Hi all,
I have a 2000, 320 SLK and the fuel gauge only reads three quarters full even though the tank is full to the brim. This only started after the wife let it run very low on fuel. Could this have caused it? Any ideas what the problem may be? It it common ?

Thanks

 

Hi bren,

Don't blame your wife, it's probably the fuel sending unit at the fuel tank. It is located in the trunk behind the seats and is screwed in on top of the gas tank. It is easy to replace if you want to do it yourself. The dealer replaced mine since it was under warranty. The fuel guage was showing 3/4 full, but there was more and fuel spilled out when the old fuel sending unit was removed. This caused the insulation blanket around the gas tank to become saturated with gas. I took my car back to the dealer several times until they finally agreed to replace the blanket. The fuel smell inside the car was terrible until then.
When you decide to replace the sending unit, make sure the fuel tank is below half. Also, don't top off your tank when filling it because you can damage the charcoal canister.

Good Luck,

Dave