Fuel Sender Wire

[TakeLifeEasy]

My fuel gauge is not working and I have been reading quite a few posts on here about fault finding faulty fuel guages. One the things I want to do is trace the wire that comes from the sender. Before taking the engine out, can someone tell me where I need to look to see the wire after the sender? I thought I read that it comes through the firewall and then is routed underneath? Just trying to trace it from the first point where it is visible from the sender if you see what I mean?

 

[Happystamps]

I believe on an early, there's a small indentation at the edge of the firewall, through which the wire emerges (inside the engine bay). On a late, the wire is routed through the bottom of the fuel tank compartment, so you have to look underneath.

 

[radish]

I believe on an early, there's a small indentation at the edge of the firewall, through which the wire emerges (inside the engine bay). On a late, the wire is routed through the bottom of the fuel tank compartment, so you have to look underneath.

this is correct, looking at the engine it is on the right just near the other cables that come through to the battery. There should be a connecting block about 1" long dangling out of the fire wall.

If you do pull the engine do every job that might need to be done at the same time. I also used something called slosh to seal the tank as it had a bit of rust in the tank.

http://www.rust.co.uk/0002-slosh-ethanol-resistant-petrol-tank-seal/p405062/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

i looked for por15 but no one had a large tank kit so went for this.

Anyway hope it is the gauge mate as its a right ball ache pulling the tank

 

[TakeLifeEasy]

Thanks for the info guys, I will try and find it from the description above when I get home. I am wondering if it is just a bad earth or cut wire as it worked fine but then one day just dropped to showing empty. Very occasionally I see it jump very slightly.

 

[TakeLifeEasy]

Many thanks for the description above. I think I have found it. There is the big red cable that goes to the battery and single thin brown and white wire that disappears off to what I assume is the sender. Obviously I cannot see the connection on the sender but when I followed the cable under the engine, I found that it had been split and tied together with some masking tape over the top. Took the masking tape off and it looked like it was connected together but did it all again to see if that makes a difference when I take it out tomorrow. If not, I will pull it all apart and solder the break in the wire together to get a really good connection. I prey this is it as I have been without a fuel gauge for 2 years!!!

Will keep you updated.

 

[Bluesnailman]

if you touch this wire to earth the gauge should read "full". assuming you make the connection good at this works then go to the engine bay. earth the connector in the plastic block rear the sender and if the gauge reads full then you have a good wire all the way to the gauge. if that works but still reads empty when wired up you likely have either a poor earth from the sender to chassis, or a bad sender unit

 

[TakeLifeEasy]

Many thanks for your advice Bluesnailman, I earthed the wire and the gauge shot to full. As you can see from the picture, the wires goes into the engine bay and then straight into the firewall so I don't seem to have a plastic connector block. I guess it could either be a bad earth on the sender or a bad sender? Either way, I guess the engine would need to come out to check?

https://goo.gl/photos/p5WwUqg3Kq4yVjSJ8

 

[Bluesnailman]

unless you can undo the firewall and then find where the sender/earth connection is- and give it a wiggle. I don't have a firewall, but having accidentally pulled a connection off my sender I was able to put it back on with my hand covered in vaseline and a lot of pushing and grunting. (oo-err). So i know you can check them by hand. chances are its the sender though...