Turned the key for the first time...

paulspaddle

paulspaddle

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Mar 2, 2009
Messages
753
Re: Turned the key for the first time...

Anyone offer suggestions where to start trouble shooting on how to fix the fuel gauge? All other gauges work.

I poked around looking for any broken wires and didn't find any.
 
S

Speakrdude

Ensign
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Feb 25, 2004
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Re: Turned the key for the first time...

The second thing to do, Sounds like you've done the first, Is to locate the fuel sender on the tank. There will be a screw terminal witha wire on it. Take a short jumper wire and touch the screw terminal ON THE SENDER to the metal part of the tank, or if its plastic, any good ground, engine block, etc. If the wireing from the sender to the gauge is good, when you short it out, the gauge should peg all the way to FULL. If this happens, replace the sender in the tank. Abour a $20.00 part. No biggy.

Remember, Working around gas. Take all the ness. precautions.
 
paulspaddle

paulspaddle

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Mar 2, 2009
Messages
753
Re: Turned the key for the first time...

Speakrdude said:
The second thing to do, Sounds like you've done the first, Is to locate the fuel sender on the tank. There will be a screw terminal witha wire on it. Take a short jumper wire and touch the screw terminal ON THE SENDER to the metal part of the tank, or if its plastic, any good ground, engine block, etc. If the wireing from the sender to the gauge is good, when you short it out, the gauge should peg all the way to FULL. If this happens, replace the sender in the tank. Abour a $20.00 part. No biggy.

Remember, Working around gas. Take all the ness. precautions.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll hopefully get in there later today and try that.
 
Silvertip

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,762
Re: Turned the key for the first time...

Here's a diagram of the fuel gauge circuit.

Gauge-SenderWiring.jpg


You can check the sender by disconnecting the sender wire and measuring the resistance as you raise and lower the float arm. 240 ohms empty, 109 ohms at 1/2 and 33 ohms full (give or take a tad). With the key in the RUN position you can also ground the sender lead. Doing that should peg the gauge to full.
 
paulspaddle

paulspaddle

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 2, 2009
Messages
753
Re: Turned the key for the first time...

Thanks for the advise. Slow to answer this, I like to sum up my threads, but today was the first day I've had a chance to get back into boat and check this out.

Yes, when I shorted it out the gauge pegged to full. Therefore it is the sender unit...correct.
 
stylesabu

stylesabu

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Aug 2, 2009
Messages
849
Re: Turned the key for the first time...

senders bad, as long as the sender body was grounded. you probably had varnish build up on the sender coil wire, but they are fairly cheap i wouldn't bother tring to clean or repair unless its some special sender
 
Silvertip

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,762
Re: Turned the key for the first time...

What is with all the fuel gauge issues. Gee whiz folks, go to the electrical forum and do a search on "Fuel Gauge Problems". I am in the process of describing how to use the search function and there are over 50 threads related to this problem. Chances are it is one of the following in order of probability:
1) Bad ground at sender
2) Bad sender wire (pink)
3) +12 volts missing at gauge
4) Ground missing at gauge
5) Bad sender
6) Bad gauge

Note that the gauge is the last thing on the list yet many folks immediately replace the gauge thinking it "must" be what's wrong. It rarely is.
 
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