Fuel gauge behaving strangely

There are some problems with the fuel gauge sender. Sadly it is a single unit that incorporates the fuel pump and replacement means dropping the fuel tank. My understanding is that this costs

300UKP!!! It has been discussed here before so it might be worth a Google for more info.

It is likely that as the level in the tank drops the gauge will start reading OK again.

My '99 LX did it once about a year ago. From the information I found in this ng it was suggested not to overfill the tank. I now stop on the first click of the filler and it hasn't happened again... am I tempting fate here?

HTH

Chris

Yowsa - that over $700 CDN for a sending unit that should cost a 10th of that. Somebody is getting ripped off big-time!

I have had similar problems only when I filled up to much. I.e.: putting a bit extra in after the pump has clicked. All goes back to normal after a bit has burnt off.

====== If you can get a fuel pump and sending unit changed for $70 Canadian you don't live in my province. Geoff

Well, you SHOULD be able to replace a sending unit for $70, but the sending unit is an integral part of the fuel pump which itself is buried in the fuel tank (to avoid vapor lock), so a replacement involves removing and opening the gas tank.

Modern cars are just not designed with maintenance/ repair in mind.

-- Don

Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are much more pliable. ~ Mark Twain

the fuel gauge sender is not an integral part of the fuel pump, although it

*is* attached to it and therefore does require the removal of the fuel tank for access. the replacement sender lokks like a small circuit board with a float arm and a few wires, priced at (iirc) about 20-30 quid. if you want to be kind to your dealer get it done when the tank is nearly empty. shouldn't take much more than a couple of hours so find a dealer with a friendly hourly rate.

hth

Heh heh, I guess I should have emphasized the "should" part or put in a smiley. Don picked up on the it but I can see how I miscommunicated my message... :-)

Exactly. If designed / engineered for easy replacement of components happened, maintenance would be cheaper. I had a 2000 Focus where the dealer replaced the sending unit under warranty and I didn't see the actual price of repair. But with labour at $65/hr plus the parts and miscellaneous fees it should be a min. of $300 CDN. Even still that's half what the bloke in Britain is being charged.

My local dealer still insists the sender is not available on its own. Could you quote a part number or other information that I can use to show him please?

He is also telling me that it's a 2.5 hour job, needing removal of the exhaust and undertray, so at 70UKP an hour will still be expensive!

Chris

on its own.

can use to

having checked, it could depend on when your car was built. if built after 30/09/00 the sender is seperate from the pump (part no 1318703), before that it looks like a complete unit.

removal of the

expensive!

main dealer or retail dealer? my local retail dealer is more like 40UKP an hour. wouldn't touch my main dealer with a barge pole...

hth

-- gandissy

It's March '99 so looks like the dealer was correct.

My local main dealer is about the one place around here that I would trust my car to! They are not perfect but I've had really bad experiences with other Ford places

Thanks for your help

Chris