8 replies to this topic

[connor_cooper]

Hi,
My mini is a 2001 Rover Mini Cooper, I was wondering if anybody else has had trouble with inaccuracies on their fuel guage. My mini when you fill it up from empty, to what should be full the guage only reads 3/4 full. From empty the car only takes around 18 litres, so I was also wondering how big the tank is in the car.
Thanks Guys,

[robtheplod]

From what I gather it's unusual to have an accurate gauge on a mini!

[Ouster]

The tank should be 7.5 gallons, 34 litres.
When my needle reaches the red, I've still got half a tank left.
On my old mini though, it was actually pretty accurate!

[connor_cooper]

34 litres, hmmm, mine is way out then, are you sure that some didnt come with smaller tanks?

[Dolly 89]

only 18 litres do you just fill it till the pump clicks off or do you fill it right to the top near the spout i no if i only fill till the pump clicks off its not actually full need to pull the pump out more and fill it more

[connor_cooper]

Nah, usually i just fill it up to when the pump clicks off.

[Adam101]

I had the same problem with my Mini when i first bought it, fuel gauge was reading red when, we could only stick a tenner in him.

Turned out the fuel sender needed replacing, and now it works........okay ish, its very hard to adjust it so that it reads right, but its roughly there.

[rasputin22]

Alot of problems with temperature and fuel gauges can be a result of the voltage rectifier behind the clocks. They are supposed to provide a reasonably accurate 10.5v. If they don't then an in accurate reading can be found.

On the old centre clock speedo, if you have the really old rectifier, this was a bi-metallic strip which provided a pulsed 10.5v these only averaged the 10.5 volts required but due to the hysteresis of the clocks may not of been seen. Newer clocks have a semi conductor one which is very accurate. These can be put onto all clocks and the problem may disappear. I believe they cost around £15 but i got one off a VW set off clocks at a cost of nothing, but they do require an essence of bodge.

[taffy1967]

If you short the two spade terminals together with a paper clip (after un-clipping them from the side of the fuel tank) and then get a full reading on your fuel gauge.

Then the problem is with the fuel tank sender wire/flost inside the tank.

Poor fuel gauge readings are very common on later models, so I assume they didn't attach the fuel tank senders too well?