Nismospeed
Seaman Apprentice
- Joined
- May 14, 2009
- Messages
- 44
Ok, this is probably something thats insanely easy...if not, grab your cherry pipe tobacco and fire it up, this might take a while.
Background Info: Have 24' pontoon, '85 50hp Merc, and had a 6gal gas can. As of today, I installed a used 18gal top mount tank with sender.
PROBLEM: Previous owner used the 6gal tank. There is a fuel gauge in the helm, but it was never used with the little red tank. Come to think of it, the little red tank had a BS floating gauge that sinks and is pointless. I installed the 18gal, hooked up the fuel gauge, hooked up the sender, and now Im getting weird responses.
FIRST OFF: This sender was installed with 18ga wire. when i attached the sender, i originally chose to ground off of the wiring to the rear nav light. The fuel gauge read 1/4 tank with the float all the way up, and bottomed out beyond reason in the lowered position. SO, I moved the ground to the battery, straight shot, no junctions or splices. Sender to battery, nothing attached. Everything seemed ok. I moved the float up and down and the gauge responded appropriately. awesome. BUT, when I flip nav lights on, or the radio with the key out of the ignition, the fuel gauge gives multiple fuel level readings, and eventually finds itself saying the tank is full. then it stays there. now, if i turn the key to the "on" position, it drops to empty, which is what is in the can.
recap: Ignition wire is on the red hot wire, although I am thinking I should have used the purple "on" position wire, the ground from the gauge is tightly fastened to a central grounding location that uses the main from the battery ground, the sender wire is untouched, gauge to sender. and the sender's ground wire is direct battery. Should I attach the 12v to the purple "accessory" wire and see if it still dances? is the sender going bad? the gauge? like i said, it only does this if the key is out. but the instant i turn the key, it resets and is fine until i flip a toggle switch. its sooooo freaking weird.
Background Info: Have 24' pontoon, '85 50hp Merc, and had a 6gal gas can. As of today, I installed a used 18gal top mount tank with sender.
PROBLEM: Previous owner used the 6gal tank. There is a fuel gauge in the helm, but it was never used with the little red tank. Come to think of it, the little red tank had a BS floating gauge that sinks and is pointless. I installed the 18gal, hooked up the fuel gauge, hooked up the sender, and now Im getting weird responses.
FIRST OFF: This sender was installed with 18ga wire. when i attached the sender, i originally chose to ground off of the wiring to the rear nav light. The fuel gauge read 1/4 tank with the float all the way up, and bottomed out beyond reason in the lowered position. SO, I moved the ground to the battery, straight shot, no junctions or splices. Sender to battery, nothing attached. Everything seemed ok. I moved the float up and down and the gauge responded appropriately. awesome. BUT, when I flip nav lights on, or the radio with the key out of the ignition, the fuel gauge gives multiple fuel level readings, and eventually finds itself saying the tank is full. then it stays there. now, if i turn the key to the "on" position, it drops to empty, which is what is in the can.
recap: Ignition wire is on the red hot wire, although I am thinking I should have used the purple "on" position wire, the ground from the gauge is tightly fastened to a central grounding location that uses the main from the battery ground, the sender wire is untouched, gauge to sender. and the sender's ground wire is direct battery. Should I attach the 12v to the purple "accessory" wire and see if it still dances? is the sender going bad? the gauge? like i said, it only does this if the key is out. but the instant i turn the key, it resets and is fine until i flip a toggle switch. its sooooo freaking weird.
