fuel level sender issue.

[WorkInProgressK]

Short story is going to be short, at the end of my first session on NT-01's, the fuel level was showing empty :P.

At first, I was scared I had a leak pissing everywhere on the track or my engine bay.

Has anyone had his fuel sender break because of lateral forces?
I haven't verified yet, but just wanted to know if someone had this happen to him :P.

Update : Fixed! Baffle plate was loose. Winner: HybridAndy ! lol

[e1_griego]

Mine is broken, but I think it's the cluster and not the sender, or the wiring in between. Well, it works for the first 1/4 tank or so, then goes wonky. It will drop to 1/4, then back up to 1/2 and generally not give any sort of accurate reading.

I replaced the sender once already and it does the same thing, which is why I suspect the cluster instead.

[Def]

My sender works fine. I'm using a VDO fuel gauge which seems to match up really well to the stock sender (fills up to like 95% on the gauge when full, and I've gone to maybe 1/16th of a tank showing on the gauge and filling up with about 12.6 gallons. It's the VW 10-65 ohm one IIRC.

Pretty sure this is it:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/VDO-301020/

[hai1206vn]

my s14 fuel sender has slipped off of its bracket twice during autocross to swim around, keeping the gauge needle pegged at Full. After the 2nd time, I zip tied it to the bracket. No problem since then.

[eye-5]

Mine is broken, but I think it's the cluster and not the sender, or the wiring in between. Well, it works for the first 1/4 tank or so, then goes wonky. It will drop to 1/4, then back up to 1/2 and generally not give any sort of accurate reading.

This is pretty much how mine works. Seems fine till half a tank and then goes from 1/2 a tank to a 1/8 a tank a couple times back and fourth. Pretty much unreliable after a half a tank.

It also fuel starves on road course so I try to keep it above 3/8ths a tank If I can figure out when that actually is.

[WorkInProgressK]

All I can say at least it wasn't a leak and my car didn't catch fire.... I was freaking out at first.

So its either the floater from the sensor slipped off, or my gage on the dash stopped working .

I really don't care much, but since its now my daily + track its going to be hard to keep track of my fuel level.

I should be checking it out in the next days...I will update then.

[HybridAndy]

First time I took my S13 to an autox on my RT-615 I had the same thing happen. Turns out some of the metal baffling in the tank itself came loose and was pinning the float to the bottom of the tank.

I opened the tank from the top and and bent/wedged the loose metal back down and it's worked fine ever since.

Make sure you pickup a new o-ring for the access panel to the tank before you open it. I had just opened mine to install a new fuel pump a few months before the o-ring had already expanded enough that I had to replace it again.

[WorkInProgressK]

First time I took my S13 to an autox on my RT-615 I had the same thing happen. Turns out some of the metal baffling in the tank itself came loose and was pinning the float to the bottom of the tank.

I opened the tank from the top and and bent/wedged the loose metal back down and it's worked fine ever since.

Make sure you pickup a new o-ring for the access panel to the tank before you open it. I had just opened mine to install a new fuel pump a few months before the o-ring had already expanded enough that I had to replace it again.

I have to find a standard part for that. It has been already 3! stupid o-rings. And its expensive at 15$ a piece.

I happen to have one new. Took some rough mesuring tape measurements
->
circumference :405mm
Od= 128.9 aprox 128 mm
W=4mm

Found something, much cheaper http://www.mcmaster.com/#o-rings/=c6e4f9

[HybridAndy]

My local advanced auto has them for about $10 a piece. Looks like McMaster has a pack of 10 for about the same price.

They didn't have one in stock the last time I fixed mine so I ended up cutting the o-ring and sealing the gap with RTV until the new one came in. I have the new ring but haven't installed it yet. The seal seems to be holding up alright so far but I'll probably replace it this spring when I get some time to work on the car.

[Tower240sx]

I'm the master at re-installing those O-rings, never had to get a new one, done countless fuel pumps, it takes a little rolling motion in a small circle and a twist and it rolls back into place everytime.

and since some idiot will ask, NO LEAKS

[e1_griego]

Does it leak?

[Tower240sx]

Does it leak?

I absolutely LOVE YOU

[e1_griego]

I've had good luck twice cutting and taping, but I usually just replace. $11 gasket from the dealer and they've always had it in stock.

I'm intrigued by this 'roll the gasket around in a circle and reuse it" method though.

[WorkInProgressK]

Explain? you mean make it longer?

Actualy I have some old conveyor O-rings. I might cut out a piece and try. You can merge them by just heating the edges and letting them dry touching.


Update : Fixed! Baffle plate was loose.