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Fuel Tanks Won't Show Up In Stages? Help!

MarvoHarx
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Eric S

Eric S

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A screenshot of the ship or the .craft file would be helpful. If I had to guess, I'd say that your engines and fuel tanks are in separate stacks that aren't connected by fuel lines, or you've got a separator/decoupler between the engines and fuel tanks in the same stack.

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CalculusWarrior

CalculusWarrior

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Yeah, make sure that you have your fuel tanks directly above the engines with nothing in between. Also, there is a difference between the RCS fuel and regular fuel tanks. I once built a rocket from RCS fuel tanks and was mystified when the engines wouldn't light.

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Jason Patterson

Jason Patterson

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Fuel tanks (and other more or less passive parts) haven't been shown in staging since 0.16. If that is your concern, you can add drop tanks back into staging using a modified part that I wrote called the Drop Tank Fuel Gauge.

If instead you're saying that fuel tanks just aren't functioning, and that you don't care whether they show up in staging, then you can try my impromptu trouble shooting decision tree for engines. (I just know that by the time I get this whole silly mess written out there will be a person saying, "Press spacebar," and that will solve the problem. I'm also fully anticipating a messed up decision tree... :) )

1. Do you have an actual fuel tank installed on your vehicle (a part with a tool tip that includes liquidfuel)? If so, go to 2. Otherwise go to 6.

2. Are you using a rocket engine? If so, go to 3, otherwise go to 4.

3. Did you install a fuel tank with both liquid fuel and oxidizer? Check the tooltip to find out. If so, go to 7. If not, go to 6.

4. Do you have air intakes on your vehicle? If so, go to 7, if not, go to 5.

5. Install air intakes on your ship.

6. Install the correct fuel tank immediately adjacent to your engine in the VAB.

7. Launch your ship.

8. Check your staging. Is there an engine in the last (highest numbered) stage? If not go to 9, otherwise, go to 10.

9. Your staging is out of order. You need to drag and drop items in the staging bar in the VAB to rearrange things so that your first engines (and launch clamps, if you're using them) are in the last stage.

10. Press spacebar. If the engine does not activate (turn green with a fuel bar, empty or otherwise) go to 11, otherwise go to 16.

11. Is your rocket resting on the engine? If so, go to 12, otherwise, go to 13.

12. The weight of the rocket has broken off your engine. Try using launch stabilizers (structural tab) to hold the rocket above the launch pad.

13. Is your vessel functional in any other way? If not, go to 14, otherwise go to 30.

14. Is your vehicle controlled by a probe and it has lost power, or is it crewed and you removed the crew member from the command module? If so, go to 15, otherwise go to 30.

15. You need to supply power to a probe command module or have a crewed command module on a vessel in order to control it.

16. Does the engine show a full fuel bar? If so, go to 17, otherwise, go to 21.

17. Press the left shift key to increase your throttle. Does the engine activate (make noise/smoke even if the rocket doesn't go up)? If so, go to 18, otherwise go to 21.

18. Does the ship go up? If not, go to 19.

19. You may have too small an engine, or perhaps the wrong engine is activating in staging, or perhaps there is a part obstructing the engine's output.

20. Right click on the engine that you think should be active at this point. Is there a button that says Shutdown (or something similar)? If not, go to 9, otherwise go to 19.

21. Is the rocket resting on the engine? If so, go to 12, otherwise go to 22.

22. Is there a fuel tank directly connected to the engine? If not, go to 23, otherwise go to 30.

23. Is there a fuel line connection between the fuel tank and the engine? If so, go to 24, otherwise go to 27.

24. Is the fuel line actually attached to the fuel tank at one end and the engine at the other? If not, go to 25, otherwise go to 26.

25. Install the fuel line correctly in the VAB. Its ends much touch both the fuel tank and the engine, starting with the fuel tank and ending at the engine.

26. Is your fuel line backward? If so, go to 25, otherwise go to 30.

27. Is there a fuel crossflow part connecting the fuel tank to the engine? If so, go to 28, if not go to 29.

28. Fuel crossflow parts can be unpredictable in their behavior, particularly if you have multiple fuel crossflow parts connected to one another. There isn't a lot you can do to direct the fuel through them properly, but you can try installing a fuel line to cross the fuel tank/engine gap. Try posting a picture and/or craft file for further advice.

29. You either have a problem that goes beyond the scope of this troubleshooting tree or you missed a step. Retry it if you're feeling patient, otherwise go to 30.

30. That's really weird. You could try rebuilding the ship and see if that helps. Post a picture and/or craft file on here for further advice. You may have found a bug in the game.

ETA: Fixed a numbering mistake and added some material to check for fuel tank inconsistencies. Feel free to let me know how it is broken at this point...

Edited by Jason Patterson
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MarvoHarx

MarvoHarx

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Thanks for all the tips! I will try these today when I am done with work. I have tried some of the stock ships already loaded in the game and even those engines won't ignite.... Will try some of these tips today though thanks a bunch!

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Jason Patterson

Jason Patterson

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Just successfully launched a ship with fuel tanks!!! thanks for all the help guys really appreciate it. It helps if you have the throttle up i guess.

As my darling wife says when we're stuck behind someone going half the speed limit, "C'mon! It's the tall pedal!" Glad you got it sorted out.

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