[C320-list] Fuel Gauge not working

[Rick Sulewski]

Check for a loose or poor ground at the tank first. Likely you may find that
the fuel sender located at the top of the tank is faulty. Mine was heavily
corroded and finally stopped functioning after fluctuating for a year or so.
The sender is  accessible by removing the storage shelf over the tank in the
aft starboard locker. A replacement can be found at Catalina Direct or at
your local West Marine store. A replacement sender  may require fashioning
the float and pivot arm to model the old sender length and angle. Pay close
attention to the color coded wires and locations before removing the wires.
Check for  a functioning sender before sealing the sender tank area and then
replacing the aft locker shelf. I found that one sender had an odd way
securing the wires and caused me to double check the ground connections
before the replacement sender would provide a reading to the gauge.

Caution should be taken to ensure that the replacement sender is adequately
sealed after it is installed. I had to cap-off the sender area with 3M 4200
fuel resistant caulk to ensure that there was no diesel fuel leakage
escaping from the sender gasket, retention screws or from the electrical
connection stud to the internal sender switch contacts.  I subsequently had
to replace that sender after about 7 years and found that the NAPA fuel
resistant thread sealer also does the trick. Without a sealer, it is likely
you may experience fuel seepage whenever the tank is topped off or you are
heeling aggressively, creating a nasty, diesel smelly condition under your
aft cabin, with fuel that will find its way into the area between your
glassed hull and the hull liner.

May also want to consider siphoning a small amount of  fuel from the deepest
corner of the tank while the sender is removed to capture some of the bad
stuff that may contain some water that will contribute to accelerated
corrosion of the aluminum tank in a few years. With an aluminum tank, it
will be a matter of when, and not if, the tank will develop a fuel corrosion
leak after 15-20+ years. Getting familiar with the sender replacement
process is an excellent way to understand what may be involved with a tank
replacement down the road.

Hope these tips I gained from my experiences prove to be useful.
Rick
My-Ria 95 320 #277

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf
Of colloua5 at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2014 9:20 PM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Fuel Gauge not working




.Ted,


I have hull # 429 and have the same problem, I will be trouble shooting this
weekend, my gauge reads E when off and stays pegged on F while running


Lou



-----Original Message-----
From: tharrison <tharrison at innovations-plus.com>
To: c320-list <c320-list at lists.catalina320.com>
Sent: Tue, Jun 17, 2014 5:13 pm
Subject: [C320-list] Fuel Gauge not working


I have followed the Test procedures for fuel gauge used by Catalina Yachts
as posted on the web site - I think!

 

I did not get pass point one.

 

I disconnected the pink sender wire on the gauge. Turned on the ignition
switch on.  I did not notice the pointer deflect to extreme left. (it is
already on the left side) (Tank is half full). 

 

I then put the S (pink wire) and on top of the ground wire. I am not sure if
this is correct. Is this shorting together the S and the G ground studs?

 

If this is a true test of the fuel gauge then does anyone have the part
number?  My current gauge have black face with white numbers and pointer.

 

Ted - Hull 424