Stuck Gas Gauge

[bill durham]

I have a Scout 192 with a SX150 that I think was factory installed in 2000. Recently, I have suspected that my gas gauge was not reading correctly and Saturday afternoon...I ran out of gas! The gauge indicates about 1/2 a tank, which would be around 25 gallons.
Anyway, anybody had any experience like this? Its a center console boat that the tank is imbedded under the console.

thanks,
Bill

[Ken]

Bill,
There should be an access cover in the deck just over the fuel tank sender unit. Remove sender unit (no smoking and no sparks [img]tongue.gif[/img] !) and check to see if float/arm is moving thru full range.
You can turn the ignition on with the sender out of the tank and manually move the float thru the full range to see if the console gauge is reading correctly. Be sure and cover the sender hole in the tank to keep debris out and fumes in.
You may have a bad sender or a bad gauge.
Good luck [img]smile.gif[/img] ,
Ken K

[tripleb]

Hey bill durham,

There is a way to test the sender unit with an ohm meter ..... but for the life of me, I can't remember the procedure :-(

Maybe, the tech. from Boats.net will chime in and give you instructions.

If the sender happens to be bad, do yourself a favor and get a "good" replacement ..... typically, the senders have a float arm connected to a pivot point. Kinda like the old style floats found in a toilet. Try to avoid that type of sender. Get one that has a float that runs up and down on a vertical shaft. There is no adjustment needed on this type of sending unit. All you got to do is measure the depth of your tank and buy a corresponding length unit.

Good luck

[Hamfisted]

Bill it's probably the sender in the tank that's bad anyway. If you short the two wires at the sender (turn the ignition key to the ON position...) and your gas gauge goes to FULL then the problem is the sender not the gauge. I recommend the Centroid electronic senders because they're completely calibratable. But the slider type mentioned above will also work fine.


Mike....... Miami, FL

[jb123]

after all these years i havent found a gas gauge that will last over a year, if that, but if it is stuck at half...i would suggest the arm got stuck on the pickup tube.

[tripleb]

Hey jb123,

WOW ..... what in the world are you doing to your gas gauges? I have had my current boat since 1989, the original gas gauge started giving me trouble in 2004 ..... replaced the gauge and sending unit this year.

[Ken]

tripleb,
OK, trip, what kind of gauge and sender did you have that lasted for so long? Must be good quality.
Ken K [img]smile.gif[/img]

[tripleb]

Hey Ken,

I actually don't know the brand ..... it was OEM, probably Tempo.

[boats.net]

Fuel gauge problems is the top complaint I get on the boats we sell. I wish I had a nickel for every fuel sender I have replaced in the last 30 years.Hamfisted test is what we use to check sender and gauge, grounding pink sender wire should make gauge read full, if it doesn't check ground wire, run a jumper wire to neg. battery post, if reads full with jumper then you have bad ground. Check the pink sender wire by running a jumper from sender to gauge or just ground pink wire at gauge if gauge works then it must be a bad wire going to sender. Remember most of these tanks are under the deck and subject to water and the wires will corrode, water in fuel tank will cause the sender (which is a rheostat) to corrode (that’s why the electronic fuel senders are a little better).

[bill durham]

First thanks for all of your suggestions. I disconnected the pink wire from the gauge and it read emtpy, so I'm thinking that is the reverse of grounding it to read full and the gauge is OK. So, its obviously the send unit...which unfortately is about a 6 inches from the opening under the deck of my boat. The tank is made by Ezell custom for Scout...you would have thought that they would put the sending unit in a place where it could be gotten to easily but...NOOOOOOOOOO! Anyway, there is about an inch of clearance between the top of the sender and the deck of my boat, and its just about at the end of my arms reach just to touch it. Its another one for the midget contortionists I'm afraid.

BD

[Ken]

BD,
I "feel your pain" - I read about this a lot on other forums where it's almost impossible to get to the sender unit .
Since there is only an inch clearance, you might consider cutting a hole directly above the sender and installing a flush access cover - which is exactly what the boat mfg. should have done in the first place.
Good luck [img]smile.gif[/img] ,
Ken K

[tripleb]

Hey bill durham,

Oh man, that's a real bummer. It would take a Hindu Mystic to remove the sending unit. If there is only one inch clearance, I cannot imagine how anyone could remove it.

Take Ken's advice and cut an access hole above the sending unit ..... if possible.

Good luck.

[jb123]

yea, have to replace with a rectangle as double pies will look funky.

[Ken]

jb,
Would you please explain what the heck you are talking about - "rectangle and double pies" [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img] .
I believe you are refering to the access covers, right?
Wouldn't a single round (pie) shaped cover do the trick?
Ken K [img]smile.gif[/img]

[jb123]

yea a rectangle pie cover/access,because he said the access needed to be 6" away, then you would probably have to put another next to the access he has now.I have 2 12" round in my motor bracket,that might cover what he needs but those are a harder find.unless of course its under the console or unexposed where "looks" dont matter too much.Personally id rather have 1 large than 2 smaller next to eachother.