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Dermodad
Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2010
Posts: 28
Location: Texarkana, TX
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 Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 6:17 pm Post subject: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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Does anyone have recent good experience with any of the aftermarket fuel tank sending units for SB? I have had 2 dogs from JBugs. MidAmerica sells an expensive one labeled "OEM Quality" for nearly $200. I have done nuttier things. Hate to throw good money after bad on a non-returnable item. I have read many of the horrific fuel gauge threads on this forum and have been playing with various ideas for a year. But I am convinced my problem lay squarely in the sending unit.
I usually ride a motorcycle with no fuel gauge; but I do have a reserve. And I just fill up the SB every 200 miles. Pretty safe. And I carry a gallon of gas. But it 'bugs" me that I can't get an accurate fuel reading. |
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H2OSB
Samba Member
Joined: April 14, 2013
Posts: 1291
Location: Modesto, CA
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 6:28 pm Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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Your best bet may be to hold out for a good used one at a swap meet.
H2OSB
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(o\_i_/o) I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals, I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants. |
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Cusser
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006
Posts: 31361
Location: Hot Arizona
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 6:42 pm Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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| Dermodad wrote: |
| I have had 2 dogs from JBugs. |
Did you measure the ohms of the two senders as you moved the arm through its various positions??? The ohms should change gradually, and no "open" spots of infinite resistance.
And did you try hooked up but not inside the tank to see if they worked?
_________________
1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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Dwayne1m
Samba Member
Joined: December 31, 2011
Posts: 3538
Location: Pennsylvania
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Tim Donahoe
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2012
Posts: 11740
Location: Redding, CA
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 7:53 pm Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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“OEM Quality” is not OEM. Think of “Buttery Flavor”, as opposed to butter.
VDO is the OEM unit. That, and all, Super Beetle sending units should test with a Multimeter at 10-70 ohms. This test is done on your kitchen table, by the way. MidAmerica also has a habit of being “out of stock” on almost anything I was looking to buy, so good luck with dealing with them. And for $200, you should get a genuine VDO (which I don’t think VDO makes anymore for Super Beetles).
Test the two bum aftermarket units to see if the test 10 to 70 ohms. Just start with the bottom float on the table, and press the unit down, which will press the first and second float up. The multimeter should read from 70 to 10 ohms until the floats are all the way up. Be sure both floats are going up, too.
If one of your units reads well, then you may have a wiring issue (clean the spade contacts on the unit, as well as the wiring).
Tim
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busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51125
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Blue69Baja
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 1065
Location: Fair Oaks
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:38 am Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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Nice job bus daddy! The Super Beetle sending unit rheostat is way different and wound non linear... Really problematic. The After Market sending units are Linear which poses even more issues....
As you can see this one is trashed..
Jim
_________________
69 Baja with a 1914...
72 Super 100% orig...W/ factory air... 56,000mi
Even the spare is original.. |
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Blue69Baja
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 1065
Location: Fair Oaks
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:52 am Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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Yep read that.... I just added a bit more to the thread.
Jim
_________________
69 Baja with a 1914...
72 Super 100% orig...W/ factory air... 56,000mi
Even the spare is original.. |
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Blue69Baja
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 1065
Location: Fair Oaks
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:55 am Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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| Dermodad wrote: |
Does anyone have recent good experience with any of the aftermarket fuel tank sending units for SB? I have had 2 dogs from JBugs. MidAmerica sells an expensive one labeled "OEM Quality" for nearly $200. I have done nuttier things. Hate to throw good money after bad on a non-returnable item. I have read many of the horrific fuel gauge threads on this forum and have been playing with various ideas for a year. But I am convinced my problem lay squarely in the sending unit.
I usually ride a motorcycle with no fuel gauge; but I do have a reserve. And I just fill up the SB every 200 miles. Pretty safe. And I carry a gallon of gas. But it 'bugs" me that I can't get an accurate fuel reading. |
Dermodad, did you replace your gauge recently? If you read the recommended thread it describes the issues with the aftermarket gauge resistances and other things.
As for Super Beetle after market sending units I believe they are not calibrated properly and if they are calibrated I am not sure at this time if we can really make them work to near spec... sad! I am in the process of attempting to come up with a solution that is workable.
Jim
_________________
69 Baja with a 1914...
72 Super 100% orig...W/ factory air... 56,000mi
Even the spare is original.. |
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green1303
Samba Member
Joined: February 04, 2014
Posts: 748
Location: Alexandria, VA
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Blue69Baja
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 1065
Location: Fair Oaks
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2019 11:18 am Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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I have 2 aftermarket ones from 2 vendors. They both work incorrectly.
Jbugs and Parts Geek.... Parts Geek I ordered the one from mexico... Both mechanically look absolutely identical.
Both made in China and no mfg.
Look at Parts Geeks ad:
https://www.partsgeek.com/mmparts/fuel_level_sending_unit/volkswagen/super_beetle.html
_________________
69 Baja with a 1914...
72 Super 100% orig...W/ factory air... 56,000mi
Even the spare is original.. |
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Dwayne1m
Samba Member
Joined: December 31, 2011
Posts: 3538
Location: Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2019 5:39 pm Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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"made by Airhead Parts". Right.  Looks like all the other repo sending units and probably works the same. |
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busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51125
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:05 pm Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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| Blue69Baja wrote: |
Nice job bus daddy! The Super Beetle sending unit rheostat is way different and wound non linear... Really problematic. The After Market sending units are Linear which poses even more issues....
As you can see this one is trashed..
Jim |
Yeah, not so repairable when it's burnt like that, I'd be looking for some similar material to cut a new board out of, I like the challenge of 5 minute careers like that.
Here's another bus thread comparing new and old as well as straight and necked boards: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=701302
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beetlenut
Samba Member
Joined: May 27, 2009
Posts: 2983
Location: RI
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:41 pm Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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I got one for my 74 Super from Aircooled.ne,t and have been very happy with it. Works fine right out of the box.
_________________
scrapyards are for quitters
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| Wetstuff wrote: |
| ... I spend more time shaking it than directing it?! I get a pretty decent blast for 8sec. then have to shake it again. |
- Words to live by right there!
My 74 Super rebuild thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6507104#6507104 |
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green1303
Samba Member
Joined: February 04, 2014
Posts: 748
Location: Alexandria, VA
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2019 8:55 pm Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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Eye rolling aside, everything “made by Airhead Parts” is guaranteed for life against defects in design and materials. You won’t get that from a Flotamex sending unit at a higher price. I was asking if anyone had tried one. If you want a NOS VDO sending unit and have a couple hundred bucks to spend on it, a few are still available, but only a few.
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1973 green Super Beetle |
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Dermodad
Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2010
Posts: 28
Location: Texarkana, TX
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| Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 5:35 pm Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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| For the record, I did bench test my 2 JBugs units (both with a ohlmeter and hooked up to the gauge but out of the tank) and they test fine at the extremes of the movement. However, when installed they also show full and empty at extremes of tank volume, but read reserve with 6 gallons remaining and slowly goes down from there. I have suspected grossly mismanufactured units which are not non-linear as the stock units. |
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Blue69Baja
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 1065
Location: Fair Oaks
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| Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 5:51 pm Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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| Dermodad wrote: |
| For the record, I did bench test my 2 JBugs units (both with a ohlmeter and hooked up to the gauge but out of the tank) and they test fine at the extremes of the movement. However, when installed they also show full and empty at extremes of tank volume, but read reserve with 6 gallons remaining and slowly goes down from there. I have suspected grossly mismanufactured units which are not non-linear as the stock units. |
They are not adjusted properly at full tank to begin with.... At least that is what I have found on 2 NON OEM senders. Note this picture:
The OEM gauge floats are positioned to be pretty deep into the gas at full tank.
If you bend the arm just a bit downward about an inch from the float it will keep the 10 Ohm full tank reading for almost a gallon or more... That will help adjust the empty reading quite a bit. I am in the middle of this subject testing right now. If you notice most fuel gauges do remain on full for that first 1-2 gallons on most cars.
It sounds like you have an OEM gauge and vibrator or the 5.1 regulator.
Jim
_________________
69 Baja with a 1914...
72 Super 100% orig...W/ factory air... 56,000mi
Even the spare is original.. |
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shakers73
Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2011
Posts: 820
Location: Saltville, Va
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| Posted: Thu May 16, 2019 10:07 am Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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Just received one from Rock Auto. as advertised to be made in Mexico. There was nothing on the part itself, but the box it was in had the part number and "Made in China" printed on it.
I checked the ohms on it and at the full position it read 12 ohms and on empty it read 90 ohms. I understand 10 and 70 ohms are the correct resistance. I think I will return it.
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shakers73
'74 Super Beetle
'67 Beetle
Where there is no vision, the people perish. |
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Antonio Trejo
VW Parts Dealer
Joined: December 17, 2003
Posts: 937
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Thu May 16, 2019 10:39 am Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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| shakers73 wrote: |
| Just received one from Rock Auto. as advertised to be made in Mexico. There was nothing on the part itself, but the box it was in had the part number and "Made in China" printed on it. |
For marketing purposes "Made in Mexico" sounds better than "Made in China", just saying...
Two facts about the fuel tank sending units made by Volkswagen of Mexico.
- VW of Mexico made fuel tank sending units for Sedan only. The Super Beetle never was for sale/production in Mexico.
- I have never seen/found Super Beetle fuel tank sending units for sale and/ or made in Mexico.
- The late Sedan fuel tank sending units works with the electronic gas gauge only.
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Parts VW
"From Volkswagen of Mexico factory..."
Genuine VW Sedan parts
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Blue69Baja
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2008
Posts: 1065
Location: Fair Oaks
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| Posted: Thu May 16, 2019 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: Super Beetle Fuel Sending Unit |
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| shakers73 wrote: |
Just received one from Rock Auto. as advertised to be made in Mexico. There was nothing on the part itself, but the box it was in had the part number and "Made in China" printed on it.
I checked the ohms on it and at the full position it read 12 ohms and on empty it read 90 ohms. I understand 10 and 70 ohms are the correct resistance. I think I will return it. |
Shakers, sad isn't it... You can get an OEM SB sender from Wolfsberg West for $190.00... We can make the Aftermarket senders work but it takes time and some patients. As of yet we do not have the exact or close to getting the proper angles of the floats though. The resistance of the AM senders seems to be fine.
You have to adjust the short arm up "full position" stop tab on the sender using a good ohm meter. Set it for around 10-10.6 ohms. Then you might have to bend the short arm down. The specific location is here:
Also a contribution from a cohort over in Sweden has discovered why the senders are binding up and also knocking off the floats.
We are working hard to finalize the calibration issue etc with the aftermarket senders and fuel gauges.
Hope you and others can see these videos:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/B6LYeyzhshSDDcV36
Jim
_________________
69 Baja with a 1914...
72 Super 100% orig...W/ factory air... 56,000mi
Even the spare is original.. |
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