fuel gauge problem

[tonys40]

hello i have a s40 1.8 petrol 2002, went out in it this afternoon it had just over quater of a tank inand the trip computer said 115 miles left i switched off the ignition and went some where to come back and switch it back on for the fuel gauge to be on the red and saying it had 40 miles left in the tank

went some where else and switched it off and then switched it back on again and it still said the same so i was driving back home then all of a sudden the fuel gauge moved slowly back up and the miles on the trip computer went back up, and then every thing went back to normal drove for 20 miles with it, and got home switched it off and switched it back on again and it went back to 40 miles left and the gauge was in the red.

I put a post on here just before christmas where the fuel gauge went down to the red but it did not go back up, and some one told me it was a wire off on the sender unit which it was.

does any one know if it could be the same thing as i dont want to take the fuel sender unit out if i dont have to as the car ends up stinking of fuel.

thanks

tony

[gatos]

I would try to take out the sender unit if I was you and try to clean the contacts and make sure the soldiered wires are in place. I have made a detailed guide of how to remove the sender unit. http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=151889

[tonys40]

just took it for a quick run out to see if it went back up again but it never

[tonys40]

wats the best way to maybe extend the wire on the fuel sender unit just in case its too short

[Dog_Book]

Stick a bit of wire on the end.

[Clan]

if you solder it you need to tie the cable so that the fuel movement doesnt bend the wire back and forth , it will soon break off again otherwise .

The fuel sender is spring loaded against the bottom of the tank so it will go up and down too as the tank is filled and emptied , but this shouldnt afect the sensor wires .

[tonys40]

there is two wires and they slot into these groves i just put it back in the grove, so do you think its definatley the wire has come off because i cant understand why it drove for 20 miles and it was fine then i turned off the engine and switched it back on then it had no fuel

[Clan]

its fairly easy to get to to look , you will probably find a wire broken where it fits to the underside of the socket on top .

[tonys40]

fuel gauge now fixed the wire had snapped off.

thanks to all

[copperknob]

very common fault remoe tank sender and extend wires all in should take u 1 hour