Fuel Issues

[Richie 32]

hey, ive had a search but just wanted to start a thread regarding my problem.

 

My fuel guauge surprisingly has always been pretty accurate, but just lately, its gone mad. I broke down 3 days ago on a busy road (just cut out), and it felt like id ran out of fuel. My guage indicated i had HALF a tank remaining. Anyway, 5 litres of unleaded later it starts fine, and then the guage reads a full tank.

 

So, today im picking my mom up from the centre of birmingham city centre, when again the bastard decides to break down, while im reading half a tank...this really pissed me off, as i had to walk in the rain, in a hooded jumper to the petrol station. Filled up with 5 litres again, and it reads a full tank again.

 

I drove to the petrol station to get some more in the pug, but it wouldn't allow me to fill up anymore than £20 in what was, an empty tank. So my question is, is this just a sensor thing in my tank thats going faulty which reads the fuel? anybody else had this? thanks in advance.

[Anthony 1,003]

Sounds more to me like the fuel pump can't pick up fuel when the tank is down to about half empty - £20 is about half a tank, give or take, and would agree with what the gauge said.

 

It's a while since I've looked at a fuel pump, but from memory, the actual pump is in the top half of the assembly and there's a pipe running down to the bottom where it picks fuel up from. Might be worth removing the pump and seeing if that pipe has fallen off or something.

 

You'll clearly be able to see how much petrol remains in the tank as well when you remove the pump.

[Richie-Van-GTi 71 2 Cars]

Ive looked at one recently and your right anthony, the pick up is about halfway down where it connects to a filter that takes up the second half.

[Richie 32]

Thanks guys, i'll check it out!

[jshep205gti 3]

Before you go to the effort of checking the fuel pump, do you know for sure the pump replay is sound? Mine went a few months back, and I'm glad I checked it first!