Fuel Level Reading wrong - Solved!

[TriumphCMT]

My fuel level has been reading wrong for quite some time now. I finally got off my lazy butt and figured it out.

When I pulled the gas tank floater out, I was surprise to find that it has fuel inside the floater.[:0]

So if somebody out there has that problem... check the floater![8D]







- Chris

[PeterTR7V8]

Are you sure that isn't your reserve tank? [:D]

[TriumphCMT]

Yeah it was by telling me I was empty when I still had a quater tank left. haha [:D]

- Chris

[Hasbeen]

Did it actually work Chris?

I found the same thing in my 7, about 8 years ago.

I removed the petrol from the float, & reinstalled the thing,
thinking the gauge would now read full, rather than 7/8 when the
tank was full.

Nothing. It still read 7/8, & still does to today.

Hasbeen

[TriumphCMT]

Yeah it worked for me! I replaced it with a brand new one though. My low fuel light never worked either but now that I replaced it, it actually turns on when my fuel gets a little low.[:)]

Maybe you have to replace it with a new unit. It could be that the electronics went bad or it could of filled with fuel again. Make sure the rod is not bent also.

- Chris

[Spectatohead]

The float in my car was empty when I pulled it out. There was so much rust inside the tank that the arm had seized against the bottom stop. The TR8's sender is a bit different, no pipe to the fuel line. Just got the freshly cleaned and lined tank re-installed today, along with a new sender and new in-tank fuel pump. The new sender is different from the old one too. I can't figure out which terminal the green/orange wire goes to and which one is for the green/blue one. I don't suppose it would hurt anything to try it both ways, but I'm not sure.

Jim Clark
'80 TR8
'97 Maxima 5spd

[FI Spyder]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Spectatohead</i>

I can't figure out which terminal the green/orange wire goes to and which one is for the green/blue one. I don't suppose it would hurt anything to try it both ways, but I'm not sure.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

There should be three tabs. One is ground. Measure from it to 2nd tab, if it measures open until lever just about goes to other stop then drops to a low reading that tab connects to the low fuel light on the dash. The other one should read a variable amount as the float moves from one stop to the other. That one of course goes to the gas gage. The old gauges are marked T and W. I've taken a picture as to which wire goes where (when still installed) but if your sender is different you never know which is which so my not help much. no problem if you hook wrong way so trial and error is best.

Hasbeen you have four possibilities.
1. Your float arm needs adjusting (bending),
2. The Stops need forming (bending).
3. Your variable resistor is out (not giving right resistance). No cure.
4. Your gas gage is out. Buy new one but 7/8 reading on a tank is not a real problem. Running out of gas when it says you still have some is.[:)]

Mine was rusty so I siliconed the edges and bushings put in the molasses for a few days. (The molasses will take off the resistance material otherwise. How do I know? I put the dash light rheostat in there and it not only clened it up it now reads no resistance at all settings (at least the dash lights will be bright). Then brushed off the silicone. The resistance readings were the same so I am painting it with POR-15 so it won't rust in the tank. (It's impervious to gas).

TR7 Spider - 1978 Spifire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra