fuel gauge

[stewby]

got in the car friday and theres half a tank of deisel, ok ,fine, then saturday morning got in and wow, three quarts of a tank, im assuming that peugot hve not discoverd a way of making everlasting fuel so my question is anyone else had this problem, ie is it a simple fix or has the fuel sender unit broken, any help appreciated

[HimBigChief]

The fuel level reading depends on the angle the car is sat at. Once you're used to owning a Peugeot, you kinda get used to the fuel gauge lying to you every now and then.

[eoin27]

I was driving into a shopping centre car park with a 2/3 full tank. A severe downhill ramp. Car cut out and when I switched it on again, I had a full tank!! Way cheaper that the petrol pumps!

[robb]

When I first got my car the needle bounced around no matter how much petrol was in somehow it fixed itself

[Doggy]

When I first got my car the needle bounced around no matter how much petrol was in somehow it fixed itself

Perfectly normal - after the first bunch of repairs, you can't afford enough fuel to splash around any more.

[robb]

When I first got my car the needle bounced around no matter how much petrol was in somehow it fixed itself

Perfectly normal - after the first bunch of repairs, you can't afford enough fuel to splash around any more.

[neildavies]

Yep, it does seem to be a 406 'thing'. Sticky float i reckon

[steve_earwig]

Mine's just done it again, the fuel gauge gets lower and lower, light, bong - FEED ME NOW, range below 100km. Next day half a tank I can't think it's a dirty contact as it's consistent, not a sticky float either 'cos it drops gradually like you'd expect. I can't afford to replace it as it's part of the lift pump, so I'm living with it until the lift pump dies (as they do ).

[Doggy]

I'm living with it until the lift pump dies (as they do ).

Maybe not all of them, my Cistern is still on the original at 188K+, Dogmobile's on 133K so far.....

[steve_earwig]

I'll be putting up with it a long time then

[eoin27]

Usually the fuel pump can be detached from the sender housing. I bought a fuel sender (minus the pump) from a scrappy and installed it in my first D9 HDi. The gauge can get fecked up very easily because if the reading bar is even slightly bent then the reading will be all over the place. It wont know whats going on. It may underestimate, overestimate or even both!! This only happens when the fuel pump isnt removed carefully and correctly for replacement or repair.

This has nothing to do with the fact that 406's can under/over estimate by 1/4 tank depending on the slope. Thats a seperate thing.

[stewby]

cheers guys, gonna fill up this weekend so we'll see if that sorts her out

[lofty]

Mine sticks/jumps to three quarters parked outside mother in laws. Only way to unstick it is to fill to the brim. (or not visit the old bag in the first place! )

[sirwiggum]

Not sure if it's a similar fuel float, but my old Citroen ZX diesel once reported 1/4 of a tank as I took off from Edinburgh to Stirling.

It was only halfway up the M9 that it decided that it would actually show the fuel light.

The only petrol station I knew was back at Newbridge so turned round at the next junction, made it to Newbridge roundabout, stopped at lights where she finally conked out.

Pushed it through the traffic to the petrol station and got diesel. Must say that the cashier was not helpful in the slightest, as not only did she accuse me of stealing a tank of unleaded (in a small diesel car after I had paid for £20 of diesel?), but would not let me use the petrol station phone to make a freephone call to the RAC after I ran the battery down trying to start after pumping the air out of the system.

Since then I have never really trusted any fuel gauge, especially in a diesel!

Not as bad as the Ford Orion though, with the stuck fuel gauge. It was a guessing game with the odometer (£20 = 150 miles or so then refuel).