Waste Tank Gauge

Bottom Line

Well-Known Member
Oct 6, 2006
1,807
Table Rock Lake(Branson MO)
Boat Info
2003 360 DA
2002 Sea Doo GTI (sold)
2002 300 DA (sold)
Engines
Twin Mercruiser 8.1L
Westerbeke Generator
I normally pump out when the waste tank guage starts indicating 1/2 full....just because I am not sure how accurate the gauge is. So I pumped out this past weekend. Now the gauge is reading empty and 1/2 full. Has anyone ever had this happen? Could toilet paper still be stuck on the 1/2 full sensor? Just looking for ideas on how to fix.

 
It seems like a foweled or damaged sensor. Easiest thing to do is flush a few times with a little detergent then go for a ride. If it doesn't clear pull the sensor and clean it up. If that fails it's new sensor time. I just did mine last weekend and set the empty to about a 1/3rd up half to 2/3rds and full at full.

I now know better where my tank level is and will still pump out at a 1/2 indicated but be closer to 2/3rds full.


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It seems like a foweled or damaged sensor. Easiest thing to do is flush a few times with a little detergent then go for a ride. If it doesn't clear pull the sensor and clean it up. If that fails it's new sensor time. I just did mine last weekend and set the empty to about a 1/3rd up half to 2/3rds and full at full.

I now know better where my tank level is and will still pump out at a 1/2 indicated but be closer to 2/3rds full.

I will try the detergent. How do the sensors come out? I looked at them over the weekend, but wasn't sure how to remove them. Mine looked like they were 3 separate sensors as the wires were marked empty, 1/2, and full.
 
Anyone know if/how these 3 tank gauge sensors can be removed? I would like to remove the 1/2 gauge and see if it is "gunked" up.

 
get the tank clean stuff - that you normally pour down the head.

Pour a quart of it in through the pump out. Fill the tank about quarter to half full with the hose.

Boat with passion for a couple of weeks - mix the stuff up. Maybe pump it our and do it again. If you have residue that is clogging the floater - that might help.

Cheap, hands clean way to maybe fix the problem before you start tearing into black water systems.

Mark
 
My tank doesn't have 3 separate instead it has 3 sensors on different lengths of a plastic "stick" (empty, half, full). Gunk fouled them causing them to stay on (or off - worse).

To remove them mine didn't pry out. I actually had to unscrew them. There was a large PVC ring that the sensors went through that had to be unscrewed. That was a little pain because I had to unbundle the wires enough to allow me to unthread the top of the ring where the sensors are and to lift out out of the tank. Mine was really tight so I used a straight blade screw driver to "bang" the ring loose.

I used Simple Green and my dock-neighbors toothbrush before he left the marina to clean off the sensors (j/k). You can then test if they are working by lifting up on the little float while someone is watching the indicators to make sure they are working electrically.
 
I ended up pulling out the sensor on Saturday. I pumped out on Friday, but the 1/2 full light was still on. I wiped it off with a paper towel and the 1/2 full light went off.... So at least for now, the problem is fixed.
 

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