| Author |
 Topic  |
|
trevork
3949 Posts |
 Posted - 22 May 2011 : 11:19:11
|
Called at Brooms yesterday for both fuel and a suck out. The gauge was reading just over half full and the tank holds 40 gallons. So I asked the fella to fill it up but stop at £100. Surprise surprise! Diesel guffing out everywhere when it got to the grand total of £27! Oddly enough, the gauge now reads slightly lower than it did before we started!
My thoughts are that its likely to be the sender rather than the dial. Any comments or test suggestions please? |
|
|
df
United Kingdom
5994 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2011 : 13:22:32
|
Does the sender match the gauge? there is usually a uk and a usa resistance choice on new gauges and I think they work oppsite way round as well as different resistance range, check what resistance the sender gives at empty and full, I think asap catalogue gives the two ranges in it's gauge section.
NBAS--The communal colostomy bag of the boating community.
Visit leomagill.co.uk |
 |
|
|
Jimbo
United Kingdom
585 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2011 : 19:28:14
|
| Hi Trevor, Like the new boat. Fuel tank senders can be bought from Europa at 01283 815609 and the unit is made by Isspro R8925; the c ost being about £40. The unit has a fully adjustable float which you adjust to suit the depth of your fuel tank. Full instructions are give. However as previously mentionrd you need to know the resistance of your fuel gauge before you order. Hope this helps. |
|
|
|
Moody Cow
United Kingdom
28 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2011 : 19:05:29
|
Hi Trevor, if your fuel gauge works in the conventional way as in wire from the gauge to sender then to earth, then disconnect sender wire at sender and put to earth if gauge shows full problem is with sender, if not then with gauge or wiring to or from it.
If its a conventional set up any added resistance to the circuit will have an adverse effect on the reading.
If you want to replace the whole system have a look at
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220752329641&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
|
|
|
|
Boatmad
United Kingdom
1092 Posts |
Posted - 24 May 2011 : 17:43:37
|
Hi Trevor thought for a minute there you were going to say the marina sucked your fuel tank dry in error.
Peter.
pagreenwell |
|
|
|
trevork
3949 Posts |
Posted - 26 May 2011 : 17:57:16
|
| The sender seems to be mounted about 2/3 of the way up the tank with a live and neg. Which do I try and earth to test the gauge or does it not matter which? |
|
|
|
stratford4528
United Kingdom
414 Posts |
Posted - 26 May 2011 : 18:15:45
|
| On the old type vehicle gauges the tank would be earthed and the wire going to the sender would be connected to the gauge and the live goes to the other terminal on the gauge so when you put the wire on the sender direct to earth the gauge would go straight to full |
|
|
|
Moody Cow
United Kingdom
28 Posts |
Posted - 26 May 2011 : 18:51:54
|
| Hi Trevor, check the wires to see if the earth does go straight to the earth circuit use a multimeter on ohms, if it does great, earth the other wire to the sender and the gauge should go to full. If you have resistance on the earth it will have a direct effect on the circuit. If all this is ok, check the feed wire for volts if its less than the supply volts then you will need to investigate the supply to the gauge and the gauge itself. |
|
|
|
trevork
3949 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2011 : 12:45:38
|
| Not really had a chance to investigate as thotoughly as the suggestions yet! Too many distractions. However, it seems that as the fuel tank empties the fuel gauge goes up! When the tank is full it reads half full then read just over three quarters full when half empty! Does this sort of symptom narrow down the offending artical at all? |
|
|
|
df
United Kingdom
5994 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2011 : 15:16:01
|
Sounds very much like a gauge/sender mis-match.
NBAS--The communal colostomy bag of the boating community.
Visit leomagill.co.uk |
|
|
|
trevork
3949 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2011 : 18:10:35
|
| When you say mismatch Dave, is it the system of reading or a mechanical mismatch? Then which of the two items should I try to match? |
|
|
|
df
United Kingdom
5994 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2011 : 18:55:56
|
What make gauges do you have? It may be worth taking both gauge and sender to somewhere like asap to see which bit is cheapest to replace.
Is it a dip type sender with a magnetic float around a centre rod or old fashioned float arm type?
I think the european and american ranges work the opposite way round in different ranges so that would explain the problem.
I have an old 2" VDO fuel gauge here if you want to try it, I have no idea what the resistance range is but it has the numbers 306.271/1/1 12V 3.77 stamped on the side and 472/3.77 inked on the base if you can find anything from that.
NBAS--The communal colostomy bag of the boating community.
Visit leomagill.co.uk |
|
|
|
Moody Cow
United Kingdom
28 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2011 : 20:57:52
|
Hi Trevor
I presume that all is original and nothings been changed?
You say the sender is 2/3 the way up the tank so I take it its a float on a swing arm, is it something daft like the sender is in upside down this would give you the symptoms that you describe. |
|
|
|
cliveshep
Thailand
1324 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2011 : 06:48:36
|
I'd tend to agree with Dave, perhaps someone has changed the gauge on the dash which consequently reads the wrong way round or else simply perhaps got the wires switched around?
Too early in the morning - I'm not awake yet. Try switching the wires at the gauge around. Or perhaps the sender unit.
The cost of boating is insignificant compared to costs of a young wife and two teenage kids! |
|
|
|
Jimbo
United Kingdom
585 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jun 2011 : 18:11:30
|
Has anybody, apart from me bought the fuel sender and fuel gauge from ebay, using the link that Moody Cow gave in his recent posting?
Reason for asking is that the instructions that came with it did not show the wiring from the fuel sender to the gauge. There is an oil pressure switch shown in the wiring diagram but this does not tell you where the sender is wired to or even what it is doing in the circuit. Unfortunately the supplier is on answer phone, so I have emailed both him and the manufacturers in India for help. Any ideas please? |
|
|
|
Moody Cow
United Kingdom
28 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jun 2011 : 18:16:59
|
what connections do you have on the sender and the gauge?
|
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Fuel gauge
