Putting In A Low Fuel Warning Light

[bruce]

I'm thinking of putting in a low fuel warning light in my KE30. Just as a little extra feature, and something to do. :P

 

I noticed that the instrument cluster on the KE30s have got two more light bulb sockets on the right had side of the dash. There are three lights there. The top one is the hand brake, and the other two are spare sockets. :P

 

I looked in the user manual and some brochures, and in some countries there was a low fuel warning light, as well as a warning light to remind that the head lights are on.

 

I'm thinking there must be some kind of a low fuel light switch, like a relay, thats connected to the fuel sender wire or something. When there is a certain amount of current flowing through it, when the fuel is low, the relay switches on the low fuel light.

 

Does anyone know what part I need; what to look for. The KE70 has got a fuel light doesn't it, maybe there is a component that could be used?

 

 

 

 

Bruce

[Medicine_Man]

The KE70s do have a low fuel warning light..

[MRMOPARMAN]

it would probably be just as easy going to dicksmith and buying one of their DIY kits, then get a bulb for the back and wire it in

[cuzzo]

Maybe you could look at wiring diagrams for cars with fuel light. eg ae82 ae92 and adapt something similar. Its a great idea though. Will be good to know for an efi setup.

[bruce]

The KE70s do have a low fuel warning light..

 

Do know where the electrical part that switches on the fuel light, like is it in gauge cluster, or in behind the dash somewhere? Do you know how it works?

 

 

it would probably be just as easy going to dicksmith and buying one of their DIY kits, then get a bulb for the back and wire it in

 

Did you mean there are kits available for putting in a fuel light?

 

I think the KE70 has got the same capacity fuel tank as the KE30 (50 L) :P, but I think the fuel senders might be different. If that's so, there could be different voltages, therefore if I use a part from a KE70, the fuel light could come on at the wrong time, or not at all.

If that's the case, I was thinking of getting a relay from an electronic store. Then measure the voltage from the fuel gauge wire, when its down near empty (E). Then I could set up the relay so that it opens at that voltage (by putting in a resistor).

 

 

Maybe you could look at wiring diagrams for cars with fuel light. eg ae82 ae92 and adapt something similar. Its a great idea though. Will be good to know for an efi setup.

 

I had a look at some KE70 wiring diagrams in a gregory's manual, but I couldn't find the fuel light on the diagram. I looked over it twice, not sure, maybe they forgot to put it in.

I looked on the later corollas, I think ae, (way more pages than the corolla 30), but it just had a wire coming from the fuel tank to a box with fuel switch.

[7shades]

it would probably be just as easy going to dicksmith and buying one of their DIY kits, then get a bulb for the back and wire it in

 

I've done this to my old ke55... get one of the dickie smith kits, wire it up as per the instructions on the box (dead easy)

 

They give you a little light bulb pre-wired in the kit... snip it off.

Yank your dash facia out, there's a little box attached to it behind those lights for the h/brake, charge etc. Take it apart.

Pick which light you want to be for your fuel light, and shove your snipped off wires into the little loom plug that goes into the back of the box, taking note of which loom pins correspond to pos and neg of the little push-in-and-turn light bulb socket.

Then you just put another bulb in that socket and you're away.

 

Oh yes... you can change those little transparent sections the light illuminates... find some other car like a KE70 with a factory fuel light and trim the plastic to the right size if you wanna go for a nice factory spec look.

[bruce]

That sounds like not too much trouble.

Was it a while ago since you put in the kit? I browsed on the dick smith website but couldn't find anything. Maybe they haven't listed it on the site.

 

Did you have to adjust the kit so that the low fuel warning light switches on when there's 5 or 10 litres of fuel left in the tank? Or is it already set up, ready to go?

 

I'll check out dick smith tomorrow.

[7shades]

yeah sorry... its actually a lot easier than I made it sound. its really just sticking two wires in a hole... :P

 

come to think of it I think it may have been a Jaycar kit...

[bruce]

Had a browse on the Jaycar site too. Didn't find it.

Saw a speed corrector though:

speed corrector

 

Was it a while ago when you got yours?

[irokin]

Why don't you get on the phone like the good old days?

[bruce]

I would, but its the weekend, and its after hours.

I'll check out Jaycar on monday

[7shades]

heh... yeah I did it like 11 years ago... my supplier info may be a wee bit out of date methinks :P

[bruce]

I went to both Dick Smiths and Jaycar electronics, and they didn't have any kits :laff:

 

I reckon that most of the cars on the road these days have got the low fuel warning light, so the electronic strores don't have the need for the kits.

If I get time I could make one up. I just need to get the circuit diagram; something like this:

 

circuit

 

I think there is a circuit in the silicon chip magazine:

 

silicon chip

 

But that was back the 1993 issue. Articles can be obtained though for $8.80

I've search around on the net but couldn't find much.

[kryton brown]

The T-18 had a low fuel warning light.. cas that have then just have a little switch inside the tank that is attached to the sender unit, when the fuel gets below a certain point it brings the light on. if you found a similar corolla with the same tank but with a low fuel switch you only need to measure the resistane of the two senders, even tho they might look different they are probably the same..

[bruce]

That seems ok.

What fuel capacity is the T-18? I guess I could try getting a fuel sender out of a KE70 or a T-18. Swap it over with my current sender, then wire up the switch to the light globe. Then maybe put in a variable resistor to correct the fuel gauge reading, if its out.