My 1983 Turbo diesel has a broken gas gage. What is the easiest way to get to the sensor and replace it?

The sender is very easy to get to. Open the first aid kit, by removing two screws and prying it out.

Then remove the sender, (slowly cause it will be filled with fuel) and clean the sender off. The sender is said to be a 32 mm socket, but you can easily remove it with vice grips or channel locks.

Check the threads about cleaning wires on sender. It may be repairable.

Also, it may be fixed by just cleaning the sender out. There are wholes that could be plugged.

ur first reply was pretty good...

I expected a fun hashing to hit you on the first round LOL

So now to begin.

I would expect a "gas" gauge would have an awful time working on ur diesel. :p

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"Know other lessons I need to learn? TELL me. Tired of learning'em the hard way".

Glow Plug Wait: [i} Time of silence in homage Rudolph Diesel. Longer you own a diesel. more honor you give". [/i]

Life; SNAFU Situation Normal All Fouled Up, & FUBAR: Fouled Up Beyond All Repair

-Now: Snafued Jeep TJ w/OM617 2Be daily driver & building SS M1079 w/Ambo boxed /live in Adv. Truck, Diesel KLR conversion
-Sold 62 UNIMOG Camper w/617 Turbo, 85 300SD

one hint of advice is to obviously wait till there is not much diesel in there so it will be less messy. On a w116 is the procedure the same way?
Thanks

yes, I suppose my post should have read, "Diesel" gage but I think we all know the difference here concidering we are on the diesel discussion forum.

Can you access the fuel sender on a W126 through the rear first aid kit too? I want to see if there is an alternative to removing the back seat to access it.
-Joe

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

My fuel gauge sender unit barely worked when I first bought my 190DT with 180K on it. But I added diesel injector cleaner to the tank with each fill and soon noticed it was working better. A few thousand miles later the gauge is working nearly like new..and I suppose the crud that the injector cleaner may have dissolved is sitting in my filters.

I noticed the gauge was workng better on the second tank..using a double dose of injector cleaner each fill.

It may be worth a try.

Dana

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Dana Linscott
Vegoil converted truck...vegoil converted 1987 190DT, 300 series next.

http://vegoilconversions.netfirms.com/

Joe,

I just did this job on my '83 300SD (W126)... You have to remove the back seat in order to remove the sender. When you pull the rear seat back, you will see a large round rubber plug. Remove that and underneath is the sending unit recessed in the hole.

Now, this is where removing the first aid box tray comes in really handy. I found it impossible to budge the sending unit loose with channel locks. Due to the limited space and it being recessed, you really can't get a good grip or any leverage on it.. mine was really stuck due to the rubber o-ring seal.

But once you remove the first aid box tray, you can reach down through that opening and get the channel locks on the large hex flange of the sending unit to loosen (and tighten) it.

Hope this helps... it's not that bad of a job to do, I think the hardest part is removing the rear seat without snagging anything shape on the front seat backs or rear door panels as you pull it out of the car