FUEL GAUGE

Drew,
You can replace the or try to fix it. My only experience with this sort of problem was with my Kawasaki. The way most fuel gauges work is by way of a small coil of wire and contact that slides along the coil. As the gauge ages the this coil and contact bend apart due to the movement of the fuel. If you feel like trying, open the housing at the top of fuel gauge where float arm enters. It will either will have fasteners or bent metal tabs. After the the cover is removed you will see the small coil and sliding contact. By bending either the contact or the coil you will be able to keep them both touching thru the float swing up - down and the float movement side to side .replace cover. Test with light finger pressure in different directions. If you have a multi meter use it to check for continuity. After testing OK replace the cover. and reinstall gauge in fuel tank. This should end the the craze readings you have getting from the fuel gauge.

Dear Drew:
If you're getting any reading at all, your wiring is fine. The problem is either the fuel sender or the gauge. Both are easily replaceable (providing you have access to them) and either unit should cost in the $10.00 to $30.00 area. The sender is afloat device that drives a variable resistor in the 240-35 ohm range, at least that's the way most of the popular brands work.(Oil pressure gauges work the same way as the fuel gauges and if you have one, try switching the sender leads and see if you get a full linear reading on your oil pressure gauge. If you do, the culprit is the sender.) Gas and Diesel are the same. A nother possibility is a sticky float. I would start the elimination process as above, first. Second I would check the resistance of the float sender. Do this with an ohm meter at the gauge. Disconnect the sender and read the resistance between the power and the sender. In order to activate the sender, remove it from the tank and have someone work it up and down while you read the resistance. Should be between 240 and 35. Replace the defective piece. Neither are worth repairing. Most fuel gauges should retrofit into your boat, even from power boats. We used to have a bunch of surplus gauges and cleared them out at $10.00. The senders are a little trickier because they come in different lengths or if they are universal, they need to be adjusted for the depth of your tank. When you remove the sender, try not to bend anything and that way you can use it as a template for adjusting your new sender. Before you go shopping, measure the depth of your tank. You will need this information to get a new one that will fit. Most of these devices are made to NMMA rules and the flange should have an asymmetrical screw pattern so the new one should fit the same way. Just be careful that the float points the same way, otherwise it could jam against the side or against a baffle inside the tank. A new gasket would be an excellent investment at this point, usually under $1.00. After the sender is removed and replaced, double check for leaks and fumes. If you do not feel comfortable working safely with fuel tanks, then get professional help, otherwise it's an easy fix. The hard part is figuring out which end is letting you down. Some of the better brands are Teleflex, Medallion and Faria. These manufacturers make gauges and senders. The gauges all fit the same hole size and are connected with three wires - ground, sender, power. Senders are all a little different but work the same way. The better ones use a ceramic coil, but if one is not availabe the others work well. Stay away from the hi-teck capacitance senders and 86 the dip stick idea. Hope this is helpful. NOTE: I'm an employee of Aurora Marine Industries. We manufacture boat care products, not fuel sending devices. Hope no one gets P____ with the information. It's not intended as a commercial message. Richard