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06-07-2021, 01:07 PM
1

Petrol Gauges

The last few times I have put petrol in my car, the needle showing on the guage of the dash hasn't moved. It does not go up as the tank fills, nor when I've finished.

This is odd, it always behaved until recently, and it is also a nuisance because I don't know how much petrol I've got in there.

What could be causing this, is it sludge in the tank, and is it an expensive problem to sort out does anyone know please?

It's a Fiat.



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06-07-2021, 01:13 PM
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Re: Petrol Gauges

Can’t help there Mups, sensor or the gauge? One of the petrol heads on here will advise.
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06-07-2021, 01:16 PM
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Re: Petrol Gauges

Originally Posted by Vlad ->
Can’t help there Mups, sensor or the gauge? One of the petrol heads on here will advise.

OK, thanks anyway, Vlad. x
I will wait and see if anyone has any bright ideas.
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06-07-2021, 02:01 PM
4

Re: Petrol Gauges

Hi Mups. Maybe tap the gauge gently just in case the needle has stuck. Or possibly get a strong young man to rock the car side to side. Get out first of course.
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06-07-2021, 02:27 PM
5

Re: Petrol Gauges

I always make a habit of resetting the mileage trip meter to zero on filling the tank, that way I know roughly the miles I have done whatever happens. At 58mpg and knowing both the tank capacity and how much fuel was purchased, it's easy enough to work out how much fuel has been used and fill up when required.

I don't know the modern cars any more, computers on wheels nowadays, too much like my laptop. At a guess it's possibly a faulty sensor or it could be a loose connection.
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06-07-2021, 02:37 PM
6

Re: Petrol Gauges

Probably a problem with the sender in the fuel tank Mups. Sometimes these are easy to get at through the boot floor, and sometimes it means removing the fuel tank, but I've no idea on cost you would have to ask at the garage.

However, if you aren't bothered about it too much you could just fill the tank each time you put petrol in and keep a note of the mileage using the tripometer to give you an idea how much you have used, a couple of times doing this after around two hundred miles should give you a good idea of your average mpg, if you don't know already.
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06-07-2021, 03:49 PM
7

Re: Petrol Gauges

I agree, the sender sounds like the problem or the float is stuck inside the tank. Not normally a difficult job to fit a new one.

In one of my old cars, my petrol gauge would actual go UP whilst I was driving. That turned out to be a loose wire from the sender, touching the bodywork.
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06-07-2021, 03:53 PM
8

Re: Petrol Gauges

Most cars manufactured in the past 20 or so years have a delayed fuel gauge to stop any needle bounce from the fuel slopping around the tank while driving. If yours does not move after say around 3 to 5 mins after filling, then I would suggest your sender unit in the tank needs removing and checking or replacing after the wiring/grounding had been checked.
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06-07-2021, 05:25 PM
9

Re: Petrol Gauges

best let a garage replace the sender, easy enough to do the only problem is making sure the gasket is sealing the sender to the tank properly or you will get petrol fumes in the car. Unit should cost around £25/30 plus fitting so not an over expensive item to replace.
Done that job a few times in the past it is the petol fumes that get you
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06-07-2021, 05:59 PM
10

Re: Petrol Gauges

What fiat model is it mups..?
 
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