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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 10:27 pm Post subject: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation: A live trip report |
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Just yesterday, while prepping for the road trip I am now currently on (sitting still on the interstate because of a wreck ahead or something) I noted that the fuel gauge was correctly reading just over Reserve.
This evening before taking off, I went and filled the bus while Wife was feeding Baby. Then a we took off a little later, I noted the gauge was pegged to the left. Ran back to the house to grab a can and quickly determined what mileage I was going to start looking for fuel.
Now, as we've been driving (and using fuel) the needle is slowly climbing! It got up to halfway in the red part of Reserve. That freaked me out a little (thinking maybe a dead spot in the sender and then maybe it had possibly started reading correctly with a gallon left.
So I stopped and filled up, adding just under 10 gallons. At full, needle was again pegged at the left. And as I've put about 150 miles in since then, it's again rising!
What the heck could be going on here?
(Ugh. Traffic has not moved an inch. I'm praying Baby doesn't wake up; he cried a couple times just a little bit ago.)
Since then _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing
Last edited by vwwestyman on Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:31 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 10:54 pm Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation |
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are you driving upside down, meaning is the world a funny color and inverted? _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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Xevin Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2014 Posts: 7624
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 10:59 pm Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation |
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Dave. I had a weird issue in the 72 when I ran out gas. Maybe Colin’s post is relevant to what you are dealing with. Just tossing it out there. Safe travels my friend.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...07284f38fa _________________ Keep on Busin'
67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! |
Clatter wrote: |
Damn that Xevin... |
skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
I respect Xevin and he's a turd |
SGKent wrote: |
My God! Xevin and I 100% agree |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:01 pm Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation |
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That isn't a possibility that I've considered, but I don't think so.
Still sitting still in traffic. I'd like to doze, but want to be ready whenever traffic starts moving. I can see the police blocking the interstate behind me, detouring people to a side road. But I don't think I can just drive back to the exit, and right here it's a concrete barrier rather than a grassy median.
I kinda have to pee, so I'm considering my options. _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Xevin Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2014 Posts: 7624
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:33 pm Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation |
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vwwestyman wrote: |
I kinda have to pee, so I'm considering my options. |
You are self contained. You got options
I’m glad you saw “Movement”
[/quote] _________________ Keep on Busin'
67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! |
Clatter wrote: |
Damn that Xevin... |
skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
I respect Xevin and he's a turd |
SGKent wrote: |
My God! Xevin and I 100% agree |
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aeromech Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006 Posts: 16961 Location: San Diego, California
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:11 am Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation |
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I can’t just un-see that _________________ Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:59 am Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation |
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Pics from right before we took off.
Made it to some place a little east of St Louis. Detected some kind of stumble in the engine, so wanting to avoid a breakdown at 3am on an interstate, we're boondocking in some park next to an elementary school. Didn't realize there was a school here when I decided to go to this park, but here we are.
Praying for a little rest and that the stumble is something fairly quick and easy to find and fix. Just drinking the beer I accidentally opened while driving though St Louis earlier! _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 9:38 am Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation |
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I feel into a fitful sleep considering the possibility of having to rent a Uhaul truck and trailer.
Woke up to the sound of a happy baby playing with mom in the back seat area.
I pulled an engine code for the coolant temp sensor but couldn't find any other evidence of a problem. I did reset some of the connectors in case of corrosion or whatever.
It had the "miss" in the way from the park to a fuel station, but after filling up, it has driven so far. (Knock on laminate-covered Baltic birch plywood.)
We encountered ANOTHER backup on the highway, but thankfully there was an exit so we've paused for lunch. Hopefully that'll give time to clear it up.
Campsite this morning. Could have fulfilled two fairly recent "Challenges" in that thread.
Silas thinks he can drive if I work the pedals.
_________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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OB Bus Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2003 Posts: 2537 Location: Ocean Beach in Beautiful BLUE California
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andrewtf Samba Member
Joined: August 10, 2011 Posts: 602 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 9:51 am Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation |
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Dave - you are close to my part of the country - so I have a more local, and completely off topic question........
You left St Louis going east - and I swear that water tower is in north central Iowa.......which aint east of St Louis at all. Am I mistaken?
I don't believe an upside down gas gauge forces you to also drive backwards? _________________ '75 Riviera - 'BIG EMMA' (Pan American highway trip paused for a make over)
'77 Riviera - Murphy' (being reborn.... slowly)
'63 Austin Healey |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:03 am Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation |
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andrewtf wrote: |
Dave - you are close to my part of the country - so I have a more local, and completely off topic question........
You left St Louis going east - and I swear that water tower is in north central Iowa.......which aint east of St Louis at all. Am I mistaken?
I don't believe an upside down gas gauge forces you to also drive backwards? |
Looks like we were in Shiloh, IL.
The other part of the pic was there was a small skate park at the base of the water tower. _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:28 pm Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation and this is becoming |
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4 hours of sleep made me decide I could finally trust Katherine to drive the '78. (She has put miles on the 73 and the Thing.) But only after giving strict instructions to keep an eye on the exhaust gas temps. I think I feel a little better now that we're getting off the interstate and taking a 2- lane.
_________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 2:55 pm Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation: A live trip report |
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Good golly. Traffic has been insanity. ANOTHER crash that shut down travel on the interstate. I don't think anyone knows how to drive anywhere east of Missouri.
Also the bus was running great all day, but just started going to limp mode again. Ugh I started wondering if maybe the tank wasn't venting well and was drawing a vacuum, but unfortunately I didn't hear a whoosh when I loosened the cap. _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 4:39 pm Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation: A live trip report |
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vwwestyman wrote: |
Good golly. Traffic has been insanity. ANOTHER crash that shut down travel on the interstate. I don't think anyone knows how to drive anywhere east of Missouri.
Also the bus was running great all day, but just started going to limp mode again. Ugh I started wondering if maybe the tank wasn't venting well and was drawing a vacuum, but unfortunately I didn't hear a whoosh when I loosened the cap. |
It doesn't improve out here either. We see people deliberatly driving on the wrong side of the road here all the time to beat congestion - not just an occasional pass either. Speed limit can be 40 and they will drive on the other side because they want to do 90, and lights are holding up oncoming traffic - basically changing sides every other light which ever way traffic is lightest. The whole USA has lost its sanity including defunding the people who stopped that type behavior. I give us less than 4 - 5 years so enjoy the trip while you can. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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KTPhil Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006 Posts: 34003 Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 4:46 pm Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation: A live trip report |
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Bad grounding of the gauge and sender can cause weird behavior, though I'm not sure it would on your later model. Does it have a vibrator on the back of the gauge? |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 5:35 pm Post subject: Re: WTF fuel gauge suddenly reversed operation: A live trip report |
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KTPhil wrote: |
Bad grounding of the gauge and sender can cause weird behavior, though I'm not sure it would on your later model. Does it have a vibrator on the back of the gauge? |
Yep.
I think my running problems are fuel starvation maybe.
I hope I have it fixed for now, but not super optimistic if I'm honest.
We shall see. Something like 3 more hours driving. I hope it's only 3 more hours! _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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blue72beetle Samba Member
Joined: April 23, 2008 Posts: 846 Location: Fort Wayne, IN
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