Now Sending

A long time ago I ordered a new fuel sending unit for the car. In spite of my most valiant attempts I could not get the fuel gauge to stop bouncing. I tried everything I could think of, renewing the grounds in the engine compartment and on the car body in the trunk. The gauge still moved around but at least now I could see a causation. When perfectly still it read steady; when I drove downhill it bounced more full and similarly, when I drove uphill, it would bounce toward empty. The theory I had was that the sender must be compromised. But acquiring a new unit proved difficult. It had to come from Germany and the first one I received had the correct part number on the box (62168782014), but inside was a late 2002 unit. These have no provision for the low fuel light, which was replaced in the '02 by a brake failure indicator. So back to Germany with that first attempt. I received a store credit and despaired. But finally the Germans sent another box and surprise! The correct one. Installation only took fifteen minutes or so, along with a new gasket.

The old unit was relegated to the attic where it now rests with a bunch of other junked parts of uncertain worthiness.

Later I filled the car with petrol. On the way to the station the gauge held steady as a rock. I also discovered that the gauge only now reads completely full - the needle formerly stopped short of the top.