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Sat Nov 01, 2003 12:27 pm

Finally traced down the non-working fuel gauge problem to a bad fuel sending unit. Pulled the wire off of it, grounded against the body and gauge works fine.

So I need a source for a fuel sending unit for type 3 square.

Thanks for the help. #-o

Sat Nov 01, 2003 5:07 pm

Have you tried here?
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/index.php?photo+200310171925012336
This is for sale and will work. I hope this helps.

Sun Nov 02, 2003 2:42 pm

I'd pull the existing sender apart and look inside it. I've had good luck just spraying them out with some carb. cleaner and cleaning out the inside of any crap. Be real careful of the thin wires inside though...

Mon Nov 03, 2003 11:30 am

Thanks for the tip Everett - I will try that tonight. I also have a contact that has a VW graveyard and he said that I can pull as many as I want from his cars until I find one that works. Cleaning the old one out may be easier though.

:D

Tue Nov 04, 2003 12:12 am

MAKE SURE the sending unit is grounded! Run a ground wire from one of the sending unit fasteners to a grounding point on the BODY (not the tank!) I've run into this little quirk quite a few times. This just might do it. This sometimes also helps gages that read erratically in all Types.

Tue Nov 04, 2003 6:33 am

Well I pulled the sending unit out of the car and disassembled it, being care of the fine spider wire on the inside. Seems that the wire was broken which explains why it does not work. My VW mechanic contact has a VW graveyard and so I going out there today to pull a few sending units from some type 3's that he has laying around to see if I can find one that works. If I can't then I will be looking for a new unit. Anyone know of sources. I am a little leary of buying one from a private party because there is no guarantee that it will work.

Tue Nov 04, 2003 7:19 am

Contact Martin at www.theddb.com , as they have good used ones that are tested before being sold. Otherwise you need to contact ISP west and they're pricey thru them. There really aren't a lot of choices here on the sender, as a bug unit won't fit (wrong shape) and neither will a bus (too long). I hope this helps.

Tue Nov 04, 2003 7:57 am

As always BobNotch you have been a great help. I was wondering if a bug or bus unit would fit but just hadn't gotten around to asking. Now I know. Thanks for the expert info. 8)

Wed Nov 05, 2003 9:01 am

I've had good luck buying unknown used ones at shows too. I bought the one that's in my '66 right now for $1 at Pomona. It works great. I disassembled it and cleaned it out first before installation just to be proactive.

Wed Nov 05, 2003 9:26 am

EverettB wrote: I've had good luck buying unknown used ones at shows too. I bought the one that's in my '66 right now for $1 at Pomona. It works great. I disassembled it and cleaned it out first before installation just to be proactive.

Unfortunately I am not near any shows, living in the high desert of New Mexico. I did locate a used one, took it apart last night to ensure that the wire and contacts were in place, and cleaned it out with carb cleaner. After putting together and installing it did not work. Even ran a ground wire from the sending unit to the body with no luck. Going out this Saturday to scavage the local VW graveyard to see what I can come up with. If I try a couple more and they still do not work I don't know what to do next.

When running a ground wire, can you just back out one the bolts, wrap the wire about the bold and retighten, then run other end to a clean bolt on the body? Should that work? Or does the ground wire have to be positioned somewhere else on the sending unit.

Thu Nov 06, 2003 1:17 am

That's the way to do the ground. If you have a volt/ ohm metre, take it along when you go sending unit shopping. You can at least see if there's continuity in the sending units you're being offered.

Thu Nov 06, 2003 1:18 am

PS- Just for the hell of it, check or replace the fuse for the fuel gage.

Thu Nov 06, 2003 8:05 am

tramandbixrule@yahoo.com wrote: PS- Just for the hell of it, check or replace the fuse for the fuel gage.

Is that an inline fuse, or a fuse in the fuse box? I looked in the Bentley and it does not indicate that any of the fuses on the box are for the fuel gauge.

If the fuse was bad, it seems that when you pull the wire off the sending unit and ground it against the body (the test they cite) the fuel gauge would remain dead. But it does not. When I pull the wire off the unit, ground it against a bolt, the fuel gauge immediately jumps up to full. :shock:

Thu Nov 06, 2003 8:22 am

In my limited fuel gauge troubleshooting experience, if you ground the fuel gauge sender wire and the gauge pegs at full, the sender is bad.

You hear the fuel gauge float moving back and forth if you flip the sender over, right?

I guess try another one...

Thu Nov 06, 2003 9:03 am

Yes the fuel send float does move back and forth when you flip the sender. In fact I have disassembled the sender and the float contacts and wire were cleaned using carb cleaner, everything appeared to be intact including the fine wire.

Maybe you have explained my problem. I was under the assumption that if the gauge was bad it would not move when you ground the sender wire. From what you are telling me it is just the opposite. I will pull the Bentley back out and read that section again.

"(The Preceeding was an early morning babble caused by insufficient quantites of coffee prior to engaging brain. Damn I hate it when I do that. See next post.)"

Thu Nov 06, 2003 9:28 am

Disregard my last post. I didn't read your response correctly. You are exactly right, if you pull the gauge wire off the sender, ground it, and the gauge pegs at full, that is an indication that the sender is bad.

And the beat goes on. No closer to a solution but I will continue to look for a gauge that works.

Thu Nov 06, 2003 4:02 pm

Again, try www.theddb.com , as I know they have those parts too.

Tue Nov 18, 2003 4:22 pm

Finally found a sending unit that works. Man it is sure nice to know how much gas is in the tank.

Now on to the non-working turn signals. Damn this is fun.