Ok this weekend my fuel gauge stopped working. I know it's a common issue but it was abit weird and I'd like to actually know what is wrong with it. I filled the tank right up, but once it got down to half it seemed to get stuck and stopped jiggling about as they do. It did still go down but a lot slower than it usually does, and after putting £20 in tonight, the needle will go up to just above the empty mark, but no further. I've always presumed that when people say their fuel gauge doesn't work that it really didn't work i.e the guage wouldn't move at all. Basically in a long winded way I'm trying to ask is this what happens when the sender unit goes or is mine stuck or something?

Cheers
Jameesss

James,
that sounds as though the copper 'wiper' has worn through, so it's catching on the windings of resistance wire in the sender.

Maybe worth having a go at repairing it with solder, otherwise it's time to dig out the plastic...



'Wiper' in fuel tank rheostat, before... by slcchassis, on Flickr


... and after. by slcchassis, on Flickr

Ok thanks I think I'll just wait abit and get a new unit. Since its been broke its like I'm free I did about 200+ miles last weekend on a full tank. If I'd been looking at the gauge I would never have dared go that far.