mart_o_rama

My fuel gauge used to drop from 1/4 straight to R from time to time. I decided to open the fuel sender assembly to see if there was any bad contacts or whatever. Followed PaulW instructions for changing the fuel sender gasket on audipages, but went a step further and pulled on the actual fuel "meter" thingy inside (thin spring with floating device at the bottom), some fuel poured out, I wiped everything and set back in place (then noticed that a plastic tab broke when pulling on the inner part), now the fuel gauge doesn't work at all, stays leftmost all the time. So i guess I either killed the fuel gauge mecanism or it was basically almost dead, thus the weird readings from time to time.

Does anybody have experience of dismantling this part and are there obvious mistakes I made (beside actually messing with the thing)?

I went in to have a look since my dealer simply Vag'd the thing and there was no codes.

Thanks for any help!

Cheers,

Martin

2001 S8, 135,000km

mart_o_rama

While reinstalling, I probably also didn't correctly reconnect the harness, i didn't know it was supposed to come out. I'll try my whole "procedure" again...

Martin

mart_o_rama

Turns out I did not connect the harness which i didn't notice the first time around. Now the gauge is working. But from the picture below, it really looks like there should be fuse or some type of resistor on the top of the sensor unit. Anybody know?

Martin

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/68260/fuel_sender_unit_1.jpg">

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/68260/fuel_sender_unit_2.jpg">

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/68260/fuel_sender_unit_3.jpg">

BrianC72gt

That is only half of the fuel gauge. What I mean is, there is another fuel gauge all by itself on the Driver's side of the trunk. The reason for the two gauges is that the fuel tank is sort of like a saddle bag arrangement...two large lower sections on either side of the driveshaft and a high narrow section in the middle. The readings from the two guages are interpreted by the instrument cluster to come up with a fuel level. I would remove the other access door in the trunk floor - 3 screws and inspect the wiring around that one as well. BTW the innards of that fuel level sender are completely different from the one in the middle of teh fuel pump assembly (passenger's side). The driver side sender looks like a long arm with a float.

mart_o_rama

But I can't see any references in the Bentley manual to that second fuel sender unit...

However, the manual for the S4 does show a fuel sender unit with a long arm. I guess it must be similar.

Thanks for the info!

Martin