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Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:38 pm

I am having trouble with my fuel gauge. I am using a stock sending unit and stock gauge. My guage shows empty all of the time no matter how much fuel is in the tank.

I changed the sending unit to a spare I had in my spare parts box and it does the same thing. I found a funky looking wire in the original and assumed that was my problem. The spare does not work either.

My tank is completely isolated from the frame. Should the tank be grounded to the frame?

If it is, I have tried this and the gauge only shows full. I have the never ending tank of fuel until I unhook the ground wire I added.

Is my sending unit NFG, stuck in the up position or should I remove the ground wire from the tank? I assume my fuel gauge vibrator is good since it shows full when the tank is grounded...Or am I out in left field??

Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:08 pm

I'm not sure about vw but bad ground usually makes gauge go to full.The tank should be grounded maybe the gauge needs ground. .

Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:05 pm

Yes run ground wire from one of the sending unit screws to valid chassis ground.... May not be total solution but it is required for proper operation....

Dale

Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:08 pm

You need a ground wire.

If it's full all the time try disconnecting the wire to the sender. If it drops then the sender is bad. If it doesn't then the sender is shorted.

Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:22 pm

Just did as suggested and the gauge dropped to empty...thanks for the help. I will get a new sending unit and go from there.

Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:23 pm

I had the exact same problem and replacing the sender fixed it.

The procedure I described is outline in the Robert Bentley shop manual. It's a great resource.

Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:28 pm

I have been looking at wiring diagrams in mine all night...never thought to read the section that told me how to fix the problem...I hate it when I have a seniors moment.