Fuel Gauge faulty reading-2005 22 classic [Archive]

gold-n-rod

08-22-2005, 07:51 PM

Has anyone else experienced a fuel gauge that still reads full with about 35 gals used? It is a 52 gal tank.

I am told there is no fix for this by Donzi and the tank supplier.

Are all of you in the same boat?

2005 22 Classic

Yupper, we're all in the same boat............. a Donzi :beer: Drill down in this thread: http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=41378 it's discussed there, despite the title.

txtaz

08-22-2005, 09:12 PM

I'll post results of the new elctronic level sender when I get time to put it in.
Wes

gcarter

08-22-2005, 09:20 PM

OK Wes, this is what you do;
Get an inclinometer at Sears, measure the angle of your deck @ CL @ rest.
When back on the trailer, block the tongue to that same angle.
Now obviously you have to start w/ an empty tank.
Pull out the sender, and slowly add one gallon at a time and measure depth for each gallon.
Then use this criteria to program your device.

Is this what you had in mind?

gcarter

08-22-2005, 09:23 PM

The only problem measuring @ the rear of the tank is it won't be completely full when it reaches the hole.
But you could program it for fuel remaining @ a certain depth. Then it wouldn't matter.

gcarter

08-22-2005, 09:24 PM

You make it work & I'll buy one.

txtaz

08-22-2005, 09:42 PM

George, you know me...I'll make it work. It won't be linear through the whole tank, but will be a good representative indication. By George (LOL) when it reads empty, YOUR empty. :jestera:
Wes

MOP

08-22-2005, 10:01 PM

Wes I hope you get it to work!!! My new tank/sender runs out at 1/4 of which I am absolutely sure after my ultra scientific 1000 Island running test. But thats nothing new, I have only had a few boats with exacting stick gauges. They still don't have the bugs out of those electric jobbies.

Phil

gcarter

08-22-2005, 10:08 PM

George, you know me...I'll make it work. It won't be linear through the whole tank, but will be a good representative indication. By George (LOL) when it reads empty, YOUR empty. :jestera:
Wes
Wes, you need to do it some programable thingie w/ a digital readout!!!!!

undertaker

08-23-2005, 07:30 AM

Has anyone else experienced a fuel gauge that still reads full with about 35 gals used? It is a 52 gal tank.

I am told there is no fix for this by Donzi and the tank supplier.

Are all of you in the same boat?

2005 22 Classic

YES!! :yes: 2005 22 Classic stays on full for a LONG time then goes directly to 1/2 tank. Everyone has same problem just keep her filled up!! :biggrin: :biggrin:

Undertaker :biggrin:

John W

08-23-2005, 08:09 AM

I took my 2004 22 classic to the dealer for this problem and was told as soon as the needle moves off full, start looking for a fuel dock. I also put 35 gallons in the boat and the needle was still reading full. Has something to do with the fact there is a big block engine sitting in the back of a 22 foot boat. Good luck trying to get a livorsi sending unit in there, I could barely get my fat hands in the hole to take the wires off the sending unit.
Hope this helps.
JW

YES!! :yes: 2005 22 Classic stays on full for a LONG time then goes directly to 1/2 tank. Everyone has same problem just keep her filled up!! :biggrin: :biggrin:

Undertaker :biggrin:

ChromeGorilla

08-23-2005, 01:04 PM

I know that when my needle comes off full it is just under half a tank. When gauge reads 1/2 I am actually about at a quarter tank. I know I'm good for about 100-110 miles when running fairly hard. If I take it easy about 120 miles. That first half tank lasts forever doesn't it?.... :biggrin.:

Formula Jr

08-23-2005, 01:39 PM

I just now and then pick up the 5 gal. gas can I have stuffed in bow and see if its full. Its pretty light if I've used it, and usually very heavy if I haven't.

gcarter

08-23-2005, 02:06 PM

When my Minx is at 1/2, it still has 15 gallons out of 45. But it also registers as little as three gallons.

RickR

08-23-2005, 05:40 PM

22 Classic 1995 55gallon tank

I emptied my tank completely to do a fiberglass repair.
It took 12 gallons to bring the gauge up to 1/2. :eek!:

marcdups

08-23-2005, 07:07 PM

The only way you are gonna get a perfect reading is if you have a pressurized tank and system, that is how cars now measure the amount of fuel left in the tank, it calculates volume, we are gonna get there shortly, the marine industry is still some years behind but the EPA is catching up, as for that make sure that E means empty and not E nough, as F then would mean F$#@ Alll! :smash:

joseph m. hahnl

08-23-2005, 08:13 PM

i noticed on mine it has a lot to due with the angle of the boat. kind of like the old chevy gauge. i add more when it gets to the red. i'm youst to keeping it topped off because my whaler also had one 12 gallon tank under the seat. and the sight gauge was frosted over. so the only way to tell how much fuel was in it was to look thru the fill hole. not applicable on my donzi so the red works just as good. latley though i noticed when i fill it up it cost me a lot more
"whats up with that"? did the tank get bigger???

joe

VinV

08-23-2005, 08:19 PM

So I got it now.....50G's and Donzi can't even give us a fuel gauge that is reasonably accurate. Livorsi has nothing to do with it either. The tank manufacturer Moeller in TN supplies the sender in the tank to Donzi.

Moeller has no fix for this either as they supply the custom tank and a regular Rochester OEM sender is meant to work in a square tank.

Why bother with a sender if you can get a decal to paste on the gauge? Then it could just stay full.

OK guys, what if I could solve this problem for us all. How many of you would be intrested in a real fuel reading on the Livorsi gauge in your boat?

I can do it for sure but I want to see if it will be worth the effort.

Replies please.... let me know vpv-1@msn.com

VinV

08-23-2005, 08:23 PM

I'll post results of the new elctronic level sender when I get time to put it in.
Wes

The electronic sender sounds like a possible solution. Give me the info on it so I can check it out please. Maybe I could check it without getting gas on me too.

Vin

VinV

08-23-2005, 08:29 PM

YES!! :yes: 2005 22 Classic stays on full for a LONG time then goes directly to 1/2 tank. Everyone has same problem just keep her filled up!! :biggrin: :biggrin:

Undertaker :biggrin:

Just like the industry fix in my business. Put a piece of masking tape next to the gauge and write on it "Inop".

I rented a plane with this fix.

VinV

08-25-2005, 07:07 PM

The problem with the tank gauge reading is that the tank has 3 different diameters. When filling it there will be no linear correlation of gals to depth.

The angle of the boat really makes little difference as that only magnifies the problem.

The solution is available but it will take some effort and then there is the interest factor. Who really wants to correct the problem in their boat if they have to pay for it?

If there is enough interest I will proceed. Just for my boat I can do it differently but spend more money.

People let me know....

Chili 18

08-25-2005, 08:11 PM

I learned the fuel level issue the old fashioned way. Running around all happy like with 1/4 tank. Shut down and float for a while..........

,,,
,,,

,,,

Restart! Guage reads EEEEEEEEE. WTF... Some kids on a waverunner were kind enough to bring 5g back out...

When its at 1/2 now I know, Time to refill..

Carl C

08-25-2005, 08:43 PM

I know that when the guage moves off full, I have 15 gallons of fuel and need to think about gassing up. I think I'll leave it as is. This is also a 2005 22C.:smile:

pmreed

08-25-2005, 10:37 PM

I base my fuel needs on run time. A moving needle in my 22C is the same as the Low Fuel warning light in my truck ;) .

Phil

gcarter

08-26-2005, 07:04 PM

Look guys, the only thing that will be useful is to ditch the idea of a height based sensing unit based on a percentage of a full tank.
I suggest you go back and read #4.
You have to know what the actual volume is for a given depth.
You must be able to acurately read the heigth of fuel off the bottom of the tank and exactly how many gallons that represents. We all know it's very non linear.
So some sort of programable depth sensor that would be programed to give a digital fuel remaining reading in gallons is what I'm thinkiing of.
We have some talented folks on this board that could do this.

Cuda

08-26-2005, 07:08 PM

Mine appears to be fairly accurate. I was showing between a half and three quarters, and put 16 gallons in to fill.

VinV

08-26-2005, 07:22 PM

Look guys, the only thing that will be useful is to ditch the idea of a heigth based sensing unit based on a percentage of a full tank.
I suggest you go back and read #4.
You have to know what the actual volume is for a given depth.
You must be able to acurately read the heigth of fuel off the bottom of the tank and exactly how many gallons that represents. We all know it's very non linear.
So some sort of programable depth sensor that would be programed to give a digital fuel remaining reading in gallons is what I'm thinkiing of.
We have some talented folks on this board that could do this.

If there is someone out there why are we still having this problem?
Seems like there is a pretty defined need to solve the problem that most of us have. Maybe a gas can in the bow works but I bet not many would elect this alternative.

How about just fixing the gauge problem?

DonziJon

08-26-2005, 08:01 PM

Mine appears to be fairly accurate. I was showing between a half and three quarters, and put 16 gallons in to fill.

New guy here: I've had a 20' Minx for almost ten years and more hours than I'd like to relate. My Minx has a 260 HP 350 and I've found the gas guage to be "almost" worthless. It's a mechanical gismo in the tank and does not like the pounding it gets. Watch your "HOURS". My engine burns 3.5 to 4.0 Gallons per hour at various speeds. Cruise at aprox 28 mph, putt putt at 8mph, and once in awhile crank it up for the edification of a guest. When the gas guage starts to "bounce" off the full mark, it's time to start thinking about GAS. I keep a "LOG" book to keep track of the hours. I have a 40 gallon tank. I do the math and I'm usually pretty close as to how many gallons it will take to fill it back up. I always fill it up. You always have a pretty good idea how much gas is left.

When I first got the boat I watched the gas guage. What else can you do? I ran out of gas, at night, and had to paddle. I was lucky: I had someone else to help balance the paddleing. The Minx does NOT paddle worth a Sh.t Fortunately, I was close to shore. NEVER depend on the gas guage. A 350 in the Minx burns "about" 3.5/4.0 GPH if your boating habits are reasonable. Hope this sheds some light. Donzijon
i

RickR

08-26-2005, 08:44 PM

Yep! Poodle's "X" runs a little SLOW after 30 minutes on the bottom 1/2 tank :jestera:

txtaz

08-26-2005, 08:54 PM

Well at least the Manitee police can't bust him at that speed. :D

mattyboy

08-26-2005, 09:05 PM

just a question why did they abandon the site gauge in a classic???? couldn't they have still caught the back of the tank in a 22 near the cockpit floor???

joseph m. hahnl

08-26-2005, 09:22 PM

think of it like a motorcycle when it comes of full it's like turning the petcock to reserve. if you don't find a gas station your spit out a luck.

joe

mattyboy

08-26-2005, 09:48 PM

I am at a loss here my tank in the 16 is basically the same shape as a 22 tank , my site gauge and my dash gauge are very close the dash gauge reads a lil shy of half a tank and the site gauge reads a lil over but both move in a progressive manner not full then empty???? but in a pinch I would go by the site gauge, but anyone who has run a 16 in rough water knows when they are lite on gas ;)
also knowing distance helps this year at 1000 isles I burnt a 1/4 of a tank
from full to 3/4 up to brockville but on the way back I went from 3/4 to 1/4 I guess as you run out of tank you run out of gas
so if I am on a run and am below 3/4 before mid point I know I can't make it back without fuel
man I would carry a big stick if I had a 22 :) with lines ;)

Cuda

08-26-2005, 09:56 PM

Well at least the Manitee police can't bust him at that speed. :D
That doesn't look like Manatee waters to me. :)

txtaz

08-26-2005, 10:29 PM

That doesn't look like Manatee waters to me. :)
Beats me Joe, We don't have those in our waters. It just brought up a mental image of a pic when he was pulled over (I think my boat was in that pic also). The last time I saw a cop on water he was drooling.
If everyone just chills out, I will have an answer in a few weeks about the electronic sender. If you can't wait, bend your sending arm up (float side). It will make it more linear.
Now get of this thread and get over to the auctions and bid on something.
Wes

Just Say N20

08-26-2005, 10:49 PM

I am reading this later Friday night, so I can't call my contact at FMT, but in Tiara Yachts, through out the years we have used a variety of differently shaped tanks to maximize the amount of fuel that could be carried, given the space available.

Many of the tanks are designed to fit in the belly of the boat, and look like stepped, upside down pyramids. Obviously, half the depth of the tank is nowhere near close to half the volume.

We work with Florida Marine Tanks, who makes calibrated senders for us. I don't see why it would be a problem for them to calibrate a sender for the Donzi tanks. I don't know what they would charge to do this, and that might be where the problem comes in. The good news is, that it can be done very accurately.