Water in fuel

[irondoc]

Hi guys

Water in fuel warning light came on the other day. I drained the filter and there was no water in there. Light when out, but has come on again a few days later. 2011 2.7 D4.

Any suggestions? Is there some sort of connector that might be corroded/wet?

Cheers
Lucas

[LRD414]

Sensor connector on filter housing could be the culprit.
DISCO3.CO.UK - View topic - Replacing fuel filter housing (http://www.disco3.co.uk/forum/topic137031.html)

Scott

[BobD]

Mine had flaking insulation near the plug which was causing the same thing. Bare wire is not the best!

[irondoc]

Thanks guys, will have a look over the weekend. I've been getting the "low coolant" warning also, but level is fine.

[scarry]

Thanks guys, will have a look over the weekend. I've been getting the "low coolant" warning also, but level is fine.

Often happens after the coolant system has been flushed.
Faulty float in coolant bottle the usual culprit.

[disco4now]

If you read the code is is most likely water in fuel - sensor fault. There have been a few cases of this. The fault codes differentiate between the sensor fault and actual water in fuel but warning light comes on for both.


Regards
Gerry

[DiscoJeffster]

Can someone explain this to me? Why are people replacing the entire assembly when the comments indicate the sensor is at fault? The sensor screws into the bottom of the fuel filter, so surely you only need to replace the sensor itself? Maybe I'm misunderstanding the issue. I ask this as I intermittently have this error and it typically goes away in a day or two.

[irondoc]

From my Iidtool, I got this error:

P2269-68 (2D) Unknown

I will replace the sensor +/- the whole assembly as there is no water in there.

Cheers
Lucas

[Grentarc]

Can someone explain this to me? Why are people replacing the entire assembly when the comments indicate the sensor is at fault? The sensor screws into the bottom of the fuel filter, so surely you only need to replace the sensor itself? Maybe I'm misunderstanding the issue. I ask this as I intermittently have this error and it typically goes away in a day or two.
It's not the actual sensor in the filter but the sensor module that is mounted on the housing.

[Graeme]

I did quite a search for the manufacturer of or a supplier of the module but to no avail.

[irondoc]

So I tried to replace the sensor today, but it didn't go so well. Too much fuel pouring out when I undid the sensor - I assumed the fuel volume of the filter will come out and then it will stop, but I didn't have all the correct equipment so might get a mechanic to do it.

Interestingly, when I disconnect the fuel filter sensor and start the car, the warning light is still on, so this makes me think it is the module on top of the housing, not the actual sensor.

Cheers
Lucas

[DiscoJeffster]

Well after continuous water in fuel messages but draining it didn’t show any water, I tried disconnecting the bottom sensor. The next day I got the same error which said to me that it wasn’t that and that breaking the circuit didn’t help. As I still couldn’t ease out the entire assembly for complete replacement I managed to switch out the sensor on the assembly itself. I noted the slightly different design for the sensor but it still fit. Hoping that that will be the end of the error. I suspect the error is about a faulty sensor not that it’s detected water in fuel as it never says on the display “water in fuel”, just restricted performance (yellow triangle). Dunno. Will report back.

[RANDLOVER]

Often happens after the coolant system has been flushed.
Faulty float in coolant bottle the usual culprit.

I had to have my radiator bottle replaced, tried the sensor 1st to no avail, so my mech got an after market one $50 less than OE, but it is OE spec from MEYLE automotive spare parts - MEYLE (https://www.meyle.com/en/) who seem to be a good company, even make some parts better than OE spec.

Found a better link Online catalogue - MEYLE (https://www.meyle.com/en/service-centre/online-catalogue/)

[DiscoJeffster]

Two weeks on and no water in fuel errors since. For my dear that’s nearly conclusive. So for those who can’t be bothered manoeuvring the entire assembly out, the sensor on the top of the assembly can be swapped (relatively) easily.

[Redrex]

Two weeks on and no water in fuel errors since. For my dear that’s nearly conclusive. So for those who can’t be bothered manoeuvring the entire assembly out, the sensor on the top of the assembly can be swapped (relatively) easily.

Had a bit of an attempt at doing this on mine last weekend without success...could not get the complete assembly out...how did you move the housing enough to remove the sensor from the top of the assembly? more specifically to remove the torx screw holding it on? Do you have to disconnect the fuel lines to the assembly to make more wiggle room...

Might be a job to hand over the mechanic as access is awkward even with a set of ramps!

Cheers

[rocket rod]

Just reviving an old thread as this happened to me on a recent Pilbara trip that included many deep water crossings. Got a Water in Fuel error mid crossing, which doesn't help the stress levels, and went into Restricted Performance. Got through ok. Got the Gap tool out to check for codes and it got stuck half way through "loading files" which it then promptly aborted because it had no internet. It refused to load so could not get any info from it. Cheesed off about that. Once internet was found GAP loaded ok. I sinced cleared the faul and can't remember it exactly. Anyway thought that the error was because the sensor got wet and not water in fuel so left it over night to dry out and the next day all was good and no trouble since then. So the question is how to stop the sensor getting wet (or triggering for some other reason) and going into Restricted Performance for no real reason. Has any one some novel solutions?

[DiscoJeffster]

You don’t need Internet to use the gap tool however if it’s out of date and app/ firmware updated, it will want to download changes. Worth checking its working with internet before you head out. It’s pretty rare that this happens. Did you recently update the firmware?

[rocket rod]

Did you recently update the firmware? no I didn't and that's the surprise. I've been using it on and off for a few months, never updating it via the PC so it never occurred to me that it might try an update when I'm out in the bush

[rocket rod]

Found out today, during a fuel filter replacement, why I got the "Water if Fuel" error. There was no sensor wire attached so the connector got wet! Will be having words with my Indie as to why they did not connect the sensor wire when they replaced the fuel filter housing. Very ****ed off given it caused a restricted performance during a water crossing.

[BradC]

Found out today, during a fuel filter replacement, why I got the "Water if Fuel" error. There was no sensor wire attached so the connector got wet! Will be having words with my Indie as to why they did not connect the sensor wire when they replaced the fuel filter housing. Very ****ed off given it caused a restricted performance during a water crossing.

Lucky you still have the sensor. The “indie” who serviced mine before I bought it discarded the sensor with the filter and just left the wire dangling.

[rocket rod]

Lucky you still have the sensor. The “indie” who serviced mine before I bought it discarded the sensor with the filter and just left the wire dangling.That's what's going to cause the error if you get it wet while crossing water, hence me buying a new filter housing (which included the sensor) for $250!

[BradC]

That's what's going to cause the error if you get it wet while crossing water, hence me buying a new filter housing (which included the sensor) for $250!

Yeah, that's what I did also. From memory the new sensor alone was ~$180, or $250 for the complete new assembly including a genuine LR filter. It was a no-brainer to swap the whole thing.

Annoying when it doesn't rate a mention in the pre-sales inspection I paid for, *or* the subsequent service where I had them change the filter. You'd have thought a "hey mate, you know the water-in-fuel sensor is missing?" might have been useful.

[DiscoDB]

Lucky you still have the sensor. The “indie” who serviced mine before I bought it discarded the sensor with the filter and just left the wire dangling.

An “indie” (also in Perth) did the same to me. I see a pattern here……[emoji848]

[rocket rod]

An “indie” (also in Perth) did the same to me. I see a pattern here……[emoji848]Was that indie in Bentley? Mine was.

[DiscoDB]

Was that indie in Bentley? Mine was.

No it wasn’t. I won’t name but overall was happy with their work, just was disappointed when I discovered they had thrown out the water sensor.