Gauges??!

Levinz11

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 1, 2012
Messages
726
Re: Gauges??!

Have you done any figuring out about why they aren't working? Check the speedo tube for a blockage. Check the fuel gauge for good connections. Report back...
 

Thehustler

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 2, 2013
Messages
36
Re: Gauges??!

No wasn't really sure where to start this is my first boat don't no much about them
 

jkimball

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 14, 2013
Messages
220
Re: Gauges??!

My speedometer and my fuel Gauges don't work?? Any suggestions

As Levinz11 said, check the Pitot for an obstruction, this can be cleared with a piece of thin wire or a needle, then move on to the rubber tubing, look for kinks or cracks, if none are found you can remove it from the rear gauge and blow air toward the pitot to clear obstructions. Don't blow air from the pitot side, toward the gauge or you may damage the gauge.
You can get a complete replacement pitot with tube for $13 from Ebay, real easy install.

For the fuel gauge, I'm assuming your tank is below the deck right? If so remove the access panel and check the sending unit contacts. They may be corroded or completely broken. If these are ok, you need to check your sending unit.

A real easy and effective way to test the function of the gauge/ sending unit is to touch together the pink (signal wire) to the black (ground wire) on the sending unit located on the tank, if the gauge moves it is an issue with the sending unit.

Sometimes the floats become logged and wont float anymore, and sometimes they just corrode through, which was the case with mine. Either way a replacement is cheap, I think I paid $27 for a universal from Autozone. you just need to know the depth, on my 26 gallon tank mine was a 7" arm.

Good luck, let me know how it turns out.
 
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Thehustler

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 2, 2013
Messages
36
Re: Gauges??!

So can u check the sending unit without removing the floor? Should it b under one of the 2 black round panels in the floor? And for the speed gauge would i have to replace the whole thing tube and all or just part? And where does the tube u r referring to run to?
 

haulnazz15

Captain
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
3,720
Re: Gauges??!

The pitot tube runs out of the transom (back wall) of the boat and into the water via a plastic fin attached to the back of the boat, typically white in color. The plastic fitting has a small hole in it which senses the water pressure increases as you increase in speed, the higher the pressure, the higher the speedometer needle raises. Sometimes the tube gets disconnected or the plastic pitot fin gets broken, but they are only a few bucks to fix.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: Gauges??!

If you look in the electrical forum in the stickies, there are details on troublshooting the fuel gauge. Could be nothing more than a loose wire.

Speedometer? What motor and/or outdrive if a sterndrive, and what boat and year? You may not have a pitot tube and it could be a number of things.
 

jayhanig

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
836
Re: Gauges??!

The pitot tube runs out of the transom (back wall) of the boat and into the water via a plastic fin attached to the back of the boat, typically white in color. The plastic fitting has a small hole in it which senses the water pressure increases as you increase in speed, the higher the pressure, the higher the speedometer needle raises. Sometimes the tube gets disconnected or the plastic pitot fin gets broken, but they are only a few bucks to fix.

Here's what you're looking for hanging off your transom along the lower edge. This one is less than $6 from iboats. They're not very big: maybe 4" long.

Pitot2.jpg
 

Thehustler

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 2, 2013
Messages
36
Re: Gauges??!

I have a 94 caravelle legend 2000 bow rider when I bought it the guy told me they didn't work I just thought I would try and fix them
 

Thehustler

Seaman Apprentice
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Jul 2, 2013
Messages
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Re: Gauges??!

There is not one of those on the back of boat. Would it b somewhere else
 

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haulnazz15

Captain
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Re: Gauges??!

There is not one of those on the back of boat. Would it b somewhere else

Assuming you don't have a GPS speedo, your pitot pickup is on the drive itself. If you look at your first pic, the pitot tube would be connected to a fitting that is on the plate with the two bolts in the left side of the picture. The actual "pickup" point where the water pressure is sensed is on the nose of the drive just above the "bullet". The hose is just a rubber vacuum line and connects to a barbed fitting, they tend to come loose a lot on that drive due to having to move with the drive trim.
 

Thehustler

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Jul 2, 2013
Messages
36
Re: Gauges??!

Not seeing what u r talking about the guy put a new motor in last year could it b possible he didn't put it bak on??
 

Thehustler

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Re: Gauges??!

Don't think it has one?
 

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haulnazz15

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Re: Gauges??!

In your first pictuure, right next to the sliver exhaust bellows clamp, there is a little rubber vacuum (pitot) tube. In the second picture, there is a small notch/hole about 4" up from the "bullet" on the nose of the outdrive. That hole is where the water pressure is sensed. Either your pitot tube has become disconnected from the barb in front of the shift shaft (part by the bellows), or the hole on the notch on the front of the drive is plugged up with sand/debris.
 

Thehustler

Seaman Apprentice
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Jul 2, 2013
Messages
36
Re: Gauges??!

Not sure where ur talking about the bellows at. Mine is a 4.3 vs. where does the exhaust come out at? Would the hose run through the boat to the
Speedometer or through the motor?
 

haulnazz15

Captain
Joined
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Messages
3,720
Re: Gauges??!

Not sure where ur talking about the bellows at. Mine is a 4.3 vs. where does the exhaust come out at? Would the hose run through the boat to the
Speedometer or through the motor?

That accordion-looking rubber tube in your first picture. The exhaust comes out through that tube. Laying right next to that big exhaust tube is a thin rubber line that runs up the housing and into the boat. It doesn't run "through" the engine, but it does run through the transom with all of the drive cables/etc. Just make sure that the end of the thin rubber line is attached to the barbed fitting on the drive.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Re: Gauges??!

You have an Alpha I Gen II outdrive. Here is how the speedometer tube and fitting go together.

speedometer connector.jpg

You get water through the pitot pickup hole shown below (a) in the picture.

drain holes.jpg
 

Thehustler

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 2, 2013
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Re: Gauges??!

Thanks I will let u no what I find out when I get home. Do I have any suggestions on fixing fuel gauge?
 

Don S

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