Transit Mk7 - Fuel gauge issues?

[83C]

Folks, I've recently acquired a Mk7 Transit. It's not a bad old thing but it does have a few niggles.

 

 

The main problem is the fuel gauge which gave me a fright a few days ago. I'd bought the van with 400 miles of fuel (2/3rds of a tank apparently), ideal for the first mission of a trip to Bristol and back. Stage one of the journey was Truro to Exeter via Liskeard, after which the range estimate said 300 miles and half a tank - so far so good. Stage two, the next morning was a bit weird. I got in the van and half a mile later the gauge and range started plummeting. In two miles of slow moving traffic I went from 300 miles and half a tank to 80 miles and an 8th of a tank. Checked underneath, no leaks. Pulled in to the nearest petrol station and filled up - 30ish litres to full. Gauge only went just past the 3/4 mark. Ah well. 

 

Set off for Bristol again, gauge working and range guessing at 525 miles. Got down to 485 miles and just below the 3/4 mark, and the gauge then rose back to just over 3/4 and range back up to 529 miles. Got to Bristol, picked up what I needed, and set off again. Gauge was down to 2/3rds, range 400 miles. Then back up to 465 miles and just below 3/4. It then dropped fairly consistently (with the odd spike upwards) to where it is now, 1/4 of a tank and 185 miles left, having covered 285 miles since refuelling. I've not had chance yet to tank it up again to see where the actual level is. 

 

I'd guess at a fuel tank sender unit issue, but what would happen if the range dropped to zero? 

 

Cheers

 

[NorthernMonkey]

Assuming it’s still got fuel in it, not a lot.

 

It’s just another fuel gauge, nothing more, nothing less.

[sierraman]

The float sender is probably sticking. Where Transits are concerned this is a minor issue.

[overrun]

Can these not end up throwing up the EML and going into limp mode if the fuel sender wrongly tells the ECU there's zero fuel in the tank?

[Mally]

Ours runs a fair way on zero.

[sierraman]

I once ran out of diesel in one which reckoned it had 19 miles to go. Probably my own daft bastard fault that though.

[twosmoke300]

I’d go against the tide here and say you could have a cluster issue . Has it been stood up much at all ? The damp plays Hell with ford Visteon clusters

[sierraman]

True! My Focus one went a bit funny in the damp weather. A quick smack on the dash had it back in the game though. Visteon stuff in Fords is always dire, they used to make the radios as well.

[83C]

Can these not end up throwing up the EML and going into limp mode if the fuel sender wrongly tells the ECU there's zero fuel in the tank?

This is my concern - I don’t know if the Mk7s do this or not.

 

The van hasn’t been used much apparently of late, so maybe it is a duff gauge - though battering the top of the dashboard a few days ago didn’t wake it up. I can live with it so long as the ECU isn’t going to take the fuel sender’s word for it that the tank is empty (when in fact it’s half full) and decide to conk out.

[twosmoke300]

Might be worth pulling the clocks out ( easy on those - it’s as if they knew ) and putting in the airing cupboard for a day or two then maybe spraying / wiping the circuits in contact cleaner . Had worked for me in the past .

 

Oh and apparently you might have some paperwork for a certain JRG xantia I now own

[83C]

Might be worth pulling the clocks out ( easy on those - it’s as if they knew ) and putting in the airing cupboard for a day or two then maybe spraying / wiping the circuits in contact cleaner . Had worked for me in the past .

 

Oh and apparently you might have some paperwork for a certain JRG xantia I now own

 

 

I'll give that a go.

 

Where abouts are you in the SW? I might be able to drop the paperwork off...

[twosmoke300]

Redruth/ camborne

[83C]

Ok, I'll drop you a PM next time I'm down that way - usually am at least once a week.