996C2 Fuel Gauge Problems
Discussion
First time on the Porsche forum, so go gentle on me! Have tried a Google search, as PH search no longer works, but can't find a definitive answer. Need some pointers / advice.
Its not my cars - its the siser-in-laws. She's had had her car break down a couple of times, turns out its ran out of fuel, but the gauge / trip are showing over 1/4 full. Its been into a Porsche garage 3 times. First time they claimed to have replaced the float chamber, but car then broke down late at night on the motorway with her 9 year old daughter onboard. Back to garage, who claim there was some problem with their laptop / diagnostic equipment! Anyway claimed to have fixed. Bbroke down again - no fuel yet again. Claimed to be fixed yet again, but garage have not run the car low on fuel to prove it.
So, apart from telling to keep paper records on mileage / fuel consumption does anyone here know what the problem actually is? Sister in law lost all confidence in Porsche garage abilty to correctly diagnose and doesn't want to use her car.
Any advice welcome
Its not my cars - its the siser-in-laws. She's had had her car break down a couple of times, turns out its ran out of fuel, but the gauge / trip are showing over 1/4 full. Its been into a Porsche garage 3 times. First time they claimed to have replaced the float chamber, but car then broke down late at night on the motorway with her 9 year old daughter onboard. Back to garage, who claim there was some problem with their laptop / diagnostic equipment! Anyway claimed to have fixed. Bbroke down again - no fuel yet again. Claimed to be fixed yet again, but garage have not run the car low on fuel to prove it.
So, apart from telling to keep paper records on mileage / fuel consumption does anyone here know what the problem actually is? Sister in law lost all confidence in Porsche garage abilty to correctly diagnose and doesn't want to use her car.
Any advice welcome
On the turbos, the level sensor doesn't work for the last 1/3 of a tank and the computer has to guess the level after that. I don't know if the C2s are similar - I didn't think they were (I thought that was a foible of the turbo tank design) but if they are, then I wouldn't think it was a float problem - it would mean the computer wasn't noticing that it had to start guessing.
I am still a bit surprised she keeps running out of fuel though. Given that it's a known problem, I would think you'd notice that the guage still stopped at the 1/4 mark and hence it wasn't fixed. Or is this an occasional problem?
I am still a bit surprised she keeps running out of fuel though. Given that it's a known problem, I would think you'd notice that the guage still stopped at the 1/4 mark and hence it wasn't fixed. Or is this an occasional problem?
Thanks for the reply. Done a Google search and it seemed to be a problem on the C4 as tank goes over front diff. But can't find anything on a C2. She keeps running out as the garage keeps telling her its fixed! Only hearing one side of it, but sounds to me AS IF garage is not running tank doWn enough to prove one way or the other.
Garage have suggested driving around with a fuel can in case its not fixed! Car will go to another Porsche service centre but looking for guidance as to what the problem is, or was she just unlucky with Porsche garage.
Garage have suggested driving around with a fuel can in case its not fixed! Car will go to another Porsche service centre but looking for guidance as to what the problem is, or was she just unlucky with Porsche garage.
davek_964 said:
Although it may turn out to be a complicated problem, I don't think I'd be rushing back to a Porsche garage who told me the solution was to start keeping a full fuel can in my car.
Thanks. She's got the car back from them - no refund. Sounds shocking service to me, but only hearing one side and know all manufacturers have good and bad dealships / service centres. Now off to an independent to see what they can come up with - hopefully more than just a 5 litre can of fuel - just in case!It has just taken an OPC a little while to resolve a fuel gauge issue for me on the Spyder - turned out not to be the float or the sender but the gauge itself which required the fitting and recalibration of a whole new instrument cluster 
Repaired FOC under warranty.
On the plus side, my CD player now names the album and the track which it never used to!
Repaired FOC under warranty.On the plus side, my CD player now names the album and the track which it never used to!
davek_964 said:
There are also good and bad independents - so I hope she's chosen a good one?
Who knows! No doubt the garage who've been cocking around with the car will have been used by people on here without problems. Know of Aston Martin dealships where some PH'ers have good experiences and other have had s
t service. mollytherocker said:
You dont need to put a can in the car. Just fill it up every 250 miles or so?
MTR
Garage seemed incapable of doing this! Ultimately doesn't solve the problem - just masks it, and if Sister in Law is in an unfamiliar area she'll be left worrying about fuel. If car has fuel guage and trip computer its not too much to expect it to work, especially after Porsche have had 3 attempts at fixing it.MTR
As already mentioned, sounds like it needs recalibrated... or if it stops moving at 1/4 the float is getting caught in the suction hoses as tank gets low.
There's a workshop procedure and a TSB (technical service bulletin) on both.
The tangle involves rerouting a hose to prevent it catching the float, the recalibration needs the tank drained, a know amount poured in (12L I think from memory), they set this on the Porsche Workshop Tester and then it's good to go.
There's a workshop procedure and a TSB (technical service bulletin) on both.
The tangle involves rerouting a hose to prevent it catching the float, the recalibration needs the tank drained, a know amount poured in (12L I think from memory), they set this on the Porsche Workshop Tester and then it's good to go.
fioran0 said:
As already mentioned, sounds like it needs recalibrated... or if it stops moving at 1/4 the float is getting caught in the suction hoses as tank gets low.
There's a workshop procedure and a TSB (technical service bulletin) on both.
The tangle involves rerouting a hose to prevent it catching the float, the recalibration needs the tank drained, a know amount poured in (12L I think from memory), they set this on the Porsche Workshop Tester and then it's good to go.
There's a workshop procedure and a TSB (technical service bulletin) on both.
The tangle involves rerouting a hose to prevent it catching the float, the recalibration needs the tank drained, a know amount poured in (12L I think from memory), they set this on the Porsche Workshop Tester and then it's good to go.
Will pass on the information.
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