406oc.co.uk

Hi I've got a 406 110 with a dodgy fuel gauge when I put fuel in it seems to register ok but after a week or so it will jump up by 1/4 of a tank this happens all the time and I never know how much fuel I actually have, any help will be appreciated thanks.

Mine did that.
I think that's just what they do.

There are probably quite a few of these, HDi fuel guages are a bit of a mystery. I think yours sounds like mine, it says empty but suddenly it has almost half a tank, or it might not so I'm never actually sure if it's kidding or not.

Incidentally, the yoyo has started doing something similar, it drops to 1/4 of a tank in the usual manner, then suddenly it's on empty with the light on, then it's got 1/4 of a tank again I do love a mystery

What I am usually do is fill up and drive off and having the fuel gauge still on zero. Sometimes it does that. Like rwd said ''They just do that''

on topic: yes, they just do that, but my experience is that if it 'jumped up' you will find the last 1/4 of the tank vanishes quicker than expected and I have yet to run out despite running close to indicated empty (gauge and trip computer) numerous times.

Off topic:

peugeot30v6 wrote:2007 Land Rover Discovery 3 TDV6 Hse [128000miles]Will go anywhere without limits'

But also "must stop at every filling station?" I would love one of these but cant bring myself to swallow the fuel figures. are they really dire?

Sorry for the diversion... carry on

My old d9 used to have a 'moody fuel gauge,

ifound that driving them down a cobbled road 'sorts them out,
it aint too good for the drop links tho,

binnzy wrote:Hi I've got a 406 110 with a dodgy fuel gauge when I put fuel in it seems to register ok but after a week or so it will jump up by 1/4 of a tank this happens all the time and I never know how much fuel I actually have, any help will be appreciated thanks.

Yes as other's have said they seem to all do that , mine will normally drop down to about a 1/4 with approx 150miles left on the range,
Then the next morning it'll jump up to 350 miles on the range & over 1/2 a tank left , it's always done that for over two years.
Just for the record I get between 750 - 850 miles to a tank full 70 litres at fill up (15.4) gals 49 - 56 mpg No matter how I drive it.

For example the last tankfull was mostly long run's because the kid's were on halfterm so ie: blackpool for the day 260 miles round trip mostly 80-90
But did come home via my own private test track 120+! mph for about 10 miles Result 48mpg for that tankfull gota love Hdi's.

Just a word of warning though, after the gauge jump's back up when the fuel light comes on fill up! no matter what the range says.
A few weeks ago I was coming back from a fellow forum members, my fuel light came on but my range said 90 miles left, but with 55 miles left on the
range the car sputtered to a halt
Hope this helps DDD.

So no cure for this, I'll just have to be careful, I don't let it let it get below a 1/4 on the gauge so hopefully I should be ok thanks for all the replys

Don't forget to reset the trip on the dashboard too, so you will know if your gauge is telling you porkies.....

Hi,

Last week it happend to my car also (2.2 2001 saloon with 118.000 miles on it) - I almost always use it from full tank to full tank resetting the daily odometer. It was at around 700 (my usual range with a full tank is 700 to 800 depending on highway speeds) - the gauge was close to red. I entered the station and added 10 liters - the gauge not only that didn't show any increase on the level but kept on decreasing and in less than 10 miles the light came on. Initially I didn't know this is a common issue, so I stopped to check the fuel tank and hoses etc not to have any major leak (nothing wrong identified). I suspected a fuel steal at the gas station pump and I went to another station and added 8 liters but no change on the gauge. On my way home it kept decreasing with light on - when I arrived home the needle was in the most left position where it rests when the ignition is off.

I read some suggestions on other threads - some said that the problem was solved after two tanks fill-ups; somebody else mentioned he cleaned the contacts on the visiting hole under the rear seats. some others changes the fuel sender/fuel pump module and others cleaned the connectors under the driver's carpet. So no precise "direct" fix was identified. Though most owners just live with it, keeping a close eye on the daily odometer...

Oddly enough, my fuel has been going down quicker than usual - I thought it was because my wife was driving it sometimes but the trip computer said 365 miles so far on the tank, with 85 miles left. This would be the worse MPG I have ever had on any car and was literally about to go and fill up ( BP 117.9 for diesel ) and I got in the car with 311 miles left showing on the computer, and the gauge rose to half a tank left..

I'm not one to trust the gauge completely, especially when the Mrs has been using it, but at the pump the tank was full at £58 - so 311 miles left was correct, and the tank would have given me over 600 miles. Ah well, better safe than sorry.

This has happened a couple of times on my older 2.2Hdi, and now the first time with this one.