Ethanol and gas tank sending unit

[Clem Z.]

Re: Ethanol and gas tank sending unit

I had a problem with the fuel gage in my '88 MBZ 190E 2.6 a few years ago. When the reading got down to about 1/4 the needle would start jumping around. I was in the habit of filling it up at about 3/8s, so the wiper rarely got lower than that, and I supected some deposit buildup on the wire wind.

I had a trip planned to Northern California - about 450 miles one way, so I started out with about 3/8 tank and added about a quarter bottle of Techron. When it got near empty I filled it to 3/8s and added another quarter of the Techron bottle and did that for two more cycles.

The fuel gage hasn't misbehaved since, and that is the only time I recall adding any kind of additive to the fuel in any of my cars going back decades.

Duke

i believe the new systems do not use a wire wound resistor but a deposit of some material the slider moves on. what ever they use they say the sulfur in the gasoline causes a problem if the slider get onto a section that is not wiped all the time. i think that is why when i stopped topping off that was causing the wiper to go too far up on the unsed material that caused my fuel gauge to go crazy to go away

[Joseph K.]

Re: Ethanol and gas tank sending unit

Jim,

You have been lucky. I have had some of the problems above, hoses, gas guages, ect.

[John D.]

Re: Ethanol and gas tank sending unit

Aren't you members happy old JD casually mentioned about the "teething ring' in the sending unit taking a powder?
Sorry. LOL

[Ronald L.]

Re: Ethanol and gas tank sending unit

Ask a chemist or chem eng that was involved in the situation when gasohol was introduced and what it was doing to fuel system components and why. Yes changes were made, but to get by, that does not mean they lasted as long as the original designs. The ask those engineers what are the fuel system changes made to get to E85.

Instead of speculation about whether your area has or has not E10, or E10 all year, as well as trying to deduct, ask the experts. In Michigan why does the fuel price go up in spring? Increased oxygenates.

The original issue is likely that the rubber bisquit where ever it is located is of an inferior grade of rubber, that is not fuel system compatible. Just because you buy a repro part does not mean it was made to OE nor modern day requirements. More who is making that part? Are they engineers expert in that field or just asking for the lowest cost part from China? DO they understand how to read SAE specification, take the time to be sure the part was specified correctly, etc. You'll notice mid year sender went from $300 parts then made by Delphi in Flint, in the original GM building they started in, to $80 parts made in Mexico, to now, easily found all over the internet $40 made in China parts. Do you really know the differences - materials, performance specs...