fuel and temp

[minimanryan]

hi when my ing is on or my engine or enithing to be honest my fuel gauge move about a mm there is power going throuh it same with my temp only that doesnt move attall obvo i dont want to run my mini anymore as i dont know if its overheating or anuthing and i dont know how much fuel i got i need help asap as i want to get rid of the mould in it and i have got rid if some and trying to keep it at bay is hard help help help

[shoutforjoy]

The temperature gauge will only move when the engine is warm. Fill it up with water (when you've sorted your oil out) and run it until the engine is warm, the gauge should then move OK. If there's any signs of overheating kill the engine and get that sorted before you try again.

Fuel gauges on Minis are notoriously haphazard. Mine doesn't work well when there's less than half a tank of fuel in. I've been assured it's the sender unit inside the tank. I have a replacement unit but haven't had time to fit it. In the meantime I fill it up more-or-less as soon as it drops below half a tank and carry a spare gallon of fuel in the boot just in case.

Getting rid of mould can be a bit of a nightmare. Mould thrives in the cold and damp so try to keep the Mini as dry as possible, also stick a heater inside and warm the car up every now and then until you can get the engine running regularly.

[minimanryan]

when the car got delivered before he brung it he had had it running to charge the battery so it was hot but when my dad drove it up the road the temp gauge was reading cold and the next day when i ran it the same again
but today i plugged in the battery the fuel gauge moved but then the batty went completely flat when i tried starting it and my dads t4(van) batty dint fit so keeping the car warm when is virtually imposable in the sun its like a sauna but then it gets colder overnight also the door cards wet the doors condescend my floor is damp and the ignition is damp the back seats are damp but the roof lining is dry and the windows are not condescend but gonna stick a heater in it tomorrow when i come home from school thanks anyway so now its just the temp broke

[notamini]

Ryan.
Please help some of us understand what you are saying and asking by not using text lingo and using the Spell Check on the bottom of the reply page. Also helps to use the Preview button also found down there.

[minimanryan]

done spell check

[kalkat]

It sounds possible the instrument regulator might have failed

The dampness is caused by water getting in somewhere. I would suggest checking the door seals or perhaps the outer window rubbers, also check to see that the drain holes in the bottoms of the doors are clear


Emma

[notamini]

Remove door cards, all carpeting and sound proofing materials. Place them somewhere to dry well. Dry out the rest of the car while stripped. Keep him out of the rain. He's shrunk enough now! ;D
Kalkat is likely spot on with the regulator for the instrument panel. Sorry, no ideas where yours is. Mine is on the cluster back.

[minimanryan]

hi ive removed the door cards they are dry its only the drivers floor thats wet the pasengers had a tiny bit in witch has not returned so far and the rear floorpan on the drivers side was wet ive put some old socks in to soak up the wet scince it has not returned i keep having a wet rear floorpan but thats it the roof is dry and the door cards are dry so im stuck on what it is and the fuel gauge moves to just above red and then goes off back to the bottom and teh temp doesnt move swaped my dads clocks from his estate (smiths ) and just the same moves to red then back down and the temp dont move

[notamini]

Your sender in the fuel tank is faulty. They often become intermittent. There is a wire coil with a wiper contact on a long rod attached to it. there is a float on the end of the rod.

The assembly works like a rheostat. Since it is open to the air, the contact/wire oxidize and lose contact. The only resolve is to remove the assembly and clean it. Check it with an Ohm meter or continuity tester. (small battery with a lamp attached).

Check by moving the rod SLOWLY over the entire range. Be sure not to bend the rod assembly at any time and be careful not to damage the float on the end. Changes will result in errors in your gauge readings.

When it is done, smear some dielectric grease on the whole contact area.
Be sure to seal the mount when you replace it in the fuel tank.

[kalkat]

Ok..... what Notamini says is a perfectly valid suggestion. However if you do test the tank sender, disconnect the battery BEFORE removing the sender and tape over the hole in the tank . then you can connect the sender outside and twiddle to your hearts content.

FUEL VAPOUR BURNS REAAALLLYYY WELL! - and it's really easy to short the sender to the tank on removal. After you have removed it , reconnect the battery and test as NaM suggests.

I don't think the sender is the issue though as both gauges are 'wobbly' - check the voltage stabilizer on the back of the instruments.

As regards the wet, my car has a leak from the scuttle/wing joint - try taping over then spray 'rain' from a hose.............


Emma

[notamini]

Made too many assumptions without thinking some of us are maybe a bit green. Have trouble reading Ryan's posts in parts (must be my age) Dirt looks young some days.

Ant time you work with electricals you need to think safely about LIVE wires and if the battery needs disconnecting. Also assumed the sender would be removed first. After all, they do have a short life.

Went back over the posts and I agree that it's most likely an issue with the regulator on back of the panel or associated wiring or meters need cleaning for better contact.

[mollythemini]

hi freddie here,i think you need to read all of minimanryans postings to try and understand his problems,sounds like he has got some dodgey electrics,i think he has got a earthing problem as well as a short somewhere,he keeps blowing fuses,check your inline fuses they are behind your air filter on the bulkhead ,does your engine move when you have it running or press the accelerator,if your mounts are worn they allow the engine to move back and forword that would cause your filter to push against your inline fuses

[notamini]

Yes Freddie. Good points. I don't see fuses mentioned in this thread.
Also, in my opinion, his battery may be done for. Maybe his instrument voltage regulator is good but the contacts are intermittent. Ryan, is the battery new, if not, get it tested.

Ryan, have you taken all your earthing points in the engine bay off and cleaned them well on the engine, firewall, fender, battery, etc. and look for fraying wires?
Look for possible bad earths on the cluster too.
Look for spots that may indicate touching from the filter.

[minimanryan]

ah ha yes thanks molly the mini when ive been and looked to day my engine steady busher was sooooo worn and perished it fell out but i still cant understand as when it arrived it had new fuses and no air filter box or filer on it tut tut tut just had a bit of mesh over the inlet on the carb but ive put the filter box back on and it doesnt touch the fuse box cover but the biggg silver cable i think its the earth wire is all frayed but the car still runs but ive out new fuses in all round including new relays evrewhere i never bought them te he i just took the new ones out of my dads estate as they all work as we put them in when we restored the car before i started the car all the elecy functions worked apart from the indercaters ? started the car reversed it to the gates opened the back garden gates and drove it in the garden all the electrics dead switched off the engine the heater worked but nowt else ? my car is really fckued up

[minimanryan]

also my car soon as you put it in gear it jumps forward and starts moveing at about 10 mph rolled it to the bottem of my street and its pretty much a hill if its cold it will do nothing when you put it in gear it would not move till i put my foot on the accelerater sit at the bottom of the road near teh moggie restores house till it warms up hoping no police pass eeek wait till it warms up after that when i put it in gear it jumps forward and drives up my road at 10 mph roughly without steping on the accelarater

[station31]

Automatics "Creep" forward,its normal keep your foot on the brake, when you put it in gear, when you take your foot off the brake when it gear it'll creep forward

[minimanryan]

no it really jumps forward i drove it all the way up my street witch is a hill without touching the accelerater

[mollythemini]

hi ryan freddie here,your car is supposed to go foward when you put it into gear that is why you put your foot on the brake when you engage gear,most minis need to warm up before moving off.when you said<all electrics dead>what did you mean, were they all working before you moved the car,and then just stopped?

[minimanryan]

they work but soon as you touch accel or anithing they go out if i drive it down the street fine if i go up the street they go out as my streets a hill so i think its the enigne steady but im uploading vids to you tube of it running and the fuel and temp gauge are now fixed took the plastic off and moved the needels they were solid and woldent move moved them ( unstuck ) them and now they work
thanks

[minimanryan]

heres a few vids of it running its a bit dogdy and and when you watch them the talking is my there is vids with aditional questions in the vids
youtu.be/HUJkX33qpd4

youtu.be/m12O8r_Ls5s


youtu.be/XM0QaiYji9g

[silve1999]

engine mounts look like they need sorting...

[minimanryan]

yeh defo also my fuel gauge is still broke filled her up with fuel today reading a quarter of a tank drained it below half it reads nothing 3 quarters its on red going to try drain it completly and sort out the float