Fuel Gauge

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Landyfox

Landyfox

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North East - England (Centre of the Universe)
This is an odd one, the fuel gauge on my Defender 300TDI is reading incorrectly.

If I start the ignition the needle will very slowly move up towards the empty mark at the bottom of the orange section. Now if I rev the engine the needle moved to the same spot but so much quicker. However, if I put diesel in, the needle drops down...what's that all about.?! Lol I've checked all of the earths and appear clean with good contacts. All of the other gauges works perfectly. I'm at a loss, as it was working perfectly and then just stopped!
 
Landyfox said:
This is an odd one, the fuel gauge on my Defender 300TDI is reading incorrectly.

If I start the ignition the needle will very slowly move up towards the empty mark at the bottom of the orange section. Now if I rev the engine the needle moved to the same spot but so much quicker. However, if I put diesel in, the needle drops down...what's that all about.?! Lol I've checked all of the earths and appear clean with good contacts. All of the other gauges works perfectly. I'm at a loss, as it was working perfectly and then just stopped!
Click to expand...

It could be a faulty sender in the fuel tank, it's a physical arm with a float that rises and lowers with the fuel level. If the float falls off or if the arm gets stuck then it will stay in one place or the resistance-track on the float mechanism (that varies the current and so alters the gauge-reading) is failing...
 
lr4x4 looked nearer
Posted 09 January 2013 - 06:29 PM

Welcome to the forum!

It could be a faulty sender in the fuel tank, it's a physical arm with a float that rises and lowers with the fuel level. If the float falls off or if the arm gets stuck then it will stay in one place.

If you fill the tank up does the fuel gauge move?

What specific Defender do you have? Tanks are located in lots of places on a Defender depending what it is and there are varying levels of difficulty in getting to the sender!
 
Meh, run a new wire from the sender straight into the back of the gauge see if it works ... it'll isolate the problem to sender, gauge or wiring ... not all have low warning wire and for some resistance can be a problem ...
 
Last edited:
Dippypud said:
Meh, run a new wire from the sender straight into the back of the gauge see if it works ... it'll isolate the problem to sender gauge or wiring ... not all have low warning wire and for some resistance can be a problem ...
Click to expand...
it would be simpler to short the green wire to earth, to isolate sender,obviously resistance is important a sender is essentially a rheostat
 
Has it always done this? When it goes to empty it doesn't go towards the full mark does it? Only because it is possible to get the wiring around the wrong way so the fuel gauge reads opposite.
 
On the plus side when your driving along the needle should go up! Result!!

Mine used to sit at half way no matter what I put in it. New sender and she actually tells me what's in her now!!
 
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