W124 Fuel Gauge?

[silver fox]

Hi Guys,
Anyone any ideas???

When my fuel level gets to around a 1/4 tank, my needle seems to do it's own thing, ie it drops right down then flicks up again??? Only does it when the fuel drops around 1/4 tank though.

1993 W124 E320 Kombi

Many thanks for your input

Kindest Regards
SF

 

[roadhog]

Sounds like a dicky sender to me. Not sure how easy it is to get to on an estate. I'm sure one of the experts will be along soon.

 

[television]

Use some injection cleaner and a few tankfuls of 98 ron fuel and it should clean up

 

[silver fox]

Many thanks
It will be in the tank asap! I will post here if it does the trick.

Kindest Regards
SF

 

[Boertjie]

Hi I am new to the forum and started to rebuild my 87 260e. The is only a few things to do then it will be perferct.
Once the fuel tank is down to about a 1/4, the needle of the fuel gauge starts to jump up and down when any of the flickers is used. Any suggestions

 

[mikestrivens]

see posts above from 7 years ago. they still work

 

[hotrodder]

http://www.w124performance.com/service/Index/104/47FuelSystem.htm for finding/removing the sender if necessary

If a bottle of snake oil doesn't fix things by cleaning any varnish deposits of the leccy track then it may be new sender time i.e. if the cars spent most of it's life with the fuel level between 1/4 and fumes that portion of the poteniometer track will have seen waaaaaaaay more use

 

[d215yq]

Hi I am new to the forum and started to rebuild my 87 260e. The is only a few things to do then it will be perferct.
Once the fuel tank is down to about a 1/4, the needle of the fuel gauge starts to jump up and down when any of the flickers is used. Any suggestions

Has it been unused/near empty for a while? When i bought my w124 diesel the gauge did exactly as you said. As I started brimming at each fill it would go lower before flicking. Within a few tanks worked perfectly.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Has it been unused/near empty for a while? When i bought my w124 diesel the gauge did exactly as you said. As I started brimming at each fill it would go lower before flicking. Within a few tanks worked perfectly.

Ditto, same with my 123 gauge. 2 full tanks and its behaving itself.

I brimmed it recently when the gauge showed empty, and it took 50 liters or so, so still had nearly 20 liters in the tank when showing empty.

As its driven more its getting better.

Failing that, remove the sender and clean the tracks manually, or replace it.