OK, folks need some help on a fuel guage hiccup. Setting: brought my '86 H31 around from Portsmouth, VA to Naval Station Norfolk today in what anyone else would have considered an idiotic move - but we had to move it - yard needs the slip Monday. Foggy, fine rain (called Breton Spit in north Europe, right in your face), winds 17 gusting to 25 (which felt like 40 when we hit the carrier piers out in Hampton Roads), seas rocking 3-4ft. We're going up, we're going down. Left the pier with the fuel gauge reading 1/2 a tank. Plenty of fuel for an Yanmar 2GM for about a 4-5 mile trip. As we get to the carrier piers, I look down and the fuel gauge is reading empty! (I know we have plenty of fuel but I'm thinking if this baby conks out in the channel we will be right up against the carrier security boom in heartbeat since we are close in to shore for a better ride. Security will have us, boat impounded, torn apart for evidence of explosives etc. - now I'm nervous.) We do the only thing we can - keep going, get into Willougby Bay and make it back to the Naval Station marina. Question is: what could have caused the fuel guage to tank like that. I am thinking the float got hung up in tank somehow during the rough ride or a connection came loose. If the former, how do you get access to it and fix on an H31? Can't go around on "empty" all the time. Appreciate any guidance
Fuel gauge hiccup
- Thread starter Ken6772
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wiring loose
maybe you should check to see if the wiring to the sending unit is still connected properly..... Bill Murray S/V Good Faith2 H410
maybe you should check to see if the wiring to the sending unit is still connected properly..... Bill Murray S/V Good Faith2 H410
I continue to suggest that
people ignore their fuel guages as depending on them may result in more problems than not. Instead, figure out the fuel consumption rate per hour for your engine (for various conditions), fill the tank, and keep track of engine hours. You'll never have to worry about running out of fuel again as long as you have a No. 2 pencil and pad of paper. Plus, you'll know exactly when you need to do routine maintenance, like changing filters, oil, belts, etc. To me, it's a win-win strategy.
people ignore their fuel guages as depending on them may result in more problems than not. Instead, figure out the fuel consumption rate per hour for your engine (for various conditions), fill the tank, and keep track of engine hours. You'll never have to worry about running out of fuel again as long as you have a No. 2 pencil and pad of paper. Plus, you'll know exactly when you need to do routine maintenance, like changing filters, oil, belts, etc. To me, it's a win-win strategy.
Gauge only rough estimate
Twice I've replaced my fuel gauge atop the tank. It seems to become stuck in one position or another so badly that it ceases to read anything close to what's actually in the tank. The last one I install is working, but only as a rough estimate. Despite measuring and cutting the tank float to ensure accuracy, I now know that a 3/4ths reading really means the tank is full. When it gets down to about a 1/4th reading I become a bit uncomfortable about how much is really in the tank. Usually, I do as another suggested here, and keep track of my engine running time. This is truly the best estimate. It's been my experience that my 2GM burns about 1/2 gal of fuel per hour. Scott Fraser s/v Rubicon Key West
Twice I've replaced my fuel gauge atop the tank. It seems to become stuck in one position or another so badly that it ceases to read anything close to what's actually in the tank. The last one I install is working, but only as a rough estimate. Despite measuring and cutting the tank float to ensure accuracy, I now know that a 3/4ths reading really means the tank is full. When it gets down to about a 1/4th reading I become a bit uncomfortable about how much is really in the tank. Usually, I do as another suggested here, and keep track of my engine running time. This is truly the best estimate. It's been my experience that my 2GM burns about 1/2 gal of fuel per hour. Scott Fraser s/v Rubicon Key West
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