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Fuel gauges - argh!

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phantom Wolfsburg Wizard

598 posts · joined Mar 2004 ·

#340218
The topic which should not be bought up in VW circles....

I found out (rudely) today that the gauge in my recently acquired buggy is not reading correctly....even though it said a half tank, it was empty.

I had hassles with my 69 bug gauge last year, ordered another sender (at the tank), fixed the wiring, and now its not too bad. Kinda.

But.....I knew the year of the car then, as apparently the senders are different for different models.

The buggy has stuff-knows-what year tank in it.....I get movement at the gauge and everything but obviously it is reading wrong. I'm used to the old system of driving a certain amoujnt of miles and then making sure you fill up.....but...what if my speedo is out?!

Any other suggestions, as to how I can get something working? Should I be inspecting friends petrol tanks and comparing them to the buggy, to find a similar model, then taking that as the year?
www.canberravw.com

pod i`ve got to finish this thing one day

4,980 posts · joined Dec 2003 ·

#340244
pull the sender out and bend the float arm up so it reads empty with say $5 worth of petrol still in it ,thats what i did in my beetle:thumb
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~air fooled~ two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl

1,429 posts · joined Mar 2004 ·

#340306
now thats a farkin good idea, if you have that type of sender though!
everything dies baby, thats a fact..
maybe everything that dies one day comes back..
put your make up on and your hair up pretty..
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ClassicVW(pacific) Custom Title Time!

1,627 posts · joined Jul 2004 ·

#340339
Apparently there are hudreds of different senders and guages.
You have to empty your tank and take an Ohmerage reading, then fill it up and take another ohmerage reading, then get a guage with that scale ie 20-60, 10-70, 15-180 etc
Thats why I am driving without a guage because its too much hassle.

helterskelter400 Fahrvergnugen

900 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#340348
yep guages are over rated. round town i gotta 5l fuel cont. on bigger off road trips, 10l/20l. hahaha
:thumb

Mad Manx KombiKroozin

456 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#341157
I recon motorbike style would be the go..... with a little reserve tap like the old splitty beetles had- all mechanical then so nothing to fault or wear out.


- '71 Kombi (Died 24/11/05😢 ) - '65 manx (smick) -'63 beetle (bent) -'73 Singlecab (new to the stable)

Peter Leonard Moderator Volatile

1,456 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#341247
hey, on a similar topic, what's the 'r' stand for on the fuel gauge? i always thought it was 'reserve', like it was a relic from when it may have once had a reserve tank, but i'm starting to think it now means 'refuel' 😀
also my sender works intermittently, but having priced new ones, i'm happy to carry mr springer around with me. it's great. i can drive for ten minutes and end up with more fuel than I started with. contacts are clean:duh
let sleeping dubs lie

72TWINCAB Fahrvergnugen

978 posts · joined Feb 2003 ·

#341460
What's the going price for a fuel sender?

57kombi Hannover Elder

2,544 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#341463
I bought a new one last week , its the arm type.
Cost me $70.00

Cheers
Dave

Peter Leonard Moderator Volatile

1,456 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#341464
i was told about 120 bucks :duh i think it depends on the year model/type
let sleeping dubs lie

57kombi Hannover Elder

2,544 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#342024
Or whos charging too much????


Cheers
Dave

Peter Leonard Moderator Volatile

1,456 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#342102
what kind of fuel sender was it? kombi? year?
mine was for a 76 beetle... still i would almost not have balked at 70 bucks. intermittent fuel readings have kinda sufficed so far 😀
let sleeping dubs lie