Dodgy fuel gauge! Multispace 1.9D

[Matt b]

Hi, has anyone on here had to fix a dodgy fuel gauge......if so where do I start lol :brickwall: its a 2002 MK1 multispace 1.9D. The problem is when I look at the dash without ignition on, the needle is flat at the bottom of the red bit (where it should be) i then turn the key once and it jumps up to quarter and when I start the car it jumps to 3 quarters!!! The diesel light comes on when the needle reaches half way so I have been judging what I have got left by assuming that at half-full its nearly empty!!! Does anyone know how to go about fixing it or where to start looking! Thanx. P.s...and there's me thinking there was a lot of diesel in it when I bought it......illyme:

[tucker]

I don't know the cure, but something to consider is how I have discovered the gauge works and it's not like normal gauges of old.

I found out just how weird the thing works by accident. My car is LPG so when I am on a journey I am not using any petrol. However, the needles drops as though I am.

The gauge works by reading the fuel level when you fill up, it then calculates what you are using and deducts it from the gauge level. It only re-reads the level if the tank contents are significantly different (10 to 12 litres different) hence it might not move the needle if you only put in 5 litres for example.

The logic being that you don't get the needle rising by quarter of a tank when you go round a roundabout.

Hence your fault might not be the calibration between tank sensor and gauge, but could relate to some faulty sensor in the engine?