Fuel Level Sensor Failure - another

[laalves]

So I have searched around the forum and found some people having more or less the same issue I have. In fact, this member had exactly what I'm having: http://www.renntech.org/forums/topic/10352-fuel-level-sensor-failure/ , However, no solution is documented.

On or about the reserve fuel level, the meter goes to zero, the OBC says: "Fuel Level Sensor Failure. Drive to Workshop" and the mileage estimate says "---". If instead i drive to the gas station and fill it up, everything goes back to normal, the meter says full, the OBC message goes away and the estimate is no longer "---" and returns to normal.

Any ideas?

Car: 2002 996TT.

Edited February 18, 2013 by laalves

[wross996TT]

Not sure I understand your question, could you perhaps give us the actual code? Here is some FFT. The tank for the 996TT has a hump in it. The fuel level sensor is in the "upper" hump. The total fuel you have remaining is therefore an estimate. I would fill the tank and clear the codes and see if the code returns.

[laalves]

Hi,

Thanks for your response. I know about the saddle shaped tank and the algorithm the OBC (on board computer) uses to show remaining mileage after the sensor no longer reads actual fuel level.

I have no code (I use Durametric). When the problem happens, the red light in the analog fuel gauge blinks, there is a message in the On Board Computer display saying "Fuel Level Sensor Failure. Drive to Workshop" as well as the remaining mileage calculation goes to "---" instead of displaying a number representing how many km I have left before emptying the tank. As I said, after filling the tank, the message goes away and the fuel gauge reading goes up and all is well. Then this repeats itself when fuel goes down to the point when the message "Consider range, blah, blah". When this happens, bang, the error shows up again.

[wross996TT]

So it sounds like when the fuel level gets low, the sensor may be hanging up on something. Suggestion would be to pull the sensor out and have a look. No fun....