Accuracy of Fuel Tank Level Gauge on Boston Whaler Boats

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Author Topic:   Accuracy of Fuel Tank Level Gauge on Boston Whaler Boats

masbama posted 06-05-2009 09:41 PM ET (US)
How can one tell when the fuel level gauge is not working correctly? Mine never reads below 3/4-full, even though I put 30 gallons in the other day in a 60-gallon tank. Short of buying a new gauge, is there a simple test one can do?
jimh posted 06-06-2009 12:05 AM ET (US)
In your narrative you added 30-gallons to a 60-gallon tank. This implies that at the time of filling the gauge should have read no higher than 1/2-FULL. Yet you report it read no lower than 3/4-FULL.
My experience is with the magnetically coupled in-deck fuel level gauge typically seen on Boston Whaler boats of 18-feet or larger. I could offer you some observations, however I don't know what sort of fuel gauge you are talking about. Please mention the model of Boston Whaler boat, the type of tank, and the type and location of the fuel gauge on your boat.
deepwater posted 06-06-2009 05:58 AM ET (US)
It sounds like you have the slide type fuel gauge ,,There is a float that slides on wires (welding rod size) up as you fill it and down as you have fun,,you may have some rust on one or both slide wires ,,some wet or dry sandpaper will fix it
dfmcintyre posted 06-07-2009 08:36 AM ET (US)
Have you run out of fuel, with the gauge still indicating fuel?
Don
masbama posted 06-07-2009 02:44 PM ET (US)
The boat is a 1999 18' Dauntless. When I bought it a couple of years ago it read 3/4 full. I ran it for a few hours then looked down and it read empty. Then I ran out of gas. The gauge seems to be a standard type that looks like the OMC gauges that the boat came with. It is also hard to fill because it tends to overflow very easliy(spurts out of the fill hole) so one is not sure if it is full or not.
sosmerc posted 06-10-2009 12:44 AM ET (US)
My observation is that mechanical boat fuel guages are all notoriously in-accurate. I highly recommend a FloScan for added confidence. Many of the new engines now offer some type of fuel consumption readouts...instant gph and fuel used. I hear they are pretty accurate as well, though I haven't yet read any tests comparing their readings to a FloScan running at the same time.
jimh posted 06-10-2009 01:18 AM ET (US)
I am still not clear about the type of gauge being discussed here. We need a clear statement about the fuel gauge so we can know what type it is. Once we know what type of gauge is being discussed, we can investigate its accuracy. Also tell us where the gauge is located.
jimh posted 06-10-2009 08:56 PM ET (US)
I don't know if any of the comments which follow are applicable to the fuel tank level indicator used on the boat of masbama. However, I think they may be of interest to others reading this thread.
In regard to the classic fuel tank level gauge seen in almost all Boston Whaler boats with internal fuel tanks, which consists of a mechanical float linked magnetically to a round dial indicator gauge which is mounted under a clear deck access plate: I have found the repeatability of these gauges to be excellent. The dial face markings of the gauge are not absolutely accurate. However, the tank level is consistently indicated. Once you become familiar with the actual tank level that corresponds to the indicated level, you can rely on the gauge indication as accurately showing the tank level.
The few times I have seen a discrepancy between the tank level and the indicated gauge level have been in unusual sea states where the fuel in the tank began sloshing. In those conditions I have observed the fuel tank level indicator to vary widely from the true level as the fuel sloshed back and forth in the tank. On very rare occasion I have seen the gauge temporarily loose connection and fall to the E mark, but again this occurred in a seaway with high sea state.
The fuel tank level indication also varies with the trim on the boat. If accuracy and repeatability are desired, the boat should be in a consistent trim. If the boat is being fueled while on the water, the dial indicators will reflect the change in boat trim as the weight of the fuel is added. It is not reasonable to expect the fuel tank level indicator to maintain the same readings as the trim on the boat changes, such as might occur if fueling the boat while it is on a trailer.

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Author	Topic: Accuracy of Fuel Tank Level Gauge on Boston Whaler Boats
masbama	posted 06-05-2009 09:41 PM ET (US) How can one tell when the fuel level gauge is not working correctly? Mine never reads below 3/4-full, even though I put 30 gallons in the other day in a 60-gallon tank. Short of buying a new gauge, is there a simple test one can do?
jimh	posted 06-06-2009 12:05 AM ET (US) In your narrative you added 30-gallons to a 60-gallon tank. This implies that at the time of filling the gauge should have read no higher than 1/2-FULL. Yet you report it read no lower than 3/4-FULL. My experience is with the magnetically coupled in-deck fuel level gauge typically seen on Boston Whaler boats of 18-feet or larger. I could offer you some observations, however I don't know what sort of fuel gauge you are talking about. Please mention the model of Boston Whaler boat, the type of tank, and the type and location of the fuel gauge on your boat.
deepwater	posted 06-06-2009 05:58 AM ET (US) It sounds like you have the slide type fuel gauge ,,There is a float that slides on wires (welding rod size) up as you fill it and down as you have fun,,you may have some rust on one or both slide wires ,,some wet or dry sandpaper will fix it
dfmcintyre	posted 06-07-2009 08:36 AM ET (US) Have you run out of fuel, with the gauge still indicating fuel? Don
masbama	posted 06-07-2009 02:44 PM ET (US) The boat is a 1999 18' Dauntless. When I bought it a couple of years ago it read 3/4 full. I ran it for a few hours then looked down and it read empty. Then I ran out of gas. The gauge seems to be a standard type that looks like the OMC gauges that the boat came with. It is also hard to fill because it tends to overflow very easliy(spurts out of the fill hole) so one is not sure if it is full or not.
sosmerc	posted 06-10-2009 12:44 AM ET (US) My observation is that mechanical boat fuel guages are all notoriously in-accurate. I highly recommend a FloScan for added confidence. Many of the new engines now offer some type of fuel consumption readouts...instant gph and fuel used. I hear they are pretty accurate as well, though I haven't yet read any tests comparing their readings to a FloScan running at the same time.
jimh	posted 06-10-2009 01:18 AM ET (US) I am still not clear about the type of gauge being discussed here. We need a clear statement about the fuel gauge so we can know what type it is. Once we know what type of gauge is being discussed, we can investigate its accuracy. Also tell us where the gauge is located.
jimh	posted 06-10-2009 08:56 PM ET (US) I don't know if any of the comments which follow are applicable to the fuel tank level indicator used on the boat of masbama. However, I think they may be of interest to others reading this thread. In regard to the classic fuel tank level gauge seen in almost all Boston Whaler boats with internal fuel tanks, which consists of a mechanical float linked magnetically to a round dial indicator gauge which is mounted under a clear deck access plate: I have found the repeatability of these gauges to be excellent. The dial face markings of the gauge are not absolutely accurate. However, the tank level is consistently indicated. Once you become familiar with the actual tank level that corresponds to the indicated level, you can rely on the gauge indication as accurately showing the tank level. The few times I have seen a discrepancy between the tank level and the indicated gauge level have been in unusual sea states where the fuel in the tank began sloshing. In those conditions I have observed the fuel tank level indicator to vary widely from the true level as the fuel sloshed back and forth in the tank. On very rare occasion I have seen the gauge temporarily loose connection and fall to the E mark, but again this occurred in a seaway with high sea state. The fuel tank level indication also varies with the trim on the boat. If accuracy and repeatability are desired, the boat should be in a consistent trim. If the boat is being fueled while on the water, the dial indicators will reflect the change in boat trim as the weight of the fuel is added. It is not reasonable to expect the fuel tank level indicator to maintain the same readings as the trim on the boat changes, such as might occur if fueling the boat while it is on a trailer.