|FI fuel gauge sender

[narfire]

This thing has been driving me to frustration.

Problem is I know what my fuel tank holds ---about 45 liters. I was getting around 10 kms/liter. I fill the tank right up and it reads full, ok no problem. The light comes on around 300-350 kms and the gauge is showing empty. I put 30-35 liters in to fill, telling me I have 10 liters or more in the tank... about 1/4 tank with 5Liters in reserve.
Question is ...can the sender unit in the tank be bent or adjusted to give a more accurate gauge reading, or is this just one of those nuances of the spider?
Chris

[RRoller123]

I am no expert but I will hazard a guess.... The sender is a varistor I believe, so could an external resistor be added to fiddle around with its output? Sort of a calibration?

[ORFORD2004]

Last week i empty my tank. After adding 8 liters my light was still on. It turn off around 12 liters. And yes you can bent the rod of the sender.

[4uall]

I am still amazed that we can get 400-450 km in these cars. I must be doing something wrong. Is this all highway? Have you made any modifications or used specific cleaners for the gas lines? I want better mileage as well.

[narfire]

Jay, on paper I suppose I could get 400 kms before panic sets in. I have done some mods on the engine and over the next couple of tanks I'll see if the fuel consumption has changed. I suspect it has as I drive it a bit more... foot hard on the pedal style. Just a bit unnerving now as I see 200 kms on the trip odometer and the light comes on soon after but tank only takes 25 liters or so to top up leaving about 20L in the tank.
As for bending the rod???? bend up or down??
Chris

[ORFORD2004]

If you bend down, your light will come on later.

[narfire]

If you bend down, your light will come on later

Merci, mon ami

I figured I had a 50 / 50 chance but did not really want to open up twice.

[surfingfreeman]

Hey Chris I have also heard that the float ball can leak and fill up a bit with fuel.

[RRoller123]

I just put in a new sender unit and the old one's float ball was partially filled with gasoline, yes!

[surfingfreeman]

Think that there is also a resistance test you can run on your gauge with a full tank vs. Empty.

[124cso]

Hey Chris I have also heard that the float ball can leak and fill up a bit with fuel.

I had that when I pulled my unit out a year or two ago. Sat it out in the sun for a couple of days and it dried out.
Could not find any leak or hole in it so assumed that over 30 odd years it seeped thru the pores of the plastic into the float ??
Gauge read more accurately after that.
Also note that floats from other 124 units vary from size of a golf ball to about 1" dia x 4" long cylinder.