Boats For Sale:
Fuel Gauge Flutter |
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Tadpole 
Groupie 
Joined: September-26-2008 Location: Massachusetts Status: Offline Points: 51 |
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 Topic: Fuel Gauge FlutterPosted: June-13-2012 at 11:00am |
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My fuel gauge moves up and down even when on the trailer. I think it gives me an accurate read and then falls backs down. Does that sound like a bad ground or float? Thanks.
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1993 Ski Nautique
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Bri892001
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Joined: September-27-2008 Location: Boston MA Status: Offline Points: 4947 |
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Posted: June-13-2012 at 1:15pm |
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Not sure but let me know when you find out!
I have a similar issue, I'm starting to lean towards the gauge itself. I've done about all I can do as far as cleaning up wiring, and re-enforcing my grounds. This help with my horn, perfect pass, and other gauges, but my fuel gauge still continues to bug out. Any other electrical gremlins, or is this the only weird one? |
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Tadpole
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Joined: September-26-2008 Location: Massachusetts Status: Offline Points: 51 |
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Posted: June-13-2012 at 2:07pm |
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I also have perfect pass, but I don't know how to use it. I do not have any other electrical problems. If I don't solve the problems with my fuel gauge, I am thinking of replacing the stuff in the gas tank and see if that is the problem.
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1993 Ski Nautique
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8122pbrainard
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Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41045 |
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Posted: June-13-2012 at 2:10pm |
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Joe,
I'd say no on the float idea. If it was bad, you would get a bad reading all the time. Yes, it could be a ground problem but the ground for the gauge is the tank itself. Check it for contenuity to the engine block. The ground on the gauge is only for the lamp inside. Does your aft nav light work? It too gets its ground from the engine block and runs aft. It's typically the same ground wire. The other possible is corrosion on the variable resistor on the sender itself. If it does not turn out to be a tank ground problem, you're going to have to pull the sender. BTW, to check the gauge, pull the sender wire off the sender and jumper it to the engine block. The gauge should peg to max if good. |
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Bri892001
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Posted: June-13-2012 at 2:12pm |
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What model perfect pass? That might be a subject for a different post, to get more eyes on it that have PP. I can tell you what I know. I can give you a call at some point, if you send me a PM. Not the most intuitive thing, but is nice to have once you figure it out.
Clean all of your connections and stuff too. You could just have a bad connection at the tank, or near your gauge. |
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8122pbrainard
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Posted: June-13-2012 at 2:13pm |
Joe, Test before just throughing parts at a problem. 
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Bri892001
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Posted: July-01-2013 at 12:07am |
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Opening this one back up over a year later. Still having the fuel gauge flutter issue.
So, I broke the golden rule and threw a part at the problem towards the end of the last summer, a fuel gauge. It did actually improve my reading somewhat, because now, when the needle settles, it does settle on the correct fuel level. I went today at cleaning the connections on the tank end. In the below pic, when I touched the green/black splice, it broke off at the tab right in my hand. I was pretty psyched because I figured just putting some new connectors on would solve it. I got new connectors on, and no such luck. But, when I do take the pink sender wire, and ground it directly to the same ring that the black/green is on, it pegs to full and doesn't flutter at all, it stays solid. I'm thinking at this point the sender itself is the prime suspect? 
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backfoot100
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Joined: January-03-2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1897 |
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Posted: July-01-2013 at 1:06pm |
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I would think it is the sender Brian. If the gauge pegs high when the sender lead is touched to ground you know the wiring and gauge are good. The only thing left is the sender.
I might suggest that you check out wemausa.com and look at the SSS/SSL senders. Much more sturdy than the factory wiper arm type unit. A little more pricy but well worth it in my opinion. |
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When people run down to the lake to see what's making that noise, you've succeeded.
Eddie |
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GlassSeeker
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Joined: November-26-2008 Location: Elk Grove, CA. Status: Offline Points: 2421 |
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Posted: July-01-2013 at 2:00pm |
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I had a sender float become sort of neutral buoyant and would read all over the gauge as it moved around
the float was gas logged replaced and it worked thereafter. |
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This is the life
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Gary S
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Joined: November-30-2006 Location: Illinois Status: Offline Points: 14096 |
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Posted: July-01-2013 at 3:13pm |
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+1 one with Eddie and the fact you look due for a new gasket anyway.
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Bri892001
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Joined: September-27-2008 Location: Boston MA Status: Offline Points: 4947 |
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Posted: July-01-2013 at 3:52pm |
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I remembered Eddie had mentioned something about an improved sender, but I had forgotten which one it was. I kind of wanted to get it by this weekend so I ordered the OEM style last night. Hopefully it will be an improvement over what's in the boat now anyway.
It looks like you kind of just cut the "wiper-arm" part to fit? Of course, I may be able to use the old arm piece if that's in good shape. I'll report back with results. |
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Bri892001
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Joined: September-27-2008 Location: Boston MA Status: Offline Points: 4947 |
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Posted: August-07-2013 at 12:00am |
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I replaced the sender and that fixed it. The float was good but it flopped up and down with no mechanical resistance. Thinking that was a sign the electrical resister was gone as well. The new one moves with a little bit of friction.
The OEM style is pretty flimsy and you have to cut and bend the "wiper arm" wire. I felt like it could break if you weren't careful. I'd say the style Backfoot recommends would be better for sure. Although the flimsiness of the OEM style did allow me to maneuver it into the tank without moving the tank at all. |
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Tadpole wrote: