how can you tell if your fuel sender is stuffed?

2,408 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 6 Nov 2003, 1:56 pm

#108816

my fuel gauge is playing up and wont give me a reading past 1/2 even when its totally full. Is this a problem with the fuel sender or the guage itself? the wires from the tank to the guage are looking alright.

rang a few places looking for a sender and hardings told me to get the guage checked to see that it isnt that before going and getting a new sender, sounds reasonable, but is there any way to find out myself which one is the problem before going out and forking out more dosh?
im pretty handy with wires and multimeters and such so unless its a complex job im ok with checking it out myself. any help is muchly muchly appreciated!

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 · 6 Nov 2003, 2:04 pm

#108819

Easiest it to put an ohm meter between the terminal and the plate (earth). You should be able to measure a resistance. If it's an open circuit she's stuffed.

I think some one posted a while ago that you can get them re-built and that's better than new Brazilian ones???
Andy
:thumb

Starbug rustbag

2,408 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 6 Nov 2003, 2:11 pm

#108823

Andy, i've also been told that getting them reconditioned is better than buying a new one (i hope its cheaper too! $90 is a stretch at the moment) but i cant for the life of me remember where you go to get that done! do you know?

going to test it all out now!

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 6 Nov 2003, 2:16 pm

#108825

Also..... how do you know it is full???

I had trouble with both Blue and Daisy where the breathers were kinked and they wouldnt fill properly.

That said Daisy now shows full and reacts pretty good to where it should be.

Blue is beeing beligerent!
It never shows past 3/4. If i tried to stuff more in it just comes out at the first corner.
From as close to empty as i care to go i can only get 35L in. I Think FULL is 42 or 45.

barry

ps
Starbuggy
Was that you having trouble with the Weber.
Did you ever get it fixed??

Futue te ipsum!!!

vw54 Administrator Always Waiting 4 Friday

16,723 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 6 Nov 2003, 3:05 pm

#108842

whats the car and year model

is it a 6V gauge that your puting 12Vs into or a Kombi or a Beetle with a buggared trembler coil.

I read it on FACEBOOK so it must be true

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=91278&page=1#pid848630

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=63561&page=1#pid624099

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=4832&page=1#pid452603

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=60650&page=1#pid574409

Starbug rustbag

2,408 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 7 Nov 2003, 9:40 am

#109104

ohmeter reads 7.2, is that about right? could it be something wrong with the floater (?) inside it? i put about 19 litres of fuel in it yesterday and now it reads either just over 1/2 or just under 1/2 (sorta sways back and forth a bit) its a 68 beetle 12 volt and the sender is also 12 volt, so no probs there. If anyone knows where you take them to get them fixed then that could help🙂

blue74, yep, twas me with the weird weber popping. basically the coil had gone kaput and the side that the popping noise came from on the carby was the side that was running very lean. shes all fixed now🙂

vw54 Administrator Always Waiting 4 Friday

16,723 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 7 Nov 2003, 11:07 am

#109129

i put about 19 litres of fuel in it yesterday and now it reads either just over 1/2

the tank on a 68 holds 40 liters so if its around 1/2 full on the gauge then thats right.

Dont worry if the gauge does not read full when you have pumped the last drop of fuel into it and its running down the side of the car... thats not important what is that the gauges reads right when yr 1/2 or 1/4 full

I read it on FACEBOOK so it must be true

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=91278&page=1#pid848630

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=63561&page=1#pid624099

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=4832&page=1#pid452603

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=60650&page=1#pid574409

Starbug rustbag

2,408 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 7 Nov 2003, 11:28 pm

#109380

ok... an update!

now not only does the fuel guage read empty with 1/2 a tank of petrol, but the internal blinker light is lit on constantly, and my blinkers now dont work.

something very weird is going on here! any ideas now?

koolkarmakombi enkarmarising

2,078 posts · joined Jun 2003 · 8 Nov 2003, 5:47 am

#109403

You have got gremlins *buggy.

Im not a beetle fella (kombis and T3s) but my bet is for a few things.

Either
Crook earth, probably to gauges.

Multiple probs. Fuel sender AND indicator (sorry 🙁 )

Solution?

Step 1 good tunes 😀

step 2 wiring diagram.

step 3 contemplate for a while.

These wiring systems are exactly that. A few separate systems linked together. There is a definate pattern to all German Bosch cars Ive seen same to with my bmw bike. Different to Jap cars.

Most of these wiring looms are >30 years. Givving all the connectors a clean and light grease can solve lots of gremlins. Can also make them if you get carried away and put wires back in the wrong spot. Use some tape and a pen and label everythigh. Take digipics as you can look at them later.

Can you use a multimeter?

kkk

stevosky Officially Full-On Dubber

232 posts · joined May 2003 · 8 Nov 2003, 8:24 pm

#109548

to check the gauge take the wire off the sender on top of the tank ,with the ignition on - earth it to the body somewhere and see if the guage goes all the way to full. Otto instruments on Evans rd at salisbury have new resistor blocks and fix guages etc.
steve

Starbug rustbag

2,408 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 9 Nov 2003, 8:42 am

#109623

new update!

my lovely bf had a look over the problem yesterday while i was at work, and changed the blown fuse! (boggled! i knew the indicators wont work with a blow fuse but should the indicator arrows stay lit all the time? i didnt think this was possible?) so i can now show people what im doing on the road, but alas it did not solve the fuel guage problem. I think i shall be dropping into otto instruments🙂

Thanks everyone for the huge amount of help🙂 and yes kkk, he listened to some cool tunes while he boggled it out🙂😀😀

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 · 9 Nov 2003, 7:55 pm

#109816

If the indicator light is on all the time sounds like a crossed cable, or bad earth as stated above?
I forgot to re-attached the earth on my L bug speedo when I had it out, I blew a fuse every time I tried to indicate!! Blew a few before I figured the problem out🙁

70AutoStik Insano Dub Head

730 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 11 Nov 2003, 1:54 am

#110515

It's a crook earth, guys. Actually had the same problem - the instrument cluster to chassis connection gets a bit dodgy after 30+ years. Pull the speedo out and clean up all points where it contacts the car body. Also check where the indicator relay and fusebox mount.