Fuel tank gauge needle

[Matt Wright]

Hi guys

One small but important thing that busted is the fuel gauge.. It shows we're on empty regardless of how much fuel we have.

We can quite happily cruise 300 miles and then fill up which is based on very conservative figures, but we can comfortably do 500 to 600.. What makes it tricky is that our fuel tank straps broke so it's ratchet strapped on so carrying 140 litres of fuel doesn't help at all.

So, I checked the FSM and have checked that the electrical connector is attached, the fuses are all good (it doesn't have a fuse tho?) so am guessing that the ball / float inside the tank has fallen off?

Any ideas, especially about a self fix welcomed. Else it's yet more cash to fork out. I'd like to get the new welded brackets (which will have proper joints not bends) done at the same time as the level fix..

Thanks as usual!
And hurry up with those bash plates Gav mine has served us very proud after protecting the transmission case through the worst road in the whole world

Matt

 

[Gav Peter]

I'll have to branch out into fuel tank guards Matt!!!

Sorry - got nothing on a fix for your fuel tank issues though dude

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

I don't know how your tank is set up Matt but if you have access to the sender wires near the tank you could try measureing the resistance between them with different amounts of fuel in that way you should get some idea if the problem is inside the tank or not.

 

[Dave Docwra]

Hi Matt, Under the rear seat is an access plate to the fuel tank sender unit (you may already know this) there are three wires one is an earth connected to the tank body, check this one is earthing correctly, the other two disconnect & earth to a good point, if the low warning light comes on move onto the other one & this one should move the gauge, if this happens your sender unit is faulty if not the wiring or gauge are faulty.

I am so glad I brought the bash plate after reading how well yours has worked, hope to be travelling the same road later this year.

 

[Matt Wright]

Hi Jon & Dave

I'll check those today and get back to you with progress.. The light doesn't come on btw, it just sits at zero
Thanks as always.

Matt

PS, the pics are up on the website.. Thanks for waiting (2 months!)

 

[Dave2000]

The sender is the normal culprit, remove the sender assembly from the top of the tank (no draining needed), remove the cover of the sender unit and you will see the sweeper that runs across the windings? You will often see the windings broken or corroded, this is the problem 99% of the time in my experience. Whilst in there clean the pickup filter and check the bottom of the tank is clean. FWIW the gauge read empty when there was at least 16 litres of fuel in the tank, the float arm can be bent to get the correct reading the low level light however is spot welded on a rod and so the setting is 'set', this will bring on the light when the car is level and staionary when there is a little over 12 litres left in the tank......well it does on mine because I checked it, sad though that may seem

I adjusted my sender so as the gauge comes onto the 'empty' mark the light also come on within a few miles, of course because the gauge and sender is not linear the gauge will stay on 'full' from a brimmed tank until I have done about 60/80 miles and then starts to move down

regards

Dave

 

[Matt Wright]

Thanks again Jon n Dave, had it resolved in Uganda in the end. Looked at the report and it says "sender unit" so as usual you're spot on. Ta