Fuel Gauge/Sender

[Bush Tucker Man]

Damn thing's playing up

Been out in it tonight, dropped my parents off, got partway home & noticed the fuel-gauge was dropping.
Got to about a mile from home & it's dead against the stop & the low-level light is on
Now it's only done 165miles since I bought it (& filled it up), so it's not being used.

Points Of Note;
1999 Td5
It can't be the fuse as all 4 instruments are on the same fuse
No smell of diesel at any point around the vehicle when parked (there's no breeze to waft it away)
The gauge seemed to fall rapidly, but not instantaneously.
Didn't check the fuel-cap for tampering, but it wouldn't slosh out (& no smell)


My 'In The Dark' Diagnosis;
Sender unit fault?
Wiring between sender unit & gauge?? (Will this also illuminate the low-level light?)


Any other suggestions??

Are there any other fuses/relay under the seat with the ECU???

[Paul]

Hi Richard,

I had something like this on the 200tdi.

Worked some days didn't others...

After much checking and diging around it turned out to be
the sender unit in the tank, Had to buy the whole unit as
the sender wasn't available on it's own.

Nearly £80 for a new one.

[drum]

Mine does move considerably faster at the bottom of the scale, than at the top, quite alarming so when your not used to it. However I get over 200 miles even when I've driven long distances in leadboot mode. On mine I've got about 50miles when the light comes on, I know cos I've run out fuel 20 yards from a filling station before now  :D

[Bush Tucker Man]

Mine does move considerably faster at the bottom of the scale, than at the top, quite alarming so when your not used to it.

Yes, but about a mile & a 1/2 from half-full :?  :shock:

I'm just off out for a poke about, as we've said we'll take 'Small-Child' 'Seal-Hunting' at Donna Nook (LIncolnshire) today, but obviously not in the Alaskan sense

[Bush Tucker Man]

Nothing immediately apparant.

No; smells, discoloured tarmac underneath, drips.

Can't reach the sender unit as it's in the centre of the tank, my arms aren't long enough.

There's not an access panel in the load-space floor of a Td5 is there??

[rokcrawlin]

its an earth problem or dodgy contact clean up the connectors the light for low fuel is usually set for 1/4 of a tank

[MTyrrell]

Had a similar problem with my 110, their's a multi plug about 40cm down the sender loom from the tank, probably different on newer landy's though, one of the connectors had corroded and was only making a intermittent connection.

 See your's is living up to land rover's reputation for reliability already.

[Xtremeteam]

IIRC theres only the one multi plug on the fuel tank pump & its a tank out job unless you fancy cuttinga  hole in the floor

its prob advisable to get a guge put on the fuel rail at the front to check the pressure as the pump/sender unit could be onits way out & IIRC its about 180 +v for a replacement

I soooo hope its something more simple for you BTM But when you find the fault tell me

[Bush Tucker Man]

Going to go out soon &
1. Check the gauge, with a small supply (9v battery??) & see if it moves.
Wonder how much an ivory faced gauge is?

2.Check for a voltage at the instrument end of the loom.

3. Visit the local independant about a mile away & leave it with him (or book it in)

[Bush Tucker Man]

Going to go out soon &
1. Check the gauge, with a small supply (9v battery??) & see if it moves.
Wonder how much an ivory faced gauge is?

The gauge operates with a 9v supply across it, but what's the 3rd pin for? (fuel light??)

2.Check for a voltage at the instrument end of the loom.

There appears to be, on 2 of the 3 pins. Silly me didn't check if they were the same pins as  the gauge :oops:

3. Visit the local independant about a mile away & leave it with him (or book it in)

Visited & it's going next Monday morning, unless I get it sorted.




There's not an ECU related issue here is there???
I don't know to what extent the ECU interferes....... sorry, controls electrical function................ within the vehicle.

[Bush Tucker Man]

Another thought..................

Which way round is the supply to the sender & gauge?
Is it earthed at the sender, or the gauge - as I tested the gauge by using a separate supply/earth (9v continuity tester)

[TimM]

Going to go out soon &
1. Check the gauge, with a small supply (9v battery??) & see if it moves.
Wonder how much an ivory faced gauge is?

The gauge operates with a 9v supply across it, but what's the 3rd pin for? (fuel light??)

If two of the pins are + and - for the sender unit, the third MIGHT be for the illumination  :?

[LANDYTIM]

Ive got a similar problem, my gauge always reads full....... If I take the sender out the tank it will read below 3/4 and full but never reads the amount in the tank right!

I find a full Jerry can is the most usful thing for this! :lol:

[hobbit]

This is why I like the old military tanks on the series vehicles, up with seat base, pop cap off, eyes down and look in :lol:

No guessing, or wondering if it will run out on you, mind you only got one 10 gallon tank in so if I go on a run I'll carry a couple of 20 ltr cans as well

[Bush Tucker Man]

If two of the pins are + and - for the sender unit, the third MIGHT be for the illumination  :?

The illumination is separate

[Bush Tucker Man]

Dropped it off at the local independant this morning.
I've just had the phone-call to tell me it's the sender unit in the tank, which (co-incidentally) is also the pump :x
£165 +VAT, then labour

And they say the Td5 is progress?

Oh well, better than not knowing & running out somewhere  :roll:

[hobbit]

They are progress, in the field of prices  :lol:

[drum]

I've just had the phone-call to tell me it's the sender unit in the tank, which (co-incidentally) is also the pump :x
£165 +VAT, then labour

Who's that with Richard, by my reckoning it should be £230+VAT !!!

[drum]

I reckon that's the price for the 90 one not the 110 Richard. Not sure what the difference is.

[littlepow]

110 has a bigger tank, so using the logic of business, the cost is relative to the size of the assembly that the component is to be fitted too.

[Xtremeteam]

I reckon that's the price for the 90 one not the 110 Richard. Not sure what the difference is.

of the to[p of my head the pumps are all the same for the TD5 engined vehicles disco,90/110, IIRC work puts them out at 180+v so thats not abd price,

BTM not being smug etc but i didnt think it could be much else appart from the pump

the 90 & 110 both have the tank fixed in the same way so should take the same amount o time to strip,disco has the upper hand as it has an acces hatch in the hole  

[drum]

of the to[p of my head the pumps are all the same for the TD5 engined vehicles disco,90/110

110    Part Number : WFX000260          Price : £ 230.60
90      Part Number : WFX000250          Price : £ 208.62
Disco  Part Number : WFX000280          Price : £ 176.57

All prices Exclude VAT.

I do have to admit the piccies all look the same just different colours though.

[Xtremeteam]

of the to[p of my head the pumps are all the same for the TD5 engined vehicles disco,90/110

110    Part Number : WFX000260          Price : £ 230.60
90      Part Number : WFX000250          Price : £ 208.62
Disco  Part Number : WFX000280          Price : £ 176.57

All prices Exclude VAT.

I do have to admit the piccies all look the same just different colours though.

fair enough,since i got ma new pc i havent got ma new microcat loaded up yet

[drum]

So either BTM is getting a damn good price on a 110 one, or a very good price on a disco one, cos his local bloke knows they're all the same or something. BTW those price are from a Online Parts Shop, which normally has good prices, so may or may not be List Price.

Still I'd be interested to know who the independent is cos they're probably localish to me aswell  :D

[Bush Tucker Man]

So either BTM is getting a damn good price on a 110 one, or a very good price on a disco one, cos his local bloke knows they're all the same or something.

Still I'd be interested to know who the independent is cos they're probably localish to me as well  :D

It's someone very local to me, going by the name; Simon Services
Not too far from you either really (not too far from jct 31/M62)

Lets put it this way.... I walked home in under 10minutes this morning (door-to-door)

Simon has been in business, though not always on this site for at least 20years now.
I can remember his old site in about 1986 as a friend had a bed-sit overlooking it.
It's possible (but I doubt) that I got a good price as we have a very good mutual (90 Hard-Top & 110CSW owning) friend?

[Skywalker]

Freind of mine's used Simon Servies a lot over the years and has always been very happy with them.

Dave

[drum]

Must admit I've never heard a bad thing about them, if they're prices are generally like that, it might be worth visiting them abit more often.

[Bush Tucker Man]

Just picked it back up.
He was fairly under-pressure on Monday & Tuesday, as he was a man down for very personal reasons.
But no contact at all yesterday from him (because he was still short-staffed), until I phoned at 17:00.
The fuel pipes were problematic as he told me they wouldn't reach properly with the tank in situ (or was it partially dropped?, I forget)

No bill yet..... will drop it through the letterbox [-o<  :(scared): )

[Bush Tucker Man]

     

Now the bl**dy thing appears to be p*ssing out diesel from either the pipe-work, or sender unit/pump.
It's like a dripping tap & all running down the street.
Only filled it up this morning as well.
Not happy

Ought to have stuck with the Discovery

[Paul]

Sounds to me like it will be the seal on the sender unit.

Anything else and they would of noticed it leaking before they gave it you back.

Get them to knock something off the bill for the inconvenionce.