Sub Tank gauge issue - thoughts please.

[Cuppa]

Hi from the far north Kimberley ........ A quickie (not that I do 'quickies' especially well :) Ha ha) from Kalumburu where internet access is very hit & miss. (more miss than hit it seems).

After 12 days on the Munja Track - 450kms+ in low range - great ....... pumped most, but not all fuel from sub tank to main tank.

Noticed a day or so later that the sub tank needle was showing complete empty - as far left as the needle can go.

Filled up at Drysdale River Station & needle remained on complete empty. Got on the corrugations & the sub tank reading changed, to just over half full. Since then it shows anything from half to 7/8ths full. Haven't done heaps of stops & starts so it should still be reading close to full.

Sub tank warning light has been on, but this is common after filling. Usual solution is to disconnect battery. Did this today (300kms after filling up) Of course doing this also zeroes the trip counter (my only other method of maintaining a sense of how much fuel we have left), & warning light no longer on, but gauge still playing up. Can now pump from sub to main tank.

Have added another earth - from canopy (where solar batteries are situated, using canopy/chassis as earth) as I once had similar issues with main tank gauge & Yendor (are you still out there mate?) suggested the additional earth which fixed the problem, but not this time unfortunately.

Gut feeling is it is corrugation induced & either a poor connection or a damaged wire. ....... but where to start looking???
Manual gives a method of getting flashing light error codes & codes tell you to check continuity between various connectors according to whether the error code is 11, 12, 13, or 14 flashes of light on the sub tank switch (Yep really!, why not just 1,2, 3 or 4?), but it doesn't appear to tell you where the connectors are located.

If the gauge wrongly reads less than full will I be able to pump the fall the tank's contents to the main tank rather than just the amount shown by the gauge at the time??

Have never understood the logic of Nissan's sub tank arrangement, a 'switch between tanks' set up like Toyota would make so much more sense when in remote areas!

Limping along with a rear shock gradually losing it's oil. Hope to replace it in Kununnurra when we get there in a couple of weeks time.

Hope to be able to check back for any answers you have posted before we leave Kalumburu for the Mitchell Plateau in a couple of days time. Thanks in advance for any assistance offered folks.

Worst case scenario is having to siphon fuel from sub to jerry & jerry to main, but hoping it wont come to this!

[0-TJ-0]

I reckon it would depend where it's gone bung mate. If it's an issue with the cluster or maybe even just the signal to it then the transfer side of things should work as normal.

If it's the sender in the tank or something like that you'll probably have issues with the transfer.

I don't know much about this setup in particular but I fixed a mates petrol setup just recently.. worked out what the dash was looking for (voltage) tested OK. Found the wire from the sender in the tank, tested OK. Turned out to be a connection in between.

Not much info of use there but I'm sitting by a fire with a beer so you get the ramble sorry haha.

[MB]

Would have elecy nuffy me suggested possible earthing issues somewhere too Cuppa but sounds like you’re onto that also mate.
I too do really dislike Nissan’s whole transfer design, point my old aftermarket 6.5NA donk into a decent 80kmph headwind and the diesel switcheroo tank to tank barely keeps up :-)


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[MB]

Almost forgot Cuppa mate, once got myself into a pickle by whacking the crap out of the utes rear main tank and split its seams. We got out of the VHC by externally plumbing some 4m of non fuel hose thankfully onboard directly from the stock fuel filter, over the drivers roof gutter, down into the stock forward sub tank filler. Works best to route the line first from tank side, cap off, stuff the neck with rags to hold, then physically blow from filter side whilst twisting until bubbling is heard. Once you’ve snugged the tanks bottom, prime up and bleed as usual and off ya go mate.


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[MB]

Disclaimer: The IP fuel return will go to the rear main tank again though so keep your eye on that gauge and switcheroo back to stock when needed. I was lucky enough to get out of the steep stuff and back onto flat ground by 1/4 full and could flat coast on home below seam splits leakage.

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[mudnut]

Unfortunately, I think you're gunna have to physically check the loom and connectors. You could use the handle of a long screwdriver to tap and prod the loom, while Mrs Tea watches the cluster for any changes.

[the evil twin]

Hiya Cuppa...

To reset the Sub Tank Computer without disco'ing the battery (and stuffing up other parameters) just pull the Sub Tank Fuse on the Fuse Panel.
I forget what number it is and don' have a manual at the moment... #6 rings a bell but could be wrong


If you have earthed the sub to chassis then I reckon there is a better than 90% chance the fault is in the Sub Tank sender or the wiring next to the tank has chafed/pinched and which is a bit SOB to get at... follow the cable back from the transfer pump to see where it goes IIRC

I used to have a little jumper plug in my 'handy hacks and bits kit' that hot wired the transfer pump but I also don't remember the pinouts... sorry :-(
I'll try and find out, it was a reasonably simple matter to unplug the module up beside the clutch (which also will reset the fault circuit by the way).

I managed to eliminate all these issues by buying a Y62... :-)

[Cuppa]

Hi ET & all,

Found that the wiring connector which is clipped to the side of the sub tank had become unclipped & was flopping around. Remounted it afterseparating it & giving it a squirt of WD40. Not yet 100% convinced the problem is fixed, but put 50 litres into the sub tank at Drysdale River Station & it read about right & was able to pump into main tank. Good enough I reckon.

Besides which another issue became a focus. A horrible banging /clanking noise on the corrugations. Moved just about everything which could move in the canopy trying to find the cause of the mystery noise. Eventually traced it to underneath the car. The middle of the three bushes on the driver side control arm has collapsed so the front axle has been moving up & down. Got gradually worse from Kalumburu to Kununurra. The last couple of hundred kms on the Gibb we averaged around 20kph, t'was horrendous! Reached bitumen & you would never know that we had a problem.

Booked in to a joint in Kununurra to get new bushes fitted in a couple of days time.

Rear shock, also drivers side noticed to be leaking after we got back to Mt Elizabeth after completing the Munja track (500kms in low range). Drove up to Kalumburu & back down to Kununurra (approx 700kms on the worst corrugations we've experienced) & the leaking shock (Lovells) still appears to have oil in it & is doing it's job. Neverthless have ordered new shocks in Kununurra. Best I could get are OME, would have preferred Konis but beggars can't be choosers. Hope they will last us over the Gulf & up the Cape at least.

Hopefully will get up to date with a couple more blog posts whilst we are in Kununurra. May go up to Cape Dommett (north of Kunununurra, on the coast/Cambridge Gulf) for a couple of days once the contol arm bushes are fitted & before we get the new shocks.

[Baby Daddy]

Besides everytbing mentioned here... check the wiring hasnt been knicked on the passenger side of the car near the chassis near the front amd rear passe ger side seats. Thats wht happened to me

[MudRunnerTD]

**SNIP**

Rear shock, also drivers side noticed to be leaking after we got back to Mt Elizabeth after completing the Munja track (500kms in low range). Drove up to Kalumburu & back down to Kununurra (approx 700kms on the worst corrugations we've experienced) & the leaking shock (Lovells) still appears to have oil in it & is doing it's job. Neverthless have ordered new shocks in Kununurra. Best I could get are OME, would have preferred Konis but beggars can't be choosers. Hope they will last us over the Gulf & up the Cape at least.
.

"Best you can get is OME"?? "I Hope they last up over the Gulf it to the Cape at least?" Seriously Cuppa, your not talking about some Ebay junk mate. I rate OME over just about bloody everything on the market. Your Lovells failed.....Just say'n. ;-)


The OME will be just fine mate. over and over and over again..... Let me know when they shit themselves please. Have a great trip mate.

[Cuppa]

"


The OME will be just fine mate. over and over and over again..... Let me know when they shit themselves please. Have a great trip mate.

Good to hear that MR, in fact *very* good to hear that.

I was prepared to cough up for a pair of the good Konis, but the choice was OME, Munroe or some make I'd never heard of. The OME are the 'Nitro Charger Sport @ $185 each which is well under half what the Konis cost. I picked them of the three available 'cos that's what Telstra ran on the car before I bought it. The Lovells have been good, but at 6 years old have only done around 60,000kms, admittedly that includes a lot of corrugated kms at close to our GVM weight of 3900kg, but I thought they'd last better than that. I'll hang on the rear one which isn't leaking as a spare.

[MudRunnerTD]

Good to hear that MR, in fact *very* good to hear that.

I was prepared to cough up for a pair of the good Konis, but the choice was OME, Munroe or some make I'd never heard of. The OME are the 'Nitro Charger Sport @ $185 each which is well under half what the Konis cost. I picked them of the three available 'cos that's what Telstra ran on the car before I bought it. The Lovells have been good, but at 6 years old have only done around 60,000kms, admittedly that includes a lot of corrugated kms at close to our GVM weight of 3900kg, but I thought they'd last better than that. I'll hang on the rear one which isn't leaking as a spare.

yeah my OME shocks have 240,000kms on them and still going strong. I actually want them to fail so i can convince myself to buy a set of OME BP51s but the Sports are doing the job very well. Telstra fit them for a reason too mate.