DjDaoust
Member
No reading on my port side fuel gauge. I know there's fuel, as I just put 50 gallons in. Is there a simple solution to get it working, or am I in over my head?
Failed port side fuel gauge on my 450DA
- Thread starter DjDaoust
- Start date
- Oct 6, 2006
- 12,153
- Boat Info
- 1996 450DA
- Engines
- 3116 Caterpillars
First, connect a jumper wire from the center contact on the gauge and the ground on the tank. You should have full needle deflection past the full mark on the gauge. If you do, then everything in the system is working and the sender is bad.
The OEM sender is the swinging arm type that seems to fail at about 10-12 years. Replace it with the floating puck type from Florida Marine Tanks, the vendor for your fuel tanks. Access is in the rope locker just to the port side of the cabin entry door. Open the doors and look on the floor of the locker and you should find an inspection plate, remove ir and t he sender is directly below it. Then remove the round plate in the top of the tank and the sender lifts out thru the inspection plate. Don't do this with your tanks full.
The OEM sender is the swinging arm type that seems to fail at about 10-12 years. Replace it with the floating puck type from Florida Marine Tanks, the vendor for your fuel tanks. Access is in the rope locker just to the port side of the cabin entry door. Open the doors and look on the floor of the locker and you should find an inspection plate, remove ir and t he sender is directly below it. Then remove the round plate in the top of the tank and the sender lifts out thru the inspection plate. Don't do this with your tanks full.
- Feb 4, 2007
- 7,251
- Boat Info
- 1996 450DA, TNT, Caribe dink w/15hp OB.
- Engines
- 3126 427HP TD transmissions
by chance, did you buy this boat without a survey?
DjDaoust
Member
We had her surveyed, but the surveyor failed to find a lot of the issues we are now experiencing. Thankfully the Cats run good and I'm having fluid SOS samples pulled this week. All in all, we got her for a great price and she's generally in great shape. Just some odds & ends.
- Feb 4, 2007
- 7,251
- Boat Info
- 1996 450DA, TNT, Caribe dink w/15hp OB.
- Engines
- 3126 427HP TD transmissions
I would say he missed a lot of things. It might be worth hiring another to go through the boat to find everything that's not working so you know what to tackle.
Blkbird
Active Member
I have a similar issue but on the Starboard side. Two years ago I replaced the gauges as many had cracked glass, faded or just did not work at all. This included the fuel gauges. Everything worked just find but last year I noticed the starboard gauge was becoming pessimistic. This year it just flat out shows an empty tank when of course I know it isn't.
Now Frank has me wondering if I too need to replace the sender.
Now Frank has me wondering if I too need to replace the sender.
- Oct 6, 2006
- 12,153
- Boat Info
- 1996 450DA
- Engines
- 3116 Caterpillars
Suggest you re-read post #2 and do what it says in the first paragraph to isolate the problem. If you get a full reading or more, then the gauge head and wiring is good; the problem is the sender. No reading on the gauge indicates a bad sender or wiring.
Blkbird
Active Member
Frank,
Definitely the plan. Once i have power restored and the engines re-installed.
Definitely the plan. Once i have power restored and the engines re-installed.
katricol
Active Member
You're lucky it's the port tank....easy. Starboard is a PITA !
sandydlc
Active Member
Would this be the same process for the 2010 450 DA? We've noticed that our port side fuel gauge reads about 1/8 low when completely full. Not sure whether we should worry or just keep an eye on it. Our last boat never had a properly working fuel gauge (always read 1/4 less than actual) so we're used to it.
Thanks!
- Oct 6, 2006
- 12,153
- Boat Info
- 1996 450DA
- Engines
- 3116 Caterpillars
I don't know what sender Sea Ray used in the 2010 450DA, but they tried using a sonic sender for a while. They were notoriously inaccurate but would test good when removed from the tank. The only fix is to replace them with the floating puck or trailing arm type of sender. You are well out of warranty, but this one is probably worth making a run at your local dealer to ask for help in fixing the issue. Sea Ray will sometimes either handle or share the cost on the replacements.