Odd CIES sender behavior in Ovation

[Comobowz]

I'm hoping that the MS collective brain power can help me troubleshoot.  I have an issue with newly installed (January) CIES senders attached to G500Txi EIS on a 1998 Ovation where specifically with the right tank, I'm seeing no fuel level movement on the right tank gauge until I burn approximately 10-11 gallons.  Left tank works great, but on the right (green line in the graph below) it remains pegged at 44.5 Gallons (89 total usable) until it reaches approximately 34 gallons, at which point it drops to that level in a period of about 1:30-2 minutes as seen in the graph.  They have been calibrated twice with the issue remaining the same, as well as checked for freedom of movement.  I'm guessing it's an issue with the right outboard sender, however it has been removed and tested outside the aircraft to validate that it was returning data.  Any suggestions?

Including @fuellevel in hopes that you might be able to point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance!

[LANCECASPER]

The outboard senders sometimes hang up. They (or just the one giving you problems) most likely need to be adjusted (bent) and recalibrated.

[MIm20c]

Did you utilize the voltage or resistive input?  Did you run new wires or tie into existing?  I’d start with the wiring…

[carusoam]

Sounds like a good question for @fuellevel…

 

Note for @fuellevel… Some avatar graphics have gotten lost… you might want to update yours to put your Ceis logo back in place…

Best regards,

-a-

[Comobowz]

On 6/25/2022 at 6:49 PM, LANCECASPER said:

The outboard senders sometimes hang up. They (or just the one giving you problems) most likely need to be adjusted (bent) and recalibrated.

@LANCECASPER, that was actually my first thought and what they checked.  Per the shop, it isn't hanging up and has good freedom of movement.

[LANCECASPER]

29 minutes ago, Comobowz said:

@LANCECASPER, that was actually my first thought and what they checked.  Per the shop, it isn't hanging up and has good freedom of movement.

Exactly what the shop who installed mine said . . lol

[Comobowz]

33 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

Exactly what the shop who installed mine said . . lol

In this case, at least it wasn't the shop that did the original install, but instead my shop that I paid to troubleshoot it.  Unfortunately, we don't yet have resolution as of yet.  I think it's going to require CIES weighing in.

[kevinw]

I'm having a similar problem with mine. My right side sticks at 32 gallons every time until the fuel level drops to about 28. It's getting hung up as @LANCECASPER said and needs to be bent. Waiting until annual in October. I hear this is a common issue.

[haymak3r]

Going to the shop in about an hour to install cies in to my J. I've read the few threads on here about bending the arms, installing upside down, etc. Any other pointers??

[flysamo]

had same problem, unit was hanging up, just needs adjustment for movement

[Utah20Gflyer]

When you were calibrating the senders did the readings from the sender change from 34 gallons to 44.5 gallons?  Not sure about the GXI 500 but for my aerospace logic gauge you create a table of the sender readouts with a data point every 2 gallons.  

[fuellevel]

Apologies - we ran these and other issues by the FAA a year and a half ago.    Long story short   - we don't use the same pivot point and a different float  both of these are for good reasons.   There was a dimension of confusion and we had a new FAA engineer.  

The FAA made us prove that we as closely matched the original senders by doing a comparative drawing or installation model.   While we pointed out that the ideal installation for the Mooney and others  would have some different dimensions and characteristics, we didn't convey the idea to this engineer. 

We want to improve fuel qty measurement and improve the installations as issues are reported back to us.    So we now have new management @ the FAA and in Seattle - we are promised we will have a process and answer in getting this accomplished moving forward.   While we can tell you how to bend the arms and in the future we will actually bend the arms ahead of time.

We appreciate your patience -  My patience is dangerously at the end of the rope.  

 

 

[MironV]

Would love to hear more about this as well. What is the bending required to make it work? We just had a similar issue this weekend with a brand new CIES install on an M20J where the right side is stuck at 31.

Edited July 12, 2022 by MironV

[Marauder]

Would love to hear more about this as well. What is the bending required to make it work? We just had a similar issue this weekend with a brand new CIES install on an M20J where the right side is stuck at 31.

I created a thread a few years back called “CiES Resource Thread” (or something similar). In my F model installation (same wing as the J), I had to install one sender upside down to get it to clear.


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[M20F]

Hey sorry to be late to this thread.  I am here from the FAA, how can I help?

[LANCECASPER]

10 hours ago, Marauder said:

I created a thread a few years back called “CiES Resource Thread” (or something similar). In my F model installation (same wing as the J), I had to install one sender upside down to get it to clear.


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[Marauder]

 

Too bad the pictures are all gone… thanks for posting the link!


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