Chris Hill

Please don't flame....I have searched and searched for an answer and can't find one. Basically, I had the infamous fuel smell at the left rear wheel of my '06 Cayenne S. Followed all directions to get to the ports under the rear seat and found that there was fuel sitting on top of the filter. I ordered a new VDO filter and seals. I also go the special T10202 tool to remove the metal ring on both sides. Got everything off fine and replaced the filer. Everything went great. Started the car back up and it idled and revved ok. Put everything back together and went for a drive about an hour later. The car starts off fine, but then starts to bog down and eventually dies. Start it up again and does fine for about 20 seconds and dies again. The fuel gauge is registering empty. I ran the car to almost empty, but admittedly, my wife drove the car and she may have run it down even further. So, I assumed I was just out of gas (lost a little during the depressurization). Put 4 gallons of 91 octane with my gas can. Fuel gauge has not moved. I read somewhere that you had to have 6 gallons to resurrect an out of gas situation. My next steps are to check things out with my Durametric tool, then add a few more gallons of fuel. I am also going to check the fuel pump fuses that I removed during the depressurization step. I also read that there could be an issue with the check value. Both fuel pumps worked perfectly fine before the repair, so I am confident that the pumps are okay. Could I have possibly done something to impair the fuel level float? Any thoughts before I tear it down again. Thanks in advance.

Laguna30

Aside from the issues you cited, recheck your work
is it possible you have created a leak that allows air into the system and/or drops fuel pressure
I have had a gasket fold during install that dropped pressure that prevented WOT and refused to idle ( different marque )
Just my suggestion, YMMV

Chris Hill

Thanks for the reply. I just did my first step and did the Short Test with my Durametric tool. I am getting two faults on the instrument cluster:

1) 771: Fuel level sensor 1 - Open circuit/short circuit to B+.
2) 438: Fuel level sensor 1 - Open circuit/short circuit to B+.

Sounds electrical and probably not a check valve. I think I am going to have to open it all up again and see what I can find.

Do you know where the fuel level sensor is. Seems odd that both are throwing a code. Checking fuses next.

Dilberto

The fuel level float is being obstructed by wires, inside the fuel tank. You need to go back inside the tank and make sure those tank wires are nowhere near the float level bar. Also, make sure the sender main harness is fully seated.

Chris Hill

Update: I pulled the #13 fuse and it still died after a 15 or 20 seconds. Then I took out the #14 fuse and left the #13 in. The car then ran fine. Best I can tell, that would be a problem on the driver side with the primary fuel pump. Still there is no reading on the fuel gauge. I am thinking that I knocked loose one of the electrical connections when putting the filter back in.

Chris Hill

Thanks Dilberto. I will open it up after Thanksgiving dinner and have a look at it.

Chris Hill

Okay. The problem is solved. I appreciate the advice. Basically, when I broke everything down again, I realized that the connector that plugs into the driver-side fuel filter was not seated properly. I must have cracked it when I was originally removing it. I luckily found another connector at an Atlanta Audi dealership (Part #1J0 919 231). I tried gracefully extracting the pins, but could not get the two small ones out. So, I carefully chopped up the old connector and broke all the pins free. Then inserted them into the correct holes on the new connector (I took a picture first) and plugged it back in. Now everything is working properly and I luckily did not have to open up the tank again. Hopefully this will help someone in case they get into the same predicament as I was.

mtnrat

Good save.

Dilberto

Just insert a Jeweler's screwdriver into the top and bottom portion of the connector's "+" opening and the pins all slide out. In fact, I still need to do mine! Right now the connector is being held-down with a folded shop rag!

Chris Hill

I tried the jewel screwdrivers. I got one of the four wires out. When trying to get one of the two inner wires (smaller), one of the jewelers screwdrivers broke off. Then I realized, I have a replacement plug, so I can hack the crap out of the original one to get the wires free. Took about 2 minutes.