Learn something every day

[Henning]

I cannot imagine that BMW produced different harnesses for non-US models.

Just remove quickly your passenger's trunk panel to check if the sender has two or three pins. If there are three the sender has the ground switch to the red control light.

Maybe you all get earlier in panic when the fuel level sinks and never checked out what happens next?

 

hen

[Conserv]

5 hours ago, Henning said:

I cannot imagine that BMW produced different harnesses for non-US models.

Just remove quickly your passenger's trunk panel to check if the sender has two or three pins. If there are three the sender has the ground switch to the red control light.

Maybe you all get earlier in panic when the fuel level sinks and never checked out what happens next?

 

hen

 

Hmm...

 

I’ll admit, Hen, that I have never run out of gas in an ‘02, so perhaps never witnessed the “fuel reserve” light on that account.  But I’ll also note that I pumped 13.5 U.S. gallons into the ‘76’s gas tank more times than I care to remember, with nary a blink from the fuel reserve light. Given that 51 liters equals 13.5 U.S. gallons, that doesn’t leave much room for a reserve — I suppose it leaves the capacity of the filler neck. And I don’t know any other owners of U.S.-spec cars that have witnessed the fuel reserve light.  

 

(Separately, I was never quite certain that U.S. square taillight models received 51-liter fuel tanks, the same capacity as the later round taillight cars. The U.S. square taillight fuel tanks have a cropped right rear corner to accommodate the U.S.-mandated body reinforcements, so I never understood how they could have received the larger 51-liter tank, a 46-liter tank — 12.2 U.S. gallons —  being the alternative for U.S.-spec cars, at least per the parts manual.)

 

Anyway, if someone can show me an operable fuel reserve light on a stock U.S.-spec ‘02, I’ll be pretty excited.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

Edited July 14, 2018 by Conserv

[02Les]

If it's any help, below are pics of my Touring's tank & sender. 3 wires attach to the sender. The low fuel light comes on a nano second before the car splutters to a stop.

 

The Owner's Handbook for the Touring states tank capacity as 11.4 imp gallons (52 litres), but the Blue Parts Book shows only a 55 litre tank for the Touring. Likewise the sedans Handbook shows 11 imp gallons (50 litres) and the Parts Book shows 51 litres. THIS IS WHY IT IS USEFUL TO HAVE A LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT?

 

[jimk]

2 hours ago, Conserv said:

The U.S. square taillight fuel tanks have a cropped right rear corner to accommodate the U.S.-mandated body reinforcements, so I never understood how they could have received the larger 51-liter tank

Having replaced a non-reinforced car tank with a reinforced car tank, the bottom half appears to be deeper.  Hence, the various length fuel level sender/pickup units.  It doesn't take much additional depth (less than an inch by way of sender lengths) to regain the lost upper half volume.

[Conserv]

45 minutes ago, 02Les said:

....The low fuel light comes on a nano second before the car splutters to a stop....

 

 

?

 

I love this, Les!

 

Below, thanks to Hal, is a parts manual appearance of the 46 and 51-liter tanks for U.S. models.  It was posted in an earlier thread:

 

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

[zinz]

Interesting topic. 

 

The ‘67 2000CS has 3 wire fuel sender and a low fuel indicator on the dash. It also illuminates when the manual choke is pulled to remind you to disengage it once the engine is warmed up. ...fancy

 

It’s the T light on this gauge. 

 

 

Ed

 

 

[ray_]

49 minutes ago, zinz said:

Interesting topic. 

 

The ‘67 2000CS has 3 wire fuel sender and a low fuel indicator on the dash. It also illuminates when the manual choke is pulled to remind you to disengage it once the engine is warmed up. ...fancy

 

It’s the T light on this gauge. 

 

 

Ed

 

 

Is that gauge the same size as an '02 gauge?

[PaulTWinterton]

6 hours ago, Henning said:

I cannot imagine that BMW produced different harnesses for non-US models.

 

There are different wiring harnesses for Euro and US cars.  When I was searching under my carpet for the handbrake wire I studied the various diagrams in the Haines manual.  Euro has the switch wire, US does not.

[zinz]

11 hours ago, ray_ said:

Is that gauge the same size as an '02 gauge? 

 

I’ll check!

[TobyB]

...but if it is, Ray, would you holesaw your pristine dash to install it?

 

t

who did, once

[ray_]

7 hours ago, TobyB said:

...but if it is, Ray, would you holesaw your pristine dash to install it?

 

t

who did, once

Well I will need to deliberate with a modicum of trepidation.

[zinz]

47 minutes ago, ray_ said:

Well I will need to deliberate with a modicum of trepidation.



 

Is that the ultra-rare, 4 piece dash??

[ray_]

1 hour ago, zinz said:

 

Is that the ultra-rare, 4 piece dash??

So far.

 

But, check back tomorrow!

 

[worzella]

Interesting. Was looking at rect post about leaking sender seal on 73tii and this one appears to have thar second ground

 

[jimk]

33 minutes ago, worzella said:

second ground

If it is, it's new electrical physics!  Go to that post and enlarge the photo.  The two wires are slightly different cover.  Connector on the left goes to the instrument panel.  Terminal on the sender that has an insulated base goes to the instrument, the one that is bare to the sender is the ground.

Edited July 17, 2018 by jimk