18 replies to this topic

[Boycie]

Mayfair
1989

Hi all, while since I posted here... but I've got another Mini!

The problem is that the fuel gauge only registers half when the tank is full, and registers empty when I half half a tank!
The temperature gauge is also a little low but I'm thinking that is probably accurate as the heater isn't particularly warm?

It has the standard 2-clock dash behind the steering wheel.

What shall I replace first?!

Cheers

Edited by Boycie, 01 October 2008 - 07:27 PM.

[MiniMikey]

I have a similar problem... tanks nearly empty according to gauge...i go to the pumps, fill right up until the pump clicks which ive alwya sbeen told is when its full.. but then i get in and it only comes up to half way on guage. Petrol seems to be going so quiickly at the moment!!

[daemonchild]

Me too.
It reads full when it's full.
Then half when it's full.
Then drops to empty (when just under full with £5 of fuel burned).

I guess a new sender is required at the fuel tank end?
How much to spend, where from, and any tips and tricks to avoid being blown up...

[Boycie]

Yup sounds like you've got the same prob... I even brimmed mine to the top of the filler neck (not advisable), still only read half-full

[Boycie]

ps- fuel sender is £18ish from Minispares, so no big deal.. it's just the fact I'm gonna have to use up most of the petrol first, lol and I'm (obviously) never sure how much is in there !

[captainjack15]

I find this soooooo annoying, well I went to the pumps today thinking that I'd be at least halfway through the tank, but no I put 7:45 in???????

So people suggest I just let it run low and then take the sender out, and then fit it!! Is there no way of draining the fuel from the tank, rather than letting it run low???

[captainjack15]

No ideas??

[v21ash]

Siphon it out, that's what i did when i changed mine.

Just get a bit of rubber tube about 10mm diameter, a few petrol can or buckets, stick it in till it's at the bottom of the tank, give it a suck and bang the end in your bucket. Bingo.

[lrostoke]

Considering it isn't exactly a major fault and isn't going to stop the car working, rather than messing around with flamable substances syphoning it off, just use a piece of cane or similar thin stick and dip the tank every few days. Once its reached a level which is below the sender unit, then remove the sender and replace with a new one..
If you order the sender first it will be a matter of minutes to swap.

To be honest mines suffered with the faults mentioned for the last 2 yrs, I just know how far I can go on a tank full, and dip it when I think its near.
One of these days I'll replace the sender.

[maddogmcg]

the plastic float inside the tank can crack and hold petrol inside ,making it heavier and giving a spurious reading on gauge ie gauge will read lower than actual level in tank ,you can check gauge operation by connecting the two wires to the tank and gauge should read full .

[AzMaN]

you can also measure the resistance at the sender end, then at your speedo end, that will say if you have a bad wire or not.

[Boycie]

I think they can only go in one way Zenob1.... I'm going along with maddogmcq's theory, in that the float is probably holding petrol. Will find out in the next week or so

[JohnGordon]

the plastic float inside the tank can crack and hold petrol inside ,making it heavier and giving a spurious reading on gauge ie gauge will read lower than actual level in tank ,you can check gauge operation by connecting the two wires to the tank and gauge should read full .

I had the same problem, Once I reached half a tank the gauge would drop to empty. It turned out I had a pin sized hole in the float which had filled with petrol so when there wasn't enough buoyancy (sp) for the float to erm... float it dropped to the bottom

[GraemeC]

You don't need a dipstick - just get a torch and peer into the filler neck - you should easily be able to see the back of the sender unit and establish when the petrol level is below it.