Fuel Gauge for dummies

Yes, 'Volt Ohm Meter' also referred to as a Multi Meter. Get a basic digital one, usually costs about $15. They are very useful.

turningpoint84 wrote: The fuel gauge won't read though, so i'm going to just run an entirely new sender wire.

TP,
Before you go running a new sender wire, how about doing some testing? There are too many "parts changers" out there. Ohm out the sender as well as the sender wire. I see you replaced the fuel tank. Did you check the sender with the VOM? Have you grounded the sender wire at the tank to see if the gauge pegs?

TP,
The ground connection on the gauge itself is only for the illumination. Typically on the Teleflex plastic case, this will be a copper foil strip going to the gauge bracket.

8122pbrainard wrote: TP, Get the VOM out and confirm the ground. Yes, some off color wires have been found but you will not be able to confirm the ground unless you do some testing.

My dumbass left my VOM in cincinnati, I might ask my friend if i can borrow his.

I actually realized I made a mistake, these Damn 1st gen teleflex guages for these mustangs are horribly marked, they're just stamped randomly.

So i followed the wires to the engine block. It looks like the red wire is the ignition wire, the white wire is to the engine block, well not quite the engine block, but it's attached to a metal bracket, then the metal bracket is attached to the start mount, which is solid metal. thne this is attached to the motor block, so there is nothing insulating the wire to the engine block. So I assume it's safe to assume this is the ground?

There is also a pretty thick black wire, but it looks to be going to a wired panel back by the engine block.

I'll take some pictures, but Peter you're correct a VOM is much needed!!

Bri, I think I have the gas tank end all figured out, i wired in a new 14ga wire to the engine block for the ground, then there was an unused yellow 18ga wire that i used as the sender to the dash. There actually still another unused wire chilling in the back of the boat that's white. I'm thinking that might be another ground. I noticed they wired all the grounds in white, which is really strange to me, i figured those to be black.

TP,
Get the VOM out and confirm the ground. Yes, some off color wires have been found but you will not be able to confirm the ground unless you do some testing.

OK, I'll buy that.

In my day, E represented voltage and there was no Hertz except for the car rental guy. Oscillation rate was in "cycles per second." Vacuum tubes did all the heavy lifting, and you had to wait a couple of minutes for the radio to "warm up." Young whippersnappers!!!!!
Art

I can say categorically that ALL CC boats since approximately 1967 have come from the factory with a fuel gauge and the necessary wiring. The marine tank senders were 240 ohm at the full-of-fuel position until we went to all this digital mumbo-jumbo, which I know nothing about. Bits and bytes scare me to death, but DC circuits all obey E = IR.
Art

Ok, so i'm heading up to the lake 6 days from now, so I'm quickly gathering all the stuff I need.

Peter I'm here to rack your brain again on this, or gary or bri or whoever, I never got this fuel gauge installed.

I'm at a loss on a couple things that I don't think are hard just someone with past experience I'm sure can easily answer.

Not to go to far off subject, but i need 3 things.

1. Wire that is boat safe? USCG APPROVED???
2. Water proof heat shrink connecters Peter mentioned, i just want to make sure I get the right stuff.
3. Boat safe Fuel line?

Brian is correct, to some extent. I've seen stereo wires run on boats without one. I also remember a thread on PN from way back about it too.

turningpoint84 wrote: ... My boat never had a fuel gauge, I'm adding one, but i figured maybe they just ran the extra wire, IE they didn't custom wire each boat, they just had a factory wiring done, and if the wire wasn't used it was just a dead one. Why else do i have an extra wire sitting around not being used? All i was asking was when they wired these boats did they wire the boat to have all wires in case the customer ordered every option, and if they didn't the extra wire wasn't used or did they custom wire the boat to how the customer ordered it?

I saw this one, and decided to leave it alone. Because, I don't actually know for a fact how boats of your era where factory wired.

However, I'd say your theory is highly probable. This happens all the time on the automotive side. I've been poking around researching adding fog lights and trailer hitch wiring to various different trucks I'm shopping.

I'm finding quite often that for fog lights, the kits are literally just the lights and the switch, all the wiring is there even for trucks that didn't come with them. It looks like Nissan Frontiers and XTerras have wiring for the hitch in every truck, but just leave out the last 2 feet or so, in non-hitch trucks, so you just buy this mini harness for the trailer plug.

I know that my boat has some accessory switches, and the start of wiring runs, for dash accessories that were never installed.

turningpoint84 wrote: SO a fuel gauge wire was a factory install? Just not the fuel gauge

Peter,
I would have to say that when the factory installs a gauge, they would wire it as well. Without the wiring, I really don't feel the gauge would work.

Gary S wrote: I was going to help you out on this Peter so I went out and looked at my boat.It is all in pieces again so it's easy to look,but now I'm confused. There are 3 wires going to the back tank area,a ground,stern light and fuel gauge. The problem is on those models the blower was mounted to the port side next to the gas tank so I should have 4 wires. I suspect that I pulled it out years ago but cannot remember. You might already have a wire going to the back.

SO a fuel gauge wire was a factory install? Just not the fuel gauge?

It would make a lot of sense, the wire is a yellowish brown one for me, that's blank.

My blower I'm moving so it's under the tank next to the rudder box. The newer plastic tank has a little more clearance.

Also this will allow the blower to actually clear the fumes from the engine compartment!

I was going to help you out on this Peter so I went out and looked at my boat.It is all in pieces again so it's easy to look,but now I'm confused. There are 3 wires going to the back tank area,a ground,stern light and fuel gauge. The problem is on those models the blower was mounted to the port side next to the gas tank so I should have 4 wires. I suspect that I pulled it out years ago but cannot remember. You might already have a wire going to the back.

turningpoint84 wrote: on the butt splices,

I highly advise not using the cheap "hardware store" version of crimp connectors. The marine envirorment is pretty harsh and in the long run you will have problems.

I aslo certainly hope you are using marine grade wire. Each strand is tin plated to prevent the copper from corroding.

I'll look closely, can be that hard, and on the butt splices, i was going to just hook up directly to where the light is wire is connected. What gauge are you using? looks like at least 14.

NM I read your thread, 10ga....seems kind of hi?

Also bri thanks for the patience, i wont be tackling this until July, just want to make sure i have it correct!