Fuel Gauges

[Seefood Man]

Well now that I don’t have any faith in a fuel gauge in any boat. I was wondering if anyone uses fuel usage monitors. West Marine has several that goes in-line with the fuel line. It monitors the actual gallons used, and is not affected by the angle of the boat like a standard fuel gauge. Running out of fuel on a large lake can stink, but running out on a river can be down right dangerous. How do you “OLE Salts” figure out your run time?
And a Happy New Year to All :smile: :smile: :smile:

[CAGEY]

PG, ive owned about six boats (cheap and expensive) and never had a guel gauge that seemed to be accurate. I know approximetly how much gas i burn in a day of trolling and never leave the dock each day without knowing that i have emough for the day. Carry extra gas in the P/U and just add it each morning. Pain in the rear but i know iam safe. The inline gauge sounds interesting. Do they actually work and are they accurate???? :smile:

[Trout,myster]

Can't say it's the most convenient, and can't say I'm religious about doing it although I may get that way. Best method is to fill up after each day on the water so your tank is always full. Assuming you have a large enough tank to do your thing for the day. My boat has a 42 gallon tank and I usually make it several trips without a problem and my gauge is reasonably accurate to the point when it says I have a quarter tank I know it's time to fill up on the way home.

If you fill up every day, it cuts down moisture in your tank this time of the year and costs less (per day) so it doesn't hurt as bad.

As far as the fuel gauges, I doubt anything is accurate in a boat unless you are on the trailer and level or level in the water. Even at that, mine bounces like a BB on a hard floor even sitting at the dock. Once the fuel sloshes, the guage is history. :tongue:

[Pete]

I have an hour meter on my boat ... I know my approximate burn rate and refill when I've got 5 1/2 to 6 hours on my tank. The fool guage is unbelievably inaccurate. :wink:

[CAGEY]

Trout,myster, sounds like you and i think the same. Glad to see you are feeling better. Looking forward to our upcoming trip. I burn right at 5 gal a day trolling the Nehalem Bay and i add that five back each morning. I keep a full tank during the winter and add fuel preserver. :smile:

[Seefood Man]

Thanks all for the replies. Last May, out on Lake Powell my fuel gauge went from 1/3rd of a tank to zipo in about 5 minutes. First thought big leak, second thought big fire :shocked: I checked under the dog box and everything was fine :cool: We were so low fuel I asked a houseboat to tow us back, leaving just enough fuel to maneuver around the marina. When I got home I checked the sending unit in the aft section of the gas tank. It was a swing arm type, that when in place the float is facing towards the front of the tank. This location plus the angle the boat sits in the water gives the extremely false reading. Anyway, Thunder Jet sent me a screw type that I installed, however the mounting is still on the back side of the tank. I was told about the fuel monitors they mount between the fuel pump and carb. They function like the meters on the pumps at gas stations, and are suppose to give a very accurate reading. So if anyone gets a chance to check these out in the West Marine catalog let me know what you think. I don't have the page number handy as the catalog is packed up. Have a good one, and thanks again.
P.S Wishing you well Jen :wink: :wink:

[Pilar]

Pete G, that monitor is a flow meter. Usually a sensor in the line and a little computer/readout gizmo on the dash. About as accurate as the speed sensor on your transom. Probably real good when you are running hard => high flow => most accurate but way off when you run slow. I looked at them and passed due to the expense. Since I usually run the same types of trips over and over I keep track of fuel use. This allows me to plan for the next Halibut trip or whatever I'm going to do.

You could spend a few minutes at the gas station and check your gage. Start with an empty tank fill it and check the reading every five gallons. My 42 is 'FULL' on the gage if it has more than 30 in it. At 1/2 it's about 18 and so on. Boat trim and list matters too. On a plane the gage will read higher (usually) than when you drift.

As far as keeping it full, yes! Stop on the way home and top it off. You get an instant read on how much you burned and minimize water condensation too.

It's all part of having a boat.