Fuel Gauge worked before winterized.. not any more

hmm same thing happened to me it was the wire going from the gauge to sending unit. Its red. Check the connection on the top of the sending, unit. Make sure it is clean. Also check the wires on the back of the gauge for corrosion test with a voltmeter.

If none of that works try pulling the sender out of tank and cleaning/checking.

yup its right on top in the middle of the tank. So if you take the back piece off the boat you will see it. Its a little round plate with several little bolts holding it on. There will be one pin style connector for the ground and a ring and threaded rod for the send. Try cleaning those up as well as the ones on the back of the gauge.

My wire had been soldered in the middle, not well, and it came off and thats what the problem was all along for me.

If the testing and cleaning points to the sender, there are a couple additional things I'd like to mention. Make sure the float still floats! The ethanol fuels are not kind to some of the floats. Next is your storing it over winter without a full tank.

woodlandsnautique wrote: I should of had half or maybe 1/4

Without a full tank, it leaves plenty of room for moisture. If it gets real humid in the tank, the variable resistor and the wiper connected to the float arm can get pretty corroded. Typicaly just moving the float/wiper back and forth will clean it up but I'd check it with an Ohm meter to be sure. Senders are not that expensive so if there is any doubt with the old, put in a new one.

woodlandsnautique wrote: yeah it was pretty empty, when i winterized, so you saying maybe the float might have something to do with me not putting alot of gas in it on the first run?

What I said about moisture and not the float: "Without a full tank, it leaves plenty of room for moisture. If it gets real humid in the tank, the variable resistor and the wiper connected to the float arm can get pretty corroded."

This corrosion can prevent current from flowing through the sender or add to the resistance to the point where the gauge will be pegged to the minimum. Have you done any troubleshooting yet?

8122pbrainard wrote: Remove the sender wire at the tank. Ground the wire to the tank. The gauge should peg to max. If it does, then pull the sender. If it doesn't, ground the sender wire to the engine block via a jumper. If the gauge pegs, then the tank isn't grounded to the engine. If it doesn't, check the continuity of the sender wire between the tank and the gauge. Clean all connections between the two. If the gauge still doesn't work when the sender wire is gounded, make sure you have 12 volts going to the gauge. (This can be done first too!)

Did you follow Pete's suggestions,ie removing the sender wire and grounding it etc ? Cleaning the connections is great but if thats all you did you didn't isolate the problem. Are you getting 12v to the gauge? is the wire from the gauge to the sender good? is the tank grounded? is the sender any good? If you replace the gauge and just one of the other things are bad you just bought a gauge for nothing.

woodlandsnautique wrote: I took a photo of what I was working on, on the sensor.. is this correct? http://www.flickr.com/photos/3somematch/7150839583/

Yes, that is the sending unit for the fuel gauge. Please as I and Gary have suggested, do the tests before becoming just a "parts changer".

For the convenience of all, here's a proper link

hey guys just wanted to say thanks for the information, I was able to take the sending unit cable off and ground it, gauge pegged, replaced sending unit and it works great! thanks again

Just curious, where are you seeing the two wire hookup? The water temp sender really just provides variable resistance to ground (the engine). The resistance varies by temp. So, I thought they were always one wire by design.

Some of the EFI applications have one sender for the computer and a 2nd sender for the gauge.

I beleive this is what you want:
http://www.nautiqueparts.com/watertemperaturesender-12inchnpt-pcm351fordexceptgt40whichusesr020002mountedonthecirculatingwaterpump.aspx

Sorry Chris, following too many threads and too little coffee. This?
http://www.nautiqueparts.com/fueltanksendingunitpre2000.aspx

I think one of the two wires might be the engine ground, and one the sending wire?

There has to be something that grounds the tank to the engine/battery, to make the tank itself grounded also. Then it works on similar principle to the temp sender, variable resistance to ground.

Good question about the ground though, Does the one wire unit ground through the mounting screws?