Gas Gauge Issue

[FishinDubs]

We are leaving for Rainy in a couple of weeks and I am having issues with my gas gauge. I replaced the gauge to no avail so I am thinking maybe it is the sending unit. Otherwise it really only leaves wiring as a potential problem. How can I test the sending unit? I was getting some voltage out of the post on the unit so I assumed it was okay. Can I run 2 wires from the sending unit to the gauge and test it that way? Any help is appreciated.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Truck or boat?

[FishinDubs]

Sorry, it's on the boat. It is a built in tank and fairly easibly accessable.

[boatfixer]

Take a jumper wire and connect one end to the sending unit terminal on the tank and touch the other end to ground. If the needle on the gauge pegs over the problem is the sender.

[FishinDubs]

Boatfixer, are you saying use one jumper wire, leave the others intact and simply ground the termial post? Secondly are the sending units fairly easy to acquire? We have a number of marine resellers around here and I really want to make sure it gets fixed before we are a long way from camp with no gauge. Thanks for the reply, it is appreciated.

[marine_man]

Check this thread out:

Fuel Gauge Troubleshooting for more troubleshooting info.

Second off, yes, just ground the terminal post. Sending units are pretty straight forward, but before I picked one up I'd want to know that I had the right depth sender, which requires pulling your old one out. I'd trouble shoot it and fix it now.

marine_man

[FishinDubs]

Marine Man, thanks for the response. As I recall I did this very test last year and it pegged the gauge. I can get to the sending unit fairly easily so I think I will just pull it out this weekend. Are there some standard units that most marine stores will carry or be able to order?

[marine_man]

Yes, you shouldn't have too many problems getting a sending unit. Worst case scenario is you'll have to make your own float arm, which would be the exact same as the one you have - you just bend it in the correct locations.

marine_man

[boatfixer]

Most come with adjustable arms. Just follow the directions and it's pretty straight forward.

[FishinDubs]

Thanks to all who responded. I am hoping to take a run at it this weekend and I will let you know how it goes.

[FishinDubs]

Well I got some time today to pick up a new universal sending unit and install it. It took a bit longer than anticipated but I think it worked. Actually I know it worked, I just don't know how accurate it will be. I could only find one for a 12"-24" deep tank and this one was something like 6"-8" deep. Just like Marine Man suspected I had to basically make the float arm resemble the old one. So we field modified it.

We started with an unknow amount of gas and that didn't help. Once we filled the tank and made a number of adjustments we were able to get it to read exactly full. Now only if it is accurate when it is empty.

Thanks to all that offered insight and assistance, it is appreciated.