Both fuel gauges 'stuck' on full

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wburch1

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Both fuel gauges \'stuck\' on full

help please.
She's a Sealine Staesman 305 1987.
on start up her both of her fuel gauges go to full and stay there!
We regularly fill the tanks,last time putting appx 75 ltrs diesal
in each.
so would have thought her gauges should have shown 'some'
movement.
SWMBO keeps asking why they are stuck?
Senders i say.(Only because i'm a regular reader of this forum.)
Could somebody please post a pic of a 'sender'.
Can anybody tell me where they are usually found on the
fuel tank.
What do i do about them? i.e., Essex screwdriver-whack
it with a bloody great 'ammer or take it off clean &replace etc?
reach for the wallet buy new ones?
all advice /help gratefully appreciated as always.
thankyou.the best non-engineer in the world!
 
Re: Both fuel gauges \'stuck\' on full

If it's both of them its probably nothing to do with the senders. It's probably an electrical short circuit or bad connection. It is most likely that you have a positive wire to each sender and a common negative to ground. It's probably the negative not making contact. Try cleaning connections. If that does not work take a seperate wire from negative to ground. If this solves the problem trace the original wire to each connection, especially any plug and socket connectors along the way.
 
Re: Both fuel gauges \'stuck\' on full

I don't know about Sealine or what transpnders they use but as the fault is common to both tanks it's more likely to be a wiring fault or a system fault. The old type which were basically rheostadts can show this if there's a short circuit, Some modern engine management systems default to "full" on energising the system and might stay there if there's a break in the wiring.
 
Re: Both fuel gauges \'stuck\' on full

Depends what make/type your gauges are, but on a friends boat with a VDO gauge and sender the sender "coil" had gone open circuit and the gauge was showing permanently full. I tested the gauge by using a variable resistor in place of the sender and proved the gauge itself to be OK. In this case I managed to repair the "coil" with some deft soldering!!
The gauge will PROBABLY be on the top of the fuel tank and will be a round(ish) 'plate' with three (likely) connectors on the top with some wires coming off it....... however, I am not familiar with your make of boat and am talking generically.


What make is your gauge? that should be easy to see on the front of it?


However, it is strange that both gauges/senders should fail at the same time; perhaps you are missing 12 volts or an earth somewhere??

Alan.
 
Re: Both fuel gauges \'stuck\' on full

Are Sealine still in business and can they help?

On our VDO/Vetus system If I reverse the connections at the sender the guages do exaclty as yours are.

Have they ever worked 'properly'

Vetus have a nifty online digital catalogue goto to page 73 to see description of the guages and tank sender units.

Cheers, CRB
 
Re: Both fuel gauges \'stuck\' on full

Guages on full all the time sounds fantastic to me, never have to fil up again!!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Re: Both fuel gauges \'stuck\' on full

Bill,
I was just following this thread and noticed an error in my earlier reply !!!! What I meant to say was that the "sender" should be on the top of the fuel tank ......

Sorry,

Alan.
 
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