www.iFourWinns.com

My fuel gage always reads full, which makes me happy but its not accurate. What would be the steps to diagnose this problem? Now, my tachometer and trim gage bounce all over the place too and the are on the same panel. Is it possible that when the yahoo's that fixed my horn (long story) got into the dash that something got screwed up? I am in need of some assistance here.

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"Where Da Go"
2002 248 Vista
Lafayette, IN
http://blueoceanlife.worldventures.biz

Could be a bad ground? I know when I pulled my gauges to install red LEDs I pinched the cable to the depth finder, and it hasn't worked right since. Maybe a wire got pulled or is touching something else?

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Woggy,

Does it bounce randomly or when you do something which pulls current, like push the horn or move your trim tabs?

I would definitely start at the grounds, I used to have all sorts of electrical issues especially with my radio and and that was relieved when I gave the grounds a good cleaning.

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

The tachometer and the trim gauge bounce at random. The fuel gage won't move. It used to move when the tank would be less than full but not bounce. I am assuming that the fuel gage is electric. Now the dingbats that fixed my horn screwed something else up too in the wireharness that connects the ignition switch. When they clipped the connectors back together, they pushed one of the wires out of the harness and everytime I shifted into reverse, the motor would cut out.

Is it possible to use a voltmeter or ampmeter on the fuel tank sensor to determine the issue or should just root around for a needle in a haystack to find a loose conection?

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"Where Da Go"
2002 248 Vista
Lafayette, IN
http://blueoceanlife.worldventures.biz

You need to get that shutoff on reverse issue addressed ASAP. I had a similiar issue where I lost my ability to shift into forward after pulling away from dock and it almost got ugly real fast for me.

If you think your horn is affecting your electrical system a simple test would be to disconnect the horn and switch and see if your problems go away.



Yes. You can check the resistance on your sender. I don't know the specific range for your sender but it should be somewhere between 40(full) and 250(empty).

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

I fixed the shutting off when shifting into reverse thing real quick. That was an easy fix as it was just loose wire connection. I am assuming that if they screwed that up, that there is a good possibility that they screwed something else up as well. I was just curious if all the guage systems issues had a common symptom that would fix it or is it merely a coincidence.

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"Where Da Go"
2002 248 Vista
Lafayette, IN
http://blueoceanlife.worldventures.biz

Bad or Dirty Ground

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

Sometimes a weak or or flaky alternator can affect the gages...especially the tach... It wouldn't necessarily show up in charging but is symptomatic of a regualtor problem...

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Optimus Prime
Now: 2007 Horizon 260, (2007/08 brochure boat)
Previous: 1995 Sea Ray Signature Select 220
Tow: '07 Avalanche LTZ
Seattle and Chelan, WA

The easiest way to troubleshoot a fuel guage or any other for that matter is to take the wire off the sending unit and briefly touch it to ground for a second. The guage should respond by either pinning to full or pinning to empty when the wire is touched to ground. Or in your case Woggy it may come off from full just by removeing the wire, in which case it would be the sending unit is bad. Which way the guage will move depends on the mfg of the guage. All guages work on resitance to ground, and the sending unit varies the resitance to ground and thus where the needle is on the guage.

Now being we are in a marine enviornment (vs automotive) there will be 2 wires on the sending unit, one from the guage and one ground. You could use a jumper and just touch the 2 together for a second and have a helper watch the guage..... This is a process of elimination, if by shorting to ground the guage pins one way or the other, we know the guage and the wire to the guage is goood, and the sending unit is bad, if the guage doent do anything, the problem lies in the guage or the wire to the guage. I would then on the back of the guage, remove the wire that goes to the sending unit, and run a "test" wire from the guage and short in to ground briefly. If the guage responds, the problem is the wire to the sending unit, if it doesnt its the guage.

having said all that, like others have said, if the gound is bad to the sending unit, the system will not work, so maybe the first test could be use a jumper wire and jump the ground from the sending unit to the battery ground to eliminate that right off the bat.

In the automotive/heavy truck, more likely than not its the sending unit, its moves around and gets sloshed around while being emersed in gasoline, but you never know, if someone has been poking around the wiring

Hope that makes sense...

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Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)