Fuel level reading not correct, what's up?

[///digitalme]

im having the same issue...just mine doesnt work, my gage is crazy, when its full its at full, and then it stays in the middle most of the time until the tank is almost gone it drops down i have to put fuel on the regular so i wont run out.....the po took the cluster out and installed a carbon fibre thing on it...

have you figured out whats wrong with yours?

[91 318is]

hmm yelow light is suposed to come on with less than 1.5 galons, if its just ur needle not working try using ur obc to see how much fuel u have i think its Range setting. that might give u something to compare to.

I have a euro clock so no OBC

[arty818]

hmm yelow light is suposed to come on with less than 1.5 galons, if its just ur needle not working try using ur obc to see how much fuel u have i think its Range setting. that might give u something to compare to.

[91 318is]

so ur low level yellow light comes on correctly, but ur needle stops at 1/4? Does ur guage work past 1/4?

Yes, light comes on when tank is reading 1/2 tank.

[arty818]

so ur low level yellow light comes on correctly, but ur needle stops at 1/4? Does ur guage work past 1/4?

[91 318is]

Here's what the stickers on the gauges read:

OLD

1381 886
301.291/1/21

NEW

9 3030 150 75
1 381 886

[91 318is]

why dont u swap your old fuel gauge from ur old cluster(unless thats the reason u swaped clusters).

No the cluster was swapped by the previous owner. I don't have the old cluster.

[arty818]

why dont u swap your old fuel gauge from ur old cluster(unless thats the reason u swaped clusters).

[91 318is]

Nothing. That is a very simple circuit.

well then what the hell is going on!?

[jlevie]

Nothing. That is a very simple circuit.

[91 318is]

So what else would affect fuel reading besides the sender and gauge?

[Jean]

Oh sorry, I didn't know late model 318i cars only had one sender and not 2 like late model 325i cars!

[91 318is]

It's a brand new VDO sender in it, and it's reading the exact same as the old sender.

Also, swapped the gauge out with another gauge that is the correct part # for the car. It's been confirmed with realoem.


So new sender, and correct fuel gauge and it's still not working.

[jlevie]

318's only have the single sensor mounted with the pump. Unless there is something wrong with the new sensor the gage only going to half way when the tank is empty is caused by the wrong fuel gage being in the cluster. Pull the gage from the old cluster and install it in this cluster. Or go to a dealer and buy a new gage whose part number is correct for this car.

[e30Matt]

Apparently 318is's only had one sender, just checked RealOEM for myself, and it only shows one. Strange. You may have a bad sender then, you can remove the four 8mm nuts on top of the fuel pump assembly and pull the sender from the tank, just make sure to have a bucket ready as it will pee fuel all over the place when you pull it out.