Pug 106 fuel guage reads from empty to 3/4 and no further!

1998 Pug 106, 1.1 petrol engine.

Previous owner says fuel guage works fine but won't read past 3/4 full. He got car in 2007, so it hasn't worked properly since then. I am prepared to ignore it as it still shows when nearly empty - but can anyone tell me what the problem could be? If it's a simple fix - I will have a go.

Thanks in advance

Reply to
Mark
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It could be a problem with the sender, probably a sticking float. Do the other gauges read correctly?

Reply to
John Williamson

it probably needs the float arm bending a bit, but if it gives you a reliable low reading at present then I would say to leave it alone.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

I don't think they have a float arm any more, it's a cartridge thingy with a float in it. I would say live with it, if it's under reading it gives you a safety margin.

But if you do want to change it it's almost certainly[1] under the back seat and easy to acess.

Steve

[1] Covering my arse, I haven't done a 106 one.
Reply to
shazzbat

You could well be right, I avoid anything French if possible :)

I had a Fiat many years ago and that started to read erratically, turned out that it had a damper on the float arm which had got grit stuck in it, a clean out of the damper and the fuel tank was all that needed.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Apart from a decent Burgundy?

Reply to
Newshound

As far as I can tell, yes.

Reply to
Mark

I'll have a look. Got car yesterday, got a haynes book for it today!

Reply to
Mark

Probably a mechanical problem in the tank, then.

Reply to
John Williamson

Mark presented the following explanation :

If the low level is in correct calibration, it sounds as if something may be preventing the float rising to the full extent with the fuel. To confirm it, add fuel one gallon at a time and check the gauge moves up each time and how much more you can get in after the gauge stops rising. You will always manage some extra, due to filler neck volume etc..

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Harry Bloomfield has brought this to us :

You used to be able to check the fuel gauge and temperature gauge by disconnecting from the sender units and first noting the open circuit reading on the gauge and then the reading with the terminal grounded. It should show maximum and minimum, but this may not be the case with modern gauges.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

I finally had a look!

I removed the sender and held the float arm to it would read maximum, switched on ignition and ... 3/4 on the gauge!

It seems nothing is wrong with the sender (as far as I can see) so I guess it's just out of calibration. Nothing I can do but carry a jerry can about just in case...

Reply to
Mark
[...]

Usually, disconnecting the float potentiometer gives an empty reading, and shorting it gives a full reading. At your risk, you could try that. If the gauge reads empty and full respectively, the fault is still the sender. If it will still only read 3/4 full, the fault is the gauge.

I once connected a wire-wound potentiometer across a sender in order to correct a misreading gauge, but perhaps that's a bit extreme...

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Did you try shorting the connections to the sender together, or shorting the connection to earth if there is only one? That should make the gauge read full, and if it didn't, the fault is elsewhere.

Carry a can until you've run it to empty *on the gauge*, then filled it to find out how much is actually left. Then don't run it below empty. The gauge reading low will mean you should start panicking long before you run out.

Reply to
John Williamson

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