Just went out to lunch with a 90% full tank of fuel. Sitting idle in a parking lot when all of a sudden I notice the fuel gauge show empty and the range meter on the tach showed ---. I shut the car off, restarted it and the gauge showed full again. Half way back to the office and back to empty. I let it sit, then went back out to try it again and it still shows empty but so far the car is still running.

I changed the fuel filter on the car on Sunday - this was about 50 miles ago.

Any ideas what I did?
Do you think its only running with the fuel in the line and I may get stuck on the ride home?

PLEASE HELP!

 

Sounds like the sending unit in the tank or the guage is going bad.....
Unless somebody siphoned off all your fuel!! To give yourself piece of mind, top off the car, then reset the trip odometer....then buy fuel on a regular basis to top off the tank...depending on the mix of city/highway driving, a coiple hundread would be very safe, then just get it fixed (if ever, when you feel like it, have the $$ or the time.)

 

Search the threads on 1st generation MINIs, there is a lot of information on fuel gauge issues. I had this happen intermittently on my '02 but it always corrected itself without having to replace the sending unit. Try removing the gas cap and releasing the pressure and then restarting. Otherwise, I found it may have something to do with where I purchased your fuel.

 

Bad batteries can make odd things happen. If more strange things occur, you might want to check the battery.

 

Thanks guys. Went I left work to o home the gauge was back at full. Made it home no problem. I'll keep an eye on it and check that sending unit and battery.

Thanks again!

 

Is the fuel filter directional? If installed backwards perhaps you have a pressure build up causing the signal to read incorrect. I always go back to the last thing I did to try to find the trouble culprit.

 

When you changed the fuel filter, you may have dislodged the float from its bracket on the side of the filter housing. If the erratic behavior persists, go back in and be sure that the float is securely fastened into the clip on the side of the housing.

 

thanks - I'll check to float tonight. the filter isnt directional so I bet if anything, its the float.