hepkat63 Posted August 29, 2016 Report Share Posted August 29, 2016 HI All, winter is coming to an end (finally) here in Oz and starting to get the car out more. I have a question that I am hoping someone can help with though. My fuel was about 1/2 on the gauge, so went to the service station and filled up - right up. When I got back in the car, the guage now only shows 3/4 full. i have driven it around for about another 1/2 hour, and the guage is still showing 3/4 - so clearly, it is wrong. So, my question is - would it be the gauge that is wrong or the fuel tank sender? How can I check? I know on the old holdens (here in australia), you could disconnect the fuel sender wire from the tank and 'short' it out and the gauge should read 'full', but not sure about lotus (or where to find wire anyway !!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive59 Posted August 29, 2016 Report Share Posted August 29, 2016 probably the voltage regulator, a 10V supply is used for fuel and temp gauge. I am assuming it is the same as the Eite/Eclat of same vintage. On Elite it is located on back of speedo. You may notice temp and fuel changed together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hepkat63 Posted August 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2016 thanks Clive - that is an interesting comment as my temp gauge has show high ever since I've had it (albeit, I have had the car nearly a year, but only driven it about a dozen times) and I was wondering if there was something wrong with my cooling too. However, the fuel gauge and temp gauge are different are they not - insofar as the fuel gauge shows an 'instant' reading when the ignition is on - but the temp gauge is a progression based on temp of engine? Is the voltage regulator replaceable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcslocum Posted August 29, 2016 Report Share Posted August 29, 2016 The sender is on the top of the passenger side (here in the USA) tank. It can be accessed by removing some of the bits on top of the tank Quote Jon - 1984 Esprit Turbo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM Escape Posted August 30, 2016 Gold FFM Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 7 hours ago, hepkat63 said: thanks Clive - that is an interesting comment as my temp gauge has show high ever since I've had it (albeit, I have had the car nearly a year, but only driven it about a dozen times) and I was wondering if there was something wrong with my cooling too. However, the fuel gauge and temp gauge are different are they not - insofar as the fuel gauge shows an 'instant' reading when the ignition is on - but the temp gauge is a progression based on temp of engine? Is the voltage regulator replaceable? Both gauges work exactly the same: the resistance in the sender determines the voltage that reaches the gauge and this causes a deflection of the needle. The reason the fuel gives an instant reading, is that the resistance in the level sensor is a certain value for a certain level, right from the start. The resistance of the temperature sender will decrease with rising temperature, causing the needle to start low and then rise. A high resistance (open circuit) will give a low (zero) reading, low resistance/short circuit will give a high/max reading in both gauges, so relatively easy to check. Inside the fuel tank there is a float connected to the variable resistor in the sender, as this float lowers with decreasing fuel level, the resistance will increase and the needle o the gauge drop. If the float is wrongly adjusted, this will account for an incorrect or offset reading. It's good to check the voltage coming from the regulator just to be sure, but I wouldn't worry about the gauges as long as there is movement (especially in the temp gauge). You'll soon figure out how the needle position relates to the actual fuel left. Quote I have made many mistakes in my life. Buying a multiple Lotus is not one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molemot Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 Voltage regulator failure...usually it becomes intermittent and gives battery voltage instead of a regulated 10volts. This causes the gauges to OVER read....I used to get palpitations when I spotted the temperature gauge at astronomic readings, until I realised that the fuel gauge reading had also shot up, and a look at the wiring diagram gave the reason!! Now i have a new regulator, everything is much more believable. If your fuel gauge reads 3/4 when the tank is really full, the most likelty thing is that the float has got stuck. It's reasonably easy to get it out to check. Quote Scientists investigate that which already is; Engineers create that which has never been." - Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteyg Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 When my voltage regulator when potty the needles on the speedo and temp gauge would dip at the same time, read low and then creep back up to where they should have been. They would also flicker occasional. Replaced with t a solid state one and all good since. Pete Quote Pete '79 S2 LEW Miss September 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hepkat63 Posted August 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 doesn't sound like the voltage regulator is my problem then really. Yep, maybe fuel gauge stuck - would make sense, as car doesn't give driven much and probably sat around with the same level in the fuel tank for a while. Yes, seems easy enough to take the sender out of the tank (i guess !). Q:, is the sender only in one of the tanks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcslocum Posted August 31, 2016 Report Share Posted August 31, 2016 Yes, the sender is on the pass side (USA) tank, in the top. You can clean the connections and see if that resolves the issue. Quote Jon - 1984 Esprit Turbo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2many cars Posted August 2, 2017 Report Share Posted August 2, 2017 (edited) I suspect you may have sorted this by now but I just fixed a similar problem on my car. It turned out to be a leaking float on the sensor. The float was slowing filling up and sinking so it would register progressively lower fuel levels even after fill ups. It was a very slow leak over a period of weeks so wasn't an obvious fault. You'll obviously need to remove the sending unit and check the float to see if there's some gas in it. It doesn't take much of a leak to cause it to start to sink (mine was only about 1/4 full) so be sure to actually remove the sending unit from the tank and take a close look. The good news is a new float is cheap and easy to come by - worth having one on hand if/when you check to see if that's the problem. Edited August 2, 2017 by 2many cars 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molemot Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 This is why aeroplane fuel gauges used to have cork floats...they can't get punctured!! Quote Scientists investigate that which already is; Engineers create that which has never been." - Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robington Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 I had a fuel gauge showing what I knew to be less than what was in the tank and it turned out to be a leaking float. I got a replacement from sj sports cars and that sorted it. Good luck , hope you sort it out. Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeJ Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 Similar problem, turned out to be crud on the resistance track inside the sender. Dismantled the sender, used electrical cleaner insider and emery papered the oxidation off the wiper arm. Now works a treat. cheers Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdoom Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 Do we have figures for sender resistance, full and low? My instruments are being serviced and i wish to provide the chap with those figures. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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