Mainship 400 Fuel Gauges

[Cdumont]

We recently purchased a 2007 Mainship 400. On our inaugural cruise, we noticed a discrepancy between the fuel gauges on the lower and upper helm stations.
There is a "sender" (level detector) on each fuel tank. We cannot find a switch to select which tank to look at, so we're guessing that one sender is connected to the lower helm station and the other to the fly bridge station.

Further, the fuel tanks do not seem to equalize very quickly. Fuel is drawn off both tanks, but the engine fuel return is piped to the port tank. (single Yanmar) Even though there is an additional fuel line connected to the bottom of each tank, they didn't appear to equalize for us.

Anyone else experience this? Thanks for any advice.

 

[saltypeanut]

Mainship 400 fuel system

Greetings - I also own a 2007 Mainship 400 and my experience with the fuel system is EXACTLY as you describe it. It never occurred to me that one sender goes to flybridge and one to lower helm....I will try to confirm that?! Did you get any questions answered? Thanks, Doug

 

[Dougcole]

The port side sender is not connected to anything on the MS 400, or at least not on any that I have heard of. Both gauges read off of the stb side sender and the switch at the lower helm controls whether it reads at upper or lower station.


If your boat is a 2007 and has the original fuel sender it is likely inoperable. You can replace it but cutting an access plate in the floor under the galley drawers.



If the two gauges are reading differently you most likely have a gauge issue. Check the connections on the back of the gauges, make sure the ring terminals are wired directly to the back of the gauges, not sandwiched between two nuts on the outside of the gauge mounting bracket.