6 replies to this topic

[unseen]

I've done a search and been reading thru many of the posts relating to fuel gauge issues hoping to find a solution to mine!..

Basically I've got a 92, British Open which has been (before I bought it!) fitted with a believe an MPi dash/clocks (well looks like they tried to fit the whole MPi shooting match in there inc steering column and made a dogs dinner of the wiring but thats for another day!) aaaanyway.....

Since I've had it I've never once seen the gauge at full, even when filling to the click and then pulling the pump out and filling slowly till i see fuel! Thinking it was a sender issue I ordered and fitted a new sender from Minisport.. But surprise surprise that hasn't made a jot of difference..
There doesn't seem to be an issue with my temp gauge so I have sidelined the voltage stabiliser as the culprit.. which leaves me with, have I got the wrong sender for the later style of gauges?? If so is there a 'simple' fix other than buying an spi/mpi sender unit? As much as I like the magnolia gauges, i'd actually like to know how much fuel I've got so I don't have to make that embarressing "Erm.. Can you just nip out to me with the plastic fuel can" call AGAIN

Any help/advice appreciated!

Rob

[taffy1967]

Well Rob there's a simple test that you can do to determine whether the problem is with the sender float/wire inside the tank or the actual gauge itself.

And all you have to do is to short the tank sender wires whilst the ignition is on. Then if the gauge shoots right up to the full mark, you will know that the gauge is fine, if the gauge still stubbonly reads lower than full then you have a gauge issue.

Lets hope that it is the sender float/wire that's at fault, because there is no actual voltage stabiliser that can be unplugged and replaced on the rear of Nippon Seiki gauges. The old Smiths Instruments had them, but with the Nippons the actual voltage stabiliser is controlled electronically within the gauges themselves (I believe?) and so you have to replace the whole gauge.

If the sender float/wire is the problem, then you can (after running the fuel tank down low) remove it and bend the wire so it reads more accurately. If the wire or float is broken, then a replacement is then required.

I've heard that one Mini Specialist sells the sender float/wire already bent to the correct shape for accurate readings.

Oh and Rob as you have a very special Mini LE, then you may want to check this out too: -

The British Open Classic Register Link

Edited by taffy1967, 20 March 2007 - 05:17 PM.

[Dan]

voltage stabiliser is controlled electronically within the gauges themselves

It's sealed into potting compound on the bottom of the PCB and I think it is an electronic device.

I believe that all senders have the same specification electrically from '76 on.

[unseen]

And all you have to do is to short the tank sender wires whilst the ignition is on. Then if the gauge shoots right up to the full mark, you will know that the gauge is fine, if the gauge still stubbonly reads lower than full then you have a gauge issue.

Lets hope that it is the sender float/wire that's at fault, because there is no actual voltage stabiliser that can be unplugged and replaced on the rear of Nippon Seiki gauges. The old Smiths Instruments had them, but with the Nippons the actual voltage stabiliser is controlled electronically within the gauges themselves (I believe?) and so you have to replace the whole gauge.

If the sender float/wire is the problem, then you can (after running the fuel tank down low) remove it and bend the wire so it reads more accurately. If the wire or float is broken, then a replacement is then required.

I've heard that one Mini Specialist sells the sender float/wire already bent to the correct shape for accurate readings.

Hi Taffy,

I've done the short together trick and as expected the needle tries to breakfree so the gauge itself I guess is correct.. Wouldn't happen to know who the specialist is selling these modified senders would you? As I mentioned it's had a new one fitted so unless it's a doa part... I'll try what you suggested tho (I've got the emergency can filled in the boot just incase to get me home so I'll just have to drive her for a bit to empty it... Oh what a hard job that will be (Any excuse not to drive the family tank atm!)

[Clubby1275GT]

mine does the same, i can fill it to the brim litterally so it nearly overflows yet it still stays off the top notch, also it stays high up inm the gauge forever then all of a sudden from half a tank and less it will just drop to nothing, id much rather it was steady all the way, but hey, u cant have it all!

[taffy1967]

And all you have to do is to short the tank sender wires whilst the ignition is on. Then if the gauge shoots right up to the full mark, you will know that the gauge is fine, if the gauge still stubbonly reads lower than full then you have a gauge issue.

Lets hope that it is the sender float/wire that's at fault, because there is no actual voltage stabiliser that can be unplugged and replaced on the rear of Nippon Seiki gauges. The old Smiths Instruments had them, but with the Nippons the actual voltage stabiliser is controlled electronically within the gauges themselves (I believe?) and so you have to replace the whole gauge.

If the sender float/wire is the problem, then you can (after running the fuel tank down low) remove it and bend the wire so it reads more accurately. If the wire or float is broken, then a replacement is then required.

I've heard that one Mini Specialist sells the sender float/wire already bent to the correct shape for accurate readings.

Hi Taffy,

I've done the short together trick and as expected the needle tries to breakfree so the gauge itself I guess is correct.. Wouldn't happen to know who the specialist is selling these modified senders would you? As I mentioned it's had a new one fitted so unless it's a doa part... I'll try what you suggested tho (I've got the emergency can filled in the boot just incase to get me home so I'll just have to drive her for a bit to empty it... Oh what a hard job that will be (Any excuse not to drive the family tank atm!)

Well I've heard that it's this company: -

Ben Van Leeuwen Link

But I think it may have been for the Twin-Point/MPi Mini tank sender wire? Unless their the same on previous models? Anyway send them an e-mail to make sure, but you might be lucky and can just adjust yours.

[unseen]

Sorry to drag up an old topic of mine.. But I was out working on the mini today when I remembered something very odd happening while I was at rivrun..

As I mentioned previously I'd never seen the gauge read full once, even with a new sender fitted always half or slightly over. So being a wee bit cautious on the way to Reading for riv the plan was to stop every 2hrs or so and just tank up.. The odd thing was.. I noticed (after decided to make one break a quick stop) that the gauge WAS "kind of" working... In that it was going down 'normally'.. When we stopped at the next services rather than the 6-8quid i'd been squeezing in, this time I had to put 15quid..

So I'm wondering, could my tank although fitted to a carb engined mini, be actually from an SPI/MPI (for some very bizarre reason!) or because mine has the emission control bits fitted (I believe standard on the British Open) then I have the newer style tank requiring the dearer sender?
If it helps it's got the vapour lock (??) in the filler neck, which a tank I picked up as a spare hasn't. Is there any other way to check what tank I actually have? And is it possible to bend an existing sender to work around whatever could be stopping it moving beyond the half way mark??

Thanks

Rob