Fuel indicator faulty - show almost zero

[Mustank]

early early morning had a scare... fuel needle rapidly going down and i thought tank leak. reach petrol kiosk and top up full until see petrol floating in tank, on engine still show almost zero....

 

bad start to morning.... any bros experience this before? is repair very urgent as can barely afford any downtime this week.... wat could be the cause and damage? driving a 4yr old forte....

 

thanks!

 

 

better dont go jb , wait mata thought empty then catch [sweat]

[Tianake]

 

 

better dont go jb , wait mata thought empty then catch [sweat]

 

then can challenge the mata mah.

really want to see how they react when they say the fuel tank is empty due to the sensor but when check physically, the fuel tank is full.

[Simonsoh]

 

then can challenge the mata mah.

really want to see how they react when they say the fuel tank is empty due to the sensor but when check physically, the fuel tank is full.

 

ya. reverse role. normally needle full they dun believe. use other methods to test. now needle empty, challenge them use other method to test. anyway the rule is 3/4 petrol in tank. not 3/4 needle. haha

[SimplyTWL]

To part with $300+ to repair sure is on the high side.

You may like to consider adding a scangauge or some other devices that can be connected to the OBDII port for you to monitor the petrol level too.

Surely cheaper than $300.

[Simonsoh]

To part with $300+ to repair sure is on the high side.

You may like to consider adding a scangauge or some other devices that can be connected to the OBDII port for you to monitor the petrol level too.

Surely cheaper than $300.

 

the $300+ is to replace the entire sender unit if i understand correctly... even though only float is faulty...

[Blackyv]

My latio has been giving me error needle reading many years ago and I use mileage to gauge.. not that hard since I track my fuel since day one and my full tank will not last for more than 4 days... my 1 weekday clock around 100km, very easy to track...

[Vega]

TS, can try sourcing from scrap yard.

[Kb27]

 

ya.. i wait and see... asking around for better quotes also.. anyway got petrol kiosk near home and workplace. just discipline to pump every 400km.

 

but the mechanic very confident. he bypass and needle go full tank. connect back it dip to zero again... repeat a few times and he say 100% "float" spoil...

 

listen to your good word lah... hope can recover by itself, really cant bear to part with $300+ for fuel needle...

 

Some people got luck with techron concentrate fixing their fuel pump sender unit.

No harm trying. Get a bottle of Redline SI-1 ($17.50) at Autobacs and empty it in your fuel tank.

If it doesn't work to fix the gauge, at least you get a fuel system cleaning.

The Redline is the same chemical as techron.

 

Try a couple of tankfuls of petrol and see what happens.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Kb27

[Slowpoke]

To part with $300+ to repair sure is on the high side.

You may like to consider adding a scangauge or some other devices that can be connected to the OBDII port for you to monitor the petrol level too.

Surely cheaper than $300.

 

 

the scangauge takes the reading from the ECU which in turns takes the reading from the faulty fuel level sender....

[Simonsoh]

 

Some people got luck with techron concentrate fixing their fuel pump sender unit.

No harm trying. Get a bottle of Redline SI-1 ($17.50) at Autobacs and empty it in your fuel tank.

If it doesn't work to fix the gauge, at least you get a fuel system cleaning.

The Redline is the same chemical as techron.

 

Try a couple of tankfuls of petrol and see what happens.

 

interesting... so just open fuel cap and pour inside? tats all?

[Pisces69]

early early morning had a scare... fuel needle rapidly going down and i thought tank leak. reach petrol kiosk and top up full until see petrol floating in tank, on engine still show almost zero....

 

bad start to morning.... any bros experience this before? is repair very urgent as can barely afford any downtime this week.... wat could be the cause and damage? driving a 4yr old forte....

 

thanks!

 

 

Yr car seems quite new.

 

Maybe just a loose wire somewhere? Ask mech to troubleshoot for u. But u still hv to pay.

early early morning had a scare... fuel needle rapidly going down and i thought tank leak. reach petrol kiosk and top up full until see petrol floating in tank, on engine still show almost zero....

 

bad start to morning.... any bros experience this before? is repair very urgent as can barely afford any downtime this week.... wat could be the cause and damage? driving a 4yr old forte....

 

thanks!

 

 

As long as u dun go JB often to pump petrol sud b ok,

[Pisces69]

My latio has been giving me error needle reading many years ago and I use mileage to gauge.. not that hard since I track my fuel since day one and my full tank will not last for more than 4 days... my 1 weekday clock around 100km, very easy to track...

 

 

So yr Latio range on 1 tank abt 400kms only?

 

Whats the fuel capacity of yr tank?

[Simonsoh]

 

 

So yr Latio range on 1 tank abt 400kms only?

 

Whats the fuel capacity of yr tank?

 

after pump full tank, the "DISTANCE to EMPTY" meter will always show nearing 600km.... but dare to play so close meh? 400km better kuai kuai go and pump lah... haha....

[Kb27]

 

interesting... so just open fuel cap and pour inside? tats all?

 

Yes, that's all.

Theory is that the float is stuck, so it doesn't move with the fuel level.

SI-1 is a cleaner and upper cyl lub, so it may "unstuck" something.

 

It's cheap enough to warrant a try first compared with $300 replacement.

 

And anyway, it's good regime to use this cleaner on an ongoing basis.

[Blackyv]

 

 

So yr Latio range on 1 tank abt 400kms only?

 

Whats the fuel capacity of yr tank?

 

45L...

[Simonsoh]

 

Yes, that's all.

Theory is that the float is stuck, so it doesn't move with the fuel level.

SI-1 is a cleaner and upper cyl lub, so it may "unstuck" something.

 

It's cheap enough to warrant a try first compared with $300 replacement.

 

And anyway, it's good regime to use this cleaner on an ongoing basis.

 

Thanks, I will try. As you said, just treat as a cleaning. If needle pops up, treat as bonus.

 

But just wondering if just "stuck" instead of "spoil", wouldnt the mechanic have been able to "unstuck" it when he was inspecting the other day...? He told me "spoil"

[Kb27]

 

Thanks, I will try. As you said, just treat as a cleaning. If needle pops up, treat as bonus.

 

But just wondering if just "stuck" instead of "spoil", wouldnt the mechanic have been able to "unstuck" it when he was inspecting the other day...? He told me "spoil"

 

I find it strange that the fuel sender will spoil so easily.

I used to drive a Getz and have the workshop manual.

Assuming Hyundai and Kia used closed to the same parts and design, the fuel sender is integrated with the fuel filter, fuel pump and float.

 

The fuel sender is only a resistive value which is set by the float, depending on how high or low the fuel level is.

On a Getz, 4 ohm is "F" and 110 ohm is "E".

Unlike active components, resistors don't normally die, unless physically damage.

So the float is acting like a variable resistor.

 

A workshop could pull out the whole thing and test the float, moving it up and down and checking the resistance value should move linearly according to the float position.

But of coz, it's easier and more profitable to sell you the whole thing. So there..."spoilt"

 

And also you could see how easy it is to rigged the 3/4 tank, by replacing the float resistance with a fixed 75 ohm.

[Simonsoh]

hmmm... means to rig the needle, workshop just take out original float and replace with a new float?

 

seem to be the same process with mine rite? if that's the case, means float is sold seperately? wats the market rate for rigging the needle then?