Hi All

Anyone got any tips for fooling a 2011 TdV8 into thinking there is fuel in the tank?

My gauge went intermittent last week then stopped working altogether on Monday this week so I planned to sort it after the snow clears, however it has had other ideas. Today (250 miles after the gauge started to read zero) it went into reduced power mode then shutdown altogether.
IID tool shows "reduced power" and "forced shutdown" due to low fuel level. I've tried clearing the faults but they just come straight back.
Any tips while I wait for the new assembly to arrive?

Don't you just love these things - a new set of Cooper Weathermasters, best snow we've had for years and it breaks down due to a fuel gauge

I have had the same problem ....... intermitantly the fuel gauge reads zero. This is a real issue as the ECU thinks the car is running out of fuel. First it will start to judder increasing in frequency followed by the engine shutting down. The car will restart but will repeat this cycle.

The answer is contained in Service Bulletin LTB00566NAS4 10 Oct 2014.this SB is easily googled and can be downloaded in PDF format. It describes how to replace existing connector plugs with in-line splices. There are two electrical plugs that need to be removed.

To replace the fuel tank internals with LR Parts is £500 just for the bits. I have just completed the Service Bulletin repair and the problem appears to be fixed. Remember to go through the bleed cycle 4 times after the fuel pipes have been disturbed.

Getting the tank internals out is a bit fiddly but just persevere, they do come out. Access is easy under the back seats through two access plates. The right cover hides the pipes and eclectically connector.

This repair is not difficult. I took all of the tank internals out onto the bench and soldered the connectors just to make sure that they were really secure.

Thanks for that - looks like exactly the problem I've got, well worth a try before shelling out £500.
I can't imagine why anyone would think that it is a good idea to shutdown the engine when it thinks that there's no diesel left, I can understand the restricted performance but to stop the engine when driving is just plain dangerous.

Thanks again

I presume you do actually have fuel in it???

Unfortunately yes, I’d only just filled it up when it decided to misbehave so getting the pump out will be more of a pain than it needed to be.
Good question-it wouldn’t have been the first time I’ve overlooked the obvious!

You want to get the tank as near to empty as you can. I did the job with the tank half full and it was manageable.

For clarity; is that the right cover when in the car, looking towards the back ? ie the passenger side?

Mike. G reg 2.5VM Vogue Portofino red 1991- 1999
V reg 2.5td P38 Rioja red 1999- 2006
53 reg td6 Vogue Oslo blue 2006- 2015
11 reg 4.4 TdV8 Vogue SE. Baltic blue 2015- date.
https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic56162...tty+affair

Sitting in the driver seat looking forward, the right side of the car is on your right. To remove the tank internals you will need to remove both covers. The fuel senders are held in place by spring location devices and are easily removed. The fuel pump is on the right side. There are two connector plugs to replace as there are two sets of blue and black wires. I do suggest you remove the internal and put in a tray to catch any diesel fuel leakage. I also suggest that you solder your inline splices. These are small diameter wires and not easy to crimp.

Thanks to Sarchopperman
Fault now cured by soldering the wires as described.
If anyone ever does have the same problem, a 0 to 1000 Ohm potentiometer (got mine from Maplins for £1) connected across the offending sensor (pins 1&2 or 5&6) will let you use the car to empty the tank or get you home.
Worth noting Dan @ Duckworths quoted well over £100 less than the local LR dealer for a new pump assembly, he deserves our business.

I'll chip-in with my issue:

So my gauge suddenly dropped from 2/3's full to 1/3 full on a longish drive - didn't notice at first and convinced myself I'd just had a heavy foot that tank (with the range added to miles already covered that tank, I was at +/- 320 miles).

Anyway when it had just 50 miles range left, I assumed it was knocking on empty so filled it up. The most (v-power) Diesel it would take was £50 and sure enough, on engine restart with a full tank, the gauge read 1/3 tank (about 1 peg down from the 50% mark).

So, I will be investigating & repairing mine as soon as I have used up the residual fuel in the tank & have time to investigate.

Mine's a 2011 4.4tdv8 @ 80k miles. I don't like the sound of the reduced power & shutdown - should the issue progress / get worse!

From what I read above, the work (wire crimps & old connectors removal) seems to need to be done on the drivers side (in a UK / RHD car). Is that correct?

I don't like the idea of removing the pump entirely & re-priming later (after soldering / doing it on a bench); I'd rather crimp & ensure they're sound and provide good electrical connectivity. Can the connectors be disconnected without removing the pump assembly?

I guess the newly crimped connectors are exposed to diesel / submersed when the tank is filled - diesel being a good insulator / poor conductor - I guess this isn't an issue? Or, are the connectors that LR provide (if the SB is followed with recommended parts ordered) sealed from liquid penetration?

Thanks for any comments on my post

I don’t think it would be possible to do the fix either crimp or solder without removing the pump from the tank, access to the offending connections through the tank access holes is a none starter.
The pump and second float just clip into place and are retained with simple spring devices, if you find a diagram of the pump assembly it’s obvious how they locate once you open both tank access holes.
Priming the system is simply a case of turning the ignition on a few times before starting the engine.
I think once you’ve done it you’ll be glad you took the pump out first.
One extra tip - if I was doing it again I wouldn’t remove the 2 black bars bolted to the floor that the rear seats lock onto. I would make a cut in the carpet so I could leave them in situ - what a pain they were to position so the seats operated smoothly.
Hope this helps

Yes that does - thanks very much & I'll take the advice on the two bars (which look like grab-handles!) too.

Ok, so pump out regardless.

Thanks again

Please post some pictures on this thread when you do the job.
Thanks
Mike. G reg 2.5VM Vogue Portofino red 1991- 1999
V reg 2.5td P38 Rioja red 1999- 2006
53 reg td6 Vogue Oslo blue 2006- 2015
11 reg 4.4 TdV8 Vogue SE. Baltic blue 2015- date.
https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic56162...tty+affair

Going by the service history (it's still full main dealer), it's due a service this month and so I've asked my local (Hatfields in Shrewsbury) for a standard service quote (I'm expecting circa £500!) plus the cost of what they'll do this job for.

Their parts team sent me the TB this morning so I asked them to order the kit for the TB.

I will post pics if I do it - I have posted pics on the heated seat (the heated & cooled type) fix - when I repaired mine -so am a great believer of helping the forum where I can!

If they quote 1-2hrs labour (so less than £200) for the TB - then I'll let them do it - but if its sh*t loads more - I'll definitely be doing it myself.

If the service cost is prohibitive, I may reconsider doing the TB job myself even if they are cheapish for the TB - to off-set the service cost. I'd like to keep the car main-dealer serviced if I can afford to.

I've already changed the oil & filter myself (dead easy - 30 mins max using an oil extraction pump) & it's not done many miles since the service before my oil change so there's no rush and if the car bleats it needs servicing, I'll reset it with IID.

Funny how this doesn't throw any codes eh?

Cass’s tip about the seat bars;

I think I have read somewhere that it is best to refit them finger tight then put the seats back up and give them a good shake to get the bar in the correct place, then nip them up.

Mike. G reg 2.5VM Vogue Portofino red 1991- 1999
V reg 2.5td P38 Rioja red 1999- 2006
53 reg td6 Vogue Oslo blue 2006- 2015
11 reg 4.4 TdV8 Vogue SE. Baltic blue 2015- date.
https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic56162...tty+affair