# FAQ for cleaing the fuel level sender?



## G'D60 (Mar 11, 2002)

Not sure if its just me but my fuel level sender is pretty gummed up. It always says full until i'm down to a 1/4 tank. My cluster is fine (knock on wood) so I'm fairly positive its my sender. I've been adding fuel system cleaner for half a year and i'm really seeing no benefit / changes to the way the sender operates. I know some guys have gone in and cleaned the sender but I can't for the life of me find an FAQ or many posts talking about the procedure. Wondering if anyone had anything they could share or walk me through what i want to accomplish. 

Lite1979 i'm hoping you can chime in 

Thanks guys!


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## 20v master (May 7, 2009)

I've read where someone lightly sanded, as in with a pencil eraser, along the path of the contacts to give a fresh surface, and did this on my old 180Q with good results. I need to do it on my current 225 as it reads full like yours. The question is which sender to start with.


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## lite1979 (Sep 9, 2005)

The sending units are pretty easy to get to once you take the lower cushions of the back seat out. There is an access panel for each one held in with three phillips head screws. Since you're going to have to lift out the fuel pump, you'll want to pull the fuel pump fuse and start the car and let it stall to relieve fuel pressure at primary sending unit. Once you do that, it's just a matter of getting the plastic rings loose so you can lift the units out. I recommend a piece of wood and a rubber mallet if they give you a hard time.


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## Alcrerion (Feb 16, 2012)

Any pictures of this process by chance?

I too have some faulty issues with either my fuel pump senders or my gauge cluster (crossing my fingers for the former if it's easily fixable).

My fuel gauge reads way passed full when I fill up, and is empty when the needle reaches the half way mark on the gauge.
The LCD reads about 300+ miles left in the tank for the longest time, but the last ~150 miles left seems to be erratic and can go within a 20 minute drive.


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## jeosh (Feb 20, 2009)

i have the same problem with mine ^^^^


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## lite1979 (Sep 9, 2005)

I'll take pictures (or rather my girlfriend will so I don't get my phone dirty) when I do this. Probably next week, as I'm replacing my clutch this week.


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## tt92103 (Nov 23, 2010)

Same problem on mine. It reads totally full on the gauge, only when I have about 1/4 of a tank the needle starts heading left, when the needle is at 50% full I have no gas left. When my low-gas alert comes on on the dashboard, I only have a couple of miles before I run out. I ran out of gas once and had to push it to a gas station. 

Somewhere I read that adding Techron fuel additive might fix this problem but several bottles later and I have seen no difference.


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## G'D60 (Mar 11, 2002)

Lite, did you ever end up snapping some pix of how this was done? Would really love to clean those contacts.


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## lite1979 (Sep 9, 2005)

No. I've been doing everything but working on my car lately. My TT has been on jackstands for months now, but the transmission is in. Once I get it off the stands, I'll pull both units and take a bunch of pictures.

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## G'D60 (Mar 11, 2002)

Thanks pal. appreciate it!


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## 20v master (May 7, 2009)

G'D60 said:


> Lite, did you ever end up snapping some pix of how this was done? Would really love to clean those contacts.


It's pretty self explanatory, start taking the fuel tank access lids off and the whole pump housing will come out. Have a bucket handy. You'll see the contacts where the float arm connects to the pump housing.


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## bwdz (Jan 21, 2015)

Is the sender on one side or both? My car has been doing the same for a while, didn't bother with it but going to do a rear seat delete soon so might as well get in there while I have the seats out.


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## lite1979 (Sep 9, 2005)

There are two senders on the quattro TT because of the butterfly shape of the tank iirc, so both sides have to come out.

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