Hi

Just got my Freelander back from the garage (cost me £270!) and it's still not repaired!! So any help at all would be really appreciated

I was driving along when all of a sudden the fuel gauge and predicted mileage left both dropped to zero. Both have been fluctuating ever since??

the garage have put the Freelander onto a diagnostic test - which came back clear?? They have also checked all the wiring under the fuel tank. Taken all the clips out cleaned them and put them back (hoping this would sort it - and I say hoping as they do not seem to have a clue ..)!

Their next suggestion is to replace the fuel sender unit but from doing a Google search and reading a few posts I'm not entirely sure this is the answer??

Please help

My 57 F2 had the same problem with the fuel gauge showing zero. Engine cut out and had to be recovered to LR dealer overnight. Next morning when dealer tried vehicle it was fine, and again later in the day, but as we have a good relationship they tried yet again and by chance the problem reoccurred. They fitted a new fuel sender unit and all has been well since (two years later).

Hope this info helps. My VIN number is about 80,000 so maybe a bad batch of parts around this time. mole

Sounds like a fuel sender unit.

The instrument pack will assume zero fuel and hence zero miles if the fuel sender is out of range. The fluctuations will be caused by the pack getting a good reading occasionally.

There are software 'filters' on both the detected fuel level and gauge needle response to stop you needle flapping around when going around corners up hill etc.

I think it would be in the realms of a DIY job to replace sender if you wanted to save some cash

Its not a five minute job changing the fuel sender. The tank is of a saddle bag design and sits over the rear propshaft

Is there no access to sender from inside the cabin like Freelander 1? Discovery 4 HSE - Aintree Green
Freelander 2 TD4 SE Automatic - Tonga Green
Defender XS - Tonga Green - Gone Now
Freelander 1 Td4 ES Manual - Epsom Green - Gone Now *
Freelander 1 Td4 Kalahari SE - Epsom Green - Gone Now
Freelander 1 XEi - Epsom Green - Gone Now

www.greenlandrover.uk

Thanks for your replies. Any idea how much a fuel sender unit is?

Cheers

It's not the cost of the sender unit you need to concern yourself about, it's the labour, as Supespark posted, part of the rear suspension needs to be dropped, the propshaft then the fuel tank.
Isn't there a sender unit in each side of the tank
I know when I had a similar problem with the occasional reading of emptiness on start up, a software update was first, then rebook it in for two days, one to carry out further tests, and drop the tank, order the parts, second day fit the parts and put everything bag together.

I have a vague recollection ad210358 could be right.

There are 2 fuel senders or at least 2 floats on the one unit. It's been 5 years since I last had any dealings with teh instrument pack so the memory is a bit hazy...

Not such an easy DIY job after all

May be worth asking the dealer about software updates to the instrument pack as a starting point also mentioned by ad210358. Discovery 4 HSE - Aintree Green
Freelander 2 TD4 SE Automatic - Tonga Green
Defender XS - Tonga Green - Gone Now
Freelander 1 Td4 ES Manual - Epsom Green - Gone Now *
Freelander 1 Td4 Kalahari SE - Epsom Green - Gone Now
Freelander 1 XEi - Epsom Green - Gone Now

www.greenlandrover.uk

Replace both sender units at the same time - £200ish the pair +VAT
Labour £800 +VAT

Remove exhaust, prop shaft, heat shields.
Pumpout tank, disconnect wiring and fuel pipes. Remove cradle while supporting heavy tank. remove tank - it will have up to 15 litres of fuel in it. strip out both fuel senders and fit new ones - needs special tool or patience and care.
Re-assembly is the reverse but with the added bonus of trying to bleed a Freelander that doesn;t have a fuel pump in the tank.

Duff senders may read perfect when tested - mine do, but replacing them cures the eratic reading/running out of fuel. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Bleeding the tank is very easy. All you need is cheap vacum pump. I use a 2.5 litre one. Its one of those used for sucking out fluids out of areas like sumps on an inboard engine on a boat etc.
Just connect to fuel line at fuel filter, pump device which creats a vacum and you will suck fuel right back up to the filter

 Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

OMG this sounds very very expensive and I am still not convinced it is the fuel sender unit either.

I think it may be something to do with the instrument pack as when I took my car to the garage week before last it read -2 miles for the service - it now only reads -16 miles and I have definitely done 75 miles. Also the temperature is reading 16 degrees and I'm not convinced it's that warm!

I could spend going on £800 and it might not even be right then


Any further suggestions, now there is additional information, would be gratefully received.

Cheers

Sam

For all those who are interested i have now uploaded a pdf file in my gallery on the fuel tank and all its parts with strip down and rebuild for 2.2 deisel
If you need any part numbers then just pm me with your full VIN and I will look them up for you

Thank you superspark - this looks very impressive but is wasted on me unfortunately. Means absolutely nothing to me?? I would love to be able to do something like this but not a job for a woman (I hate to say!)!

ad210358/Prisoner350 - I will ask the garage if they have applied a software update (hopefully this is the first thing they did?!).

Shame on you Sammie! Being a woman does not prevent you from doing jobs like that..... get a manual, a few tools and get stuck in!  John
07 HSE Narvick Black
Land Rover Series One
Triumph Rocket 111 (sadly gone!)