Jump to content


Photo

Petrol gauge


  • Please log in to reply
28 replies to this topic

#1 *Raz*

*Raz*

    PC Hands

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,039 posts
  • Location: England
  • Local Club: Brighton

Posted 26 September 2006 - 01:20 PM

hey. my petrol gauge for my mini is RUBBISH. the other day it said it was on empty, and i had done wuite a bit of driving, so i went to fill up and it only came to £6, so clearly it wasnt empty like it was saying, this is really annoying, i get nervous im going to run out of petrol and i make a note of when i bought petrol last and roughly how much i have been driving. does this happen to a lot of minis and if so is there ne way i can sort it or how do other people handle the problem?

pleaaaaaaaaaaseeee help me!

thanks dudes!

xXx

#2 Guess-Works.com

Guess-Works.com

    Gearbox Guru

  • Traders
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 19,838 posts
  • Local Club: Rugby Classic Mini Owners Club

Posted 26 September 2006 - 01:30 PM

Simple check.... connect the two wires on the petrol tank together, then switch ignition on, if the guage goes full then the sender in the tank is duff, if the guage still only reads half then it's either the gauge or voltage stabaliser, for it to be the stabaliser the temp gauge will shw the same symptoms as the fuel gauge.

#3 *Raz*

*Raz*

    PC Hands

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,039 posts
  • Location: England
  • Local Club: Brighton

Posted 26 September 2006 - 01:49 PM

cheers m' dears heheh ill have a looksies xx

#4 timothy

timothy

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPip
  • 97 posts

Posted 28 September 2006 - 06:15 PM

Mines got the same problem, but the temp guage works, and the connections on the tank seem to be sound so is it likely to be the guage or is it possible for it to be something else?
Cheers

#5 Bungle

Bungle

    Original Spamster

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 28,971 posts
  • Location: Cornwall
  • Local Club: cornish mini club

Posted 28 September 2006 - 06:20 PM

timothy

sounds like the sender in the tank :-

#6 timothy

timothy

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPip
  • 97 posts

Posted 28 September 2006 - 06:24 PM

Cheers mate, jst checked the price for a new one on minispares, £17.63, mite take the current one out first and tinker with it to try and get it to work before i order a new one. Hopefully its jst a loose connection.

#7 Mini Matt

Mini Matt

    Learner Driver

  • Noobies
  • PipPip
  • 21 posts

Posted 28 September 2006 - 06:43 PM

Had the same problem with mine too up untill yesterday. Had to buy a new sender unit, more expensive than it looked too :-

#8 joeinaus

joeinaus

    Learner Driver

  • Noobies
  • PipPip
  • 22 posts
  • Local Club: Bournemouth Mini Club

Posted 13 January 2007 - 09:27 PM

I've had this problem too for about 2 or 3 weeks now. I took the sender uni out the tank today and the float at the end of it had petrol in it but I couldn't see any visible holes. The float was about 1/4 full of petrol. So, I'll get a new sender unit. They're about £17 on minispares.com

#9 paulrockliffe

paulrockliffe

    Camshaft & Stage Two Head

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,763 posts
  • Location: Durham

Posted 13 January 2007 - 11:07 PM

I have the smae problem, I remember reading on another thread that it was usually caused by a break in the wire winding that forms the variable resistor in the sender. Once the float moves past the break there is no longer a circuit and the gauge reads empty. I also remember not being ablee to find an affordable replacement sender, so mine is staying as it is for the foreseable future.

#10 joeinaus

joeinaus

    Learner Driver

  • Noobies
  • PipPip
  • 22 posts
  • Local Club: Bournemouth Mini Club

Posted 13 January 2007 - 11:55 PM

Check it out...

Attached Files



#11 cooperstripes

cooperstripes

    Mini Mad

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 110 posts

Posted 17 February 2007 - 11:12 AM

Hi guys im losing my patiance lol 3 week now i have bought a new sender unit new little box thingy for back of my dials my thermostat dial reads perfect but my fuel gauge shows full all the time (i wish it was)

somebody anybody HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP

#12 Jammy

Jammy

    Moved Into The Garage

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 25,397 posts

Posted 17 February 2007 - 11:24 AM

Broken guage? Wires connected to the correct terminals on the sender?

#13 cooperstripes

cooperstripes

    Mini Mad

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 110 posts

Posted 17 February 2007 - 11:36 AM

hmmmmmmm wires to sender maybe il have alook .guage? but the thermostat works and its on the same clock that didnt work but then i thought ah il check my thermostat oh there isnt one

#14 davej

davej

    Kelly Jones

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 985 posts
  • Location: North Wales

Posted 26 March 2008 - 04:49 PM

Simple check.... connect the two wires on the petrol tank together, then switch ignition on, if the guage goes full then the sender in the tank is duff, if the guage still only reads half then it's either the gauge or voltage stabaliser, for it to be the stabaliser the temp gauge will shw the same symptoms as the fuel gauge.


My petrol gauge and temp gauge never move so am I reight in thinking this is time for a new voltage stabiliser??
Also do you think it may cure the problem of the indicators being permanently on, hazards flash though :D

Cheers guys

#15 Ethel

Ethel

    ..is NOT a girl!

  • TMF Team
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 25,379 posts
  • Local Club: none

Posted 26 March 2008 - 05:16 PM

Dave, I think it's more likely you have a duff connection somewhere or possibly a short circuit on the stabiliser supply. The indicator flasher needs the resistance of the bulbs to heat up its bimetallic strip, that's why they flash faster when a bulb is blown: it doubles the resistance. If it doesn't flash it's either worn out or there's not enough current going through it.

Stripes, quite possible you have mixed the wires up, if you have the supply from the gauge could be running straight to earth through the fuel tank.

You can test a sender unit with a multimeter - the change in resistance should be linear as you move the float arm.

If it's just the float replace it with anything that floats and won't dissolve in petrol - pinch one off any scrapyard fuel tank.




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users