Fuel Guage Reading Incorrect



  • Hi, since I got the car the fuel guage has been reading incorrectly. When its full it reads full, as you use the fuel the dial drops to empty quite quickly but there is still a lot of fuel in the tank. I did a test, from full to empty I got about 230 miles, the guage shows empty at about 186 miles, now I know theres about 40 something miles to go before empty, or do I?. Have any of you had the same problem? or does anyone know the fix?. Not a massive problen I know but if I don't sort it out I'm going to get caught short. Thanks



  • Yeah be lucky to get more than 140 miles out of a tank going back and forth to work out of mine. :lol:



  • you've a reseve tank of about 10l or so and how are you gettin 230 out of a tank? bearly driving i'd get 170-180



  • Lots of short journey's I only work 4 miles from home, country lanes, tractors and muck spreaders slow me down. I only get to boot it down the quarry road and then I tend to give way to 30 ton sideloaders with tunnel visioned drivers. The motor is the V6 and totally original, I've ordered an intake kit which is claimed will save on fuel and boost bhp 5-10. I take both claims with a pinch of salt although in theory less restriction to the intake may well cause better burn, but there's got to be payback somewhere, you don't get owt fur nowt, as me northern cousin says. Incidentally there's no low level warning light so I don't know when I've hit the reserve.



  • pull the cluster out and change the bulb!



  • Thanks, that was going to be my next mission :lol:



  • I posed a similar question a little while ago:

    http://www.uk-mx3.com//forum/viewtopic.php?p=11237&highlight=#11237

    It seems my gauge goes down too quickly and shows low when I still have about 4 galls left.
    However, I am getting upwards of 30mpg with varied driving.

    As to warning light, if I have one I aint found it yet.



  • the warning light is in the fuel guage, you should just be able to make out a little circle near the empty mark

    as for the wrong reading, think yourself lucky you wont run out of fuel



  • Thanks for all the input, to start with I was going round with a gallon in the boot just in case I got it wrong, but thats for amatures. I want my kit to tell me the truth, I can handle the truth!!. TTFN :shock:



  • @3218c0e4ec=Unicorn:

    the warning light is in the fuel guage, you should just be able to make out a little circle near the empty mark

    not all of them have the light though!!



  • Good call, checked my guage with a high power torch, no low level light on mine :?



  • I've never had a low level light on either of my two. I think only the US spec ones came as standard and only the SE's in the UK.
    Then when the light comes on you've only got about a 15 mile range!

    Not sure what it would take to fit one either? As once I was having a problem with my fuel guage so pulled a sender from a 323 executive which had the low level sensor on it! Just binned that bit and used the sendor to replace my duff one.

    Any one have any ideas how to rig up the warning light?

    That could be the cause of your fuel guage problems, the high resistance wrie wound inside the sender (bit like a scale electircx throttle paddle) tends to wear out and splits so you get irratic readings. Mine used to read full then drop to 1/4 tank when you got half way.
    Either that or the float on yours could be leaking and letting in fuel.

    Easy job to replace the sendor. Lift up the back seat and you'll see a big circle with screws going round the edge of it. Pull the wiring connectors and then start the car and leave it run till it cuts out (depressurise the fuel system) Then pull both fuel hoses, undo all the screws and lift out the pump and sender together. I think there is 1 10mm bolt holding the sender in. You should also be able to see any splits in the wire in it too.

    Just out of interest I get about 200 miles to a tank, that's around town style driving, had about 240 when doing a long motor way run.



  • Thanks, Mikey, all useful stuff, I'll source another sender and pull the old one. Thanks everyone for your input. :P



  • @9f8621e980=hussar203:

    Thanks, Mikey, all useful stuff, I'll source another sender and pull the old one. Thanks everyone for your input. :P

    They're dirt cheap at a breakers yard. Mine cost £10. If you can't find any MX-3's go for an older style 323, say 1988 to 1991 model. You'll be scared to find that the inside of them is nearly identical to the MX-3, same seats and dash :shock: The sender is in exactly the same place under the rear seats.

    If you can't find an older 323 the newer ones are similar, and failing that a xedos 6 will do it. Although I think you have to drop the tank to get at that one.



  • @a283c5fc31=hussar203:

    Hi, since I got the car the fuel guage has been reading incorrectly. When its full it reads full, as you use the fuel the dial drops to empty quite quickly but there is still a lot of fuel in the tank. I did a test, from full to empty I got about 230 miles, the guage shows empty at about 186 miles, now I know theres about 40 something miles to go before empty, or do I?. Have any of you had the same problem? or does anyone know the fix?. Not a massive problen I know but if I don't sort it out I'm going to get caught short. Thanks

    got the same problem, no fuel light, goes empty around 160 miles in the city although still 40 miles at least left in the tank



  • you guys must rev the poo out of your engines, i get at least 250 miles before it says empty, then its roughly a 33litre fill up!



  • if you drive in the country that's fine, but dare to try it in the Dublin traffic and you wont get 250



  • My new MX-3 average is 200, prievious MX-3 was around 190, that's doing about 30 miles a day in traffic never going over 60mph most of the time. If I'm lucky I'll get to belt it a bit!

    Sometimes I do hit the counrty lanes and then rev the poo outta it :twisted: 6.5k + rev gear changes. It's fun! :D

    But yea motorway driving I get more mpg if I don't floor it. So easy to belt along at 120 when you're not paying too much attention to your speedo!

    James, yea I agree a 33 ltr fill up, you must take it easy in yours to get that mpg though mate.



  • yeh i rarely get over 3500rpm sometimes upto 4000, I have a bike to get my high revs kicks now so the car gets an easy life, to be honest so does the bike!



  • What bike have you got, just bought my self an NSR.


 

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