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I figure it's time to replace the plastic fuel filter with a metal one. I've taken the gas tank off several times. I know how to disconnect everything and get it off. I've made sure there's not much fuel in there.QUESTIONS...1.) Once the tank is upside-down, how do I take out the filter?2.) What type fuel filter to buy and where?3.) Do I need any special tools to do the job?4.) Should I replace anything else while I have it out?Bonus Question...5.) Is the fuel gauge device in there and can I modify it so reads more accurately on the dash?THANKS
I replaced my fuel filter on my '08 Norge.Worst thing I ever did.The little hose going to the filter wouldn't come off so I cut it off since my filter came with a piece of hose.I didn't clamp it properly and it came off just after I filled it up.Remove the tank again and clamp the hose.Then I decided to replace that hose, good thing because it was real soft and about to come apart.Found the right hose from NAPA and installed that. Then I looked up information on that hose and found it was wrong and not submersible.I went to my MG dealer and bought a length of BMW hose for some outrageous price and did the whole thing again.I should have left the damn thing alone.
Wrong answer mate !You did yourself a big favour, now the bugger won't shit itself when a zillion miles from home, ( not for that reason anyway)..Good for you I say, ignoring a potential problem will end up worse than inheriting a couple of temporary ones by doing preventative maintenance.Same thing goes for startus interruptus, I decided not to do mine 'cos I'd never had an issue, and the bastard struck outside the damn Collosseum in Rome !BTW, it's back home and I did the mod.
- best to take care of known issues as you said before they bite you in the butt....Mark
I changed the filter on my 07 Norge about 7 years ago, used regular run of the mill SS clamps and a Napa filter.
Must admit I did the same but didn't want to say so...
The problem with the fuel gauge is that it stays pointed at the �Full� mark for the first 1.5 gallons are used and then it starts to move downward. At the 1/2 mark 3.75-4 gallons of the 6.1 are used. I would like to correct that so it indicates a more realistic reading... 1.5G used at the 1/4 mark , etc. If not, I can live with it.
FWIW, over the years I had a crapload of cars that did the same thing too. I don't know why the non-linear nature of some fuel gauges, but when tracking mileage you could see they remained full for nearly half a tank, then dropped faster and faster as they neared empty.The solution was always simple, "get to know your vehicle" and eventually you can recalibrate your brain to know what to expect at each point on the gauge.
That�s what I�ve done for four years. I figured since I�m going into the gas tank, might as well as if I could do any tweaking to make the gauge more realistic.
My SWAG is it is a design limitation on floats restrained by the length the float arm/shaft and the relative size/shape of the tank.I.E.The goal is to have a gauge that drops slowly and evenly corresponding with the actual fuel level in the tank as seen as a percentage of fullness/emptiness.The challenge is how to do that with a mechanical device (float) that is designed to track the level in an irregularly shaped tank. The challenge is probably worsened by the fact that the float can't physically move from the actual top to the actual bottom of the tank.
As an IT guy, I can see a way to handle this in software if the fuel level signal were sent to the ECU. One could develop a table that reflects the proportions of the tank, and run the signaled level against it before displaying the adjusted result. Not terribly difficult, as it wouldn't have to be very complex or even supremely accurate; it'd really just be turning an irregular curve into a more linear one.Not that I think too many manufacturers will take the trouble unless their tank's design is wildly difficult to get a good reading on...
My SWAG is it is a design limitation on floats restrained by the length the float arm/shaft and the relative size/shape of the tank.I.E.The goal is to have a gauge that drops slowly and evenly corresponding with the actual fuel level in the tank as seen as a percentage of fullness/emptiness.The challenge is how to do that with a mechanical device (float) that is designed to track the level in an irregularly shaped tank. The challenge is probably worsened by the fact that the float can't physically move from the actual top to the actual bottom of the tank.So the float moves to the top of its travel when the tank is filled, but basically stays there a little too long as the fuel is consumed and the level starts to drop, but doesn't drop enough right away to start moving the float and moving the gauge.Then since the gauge inaccurately continued to read full for some portion of time when it was not really full anymore, once the needle starts to move it will have to move quicker than is really representative.And if the tank volume gets smaller as it gets towards the bottom of the tank (which considering the room necessary for the tunnel, and the pump, and any other odd shapes to the chamber is almost a certainty) then the physical level is actually going to drop faster, making the float and gauge drop even quicker.Unless your particular gauge has some abnormality for the model (and I suspect that's not the case, unless the float shaft is damaged or sticking) then anything that could have been done to equalize the linear nature of the gauge was probably done at the manufacturer.Or stated another way, it's just the nature of the beast.I bet that in general automotive manufacturers have an easier time with this just based on the more predictable size/shape of their tanks. But if they get creative with the tank shape there's probably more of a chance of a gauge still acting this way.
