Gas Gauge not accurate

[just ducky]

I think I recall a previous thread about this in the past, but the gas gauge on my 3 year old Lund seems to be very inaccurate. I bought the boat new, and from the get-go it seems like it's been unreliable. For instance, yesterday I was headed out for walleye fishing, and I knew I had quite a bit of gas in the tank, but the gauge read under 1/2, so I stopped at the station to fill er up...took less than 2 gallons and it was backing out the fill tube. So I get to the water, kick on the power, and it still reads just under 3/4 tank? Even when I'm under power it seems to fluctuate a lot. The thing is so unreliable that I've gotten to where I write down on paper when I fill it up, and how many hours I run it so I have a reasonable idea of how much gas is in the tank.

I'm sure I'm not alone with this issue...anyone got any great tips for me to keep track of how much gas is actually in the tank?

[FishTales]

I'm sure I'm not alone with this issue...anyone got any great tips for me to keep track of how much gas is actually in the tank?

Fix the gauge or top it off every time on your way out.
Rich

[john warren]

my lund was like that too. but i always filled up before i went out and never used more then half of the sixty gallons, so i ignored it.I think I recall a previous thread about this in the past, but the gas gauge on my 3 year old Lund seems to be very inaccurate. I bought the boat new, and from the get-go it seems like it's been unreliable. For instance, yesterday I was headed out for walleye fishing, and I knew I had quite a bit of gas in the tank, but the gauge read under 1/2, so I stopped at the station to fill er up...took less than 2 gallons and it was backing out the fill tube. So I get to the water, kick on the power, and it still reads just under 3/4 tank? Even when I'm under power it seems to fluctuate a lot. The thing is so unreliable that I've gotten to where I write down on paper when I fill it up, and how many hours I run it so I have a reasonable idea of how much gas is in the tank.

I'm sure I'm not alone with this issue...anyone got any great tips for me to keep track of how much gas is actually in the tank?

[just ducky]

Fix the gauge or top it off every time on your way out.
Rich

First, I'm not sure there's anything "broken" to fix? I think these gauges are probably just "ball park" accurate to begin with...unless someone can verify that they aren't? Second, it's an integral tank underneath the floor deck, so I'm not interested in ripping everything apart to get to the float. I'll keep topping it off each time over that mess.

I was really just curious if anyone else had this same experience of inaccuracy.

[shametamer]

i've had that on many boats..along with 'tube' speed gauge..lol..hey even the 800 buck smart gauges read all kinds of different percentages on fuel tank quantity..my depth finders tell me hours of use..so i gauge my fuel consumption in that manner......boat fuel guages and car winshield wipers..sheesh ya could ever patent one that was infallible, buffet would be third richest guy in the world and 2nd richest in america:lol:

[just ducky]

i've had that on many boats..along with 'tube' speed gauge..lol..hey even the 800 buck smart gauges read all kinds of different percentages on fuel tank quantity..my depth finders tell me hours of use..so i gauge my fuel consumption in that manner......boat fuel guages and car winshield wipers..sheesh ya could ever patent one that was infallible, buffet would be third richest guy in the world and 2nd richest in america:lol:

Kinda what I figured. Not really an issue, just annoying...kinda like that mosquito that you keep swatting at.

[shametamer]

Kinda what I figured. Not really an issue, just annoying...kinda like that mosquito that you keep swatting at.

mosquitos are easy its those yooper black flies that are really really pesky!:yikes:......yeah its those little annoyances that make the really good days that much sweeter!..its like those merc engines with the 'chain' for checking oil level..i sure enjoyed the clear tube to look at much more

[Greenbush future]

First, I'm not sure there's anything "broken" to fix? I think these gauges are probably just "ball park" accurate to begin with...unless someone can verify that they aren't? Second, it's an integral tank underneath the floor deck, so I'm not interested in ripping everything apart to get to the float. I'll keep topping it off each time over that mess.

I was really just curious if anyone else had this same experience of inaccuracy.


Yes my 96' Tyee has the same bad gas gage as you. When mine says 1/2 tank you better fill up or you will run out! I always made it a point to top it off so I never had an issue until last year, late perch fishing, thank god I have a 8 hp kicker for trolloing and emergency's. It never worked right but I did buy it used about 6 years ago. Holds about 35 gallons but again if it's close to 1/2, your close to empty, and I never checked to try to fix it.

[just ducky]

Yes my 96' Tyee has the same bad gas gage as you. When mine says 1/2 tank you better fill up or you will run out! I always made it a point to top it off so I never had an issue until last year, late perch fishing, thank god I have a 8 hp kicker for trolloing and emergency's. It never worked right but I did buy it used about 6 years ago. Holds about 35 gallons but again if it's close to 1/2, your close to empty, and I never checked to try to fix it.

My tank is only 19 gal, but then again I only have a Merc 50hp, and it actually is real easy on gas. Ran all over Houghton Lake one day last year from end to end fishing, and then pulled kids on a tube for two hours, and hardly used anything.

Thanks guys...this one's beaten to death and dead :lol:

[Falco]

The gauge on my Wellcraft is unreliable at best. It read correctly when sitting still up until 1/2 tank (based on hours) and then would just stay at 1/2 tank. It would bounce all over the place when moving, not from wave action, I think maybe from engine noise. You really needed to know how much time you ran and try to keep it filled up.

A marine mechanic told me that the problem was a bad ground on the gauge. He said to make sure it was grounded well or just run a new ground wire for just the gauge. Doing that improved most of the quirky fluctuations it would get but it still read inacurately below 1/2 tank.

[roger23]

I never had a boat that the Gauge was any where close to accurate

[mwakely]

My 1997 Lund Fisherman has a poor gas guage as well. I use a piece of aquarium tubing as a gauge. Simple and it works.

[7MM Magnum]

From my past experience whenever a gas guage reads incorrectly it's do to the float. The dash guage just transfers the information that the in-tank meter gives it. (rheostat / potentiometer setup)

The only way to actually correct it is to pull the meter and bend the float arm till the guage reads fairly close to what you think is in there.

If you have a 20 gallon tank and you know you only have 10 gallons in it, pull the meter out of the tank and adjust the float arm little by little till it reads 1/2 tank reassemble and fill it. It should read FULL. ;)