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Last week my car wouldn't start up. It would crank but not turn over.
So i got it towed to the closest mechanic and it ended up being the fuel pump that had died.
Left the car at the shop and they fixed it in two days. It runs fine now.
However i filled the car up (about 35L) and the fuel gauge will not move....
I took it back to the mechanic and he states that the gauge most have died during the procedure of putting the new pump in, and that he can order me a new gauge system - but it might be quite expensive to do so.

Just wanted to get peoples opinions or views and i have never used this mechanic before and dont know much if anything about cars myself. Is he trying to rip me off? is there a cheaper way i can fix my gauge?

any help would be greatly appreciated.

First off pull the carpet on the parcel shelf and check all the right stuff is plugged in.

With luck it's as simple as someone forgot to plug the fuel sender in (the float arm that tells the gauge how full the tank is)

Otherwise it may be that the arm for the float was bent when it was reinstalled, so now it's getting caught and not able to float up all the way.





Or yeah, it may well be that the sender itself has stuffed up, in which case you'll need to replace it.

As you don't know much about cars, I'd take it back to the mechanic and ask him to check his installation (at no charge). It's gonna be one of the things mentioned above.

Fuel gauge Issue arising immediately after replacement of fuel pump makes me think it's linked to installation of new pump - installation needs to be checked inside & outside of tank first - he shouldn't just assume the gauge is stuffed.

that sounds like a fob off response. The fuel gauge dies at the same time as the fuel pump... yeah right. Take it back and ask that it be checked.

In the pic attached, the bit circled in red is what measures fuel level in the tank and sends the appropriate electrical signal to the gauge. The bit circled in blue is the fuel pump he's replaced. The black float on the end of the long wire arm just swings up and down as the fuel level in the tank goes up and down (as its name suggests, it floats on the surface of the fuel) and the silver electrical gadget at the other end of the wire arm generates a variable signal based on position of the arm and relays this signal to the gauge in the dash

He's pulled this whole assembly out of your fuel tank, messed with it, replaced bits of it, replaced it on the tank, re-connected it, your gauge stops working and he reckons its unrelated ? Chance of that is about 1 in a million - it odds on he's bumped / bent something. the arm is stuck / not free to raise and fall or he;s simply forgotten to plug it back in properly.

If you're in Sydney. I have a spare fuel pump assembly. Like in Datsun 1600 picture. Happy to lend it to you to swap it over. Or even better I can help you pull it out. & check it out. If

Your a good Man (the) Stan!
I'd be reluctant to take it back to the mechanic anyway as he was the one who may have done it wrong (and is apparently not willing to even check).

The other issue is whether the filter sock has been installed correctly. This is another reason that an alternative mechanic should be used to check the in-tank assembly … someone who knows the cars.

Its really simple - irs called consumer rights. The bloke should fix it. It worked before the repair and it should have been xhecked before writing an invoice.

Ps another mexhanic will charge for an inspection and that mechanicis is never going to bat on yr behalf. Businesses dont take sides.

StanTheMan wrote:If you're in Sydney. I have a spare fuel pump assembly. Like in Datsun 1600 picture. Happy to lend it to you to swap it over. Or even better I can help you pull it out. & check it out. If

Yeah I am in Sydney actually. That would be amazing if you were able to do that?!?!? As long as it's not too much trouble.
Don't have a whole lot of money spare these days. But would get you a case or something for your efforts.

Mr Morlock wrote:that sounds like a fob off response. The fuel gauge dies at the same time as the fuel pump... yeah right. Take it back and ask that it be checked.

I went back again and asked him to re check it. He agreed to, but couldn't do it on the spot and would only be able to do it during a time period when I am at work. And the way he was talking/acting made be believe he is likely to say he checked it and not actually do it.

Additionally

After all this heavy rain I noticed a pool of water sloshing around under the carpet of the passenger foot well and seat. ( There is a small cut out in the carpet, and if I stick my finger in it I can feel about an inch worth of water)

I checked the drain area in the parking else shelf. And it was clogged with a screw that attaches the parcel shelf itself. So the machenic has removed it and forgot to put it back in and now it's clogged the hole.

I unblocked all the drain holes I know of ( two on the front and two on the back under the car - on the thin rail thing)

But there is still a tone of water in the car. Is there like a plug directly under passenger seat or something I can pull out, to release all the water...??

Like if I were to drill a hole in the bottom of the car under the seat I feel like half a bucket of water would poor out.

Make the effort and give the mechanic the car. He offered to check so you jump on it. Do you want it fixed or not?
Also, Stan offered to help and you haven't acknowledged him?