How to test the Fuel Sender inside the fuel tank ?

Technical questions and answers about the Mazda Bongo

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Bollicky

Post by Bollicky » Mon Apr 16, 2007 6:36 pm

Glad to contribute something to a great forum. I hope others are able to follow what was done cos its quite easy and saves enough dosh for a good weekend away. :D
Did you see the dirt/corrosion/gunk under your terminal block that causes the prob :?:
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maxheadroom
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Post by maxheadroom » Mon Apr 16, 2007 6:42 pm

I left the terminal on and just drill another hole next to it and passed the earth wire through it. The live is working OK

Keep the faith
Bollicky

pics

Post by Bollicky » Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:04 pm

from this Image
to this
Image
like this
Image
Image
the root of the problem
Image
hows that for ya all?
jackpiker

Post by jackpiker » Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:48 pm

Cheers Bollicky, :D

I wasn't quite sure with your previous post, but the pic's make it clear.

My gauge plays up intermittently so will follow your example when it happens again.

Top man.

John
Dicky&Dawn

Post by Dicky&Dawn » Wed May 16, 2007 11:02 pm

Hello all,

Thanks to all who replied to this thread especially to Bollicky/Maxheadroom for the info and pictures :D

Successfully tested the sender unit itself and confirmed it was still working ok. This also confirmed the sender feed to the block connector at the top of the housing was also working and that, yes, the earth connector on the block was indeed stuffed. 5 minutes later I had a new earth lead attached to the block and the other end attached to one of the screws holding the housing onto the tank itself. Pushed the block connector that goes to the fuel guage back on and felt relieved when the guage started to work. Nothing fancy but now it works perfect.

BTW - Went back to the garage that serviced my Bongo and explained what had happened and how "I" fixed the problem. Owner was a bit red faced having previously said "we can fix anything with wheels". What made it funnier is he's a good friend and does historic rallying with me and a few mates so this would be something worth milking in the future especially when its his round at the pub :lol:

TTFN

Rich
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mikeonb4c
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Post by mikeonb4c » Wed May 16, 2007 11:24 pm

Great news. What fun to outpro the pros :lol: :lol:
Ian
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Post by Ian » Thu May 17, 2007 8:50 am

Excellent! I will turn this in to a fact sheet.
668. The Neighbour of The Beast.
Michael

Fuel sender fix

Post by Michael » Fri May 18, 2007 7:08 pm

My fix rectified the same fault without re-wiring the sender unit (if only my fault-finding had been as quick :) )

1. Drill off head of external rivet (photo)
2. Carefully lever plastic terminal block off rivet shank and sender flange.
3. Remove both metal terminals from plastic terminal block (photo) and throughly clean them and external mating surface of sender unit flange with wire wool
4. Remove internal rubber insulation washer (and retain), cut off redundant shank of rivet and drill out the internal, large head of the rivet (which has the rheostat wire soldered to it) so as to make it into a washer.
5. Re-assemble using 4BA (or metric equivalent) brass nut, shake-proof washer and bolt in place of the original rivet making sure that the rubber insulation washer is replaced correctly (so as to insulate the rheostat wire from the sender flange) and that the plastic lip of the terminal block is correctly postioned in the hole for the same reason.
Gozzy

Post by Gozzy » Thu May 24, 2007 2:32 pm

Well went for the easy solution,
Took out one ofe the sender retaining screws, attatched a bared off end of a piece of wire, then attached the other end to middle runner guide

Bingo..........fuel guage now shows full :D :D :D
Bollicky

Post by Bollicky » Thu May 24, 2007 11:25 pm

Me being me I even cleaned the variable resistor with a cotton bud, and the rewiring was to make double sure of no need to revisit this prob.
Aint it great though to save all that hard earned through pooling our finds. :D
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