Fuel gauge wrong, Coding plug?

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yung-gun
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Post Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:41 pm

Hi. I've got a 1987 318i coupe M10B18 But the clocks i have in it are from a 1990 318i touring ? M40. would the coding plug make the fuel gauge read incorrect? (showing half all the time)
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TPS
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Post Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:57 pm

Have you got the right Fuel Gauge? ie if you car has a 55 Litre Tank, & the gauge is a 63 Litre one, you'll always get a false reading (& Vice Versa). This happened to me, when I swapped over clocks a while ago, the tank kept registering empty when it was half full. I think its the same for the sender units.
Last edited by TPS on Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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1991 325i Touring Alpine White II
1994 318i Touring Sterling Silver
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yung-gun
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Post Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:31 pm

So changing the coding plug should sort it!
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TPS
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Post Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:35 pm

I just swapped the gauge over, with the original, sorted it for me!
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1991 325i Touring Alpine White II
1994 318i Touring Sterling Silver
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rich318i
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Post Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:41 pm

thought the coding plug was just telling the clock if its a 4 pot and 6 pot. used to have a 4 pot and now 6, and the revs where the only thing that didnt reed right
Last edited by rich318i on Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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TPS
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Post Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:42 pm

Maybe, I don't know.
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1991 325i Touring Alpine White II
1994 318i Touring Sterling Silver
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Grrrmachine
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Post Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:44 pm

Coding plug is for the engine, but the fuel gauge itself is specific to 55L and 63L tanks. If you took the clocks from a Touring, it'll be the 63l gauge fitted, which will give funky readings if you're using it with only one fuel sender:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... Fuel_Gauge
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rich318i
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Post Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:47 pm

like the info
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TPS
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Post Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:49 pm

The Wiki is brillant for problems like this! Come to think of it, its brillant for most things.
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1991 325i Touring Alpine White II
1994 318i Touring Sterling Silver
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yung-gun
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Post Sat Apr 21, 2012 12:29 am

Agreed.
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