tessting fuel gauge light?

cesario

cesario

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Premium Member
just wondering if there was a way to test the 'empty/low fuel' light in a ce coupe with out actually having an empty/low tank?

cause last week i was having some (what i thought) serious issues and it just turned out to be no fuel in my tank :p (silly me) but i didnt take much notice of it because the light wasnt on, so i was wondering if there was a way to test to see if the light actually worked without emptying my tank?
 
Mine decides that It'll come on with over 1/4 of a tank.... I'm sceptical of the whole gauge it's self in the lancers since at times it'll be below empty and only take 33litres and then have 1/10 of a tank when the light should come on and then take 41litres (yes I don't know how since it's only a 40L tank). Probs doesnt help sorry ces.
 
Yeah man take your back seat out unplug the fuel sender and put your test light to earth and probe the pins, one of them will bring on your light, if it doesnt ur lights gone lol and im pretty sure its a 50 litre tank not 40
 
The light comes on early to leave a safety margin so you can get to a petrol station, also so that the dregs of the fuel tank don't have a chance to block up the injectors if you ran it to empty. To test the actual gauge you need to take it out of the tank to see if the float or connections are working right. To take it out on some models you have to remove the tank from the vehicle.
 
matty said:
The light comes on early to leave a safety margin so you can get to a petrol station, also so that the dregs of the fuel tank don't have a chance to block up the injectors if you ran it to empty. To test the actual gauge you need to take it out of the tank to see if the float or connections are working right. To take it out on some models you have to remove the tank from the vehicle.
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....& replace fuel pump with walbro intake *cough*
 
Just to check if the light works you don't have to. To check the actual unit you'll have to take it out. More than likely it's ok if it comes on around the 30-35 litre mark.
 
matty said:
Just to check if the light works you don't have to. To check the actual unit you'll have to take it out. More than likely it's ok if it comes on around the 30-35 litre mark.
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if they gauge wont go up, you just earth the terminal and it should go up, if the gauge works and the wirings fine, obvviously it will be your sender? if the gauge still fails to not go up, then youve got either a wiring issue or gauge/cluster problems, but yeah obviously once youve pinpointed that its the sender you would take it to test/ repair it.
 
in the car manual it says its a 50 litre tank, but ive let it get to on the empty mark before i fill up, only takes 33 litres, and i got 390kms out of it... doesnt seem like much ay?
 
well my fuel gauge works, it works fine, when its half its half, when its full its full
its just for some reason the 'empty fuel' light didnt come on, iv tested the globe and it works, but 2morro i might try a diff method to see if it works while its plugged in
 
Pull the bottom of your back seat out, there's a round plate towards the front in the middle of true floor. That's your sender unit carefully unbolt it and lift it out, make sure the area is very clean and dry. Once its out let the float fall the bottom of its travel and see if the light works...
 
LWNSLW said:
Pull the bottom of your back seat out, there's a round plate towards the front in the middle of true floor. That's your sender unit carefully unbolt it and lift it out, make sure the area is very clean and dry. Once its out let the float fall the bottom of its travel and see if the light works...
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or to save time do what i said with the test light. lol
 
is this going to go on and on about who thinks they know more... WTF
 
mdclear said:
is this going to go on and on about who thinks they know more... WTF
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it will end by wednesday cause thats when i will get time to test it, once its done and my problem is solved this *mum* can be locked ;)
 
the idea of a forum is for everyone's input/opinion. To help not only the OP but anyone else searching for this or similar info. my 2c
 
Yeah thats understood, but in above post i said no need to take it out, then u get a post saying take it out, kinda disregards my post altogether, anyways all i feel like a prick now haha, i didnt wana cause an arguement or say anyones wrong so wednseday we should see what the go is :)
 
ok, got around to testing today;
the gauge works just fine, when i disconnected the fuel sender, the fuel gauge went down, but the light didnt come on, and when i started probing nothing happened
i tried swapping out the globe, but the 'empty fuel' light globe isnt a T5 or T10, so i didnt have any spares to test with, but the filament looked fine, so i think for the time being i will just leave it,
kinda pissed that i couldnt find out what was wrong with it, but i will get over it :p
 
ok, problem solved! (took me long enough)
turns out last time i took my spedo and stuff out, i didnt reset the fuel gauge needle properly, so when i actually had no fuel, the gauge was sittin on about 1/4 - 1/8th of a tank
so im gonna fix that this weekend, because i ran out of fuel this morning going around a round about and stalled it because all the fuel rushed to one side and starved my car... /facepalm
 
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