Fuel guage issues

[heyskull]

My 72 crossover has the early type fuel guage with no voltage stabilizer to the rear of the guage.
In the year I have owned it the guage is very hit and miss and over the last few weeks got more miss than hit!
The gauges needle goes way if the dial when turned off and now just registers above the reserve part of the dial.
But if you tap the guage the guage it changes position or flickers about.
Is this a guage, earth point/ wiring or tank sender unit issue?
I have heard this earlier type is less prone to problems

SC

 

[mike202]

If the gauge moves when you tap it then the connections may need cleaning or be loose. Changing the gauge is easy if you need to do this. Changing the sender is harder as you need to take out the fuel tank.

 

[easy]

I had the same issue, leaned up all the terminals etc. as @mike202 said and replaced, now works like a charm

 

[heyskull]

I had it to bits last and cleaned the terminals. I was a bit shocked that the cable from the tank was brown as I thought all switched earth's where brown and white. Still hasn't improved the guage. Will have to see where it is earthed on the sender side.

 

[fallingoffalot]

Mine packed up about 4 years ago - All the terminals are clean so assume it's the sender. I've had a hatch kit for about 4 years from C&C and keep meaning to cut the required hole in the boot floor to fit a new sender, TBH I'm a bit scared of doing this, so all I do is note down the mileage when I fill up, do 200 ish miles then fill up again! I've only run out of fuel 3 times! - once on the M42 not longer after the gauge failed, for some reason I thought I was getting 340 miles to a tank. Once just down the road from home and once in Cornwall just as I was about to leave a campsite,
Maybe I should check the sender earth - where is it?

 

[Earlybay1]

This is the location which is near the back seat where the floor curves down. Looks a bit small. Mine is about the size of the orange cover and allows you to look inside the tank too. PS I have a new fuel sender in its box on marketplace https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1895141057519835 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4168507

 

[heyskull]

Earlybay1 Can I have a link to the fuel sender you have for sale?

 

[mike202]

Mine packed up about 4 years ago - All the terminals are clean so assume it's the sender. I've had a hatch kit for about 4 years from C&C and keep meaning to cut the required hole in the boot floor to fit a new sender, TBH I'm a bit scared of doing this, so all I do is note down the mileage when I fill up, do 200 ish miles then fill up again! I've only run out of fuel 3 times! - once on the M42 not longer after the gauge failed, for some reason I thought I was getting 340 miles to a tank. Once just down the road from home and once in Cornwall just as I was about to leave a campsite,
Maybe I should check the sender earth - where is it?

the sender earth is connected behind the firewall to the top of the fuel sender, so not too easy with the engine in.

 

[fallingoffalot]

Thanks Mike and Earlybay1, very useful.

I like the warnings in the manual - "Caution danger of explosion"! Now I remember why I haven't done it.

 

[sparkywig]

This is the location which is near the back seat where the floor curves down. Looks a bit small. Mine is about the size of the orange cover and allows you to look inside the tank too. PS I have a new fuel sender in its box on marketplace https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1895141057519835 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4168507

That facebook link is for a Beetle fuel sender unit, totally different to an early bay unit below.

 

[Earlybay1]

Earlybay1 Can I have a link to the fuel sender you have for sale?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1895141057519835

 

[Earlybay1]

That facebook link is for a Beetle fuel sender unit, totally different to an early bay unit below.

The beetle will fit but is 20 quid compared to A LOT more from VW sellers. I have the above type in a 65 Beetle.

 

[Dizzy T2]

I wish someone would do a full video mine won’t go above empty changed the fuel sender in the tank, check the earth by hooking it to the earth in the battery check the VOD by adding power to move the fuel gauge still nothing
This is not a bad video on finding the problem

 

[heyskull]

I wish someone would do a full video mine won’t go above empty changed the fuel sender in the tank, check the earth by hooking it to the earth in the battery check the VOD by adding power to move the fuel gauge still nothing
This is not a bad video on finding the problem

That is the later type guage with the voltage stabilizer attached.
My guage is the earlier type which is directly wired to the guage.

SC

 

[hippywitch72]

I had it to bits last and cleaned the terminals. I was a bit shocked that the cable from the tank was brown as I thought all switched earth's where brown and white. Still hasn't improved the guage. Will have to see where it is earthed on the sender side.

I also have crossover and the wire on mine is brown too. I have recently taken the tank out and replaced the sender unit in mine. Also replaced the wire from the tank to the dash and it all now works fine and is steady.

 

[Dizzy T2]

I also have crossover and the wire on mine is brown too. I have recently taken the tank out and replaced the sender unit in mine. Also replaced the wire from the tank to the dash and it all now works fine and is steady.

Silly question where is the wiring go to in order to get to the clocks is it under the van

 

[heyskull]

Well after a bit of fiddling and banging the tank the guage is working again.
But even when brimmed it reads 3/4s full and by the time it has used 4-5 gallons the needle is no longer showing even though their is loads of fuel left in the tank.
Is their a way of calibrating the gauge or is this an engine and tank removal (not cutting holes in the rear deck) to replace the sender?

SC

 

[sparkywig]

Engine and gearbox out so you can remove the tank bulkhead, then the tank.

 

[Earlybay1]

Engine and gearbox out so you can remove the tank bulkhead, then the tank.

Earlybay1 Can I have a link to the fuel sender you have for sale?

This is the location which is near the back seat where the floor curves down. Looks a bit small. Mine is about the size of the orange cover and allows you to look inside the tank too. PS I have a new fuel sender in its box on marketplace https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1895141057519835 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4168507

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[Dizzy T2]

I wish someone would do a full video mine won’t go above empty changed the fuel sender in the tank, check the earth by hooking it to the earth in the battery check the VOD by adding power to move the fuel gauge still nothing
This is not a bad video on finding the problem