Fuel Gauge Stuck on Full

[Jemmo]

Recently bought a 2011 RAV4. So far it's been brilliant. Until today.

I mistakenly (don't laugh) put petrol in. I thought it was BP Ultimate Diesel, but it was petrol. DOH!

So got the car home okay. Went out, had difficulty starting. I thought 'That's odd'. However it did fire up and I then had a bit of a lumpy 5 mile trip.

Went to start later and it wouldn't.

Got the recovery people out who checked it over, took me back to their yard and drained the fuel.

All is now good, but the fuel guage is stuck on full.

Any ideas anyone?

[crofter]

Hi Jem, do you know how they drained the fuel out. If they used a syphoning tube I wonder if they caught the gauge sender with it and damaged it as it is not very robust, just a small hollow tube. I think the sender is a type of resistor that when the tank is full allows maximum current to pass through allowing the needle on the gauge to do a full sweep over to signal that the tank is full. The same reading would be given if the cable connector on top of the tank has come adrift and is touching any bare metal

Del

[Jemmo]

Yes - a metal braided syphoning tube into the filler pipe.

You reckon that could have done the damage ?

 

[crofter]

That would be my first thing to check. Can't think of any other reason