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| Fuel gauge sender wildly innacurate https://www.smwebhead.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15066 |
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| Author: | wakevortex [ Wed Jul 27, 2016 3:27 am ] |
| Post subject: | Fuel gauge sender wildly innacurate |
Hi all My sender is hooked up to the analog dash gauge and also my Garmin gfs10 fuel flow meter ,then to the Garmin display Both agree on the readings , but they seem to have no logic. For example..filled up the other day while showing 38%. both read 100% after filling. ..all good Did just over 60 miles...STILL read 100% (both measured when at a stop) Came back to boat, now reading 58% ..more like it ! When moving it jumps wildly up (I guess due simply to gravity) but not having accurate measurements at rest worries me.. Is there a more modern/better sender that I can install that will give accurate readings both at rest and potentially while moving? Thanks |
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| Author: | Vintage Beauty [ Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:18 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Fuel gauge sender wildly innacurate |
My understanding is the reed switch senders (Wema is supposed to make good ones) are more accurate that regular float senders. That said, yours may just be getting stuck and need replacing. No matter what you do, you still have a floating mechanism that is measuring the level of liquid fuel in a tank on a boat that is floating in more liquid. You're going to have some movement in your gauge. Replacing the sender itself is a fairly easy affair. I had to replace mine early this season due to a leaky gasket / screws. If you decide to replace and tackle the job yourself, the biggest thing to remember is the risk from fuel and fuel vapor! Personally I disconnected my batteries. Used absolutely no power tools. Made sure there was nothing that could spark, etc. If you want a more accurate means of measuring fuel burn and being able to calculate what is left, FloScan makes a fuel monitor that accurately tracks consumption. That option is a bit too pricey for me, but may be something for you to look at. |
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| Author: | wakevortex [ Wed Jul 27, 2016 12:24 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Fuel gauge sender wildly innacurate |
Thanks Andrew..all good advice, particularly the electrical disconnects when replacing! Will have a look at what you suggested..I get great fuel flow measurements from the Garmin GFS10 but it uses the fuel,sender for its tank level measurement Will have a look at mine as soon as possible..I realise I won't get an accurate level when running, but would be nice to have it when not ! Thanks |
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| Author: | rpengr [ Wed Jul 27, 2016 2:52 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Fuel gauge sender wildly innacurate |
I think it is questionable to connect two gauges to one sending unit...unless the garmin unit is made specifically for this purpose. The mechanical gauge provides a small source of voltage and current to the sending unit to measure it's resistance. If the garmin is doing the same thing, you now have two sources of voltage and current, which would not be desirable in parallel or in series. To make it more complicated, the gauge is analog, while the garmin is likely to be digital. I would try the Garmin by itself to see what readings you get. More importantly, I would check the documentation on the Garmin to see if it can be hooked up to the same sending unit as an analog gage, and if it hooks in parallel or series. |
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| Author: | wakevortex [ Wed Jul 27, 2016 4:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Fuel gauge sender wildly innacurate |
It does indeed ask to be connected to the sensor or gauge "Unlike other fuel flow sensors, the GFS 10 will include fuel level sensing capability when connected to an existing analog fuel gauge or resistive fuel tank sensor. Maximum fuel flow rate for the GFS 10 is 50 gal/hr (189.27 L/hr), and the minimum flow rate is 2 gal/hr (7.57 L/hr)." So I think I'm connected correctly..... |
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| Author: | wakevortex [ Thu Jul 28, 2016 3:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Fuel gauge sender wildly innacurate |
Andrew when you replaced yours, is it the standard 5 hole SAE pattern I am looking for? The wema senders look interesting. Though I have no idea about what size to order http://www.wemausa.com/sensors/level-Fu ... 5nAsJBHmh8 |
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| Author: | Vintage Beauty [ Thu Jul 28, 2016 6:15 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Fuel gauge sender wildly innacurate |
wakevortex wrote: Andrew when you replaced yours, is it the standard 5 hole SAE pattern I am looking for? The wema senders look interesting. Though I have no idea about what size to order http://www.wemausa.com/sensors/level-Fu ... 5nAsJBHmh8 I did need the 5 hole SAE pattern (Which by the way only fits one way). If you are replacing, you should find your existing sender to verify. In order to know the correct depth, you may need to measure your tank. When I ordered I checked my tank depth ahead of time. |
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| Author: | wakevortex [ Thu Jul 28, 2016 8:48 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Fuel gauge sender wildly innacurate |
Thanks Andrew ..much appreciated ! |
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