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Mini Landie

Member Since: 23 Sep 2015
Location: Basingstoke Massiff
Posts: 153

Fuel gauge needle swaying on bends

I have a 2003 D90 TD5 Hardtop and the fuel gauge needle sways left (to empty) when I turn hard right, and the other way on a hard left, and then straightens up when I'm going straight. I'm worried there won't be enough fuel in the tank on a hard enough turn, and air gets in the system, so I'm filling up at about 1/3 of a tank just in case.

I can't seem to get an answer anywhere, but does a TD5 fuel tank have baffles? I'm wondering if they've gone tits up somehow.

Unless anyone has any other ideas?

26th May 2020 10:17am

4RF RDS

Member Since: 19 Jul 2015
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 897

2000 Defender 110 Td5 XS CSW Epsom Green

Its the gauge ormthe sender unit not the tank. Check your grounds...”earths” to start 2010 Range Rover MkIII Autobiography Super Charged (Idris)
2003 Range Rover Mk III (Desmond FitzWilliam)
2000 Defender 110 CSW TD5 (CTX)
1992 Range Rover Classic (Lizzy)
1972 Series III 300 Tdi (Stanwood)
1967 MGB GT

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.
H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)

27th May 2020 2:09am

PCM

Member Since: 25 Jan 2019
Location: North East
Posts: 862

Friend of mine has a similar issue with his gauge although not changing on bends but on bumps. Found that when the fuel pump was unplugged the main earth pin on the pump was pushed through the top of the pump and no longer connected. Reckones the pump was trying to find an earth through the gauge therfore causing issues. Quick fix but took him a while to access it. Whatever and wherever it is I agree with 4RF. it definitely sounds like an earth problem.

27th May 2020 3:43am

diesel_jim

Member Since: 13 Oct 2008
Location: hiding
Posts: 6031

Mine does this, but only because I've bypassed the fuel needle dampening part that is in the speedo head, as mine is duff and under-reads below about 3/4 tank.

It's like driving my old series 2 again, so I'm Ok with that

27th May 2020 7:44pm

roel

Member Since: 08 Aug 2009
Location: Lelystad
Posts: 2039

Don't worry about getting air in the system, from experience I know that you can easily idle and drive slowly for more then 15 minutes with the first stage off the pump not getting any fuel.

Click image to enlarge

And then it died.

After being pulled out it almost directly started again, so no worries.

About your problem, It could be an earth problem but why does it go low on a right bend and high on a left bend?
I am not sure if the pump can be oriented differently in the tank as mine reacts on nose up or down. However it reacts slowly only when I am really stationary on an incline. Roel

1984 90 2.5 na Diesel - RR V8 (1994-2001)
1997 Camel Trophy Discovery 300TDI (2001-2009)
2005 G4 Discovery III 4.4 V8 (2008-2018) It's gone but it still hurts.
2003 90 Td5 (2009-now)

28th May 2020 6:43pm

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