Strange refuelling problem

carrotcake

The last two times that I've refuelled an odd thing has happened. I fill the tank to the top, then brim it, and after turning on the car the fuel gauge shows that the tank is a bit less than full (see attached pic).

The tank can hold 70 litres, and with an almost empty tank I'm only able to get around 53 liters into it before I can see the petrol at the brim. In the past I've been able to get 60+ litres into the tank, and the fuel gauge would show that it's full.

Any ideas?

djimi

Your fuel guage is most likely knackered.

pred racer

I had a problem like this, and it turned out one of the straps that hold in the fuel tank had broken and the tank wasn't sitting straight.
Have a look underneath.

DoctorStrange

carrotcake wrote: »

The last two times that I've refuelled an odd thing has happened. I fill the tank to the top, then brim it, and after turning on the car the fuel gauge shows that the tank is a bit less than full (see attached pic).

The tank can hold 70 litres, and with an almost empty tank I'm only able to get around 53 liters into it before I can see the petrol at the brim. In the past I've been able to get 60+ litres into the tank, and the fuel gauge would show that it's full.

Any ideas?

Guess the car
B5 Passat?

Henry Ford III

Perhaps the tank has shrunk?

JohnBoy26

DoctorStrange wrote: »

Guess the car
B5 Passat?

Despite repeating it three times like a hyper parrot you are wrong, that instrument cluster is not from a b5 Passat, nor is it from a b5.5 Passat either.

R.O.R

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Despite repeating it three times like a hyper parrot you are wrong, that instrument cluster is not from a b5 Passat, nor is it from a b5.5 Passat either.

I think it's some sort of Audi from the readout. 70 Litre tank would probably be an A6 as well.

Wonder if it's something to do with the tank being in 2 parts due to the transmission tunnel for the quattro system (whether it's there or not). Had issues with a Superb a few years ago where driver couldn't get more than 50 ish litres in to the 70 (I think) litre tank, but that was showing full. Just ran out of fuel while the guage was reading that there was fuel in, as the small pump to pump fuel over the hump, wasn't working.

carrotcake

Good guesses; it's an Audi A6 C5. A B5 Passat could well have the same tank, since the two cars are so similar.

I got the car checked out by a mechanic earlier, and was told that the fuel gauge tank sender needs replacing.

Thanks for all your replies!

jca

carrotcake wrote: »

Good guesses; it's an Audi A6 C5. A B5 Passat could well have the same tank, since the two cars are so similar.

I got the car checked out by a mechanic earlier, and was told that the fuel gauge tank sender needs replacing.

Thanks for all your replies!

How would changing the sender unit cure the tank only taking 53 litres? Has your friendly mechanic put a trolley jack under the tank and pushed it up in the centre?

pred racer

jca wrote: »

How would changing the sender unit cure the tank only taking 53 litres? Has your friendly mechanic put a trolley jack under the tank and pushed it up in the centre?

The fuel gauge was showing empty when there was still 17L in it

jca

pred racer wrote: »

The fuel gauge was showing empty when there was still 17L in it

Aha, the bit of the story you left out.