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blitzkrieg59
Samba Member
Joined: July 04, 2001
Posts: 873
Location: Davenport, Iowa
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 Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 8:29 pm Post subject: Gas gauge is barely working... |
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The gas gauge on my 77 works very half assedly. It registers a full tank when it's full, but within 30 miles or so it reads 1/2 tank, and within 150 miles or so, it registers empty. Any ideas on what may cause this and how to fix it?
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SST X, XI, XII
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'65 Riviera Camper |
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VDubTech
Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2002
Posts: 9155
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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Faulty Dash Gauge
Poor Sender Ground
Faulty Sender in the tank |
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ChiTwnVW
Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2004
Posts: 1174
Location: Home. Sweat home.
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| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| My gas gauge also has a mind of it's own, although once it get's below a 1/4 tank it seems semi accurate. What's up with this?!? |
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old DKP driver
Samba Member
Joined: March 30, 2005
Posts: 4145
Location: Los Gatos,Ca.
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| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 10:05 pm Post subject: Gas gauge |
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Check the voltage stabilizer on the back of the gauge ,there is a small ground screw that holds it to the rear portion. you can then see if the gauge or the sending unit is bad.
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V.W.owner since 1967 |
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dr8track
Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2005
Posts: 512
Location: Seattle area
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| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 10:28 pm Post subject: Re: Gas gauge is barely working... |
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| blitzkrieg59 wrote: |
| The gas gauge on my 77 works very half assedly. It registers a full tank when it's full, but within 30 miles or so it reads 1/2 tank, and within 150 miles or so, it registers empty. Any ideas on what may cause this and how to fix it? |
I have two 74's and a 78 and none of the gas guages have worked properly. What you describe is very typical. Read full when full, then drop quickly and hit empty after about 5 gallons. I had the sending unit replaced in my 74 when I had the gas tank removed and cleaned. It fixed the problem, the guage now works, but it should have been adjusted when installed. You need to bend the little arm so it reads full when full. Mine now reads just above 3/4 when full. And then gradually drops as gas is used. Every VW bus I've encountered has had a gas guage that does not work properly.
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1974 Westfalia Deluxe Campmobiles - Lake Stevens, WA |
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fuzzmop
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2006
Posts: 20
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 2:35 am Post subject: clean the guage |
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| I've encountered this and found that removing my sending unit and cleaning the resistor wiring AND fuel float arm contact to the resistor fixed the issue. I was going to also check the dash guage according to ratwell's site and his link to Jamie Rivers' type2 article to rule that out, but didn't have the resistors on hand at the time and my cleaning worked anyway. But if cleaning the sending unit parts doesn't work, then go down VDubTech's checklist and clean your ground for the sending unit (should be attached to body above sender unit or thereabouts) and check the guage. Oops, I realize now that I have been blithering on while fortunately having an access hole to my tank and sending unit--if you do not, you may have to wait until your next engine and tank pull to get access to the sender...unless you cut your own hole, of course. |
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madhouse
Samba Member
Joined: July 21, 2006
Posts: 6
Location: UK - Berkshire
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:20 am Post subject: |
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turns out i'm not alone in having a guage with a mind of its own  i have had a number of cars with suspect guages so as long as the odometer keeps working i don't run out of fuel - or should that be haven't yet?!?
checked the guage by grounding it and it works fine, a PO cut an access hole to the sender so i'll pull it out and have a look sometime.
it's not a huge hole so anyone got some tips on getting it out?
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our bus is as individual as we are.
'77 Bay |
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zacaroo
Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2006
Posts: 80
Location: somewhere in arizona?
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 7:19 am Post subject: |
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mine does the same thing too. I've rode motorcylces for years with out gas guages so its nothing new for me, i just keep track of how many miles ive gone. but i do wonder sometimes just how far i can go. at least on a motorcycle you have a reserve to change over to. The farthest I've gone in my bus on one tank is about 200 miles, and i notices when i filled up i still had about 5 gallons left. so if you had to, you may be able to get 300 miles out of a tank. thats with my '74 with a 1800cc and tank size of about 14.5 gallons.
does this match anyone else?
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1974 bus, blue/white |
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captnbilly
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2006
Posts: 195
Location: tampa bay
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 7:55 am Post subject: |
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| sounds like "disfunctional gas guage syndrom" is sweeping the samba community, mine adopted the identical neurotic behavior (full=full, half full=empty) while on road this summer (however, occures to me I was in dash board so may have disrupted something there), I'll go thru ALL the alternative possibilities then count miles and wait till I pull engine for rebuild unless somebody knows how to get at the sender (a picture of exact placement of access hole would be nice). billy |
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GusC2it
Samba Member
Joined: June 23, 2005
Posts: 1376
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 5:12 pm Post subject: Re: clean the guage |
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| fuzzmop wrote: |
| I've encountered this and found that removing my sending unit and cleaning the resistor wiring AND fuel float arm contact to the resistor fixed the issue. I was going to also check the dash guage according to ratwell's site and his link to Jamie Rivers' type2 article to rule that out, but didn't have the resistors on hand at the time and my cleaning worked anyway. But if cleaning the sending unit parts doesn't work, then go down VDubTech's checklist and clean your ground for the sending unit (should be attached to body above sender unit or thereabouts) and check the guage. Oops, I realize now that I have been blithering on while fortunately having an access hole to my tank and sending unit--if you do not, you may have to wait until your next engine and tank pull to get access to the sender...unless you cut your own hole, of course. |
Tell us more about this access hole mod?
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Old vices have now been upgraded to bad habits.
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germansupplyscott
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2004
Posts: 7243
Location: toronto
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 5:28 pm Post subject: Re: Gas gauge is barely working... |
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| blitzkrieg59 wrote: |
| The gas gauge on my 77 works very half assedly. It registers a full tank when it's full, but within 30 miles or so it reads 1/2 tank, and within 150 miles or so, it registers empty. Any ideas on what may cause this and how to fix it? |
99% of the time this is the sender in the tank. it is easily fixed with a new sender.
here is a scan of the VW manual with instructions on how to access the sender without removing the tank. i made the scan big so you can print it clearly.
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SL
Last edited by germansupplyscott on Wed Nov 08, 2006 5:40 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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old DKP driver
Samba Member
Joined: March 30, 2005
Posts: 4145
Location: Los Gatos,Ca.
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 5:29 pm Post subject: Tank Sending Unit |
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We used to give the customer the option of pulling the tank when i was at the dealer.$$$$$$ or cut the hole. approx.21 inches from the right side.and 4 inches from the access cover.with a 6 inch hole saw. then use a round cover that came from a 411 gas heater spark plug opening. it was a clean job. the cover is similar to the cover where the ecm is located. if you use a jig saw to do this put some duct tape down and you will not scratch the paint.
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V.W.owner since 1967 |
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GusC2it
Samba Member
Joined: June 23, 2005
Posts: 1376
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
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old DKP driver
Samba Member
Joined: March 30, 2005
Posts: 4145
Location: Los Gatos,Ca.
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:15 pm Post subject: Great Scott |
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Thats Awesome Scott, kept me from going in the garage to look it up! 
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V.W.owner since 1967 |
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Bleyseng
Samba Member
Joined: July 03, 2005
Posts: 4759
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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on the two I have replaced its the resistor wiring wrap on the sender that breaks. New sender time!
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germansupplyscott
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2004
Posts: 7243
Location: toronto
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:01 am Post subject: |
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| GusC2it wrote: |
Thanks a lot!!
Can the sender be fixed; cleaned, adjusted?? Is there any danger of drilling into the tank? How much space is between the floor and the tank? Can I use my cutting torch to cut the hole?  Gus |
sender cannot be fixed unless you could find the exact same type of wire used for the windings and re-wind it. if the sender was NLA that might make sense, but the sender is available. make sure to get a VDO sender, there are some mexican ones in the market and they don't fit.
http://germansupply.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=16918
oh, and read the instructions on the scan. it says clearly not to use a cutting torch.
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SL |
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GusC2it
Samba Member
Joined: June 23, 2005
Posts: 1376
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
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stevo_2006
Samba Member
Joined: March 12, 2005
Posts: 929
Location: Iowegians neighbor
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| Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:48 am Post subject: Re: Gas gauge is barely working... |
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| blitzkrieg59 wrote: |
| The gas gauge on my 77 works very half assedly. It registers a full tank when it's full, but within 30 miles or so it reads 1/2 tank, and within 150 miles or so, it registers empty. Any ideas on what may cause this and how to fix it? |
Keep you're foot out of it. |
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slow_and_the_curious
Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2006
Posts: 158
Location: Athens, GA
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| Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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Lol....that a nice clean small hole......my PO chopped out like a 6X6 square and then to close it back up he/she just went at it with some ghetto-ass sealing putty....
I need to open it back up and reinstall it with some hinges....make access real easy though (can damn near fit my head in it) |
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