LWB 109 fuel gauge reading

[ianmaiden]

Hi Everyone I hope you don't mind me asking but my fuel gauge on a series 3 109 is way out and it is driving me crazy.. It reads 1/4 full when tank is almost full and when I remove the float gauge from the tank and operate it it they both (fuel gauge Dash) work OK. Basically they do not work whilst in the tank but work OK outside of it.
Any ideas

some added info which may help, The float gauge did not work when I bought the vehicle so replaced it with a britpart float gauge it seams to be exactly the same as the old float gauge.

Thanks in advance

[ianmaiden]

I have to add that it is a civilian 109 so the fuel tank is at the back of vehicle not under seats just incase this makes a difference.

Thanks again

[AR4412]

Has your 109 got the early tank with a sepearate fuel pick-up and bolt down sender, or the later set up where the sender and pick-up pipe are in one unit held with a clamp ring? Does/did it have an earth wire attached to the sender? If the early type, it might be worth running separate earth wire from one of the mounting screws to the chassis, or temporarily to the battery -ve, to see if that makes a difference to how it reads when fitted in the tank. IIRC the later type had an earth terminal on the top face of the sender, but can't remember for sure as it's been a long time since I played with a civvie 109 fuel tank.

Regards,

[ianmaiden]

Thanks for the reply.It has the later type sender with locking ring, as it works ok outside of the tank I am thinking of bending the end float down as an idea to give it more room I think it my go to high. being britpart every thing they make is just slightly wrong and you have to make it work yourself.
Thanks again

[AR4412]

Ahh, 'The Quality Parts For Land Rovers'.

Bending it is probably the best option then. I know their senders for the 90 Tdi can foul on a baffle inside the tank so you never get less than a half tank reading, unless you know to bend them slightly. And I'm not a fan of their 'work out for yourself and glue it together' type of underseat tank senders either.

Regards,