Help please!! faulty fuel sender

[superslave]

Can someone please give me step by step instructions to replace fuel sender in a 1993 vp berlina. i cant afford an auto electrition and i have replaced gauges and that didnt help. i think my fuel pump is with my sender so not sure if i will do any damage taking it out and having a look when i have never done it before. Can i remove it then lift the arm to see if my gauge rises when its out of the tank if i can get it out. thanks

[Bz Kn33z]

Its not hard at all to take out, when disconnecting the Fuel hose make sure you watch out it will still be under pressure, people take the fuse out under the bonnet for the fuel pump and start the car and it takes pressure off the line, then just disconnect the plug from fuel sender and undo the bolts and pull it out carefully, also do it with no much fuel in the tank cause you will have to drain the fuel, the pump is on the sender itsself also and there is a float make sure you dont bend it, if the gauge on the dash is reading wrong it will most likely be the pin that is on the float and they are not contacting, you could fix it by bening it back and making it contact with it, but if its stuffed just replace the sender.

[superslave]

thanks. my gauge is just always stuck on the first line above empty.
unless its not running it goes down. do u think it would be the sender with my gauge looking like this.
also can i move the sender while its out with my key turned to see if this is my pronblem

[Bz Kn33z]

float may be stuck on something, you could try and put the sender all the way up and leave it there and see if the gauge moves, but check to see if its making a connection because if its not it will no read and will only read the part where it is making a connection with. just gotta pull it out and check mate.

[Niggadore]

I did it on my old VS, fairly sure their the same..
I'm not sure wether the VN's/VP's have external fuel pumps or not?

If it's inside the tank, the the sender should be halfway up the fuel lines, and is pretty fiddely to get out.
Make sure absolutly no fuel is in your tank. take all the bolts out around the circular inlet/outlet.
This is from memory now, and i got pretty high from fuel fumes so my memory is a little tainted.
tilt the lines up, then turn to the right 90 degree's, pull forward and then from then on, i can't remember to give a good explanation.

But it's pretty hard to break anything. in there. just watch out for clips that hold the sensor on to the lines, as their very brittle.

Not much help, but just twist, turn, pull, push and feel. and eventually you'l get it.

[Bz Kn33z]

VN v6 has 1 pump unless its a v8, and its internal, but yes it doesnt just come straight out it is like a 90deg angle. but you will figure it out, just dont go ripping it out quick lol.

[Niggadore]

And don't drop anything in the tank.
Somehow, the pump came off and fell into the tank, a prick to get out. and then somehow, a mate dropped the screwdriver into the tank.
turned a 30 minute job, into an 8 hour job.
Tow bar off, tank off. stepping in fuel and lighting our shoes on fire and running down nepean highway (drunken children) and then all back together took even longer.

Tanks are a prick to fit.

[Bz Kn33z]

And don't drop anything in the tank.
Somehow, the pump came off and fell into the tank, a prick to get out. and then somehow, a mate dropped the screwdriver into the tank.
turned a 30 minute job, into an 8 hour job.
Tow bar off, tank off. stepping in fuel and lighting our shoes on fire and running down nepean highway (drunken children) and then all back together took even longer.

Tanks are a prick to fit.

lol..... take the mans advice.

[Cheap6]

do u think it would be the sender with my gauge looking like this.

Yes, most likely. (Sometimes the sender will work with a full tank but read empty with something less and read again closer to empty.)

also can i move the sender while its out with my key turned to see if this is my pronblem

Yes. If you are going to buy another sender anyway it would be sensible to check it will work the gauge before you go to the effort of removing the old one. Plug it into the white, flat three pin connector (with only two wires though) that is on the sender, ignition on and hold it at ~1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full to check the full range of travel.

(Selected resistors of values corresponding to 1/4-full, such as you might buy at somewhere like Jaycar or Altronics, will also work. Unfortunately, I can't recall what the sender resistance range is. Perhaps someone else who has access to a 'shop manual can help.)

When I last tried to buy a fuel gauge sender (a year or so ago?), it was still possible to buy one genuine (for ~$200!) for the early type fuel tank. These have the fuel return line on the tank as distinct from the sender. That's for VN to early VP. One for the later type VP-VR tank was not available genuine. I think that a '93 VP will have the later type.

There will be plenty around used, probably with somewhat limited lifespan left and as I just alluded to, the VP and VR (but not VS) senders are identical, increasing the available pool of parts. I don't know if the long range tank sender is different to the short range one (I think that it is) but the short range tank should be virtually ubiquitous anyway.

It would be sensible to check the resistance of the replacement sender throughout it's travel prior to purchase to ensure that will actually work. Multimeters are available cheap enough to do so.

You will need a new cork gasket for between the sender and the tank: ~$2.00, so not a major imposition. You will probably need a new "sock" (strainer) on the end of the fuel pump too, although you may get away with reusing the old one if you are careful getting it off. That should be (re)aligned the same way it/the old one came out when fitted.

The bolts pass through into the tank and it's a cork gasket so the bolts should have Loctite (or similar) applied to avoid a fuel leak - manifested as seepage rather than a flood (usually). I have used either of 242 and 262 or the Permatex equivalent (threadlock and studlock). Clean the threads first.

Don't overtighten the bolts, especially to the point of distorting the sender sealing face.

Supporting the car so that the rear axle hangs down makes it easy to get the sender out.

Don't force anything.

The hose connector onto the pipe on the sender inside the tank has a quick release fitting on it. Bend a piece of coat hanger wire into 'U' shape, about the width of the connector, and bend the ends of the 'U' into 'L' shapes to make a tool that fits into the connector and pushes on the retaining clips to release it. Smooth the ends of the wire to avoid damaging the connector. A cut down and split sealant tube cap will also work. Alternatively, pull the hose off the connector and the crimped clamp off the hose and replace it with a (fuel injection type) hose clamp.

It's pretty straightforward. Without including the time needed to drain the fuel tank, it should take less than 1/2 hour to do.

[superslave]

Thanks your the man