fuel guage problems

montrealblue · Apr 14th, 2006, 23:29

The guage on my car registers full all of the time.If I disconnect the sender guage registers empty and the low fuel light comes on.I have tried substituting the sender unit and it makes no difference. I have changed the guage result is still the same.Can anyone point me in the right direction to solve my problems? The car is a 1996 2.3 turbo automatic.

Peter Milnes · Apr 15th, 2006, 02:07

Sounds like the sender is falling to pieces. Would be worthwhile taking it out to see if it can be repaired. If that is no go replace it with new (just the sender not the in-tank fuel pump as well).

All the best, Peter.

montrealblue · Apr 15th, 2006, 17:47

Hi Peter,
Thanks for the reply, I have tried substituting the sender unit but this made no difference.Don't really know what to try next apart from keeping the tank full.
David

Mike Arnold · Apr 15th, 2006, 22:11

Could be that the wiring is shorting to ground (have I got that right?). Have you tried manually moving the sender (out of the tank) to see if the gauge needle moves from full to empty?

All the best.

montrealblue · Apr 16th, 2006, 09:30

Hi Mike
Thanks for the suggestion but I have tried with a spare sender. I know the float is moving freely in the spare sender, I can feel it through the casing and I have also checked the resistance at various levels and this gives me a consistant change graduated over the range. It doesn't make any difference to the reading on the guage. i.e.:- sender connected guage reads full, sender disconnected guage reads empty and low fuel light comes on. I also have a spare guage which I have tried with the same result.
Although I have a fairly good knowledge of electrical theory I find that car electrics seem to be a bit of a mystery at times.
I am coming to the conclusion that this must be down to a possible earth fault somewhere on the system, problem is where to start.
Getting more and more frustrated,
David

djgeoff · Apr 17th, 2006, 20:42

i hope this helps i can only tell you what i did in desperation. my problem was the opposite to yours i think my gauge was reading empty but when i tapped the dash quite hard the gauge worked again. so i got myself set gauges from scrappy and swapped, that didnt quite work as there were slight differences, so i decided to take the scrappy apart. ( to practice on b4 i took mine apart) then i returned the scrappy one and got me money back ( rebuilt of course).
once i had mine apart and got to the floppy circuit board on the rear i went over every joint very carefully and resoldered the joints to my amazment this worked and is still going now. since then i have repaired aleast 4 volvos with the same method, resoldering the joints and everyone still happy.
i could not believe i had found it after having wirring loom checks, sender unit in and out etc etc etc
hope this helps you
regards
geoff

Apr 14th, 2006, 23:29	#1
montrealblue VOC Member Last Online: Jul 26th, 2013 14:29 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Costock	fuel guage problems The guage on my car registers full all of the time.If I disconnect the sender guage registers empty and the low fuel light comes on.I have tried substituting the sender unit and it makes no difference. I have changed the guage result is still the same.Can anyone point me in the right direction to solve my problems? The car is a 1996 2.3 turbo automatic.

Apr 15th, 2006, 17:47	#3
montrealblue VOC Member Last Online: Jul 26th, 2013 14:29 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Costock	fuel guage problem Hi Peter, Thanks for the reply, I have tried substituting the sender unit but this made no difference.Don't really know what to try next apart from keeping the tank full. David

Apr 15th, 2006, 22:11	#4
Mike Arnold Master Member Last Online: Apr 15th, 2024 11:47 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Stockport, Gtr Manchester View Photos By: Mike Arnold	Could be that the wiring is shorting to ground (have I got that right?). Have you tried manually moving the sender (out of the tank) to see if the gauge needle moves from full to empty? All the best. __________________ Mike Arnold. 1966 122S

Apr 16th, 2006, 09:30	#5
montrealblue VOC Member Last Online: Jul 26th, 2013 14:29 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Costock	Fuel guage problem Hi Mike Thanks for the suggestion but I have tried with a spare sender. I know the float is moving freely in the spare sender, I can feel it through the casing and I have also checked the resistance at various levels and this gives me a consistant change graduated over the range. It doesn't make any difference to the reading on the guage. i.e.:- sender connected guage reads full, sender disconnected guage reads empty and low fuel light comes on. I also have a spare guage which I have tried with the same result. Although I have a fairly good knowledge of electrical theory I find that car electrics seem to be a bit of a mystery at times. I am coming to the conclusion that this must be down to a possible earth fault somewhere on the system, problem is where to start. Getting more and more frustrated, David

Apr 17th, 2006, 20:42	#6
djgeoff Middle Aged Member Last Online: Aug 18th, 2009 19:10 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: coventry	fuel gauge problem i hope this helps i can only tell you what i did in desperation. my problem was the opposite to yours i think my gauge was reading empty but when i tapped the dash quite hard the gauge worked again. so i got myself set gauges from scrappy and swapped, that didnt quite work as there were slight differences, so i decided to take the scrappy apart. ( to practice on b4 i took mine apart) then i returned the scrappy one and got me money back ( rebuilt of course). once i had mine apart and got to the floppy circuit board on the rear i went over every joint very carefully and resoldered the joints to my amazment this worked and is still going now. since then i have repaired aleast 4 volvos with the same method, resoldering the joints and everyone still happy. i could not believe i had found it after having wirring loom checks, sender unit in and out etc etc etc hope this helps you regards geoff

Apr 15th, 2006, 02:07	#2
Peter Milnes Premier Member Last Online: Apr 10th, 2014 00:01 Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Tonyrefail	Sounds like the sender is falling to pieces. Would be worthwhile taking it out to see if it can be repaired. If that is no go replace it with new (just the sender not the in-tank fuel pump as well). All the best, Peter.

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