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My fuel tank gauge needle isn’t moving. As the Hobbs meter failed years ago, I’m manually logging time on the engine to estimate fuel usage. Aside from banging on the gauge from the outside a few times hoping to dislodge whatever is stuck, I haven’t tried to troubleshoot the gauge. Anyone with experience with this?

The gauge is on top of the tank at the forward end, on the quarter berth.

Does your tank have an access port like mine (4-5" in diameter, adjacent to the gauge)?

I was never sure if that access port was original or if it was cut into the tank by a previous owner.

The gauge is pretty simple, it's just a wire rod with a plastic float on the bottom that actuates the needle. The float could have gotten dislodged or broken. Worst case would be that it's mired in sludge.

The gauge should be easy to pull out. Note that the bolt pattern isn't linear, so place a mark on the gauge and the tank, so that you can reposition it when you put it back together.

My fuel tank sender has an arm that swings up and down 90 degrees. My water tank has a float that just moves up and down. It may be that it's stuck and can be cleaned up. Check the tank to make sure that it's clean. If it isn't, sorry...you've got a big job ahead of you, but at least you found it at the dock and not underway.

If the sender can't be repaired, measure the length of the arm and order a new one that is the same size.

-- Geoff

Thanks, no access port, but I’ll check it out.