356B T5 Fuel sender unit issues
Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 1:52 pm
I have recently fitted a new fuel tank, made by Dansk, and rubber fuel lines in the car and swapped the sender unit to the new tank.
I filled up with petrol, about 10 litres and went for a drive to check all was ok.
As usual the fuel gauge needle was fluctuating wildly, but no smell of fuel so all seemed ok until the car started stuttering as if firing on 2 cylinders.
In the blink of an eye I noticed that the fuel gauge needle was not moving but stuck at about one third full so switched the tank onto reserve and headed for the nearest petrol station.
When I got there I looked in the tank and the sender unit was stuck to the bottom of the tank, I released it and filled up with an extra 30 litres.
When I got home and investigated further. I found I could push the sender unit to the bottom of the tank and it stayed there as if magnetised, it is not absorbing fuel.
I removed the unit and rubbed the float smooth with sand paper and placed it back in the tank but once again I could press it to the bottom of the tank and it would stick, when I say press there was no pressure at all.
I then played around bending the wire between the sender and the float so that if it sticks, the needle on the gauge shows empty.
When the tank has more than 20 litres, about 2 gallons, then the needle fluctuates as normal without sticking.
Does anybody know what is happening?
I filled up with petrol, about 10 litres and went for a drive to check all was ok.
As usual the fuel gauge needle was fluctuating wildly, but no smell of fuel so all seemed ok until the car started stuttering as if firing on 2 cylinders.
In the blink of an eye I noticed that the fuel gauge needle was not moving but stuck at about one third full so switched the tank onto reserve and headed for the nearest petrol station.
When I got there I looked in the tank and the sender unit was stuck to the bottom of the tank, I released it and filled up with an extra 30 litres.
When I got home and investigated further. I found I could push the sender unit to the bottom of the tank and it stayed there as if magnetised, it is not absorbing fuel.
I removed the unit and rubbed the float smooth with sand paper and placed it back in the tank but once again I could press it to the bottom of the tank and it would stick, when I say press there was no pressure at all.
I then played around bending the wire between the sender and the float so that if it sticks, the needle on the gauge shows empty.
When the tank has more than 20 litres, about 2 gallons, then the needle fluctuates as normal without sticking.
Does anybody know what is happening?