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PointedThree :  Vans, Trucks, SUVs and Other Forums : G-Class : 230/280 GE fuel level sender repair

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230/280 GE fuel level sender repair
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Posted 8/6/2022 3:22 PM
hipine



Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
5000
230/280 GE fuel level sender repair

Long time no see folks!
Had some fun with the baby G today ('84 230GE)

The fuel level sender has been bad for a while & finally got around to looking at it. A little DVM work showed the trouble was in the tank so I unscrewed the sender.

Noted the trouble right away.....the "can" on the sender wasn't coming out with the "guts"! Luckily I saw it in time before I dropped the can in the tank. A pair of needle nose rescued the can and slid it out with the guts.

The big wire for the light was broken as was the microscopic resistance wire for the level. I think the nut came off the bottom of the can and the can dropped down, shorting out the resistance wire and breaking things up as it banged around in there.

Luckily there was a fair bit of the resistance wire balled up in the bottom of the can. I was able to straighten it out, but it was in pieces and not suitable for saving. But I did find enough to measure. It was 0.08mm thick and had about 33.5 ohms resistance over the 6" i could measure.

I did check Steve's price on a new sender....$325-ish. Then I googled the wire gauge, found 0.08mm = 40 ga. and typed 40 gauge resistance wire into my search engine...... 250 feet of nickel-chrome 40 ga. resistance wire with a resistance of 67 ohm per foot = 8 bucks on Amazon, made in USA. $11 with the shipping.

Of course soldering the stuff will be an adventure, but the original unit looks to be soldered (probably silver solder) so I'm pretty sure with enough heat and flux I can do it. Wish me luck.

And if anyone knows of a hundred more fuel tank senders that need repair, I have the wire to do it.

All the best,
-Dave G.
#243722
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Author
Posted 8/7/2022 12:19 AM
Otiswesty
Administrator




Date registered: Jun 2007
Location: Portland, Oregon
Vehicle(s): 463.241, 461.213
Posts: 3002
2000
RE: 230/280 GE fuel level sender repair

That's great Dave. Thanks for the report.
My 280GE sender works fine,but looks pretty crusty. I don't dare disturb it for risk of breaking it.

I appreciate you prior insight on the idle air tubes on the 280GE, I finally got that dialed in nicely.
Eric
#243725 - in reply to #243722
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Author
Posted 8/7/2022 12:22 PM
hipine



Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
5000
RE: 230/280 GE fuel level sender repair

Super cool Eric! Glad to hear it's straightened out. (well, that's probably not the right term to refer to those hoses!)
The M110 is a dream when it's running well.
All the best!
-Dave G.
#243726 - in reply to #243725
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Author
Posted 8/7/2022 12:22 PM
hipine



Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
5000
RE: 230/280 GE fuel level sender repair

Super cool Eric! Glad to hear it's straightened out. (well, that's probably not the right term to refer to those hoses!)
The M110 is a dream when it's running well.
All the best!
-Dave G.
#243727 - in reply to #243725
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Author
Posted 8/11/2022 1:09 AM
hipine



Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
5000
RE: 230/280 GE fuel level sender repair SUCCESS

Sorry about the double post there. Must have fat fingered something and forgot if/how to delete on this forum.

Just a quick note to say the resistance wire was easy to replace, just a bit fiddly. Regular solder, not silver solder, etc etc. About an hour's work get it all squared away and sender re-installed. Reads perfectly. Ready for another 300,000 miles or so!

Should you find yourself in the same predicament, give a shout and the remaining 248 feet of resistance wire will be in the mail to you.

All the best,
-Dave G.
#243734 - in reply to #243722
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Posted 8/12/2022 6:23 PM
Titus Pullo
Elite Veteran




Date registered: May 2007
Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada
Vehicle(s): '90 Wolf 240GD, '06 G270 CDI.
Posts: 1010
1000
Re: 230/280 GE fuel level sender repair

Dave, I went through exactly same adventure some 10-12 years ago.
Sourced a roll of resistance wire from ebay, from Poland for something like 3-4 bucks, dont remember exactly. But while waiting went to a local junk yard some 10 min. from my house and found a old W123. Pulled the sending unit from the tank, the owner of the yard give it to me for free. It had exactly the same design just significantly longer. So I shortened and used the aluminum tube as mine was damaged as well, shortened the wire and re- soldered it. And voila - working again fuel gauge.
The resistance wire arrived on the next week, and is now successfully lost :).
#243739 - in reply to #243722
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Posted 8/15/2022 2:14 PM
hipine



Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
5000
Re: 230/280 GE fuel level sender repair

Ha ha! Great story! And great parts source, at least for us in the USA as we have lots of dead W123's around. Nice to know that the W123 had a very similar and adaptable setup.
-Dave G.
#243744 - in reply to #243739
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