Fuel gauge caput?

[Bay Retriever]

The fuel gauge on my 2004 Mainship 400 is stuck in the full position. It actually caused us to run out of fuel, but we were near shore and survived.
This was my first time out since May of 2022 when it was reading a bit better(Stayed at full til 1/2 empty, then gradually went down from there).

The boat is now being repaired and getting ready for a fresh paint job. I’d like to get some input on the repair/replace choices and thought this would be a good topic for the Mainship brain trust.

OK Maties, what say you?

T MACDONNELL
Bay Retriever
2004 Mainship 400

 

[SIBERNUT]

Sounds like the sender is getting stuck (vs the gauge). I put a couple senders in another boat i had & was pleased. They are the vertical float vs the "arm float". Ill dig up the name.

 

[SIBERNUT]

I think they were WEMA senders ?

 

[Comodave]

Check the electrical connections for corrosion or open.

 

[TowLou]

Pull the senders first and check at the guages if resistance changes with the key on while manually moving the float. Thats if the float is not stuck to begin with. Give you a idea if the guage or sender.

 

[Cold Duck]

If it is the sender unit, which most likely it is, West Marine has an adjustable generic sender unit that you can replace the one in the tank. I did it, works fine. Not sure of your configuration, on my MS350 a single meter on bridge switches between two tanks so it was easy to test that the gauge worked with one tank and was either wiring or sender unit. Easy to test by taking wire off the sender, grounding should read full scale, open should read zero. If taking wire off and gauge still reads full, most probably your wire is shorted out to ground somewhere.

 

[OldDan1943]

Check the ground wire at the sender unit and the gauge.

 

[ranger58sb]

KUS (was WEMA). Order the length you need. Order the resistance type your gauge (display) wants (240-33 Ohms, 180-10 Ohms, etc.).

-Chris

 

[rslifkin]

KUS (was WEMA). Order the length you need. Order the resistance type your gauge (display) wants (240-33 Ohms, 180-10 Ohms, etc.).

-Chris

Seconded. They're good senders. I've got a pair in my fuel tanks and 1 in the water tank, all have been great.