Firstly, happy new year to all. A new year and new Disco mysteries.
I climbed in to my wife's Disco today and noticed that the fuel gauge was reading 50%, not bad. Then I put the key in the ignition..................
Is this the only vehicle in the world where a gauge still works when the vehicle is turned off? I filled the tank in preparation for a trip to Nth Stradbroke Island and a bit of dune bashing. The gauge slowly moved to 100% (it took about 10 minutes of driving). I just went outside to check again and after being shutdown for over 2 hours it was still reading 100% without the ignition being on. In all other ways the guage works fine.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
P.S. I'll try and get some pictures of the truck on the dunes next week.

 

I suspect the slow gauge response has something to do with the cluster electronics package which includes what is called an "anti-slosh" circuit. I just checked my 97, which has not been cranked for at least a week, and it is at 1/2 tank, when key turned to position two it may have moved a millimeter. I have had vehicles with an active fuel gauge when off, and even ones that had quite a "wiggle" on the gauge when the fuel tank float bobbed about.

 

So, old Disco's have a natural "battery drain" feature? The speed of the gauge doesn't bother me too much but battery drain does. Was this resolved in newer models?
P.S. Shouldn't you be asleep at this time?

 

we never sleep. we are addicted to work. Your battery shouldn't drain that quickly, unless you let it sit for long periods at a time. If that is the case then get a battery tender to keep it topped up.

PS, it's always full, even if it's only half full of petrol the other half is full of air.

 

I guess the question is; Is the gauge's performance normal or a problem?
Straddie Accommodation | North Stradbroke Island Camping | Straddie Camping
It will get its first full test here on Main Beach. No cell coverage, no road, no water. no power, plenty of fish.

 

IMHO normal, and there are a number of small drains (clock, radio memory, ECU, alarm system, etc.); the battery current is never "zero" unless you remove fuses or switch off the cable (which bring alarming issues when you reconnect unless hood switch is depressed). If cranked every few weeks no big deal with a good battery. Some might use one of those solar panel battery maintainers, but it will have to be hard wired as the cigar lighter is "off" when key is off. My D1 is driven by offspring to college, where it sits for days or weeks at a time as she walks or uses campus route bus, no problems, and no solar panel.

 

Your fuel gauge will stay where it was when you shut the truck off, if you put fuel in it and then did nothing the gauge would not move.
If you have a full tank and drained it the tank would still read full.
Your truck is normal.
If you have a good battery your battery will not go dead, my truck sat for 3 months and fired right up like it was yesterday.

 

Thanks for the reassurance. This truck is my wife's daily drive so I don't get to examine it often enough. I'm more used to the other type of British fluid dispersal system, Jaguar. Thanks again, happy new year.