Fuel sender help!

[Gary H NC]

Ok,working on the ChrisCraft and thought the tank was empty and is why the fuel guage reads below empty.I pulled the sender out and realized i had at least 25 gallons. I have never seen a sender like this.It has a small guage on the top of it that works when i move the arm up and down.The 2 wires hook to the small guage. I took a ohm meter to it a can not get any reading.The small guage is held to the sender base with 2 screws. Nothing actually connects to the part of the sender thats in the tank.I can't figure out how this thing could possibly work!
The guage on the dash stays below empty and never moves. Bad guage,bad sender or both?

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Fuel sender help!

There is a magnet in the mechanism thet moves the needle and also a potentiometer inside. The needle part might still work but the potentiometer part might not. I think you can still get those, but you might have to upgrade to something more conventional.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Fuel sender help!

apply power to the guage and see if it works. the sender is a rehostat, that sends power to the guage, which makes the reading by the power it recieves. 90% of problems are sender. you should be able to use a standard sender, as long as the screws match.

you could also reconnect sender and test wires at the guages to see if it recieving power, from sender.

 

[Coors]

Re: Fuel sender help!

I replaced my sender on the new to me boat- you have to be sure the gauge and sender are matched in ohms.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Fuel sender help!

Thanks guys. I jumped a 12 volt wire over to the sender terminal on the guage...still does not move..Heres a couple pics of the sender.The guage is a Teleflex..

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Fuel sender help!

Can't say I've seen one of those before, it must be magnetic.​

If you jump the wires from the sender together, it should make the gauge go to full.

Looks like a standard sending unit opening, I would imagine you could get a universal float model to replace the one you have.​

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Fuel sender help!

I'll mess with it some more but i think the gauge is stuck also.I did some searching online and found one of those type senders...about 90 bucks! For 51 dollars i can get a universal sender and new Teleflex gauge from Iboats.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Fuel sender help!

I'll mess with it some more but i think the gauge is stuck also.I did some searching online and found one of those type senders...about 90 bucks! For 51 dollars i can get a universal sender and new Teleflex gauge from Iboats.

Let's see... $90= new sending unit + existing gauge
$51= new sending unit + new gauge

Personally, I would go with the $51 unless you are going for OEM.​

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Fuel sender help!

Yep,the 51 dollar gauge and sender is the best deal..the gauge will not match my others but at least it will work.No big deal...

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Fuel sender help!

It is quite possible the gauge that is existing will work with a different sending unit, the sender that is on there looks as if it just basically has an externally mounted rheostat under the tiny gauge. I would try just putting the sender in first, then if the gauge doesn't work, go ahead and replace that.​

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Fuel sender help!

Crossed sender wires,still no movement. Jumped 12 volts to the gauge and it does not move..
So i'm pretty sure the gauge is shot too...
I may run up to the marine dealer and just get a guage to try first.