A few years ago I got a new replacement, it was crap, sourced a good second hand one which has been pretty good.
Here's some pics of parts off my old sender. It was indeed a VDO product. The interior resistance winding has burned out, but you can see how the spacing is much tighter on the left hand end, and also that the shape curves in gently, then out a bit to the right. It needs this to provide a correct reading. The one I've got in at the moment is much cruder, so although the overall resistance is correct at each end, it provides a very non linear signal. I'd like to fit a genuine VDO if they still exist, or hear from anyone who's successfully rewound one.
Interesting! As you say, if a Chinese one is wound linearly, the fuel gauge will likely show garbage.
I think all you'd need to do is measure (precisely) the diameter of the wire (which is likely to be boggo nichrome), count the turns and carefully rewind it. As per another thread, connecting the nichrome might be a prob. Actually, also measure the resistance of the total length if you can, and make sure the stuff you've bought reads the same. Wasn't aware that senders were that dodgy these days.
Thing is I bought 3 in the end I think, one the float floated away lol, literally the whole arm fell off, Cant remember what happened to the second,actually it might have been the second that the arm fell off. The third didnt work at all so I sort of made one from all 3, might as well have bought 1 decent one The problem is half the time you buy stuff then by the time you go to use it and find out its crap its too late to return !
Just checked, the new one is not a VDO. No brand on the top. Just dismantled the old VDO. Looks different to Andy's on the inside although the part number is the same. You can clearly see the complexity of the winding - tricky to copy.
OK, read a bit and watched a bit. If you measure off 70 ohms worth of 40awg wire and it is too short and you need 95 ohms worth to cover the distance "x" required; what gauge wire would you need to cover the distance "x" achieving 70 ohms instead of 95? This bit amused me from the video. I didn't even know there was supposed to be a spring there - thank you Mr. Bic
Here's my take .if you are taking out the original vw sender .make two into one . Read the whole post . http://thelatebay.com/index.php?thr...ping-through-top-quality-sender-solved.52284/