Fuel gauge stopped working

A

aneely

New Member
Sep 25, 2014
28
San Diego
Boat Info
1994 SeaRay 230 Sundancer
Engines
5.7 L Mercruiser Alpha 1
Hi All...new member here. I recently had to have the main drive coupler replaced on my 1994 230DA and once I got the boat back from the shop the fuel gauge no longer works. I'm wondering if there was a wire that possibly didn't get re-connected that I should look for? Also, any testing procedures to narrow down the problem would be greatly appreciated.
 
(wrong solution removed)

Welcome to CSR!
 
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(deleted)
 
Last edited:
aneely said:
Hi All...new member here. I recently had to have the main drive coupler replaced on my 1994 230DA and once I got the boat back from the shop the fuel gauge no longer works. I'm wondering if there was a wire that possibly didn't get re-connected that I should look for? Also, any testing procedures to narrow down the problem would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Welcome to CSR.

Here's a link to diagnose a Teleflex fuel gauge. It could be as simple as just some corrosion on the wire harness.

Troubleshooting Teleflex Fuel Gauges

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/document.do?docId=833
 
Hey Jim, He wasn't asking about the speedo, he was asking about the fuel gauge....lol I think there are some article on here for troubleshooting the fuel gauge already. If not, i'm sure someone will let you know. I believe it's a ground based systems. Should be a pair of wires on top of the tank. Does the gauge move at all when you turn the key on?
 
Hi Jim,

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll take a look at that this afternoon. I never thought the pitot tube had any effect on the fuel level gauge...I thought that was strictly for the speedometer.

Andy
 
dcpringle said:
Hey Jim, He wasn't asking about the speedo, he was asking about the fuel gauge....lol
Click to expand...
Oops, my bad!

aneely said:
Hi Jim,

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll take a look at that this afternoon. I never thought the pitot tube had any effect on the fuel level gauge...I thought that was strictly for the speedometer.

Andy
Click to expand...
It doesn't, I miss-read your problem... sorry.
 
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Thanks all...so what's happening is that the needle on the gauge does move a fraction when I turn on the ignition but doesn't reach the empty mark. I found two separate wire bundles coming from the firewall separating the fuel tank from the engine compartment. One bundle contains only a large green wire (assuming grounding the tank itself) the other bundle contains a pink 12g wire and a black 12g wire. The black wire was broken off in the protective sheath holding the wires. I originally thought that black wire being broken was my problem so I connected it up to the negative terminal on the battery assuming it was suppose to go to ground but that didn't do anything to fix the problem. Since the gauge worked fine prior to the engine being removed for the coupler work I assumed there was something in the wiring creating my problem. Is anyone aware of where that black wire accompanying the pink wire is suppose to go?
 
I could b wrong but i think green is ground back is 12v and white is common. I had the exact same problem abd I took the old gauge to the store bought one I liked and fit abd through the old searay one in the garbage. The new one actually gives me an accurate reading within 1/8th of a tank not like the old one was 1/4 off most of the time. I'm in the process of switching all my gauges over as the new ones are alot more accurate abd I think they look better
 
Here is a list of standard Boat Wiring color Codes that may help someone someday. Good luck with it, I hope this helps you out.


Blk -Grounds-General
Blk/Brn -Pump Grounds
Blk/Red -Voltmeter Grounds
Blk/Org -Isolated Accessory Grounds
Blk/Yel -ignition stop
Blk/Grn -Water Level Sender Ground
Blk/Blu -Lighting Grounds
Blk/Gry -Nav Light Grounds
Blk/Wht -Battery Parallel Solenoid
Brown -Pumps-General, Bilge or Sump (Manually Switched)(Also alternator starter to Ign.)
Brn/Red -Pumps, Bilge or Sump
Brn/Org -Power feed to Auto Bilge Switches-Pumps, Fuel/Oil Tranfer or Priming
Brn/Yel -Baitwell or Aerator
Brn/Grn -Fresh Water Pump/Water Maker
Brn/Blu -Head Pump
Brn/Vio -Washdown Pump
Brn/Wht -trim pos sender
Red - Battery Feeds Unprotected
Red/Vio -Misc. Accy. Main Feed Protected (fused) from batt to trim panel.
Pink -Fuel Sender
Org/Blk -Audio System Feed
Org/Brn -Electric Head-Sanitation System
Org/Red -Wiper Port
Orange -Accessories common feed- Dist Panel to Acc switch-Anode Electrode-Mercathode
Org/Yel -Diesel Pre-heat
Org/Grn -Wiper Stbd
Org/Blu -Communications Equipment
Org/Vio -Navigation Equipment
Org/Wht -Wiper Center
Yel/Blk -Choke - Neutral saftey trans mounted
Yel/Red -Start Solenoid(starting circut), Neutral Safety
Yel/Org -Powered Ventilation, Fans
Yellow -Bilge Blowers -(also alternator DC output)
Yel/Wht -Rudder Angle Sender
Grn/Red -Stop Solenoid/Kill Switch
Grn/Yel -AC Grounding
Green -Bonding
Grn/Wht -Engine Trim in and or tilt down
Grn/Org -Engine Independent Trim down
Blu/Blk -Cabin Lights
Blu/Brn -Oil Temp Send
Blu/Red -Cabin or Cockpit Lights Port
Blu/Org -Engine Independent Tilt Up
Blu/Yel -Lighting Circuits to Remote Send
Blu/Grn -Cabin or Cockpit Lights Stbd
Blu -Instrument & General Lighting
Blu/Vio -Courtesy, Boarding Lighting
Blu/Wht -Engine Trim Outand/or Tilt Up
Light Blue -Oil Pressure
Vio/Red -Eng. or Generator B+ from Breaker
Vio/Yel -I/O Trim Up (ballast bypass)
Vio/Grn -I/O Trim Down
Vio -12v Ignition-Generator or Engine
Vio/Wht -Trim "Trailer" switch
Gry/Blk -Mast Light
Gry/Red -Spotlight Remote
Gry/Org -Docking Lights
Gry/Grn -Strobe or Beacon
Gry/Blu -Spreader/Flood Lights
Gry/Vio -Windlass/Winch
Gray -Navigation (running) Lights, Tach. Send
Gry/Wht -Anchor Light
Wht/Brn -Temp. Alarm or Indicator
Wht/Red -Fuel Alarm or Indicator -((Ignition module to Dist.)Mercury Thunderbolt Ignition)
Wht/Org -Fire Alarm or Indicator
Wht/Yel -Air Flow Alarm or Indicator
Wht/Grn -Water Press/Flow Alarm or Indicator - ((Ignition module to Dist.)Mercury Thunderbolt Ignition)
Wht/Blu -Oil Press Alarm or Indicator
Wht/Vio -Voltage Alarm or Indicator
White -General Alarm Usage, Yamaha Kill Switch
Tan - Water Temp sender
Tan/Blu -Warning system sense wire (Audio warning)
Pink -Fuel sender
__________________
 
I won't get into what's going on at the battery since who knows what's happened in the last 21 years of ownership. BUT, a fuel sending unit is 'typically' grounded at a bus bar either in the bilge or under the dash, not directly to a battery.

First, double check the connections on the back of the gauge (remove, clean, reinstall) and follow the black wire from there to (probably) a bus bar and check that.

At the sending unit, you should see a black wire, a pink wire and possibly a green wire. The pink wire goes to your gauge. Make sure the wires are clean. Then with the key in the "on" position (engine does not need to be running), remove the pink wire and touch it to the black. You should see the needle jump from empty to full while you touch/untouch. If that is good, then the problem is the sending unit, itself. Replace. If the gauge doesn't move, there's a break in one of the wires or the gauge is bad. You can use jumper wires for ground and pink to figure out if the problem is the gauge or the wires.
 
Thanks Dennis. I just ran a piece of wire myself from the broken black wire i found in the protective sleeve coming through the firewall adjacent to the pink wire to the negative terminal on the battery to test and see if that got the gauge working but it didn't...nothing funky going on at the battery. I will start like you suggest at the gauge and work from there. This is a new boat for me, just bought it in Oct last year, so I'm still learning a lot of the particulars about it. Anyone familiar enough with a 1994 230 Sundancer to confirm the whereabouts, if any, of an access port to the fuel tank and sending unit to inspect and test that?
 
My brother used to have a '93 230DA. I don't recall even working on his fuel system, but if you can't reach the sending unit from the bilge, then check for either a removable, round, plastic deck plate in the mid-berth floor, or possibly a removable (with screws) section of the mid-berth floor.
 
Hey everyone...thanks for all your help.

You're never going to believe what the problem was. So it turns out after having the coupler replaced while re-installing the engine the "mechanic" doing the work decided the green grounding wire coming from the gas tank should be hooked up to the hot side of the starter solenoid. I'm just glad I didn't go BOOM when testing out the repair. Anyway the sending unit was grounded to the fuel tank grounding wire...ie...no circuit to close at the gauge. I got the tank grounded properly today and all is as it should be. Never going back to that moron...just happy I didn't blow up.
 
So color blindness is NOT a good attribute for a mechanic...

Glad you got it figured out and nothing else was wrong. Remember this one, though, and be happy -- most fixes aren't free! :smt001
 
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