Faulty Fuel Gauge!!

Post Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:15 pm

The fuel gauge on my 1988 325i Touring is totally erratic so I have no idea how much fuel is left in the tank. I have the computer to give the distance left reading, but that seems to also give odd readings. Any ideas on what the problem might be?

Post Tue Apr 05, 2005 12:10 am

Check the plugs to the fuel gauge sender units as a first step. Remove your rear seat bases, and turn the carpet underneath back. There are two screwed down access panels under here. Remove them and the level senders are underneath, right hand one combined with the fuel pump. (held in by the four nuts on top).
Could be a fault with one of the senders themselves, but they are usually reliable, unlike E36's.
Common fault with fuel gauges is the nuts which hold the fuel gauge itself to the cluster PCB working loose, but I wouldn't think that would affect the OBC, although I'm not sure.

Post Sat Apr 09, 2005 8:02 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:Check the plugs to the fuel gauge sender units as a first step. Remove your rear seat bases, and turn the carpet underneath back. There are two screwed down access panels under here. Remove them and the level senders are underneath, right hand one combined with the fuel pump. (held in by the four nuts on top).
Could be a fault with one of the senders themselves, but they are usually reliable, unlike E36's.
Common fault with fuel gauges is the nuts which hold the fuel gauge itself to the cluster PCB working loose, but I wouldn't think that would affect the OBC, although I'm not sure.

Thanks to your advice I now have a working fuel gauge. I took the gauge out the instrument cluster and cleaned all the contacts, refitted and tightened the nut up. It now works a treat and the OBC shows about a hundred more miles to go from the same tank. Thanks again