the replacement sending unit.
What I found to be interesting about the two items is their part numbers. The tanks' (49 state & CA version) part number changed (or "superseeded" according to the parts CD). The sending unit's number did not change. To the best of my knowledge, the number is still 52005-1134.
There are a few things to not when replacing these two items. 90FT, since yours is already leaking, the "recall kit" (with the weights for the internal vent tube) won't work. Tank replacement is the only course of action. There are a few things to note when replacing these two items.
In the case of the tank itself, there are 3 pieces of edge trim (53044-1296), two in front and one on back, that can be easily removed from the old tank and transfered to the new tank.
What can't be easily transfered is the damper pad (92161-1117) on the bottom side of the tank. This foam pad is self adhesive (has glue on one side) and is located on the tank right above the air filter openings. It really can't be removed from the old tank without tearing it up. It will not be included with the replacement tank. So, make sure that they order it when they order the replacement tank.
Also, CLOSELY inspect the tank as soon as they open the box! This is VERY IMPORTANT! The way they pack the tank for shipping is really pretty crappy. I'm actually on my THIRD tank and we just haven't gotten around to ordering a FORTH tank to replace the one I have that was damaged in shipping.
The thing to look out for is the lip on the bottom edge of the tank. In packing the box, they have been using a few pieces of 1" thick styrofoam for the bottom of the tank to rest on. Even though the tank is wrapped with both shipping paper and plastic, it really doesn't offer much protection.
As the box is in transit, it's possible for the edges of this lip to cut trough the styrofoam. When this happens these edges are now resting on the bottom of the cardboard box. The results are the edges will get bent.
Sometimes it's pretty bad (as in my tank #2) and can actually make it difficult to raise and lower the tank. Sometimes it's just a minor and almost unnoticable bend (as in my tank #3). Though the tank can be raised and lowered with little to no difficulty, after closer inspection, the paint has a bunch of small stress cracks and will start chipping off.
They might have improved their packing methods, but it's always worth giving the tank a good overall inspection, BEFORE they install it. It also makes claiming the damage a lot easier and believable.
With the sending unit, they can use the original unit's gasket (11060-1952). They'll also transfer the fuel pump and gas cap assemblies from the old tank.
Hope this helps.
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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ZXtra
Expert Class
Posts: 490
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posted October 22, 2001 03:52 PM
 Edited By: ZXtra on 22 Oct 2001 16:54
Shims...
Redelk...I talked to the mechanic who did mine and he took voltage readings on the sending unit and may or may not have shimmed it to get the correct readings as required. Another fix of course is to replace the sending unit which, as I understand, they did with certain serial numbered bikes. -ZXtra
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The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick!
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redelk
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
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posted October 22, 2001 04:33 PM
It's not that I'm doubtin' ya...
... I'm just tryin' to figure out where someone could put shims on the sending unit. Here's a picture of my original and replacement sending units (excluding the float arm).
Besides the difference in the picture's lighting, I couldn't find any difference between the two. They seemed to be identical right down to the number etched on the little PC board. The funny thing about it is that after countless testing on the original unit, resulting in "defective readings", I tested it one last time as I was putting it in the box the replacement came it.
The original unit read properly. I still took it back!
After spending almost a week of nights trying to determine why it failed (and stranded me on the side of the road), including testing it while submerged in gasoline and cleaning each individual contact, I never have figured out what exactly was the reason behind it's failure.
That's why I'm curious on where the shims went and how it addressed the problem or just kept it from happening.
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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ZXtra
Expert Class
Posts: 490
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posted October 23, 2001 11:39 AM
Edited By: ZXtra on 23 Oct 2001 12:40
Shims...
Hmmmmm....Don't know. I'm thinking if you want to change the readings wouldn't you just bend the float arm?
If your readings on the supposedly bad unit were good, could it have been a contact problem arising from oxidation while submerged in fuel that has worn off, through movement and testing, because it's out of the fuel now? -ZXtra
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The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick!
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Zx23rr
Expert Class
Mahogany Bomber Pilot
Posts: 242
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posted October 23, 2001 12:06 PM
Fuel Additive
there is a fuel additive used in the USA that attacked the board. This would cause it to fail. The "new" sender is exactly the same, but uses a different component or finish that doesn't react to this fuel additive. Hence, no more problem.
Later........................................./
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redelk
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
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posted October 23, 2001 09:28 PM
ZXtra, that was just part of the tests I did
I "conducted" various tests on the sending unit for almost a month. I tried various methods in cleaning the contacts that ranged for using a pencil eraser to contact cleaner (and a varity of other solvents). The "sitting in gas" test was done somewhere around the second or third week of testing. The unit spent about two days submerged if gas before that test was "conducted". All the other tests were done in a "dry" enviroment.
Two different brands of digital multi-meters were used to insure the accuracy of the readings. I did these tests in a similar manner as the "rotor tests". I tried to figure out every possibility I could think of (which really isn't a whole lot). Every reading, of each and every contact point, in every test remained consistent with the original readings obtained after the unit failed and was first removed from the tank. When I finally gave up, the unit sat on my bench for a few days, before I boxed it back up. It was then, it tested with the proper resistance readings.
After checking it a few more times with both meters, I figured I really did NOT want to know why it suddenly started reading properly after a month of testing. I just put it back in the box and took it back.
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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tuusinii
Pro
Posts: 1031
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posted October 24, 2001 05:19 AM
When I first time almost run out of fuel - I thougth that there was plenty of fuel left but because my riding buddies refuelled I did it also and put 19.7 l fuel(max = 20l) - so I knew something was wrong. When I came back to FInland, I was then in Switzerland, I called to the importer but they told me that I had to wait many weeks bofore they could do anything so I looked it myself. I found that the max resistance was 100 ohm even if it should have been almost 130 - if I remember right. So I noticed that the empty part of the sending unit was worn so that it was short circuiting the last part of the resistance and hence giving wrong numbers. So I cleaned it with pencil eraser and after that I worked well 20000km (=12500miles) before the tank recall was made and the sending unit was also changed. So I also think that the reason was some additives of the fuel.
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