Fuel gauge driving me MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[don_e30]

my e30 fuel gauge is all over the place!! ive tried changing the fuel level sender, tried tightening the nut on the back of the fuel gauge. do you think it is the actual gauge on the instrument panel?
the gauge flickers all over the place constantly!!!
i never know how much petrol i have got!!!!!!!!!! the only time i know i have to fill up is when the reserve tank light comes on!
any help would be much appreciated as i am pulling my hair out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cook318IS]

i beleive a common problem is the circuit board behind the fuel gauge. i know mines been replaced because i got a reciept for a new one. everytime the gauge got down to half a tank it would magically fill itself up again!!

[don_e30]

do you know where i can get one and how much is it likely to cost???
do bmw still sell the part?

[Cook318IS]

just found the receipt for it (i think!) dont know exactly which one it is, one of the more experience members on here might now (the previous owner got the problem fixed). but the "back board and S.I. board" were replaced by grants repairs in somerset for £135 including fitting ( £35 labour, £35 backboard, £45 backboard)

[Cook318IS]

oh no! scrap that^^^ found the right receipt.... all it says though is repaired fuel gauge problem. cost £35 and grants still did the work.

[Brianmoooore]

Never known a SI board to affect the fuel gauge.

[Cook318IS]

think it might of been something completey different, it was on a differnt reciept. the one with the gauge problem was a separate reciept and was hiding from me i my car folder

[Speedtouch]

If it's any consolation, my E34 fuel gauge does this also - drives me nuts too

[don_e30]

has anyone actually had this problem and resolved it???????????????????????

[bigun]

your best off getting hold of a late set of clocks from the tat yard and putting them if your worried about your original mileage change that into the new set

[don_e30]

is there any way of checking if the gauge is ok????

[Brianmoooore]

First check that your fuel tank doesn't have a second level sensor under the LH inspection plate.
The easiest way of checking a fuel gauge is by substitution, but I suppose you could use a variable resistor to check it.
Fuel gauges are different between cars with tanks with one level sensor and two sensors.

[don_e30]

i have two level sensors,does this help???????????????????
i need to sort this its doing my head in!!!!!

[Tusker77]

I have the same problem.

[dannywolf]

mine does the same drives me absolutely nuts if i took it apart i wouldn't know what to do with it,
so i've just been livin with it

[uzdubmwe30]

and me! all depends on the mood of my gauge that decides how much fuel is in the tank.

[Dr Firefly]

Brian, if my low fuel level light doesn't work, does that mean it's more likely to be the sender then? As it seems less likely that both the gauge and the light would die independently of each other, so a problem right at the source seems more likely? Or am I just talking nonsense?

Cheers, Ian