ML gas gauge problem
 

I have read the emails and tech helps on this issue, but still have questions. About a month ago I filled my 2000 ML 430's gas tank until the pump automatically shut off. This was the beginning of the problem. Since then when I fill the tank, the gauge will rise when started, slowly zero out to empty, and remain reading empty. As a brethren has suggested, I have been unplugging the sensor wire in the rear left wheel well to the tank, to reset the gauge and it has been working. However, this reset/unplug does not work if the tank is completely topped off, only if a gallon or so is used from the full status. Plus I really don't want to do this everytime I fill the tank. Based on these symptoms, does anyone have any suggestions or repair methods? Hopefully a DIY!

jderkosh@netzero.net for direct responses

There is a bulletin issued in Feb this year from MBUSA regarding the fuel gauge inaccuracy. My 98 ML gauge behaved badly after the fuel pump and send unit was replaced. It would drop quickly to 3/4 in 10 mils and slowly drop to 1/8 by 170 miles or so. It was off by probably 4 gallons or so. Anyhow, the instrument cluster was replaced but no help, and recently I saw that bulletin from the StarTech website (I paid a one day fee to get in and browse around). I took it back to the dealr and they perform some reprogamming to allow the fuel gauge to read in analogue mode (I think this is what gilly refer to as the actual fuel level inside the tank). This worked for me. I am afraid to post the whole bulletin out because of the legal mumbo jumbo post on MBZ's website. If you would like to read the entire bulletin, let me know.
steve

Here, start with this one:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=122938

Check out my post, I think #14, and also do a search in the ML forum using "virtual calculation" as the keywords.

Gilly