Faulty Gas Gage?

[FrankRanieri16]

Hey Guys,

Just bought a 96 GTI and took it out on the water for the first time yesterday,I noticed the gas gauge always gives me a maximum of 3 bars, even when I completely fill the tank. What might be the issue? Your help is appreciated.

 

[justy_123]

You may need a new fuel sender in your gas tank. If you have a manual you should find resistances to test the fuel sender. You fill the fuel tank to each certain height and you measure the resistance with a multimeter. If you get the correct resistance values, I would be looking at the wires going to your gauge and maybe your gauge itself.
For example, in my manual for the 2004 XPdi these are the fuel heights and resistance values they call up.

FUEL LEVEL
(mm)
RESISTANCE
(Ω)
From 248.9 ± 5 and more(mm) 0 + 2.2(Ω)
From 234.4 to 248.8 ± 5 (mm) 17.8 ± 2.2(Ω)
From 200.9 to 234.3 ± 5 (mm) 27.8 ± 2.2(Ω)
From 167.4 to 200.8 ± 5 (mm) 37.8 ± 2.2(Ω)
From 134.0 to 167.3 ± 5(mm) 47.8 ± 2.2(Ω)
From 100.5 to 133.9 ± 5 (mm) 57.8 ± 2.2(Ω)
From 67.0 to 100.4 ± 5 (mm) 67.8 ± 2.2(Ω)
From 40.1 to 66.9 ± 5 (mm) 77.8 ± 2.2(Ω)
From 0 to 40.0 ± 5 (mm) 89.8 ± 2.2(Ω)

 

[Bills86e]

bafel fix or buy new gauge

Take out front basket and disconnect fuel bafel wire connector and jumper the two wires, then with lanyard off, tap start button. If gauge goes to full its good, the bafel is bad. The bafel tank tube has a filter screen that snaps on bottom, it may have come off pounding waves and the FLOAT inside may be laying in tank, instead
of riding up & down the sender circuit board reader inside the bafel. The magnet on
your float may have rusted away or fallen off, or the fuse may be blown on the circuit board ( an easy fix, look in how-to section). You test the board by simply
attaching your Ohmeter to the bafel wires, and rock the bafel in your hand back & forth, you will hear & feel the float slideing, If no change in ohms your fuse is burnt. Bills86e

 

[popasodatastie]

the most common problem is that the float just looses the magnet and reads wrong. I had that problem with mine.

 

[scooper77515]

Not sure about your model, but some of the floats just start to absorb fuel and don't float as well.

I assume that by 04 they had fixed that and went with a non-porous float.

 

[jdabrowski]

gas gauge

I just bought a 97 xp and the gas gauge doesn't work, I ran down to the local dealer and bought a float. Went home, what should have been a 1 hour job took me 3 (NOT mechanically inclined). I replaced the float and my gauge still doesn't work!!! I am going to check the fuse today, I hope its something little

 

[Bills86e]

Time to update the fuel & oil lines, and grease zerks, other preventive maintenance.
Its gonna be a HOT summer!

 

[FrankRanieri16]

I just bought a 97 xp and the gas gauge doesn't work, I ran down to the local dealer and bought a float. Went home, what should have been a 1 hour job took me 3 (NOT mechanically inclined). I replaced the float and my gauge still doesn't work!!! I am going to check the fuse today, I hope its something little

Did u test the fuse? What was your result. Havent had the time to try anything here yet. Hopefully soon!

 

[Jmonk]

My gas gage doesn't work also. Can someone tell me HOW to change the float. What do you take apart??? Also, can you tell me WHERE we change a fuse.

Sorry......not real mechanical, but a quick learner. (females usually are...LOL)

Thanks everyone,

Joyce

 

[jdabrowski]

I ordered a whole new baffle for my xp and replaced it, works perfectly now! on the xp, you have to unbolt the seat shock and lift it up (it will hinge up front) there will be a black rubber case underneath that you will take out, the first thing you see is your fuel baffle. Take off the fuel lines (MARK THEM SO THEY GET PUT BACK CORRECTLY) and pull the baffle out. the bottom of the baffle will come off like a cap and the float will fall out. I find that the baffle is the problem not the float. But the float is only $15 and the baffle is $140, so take your pick on which one you wanna try first. good luck

 

[Bills86e]

dunno what yr/md yer workin on. Top bafel ring is factory marked. Un plug gauge
wire from bafel and jumper the two. touch start button, lanyard off, if goes to full,
gauge is good. circuit board in bafel fix is in how-to section. Bills86e

 

[LouDoo]

Fuel Guage Problem

I had a similar problem with my 96gti, except my guage would read empty all the time.

The float inside the baffle was full of fuel and at the bottom of the baffle. I ordered a new float and it now works.


Hope this helps.

Lou

 

[Jmonk]

Thanks so much!

Bill, what do you mean by "Un plug gauge
wire from bafel and jumper the two"

Lou, thanks for your response. I will order the float, and give it a whirl. Should I not check the fuse before I order?? If yes, where do I find that fuse.

Sorry, I can do this but not real technical. My husband works full time and being a teacher have summers off and I don't mind working on boat to save money!

Joyce

 

[LouDoo]

Hi Joyce,

I just checked the schematic for your ski, it appears that the problem is not the fuse. There are only 2 fuses, (located in the EM, electronic module). If the fuse was the problem you would not have any guages working.

Lou

 

[deepdiver]

Joyce,
He means unplug the wire going to the gauge. Then short the two connectors toward the gauge. Then , with lanyard disconnected, push the Start button. That will energize the circuit from the EM and the gauge should show FULL. If it doesn't move then the gauge is bad. If it is OK then work on the fuel baffle. First measure resistance by connecting ohmeter to the pink leads. If it is "infinite" the float may have fallen out into the tank. That's where mine is. I have siphoned out the gas, now to remove it, and retrieve/replace float.

 

[Bills86e]

The plug wire is approx. 8" from bafel to its connector. Simple. The fuel lines probly will just pull off, unless they were up-graded and screw clamps put on.

 

[Jmonk]

WOW..........thanks guys for your response. We will be working on this. Glad to know that I don't need to check on fuses. Now this isn't to hard for ME to do, is it??

Joyce

 

[Bills86e]

Even a cave hiker can do it. :cheers: Happy Fatters day!

 

[deepdiver]

Take out front basket and disconnect fuel bafel wire connector and jumper the two wires, then with lanyard off, tap start button. If gauge goes to full its good, the bafel is bad. The bafel tank tube has a filter screen that snaps on bottom, it may have come off pounding waves and the FLOAT inside may be laying in tank, instead
of riding up & down the sender circuit board reader inside the bafel. The magnet on
your float may have rusted away or fallen off, or the fuse may be blown on the circuit board ( an easy fix, look in how-to section). You test the board by simply
attaching your Ohmeter to the bafel wires, and rock the bafel in your hand back & forth, you will hear & feel the float slideing, If no change in ohms your fuse is burnt. Bills86e

Bill said it all here. I add some pix from my fix. I just retrieved float and screen from emptied tank. Then cleaned out tank of the black stuff. Then cleaned the mesh on bottom screen with carb cleaner, reinstalled float with intact magnet in up position, put a little glue on edge to try to keep bottom plate on, tested per Bill above and everything is now back together and working. Fuse is internal to float and not shown on schematic. If fuse is bad, see the referenced sticky for how to do the repair surgery or buy a new baffle .

 

[daverade]

I just bought a 97 xp and the gas gauge doesn't work, I ran down to the local dealer and bought a float. Went home, what should have been a 1 hour job took me 3 (NOT mechanically inclined). I replaced the float and my gauge still doesn't work!!! I am going to check the fuse today, I hope its something little

herro, whoa new gauge... those thangs are f'n real expensive... i would return it if i were you... look in the how-to-section to check fuse...it's actually inside the tube, known as the F1 fuse...common problem... you will need a solder gun with a plastic (smear) tip!!!!

 

[knightrider]

Bill said it all here. I add some pix from my fix. I just retrieved float and screen from emptied tank. Then cleaned out tank of the black stuff. Then cleaned the mesh on bottom screen with carb cleaner, reinstalled float with intact magnet in up position, put a little glue on edge to try to keep bottom plate on, tested per Bill above and everything is now back together and working. Fuse is internal to float and not shown on schematic. If fuse is bad, see the referenced sticky for how to do the repair surgery or buy a new baffle .

Hi, have a question and new to the site. Both my magnets are off on the float, I can see where the one came off on the float from the residue mark on the float, but where does the other magnet go? I have a 93 xp seadoo. Both magnets were at the bottom of the cover in the unit. I want to put them back on. I saw the above pictures, but just dont know where the 2nd magnet goes.Does the 2nd magnet go on the end of the circuit board? Any info/help or even a picture would be great.
Thanks John

 

[deepdiver]

John, there seemed to be only one magnet on mine, but leter I think I found another. I didn't use the second one because I had already put it back in.
When I installed the magnet up, then the resistance reading was only 75 ohms at the bottom of its travel, ie, empty. The spec was 89 ohms and I achieved it by turning the float over and having a single magnet down. It has worked OK since.:toetap05: I did post pix above.
When i opened up my other '95SPX I found the float on the bottom of the tank again but it had been replaced with a new white plastic one available at
http://seadoosource.com/fuelaircomponents.html (Fuel Float Repair Kit). It had two magnets so with two magnets I don't think it matters which direction.

 

[knightrider]

thanks for the info. I put 1/2 of tank of gas in and it reads 1/4 on the gauge. Dont know,weird, I guess I should check the gauge now. I did pick up the float kit from the shop like you mentioned. The only thing I am not sure on it is that its a little longer than the originaland its a smaller in thickness. It fits loose in the baffle not kind of snug how the original float was. Any ideas, will the loose(white) float work also even though its loose?
John

 

[deepdiver]

I haven't seen the instructions for it but I doubt the looseness would be a problem. However as mentioned earlier I found error in the ohms reading when the single magnet I had was in the upper part of the magnet. I know just getting the baffle out to work on it is a pain. I suggest when you open it up next, put an ohmeter on the pinkleads and move the float up and down, by shaking itin a horizontal position, and see what the range of ohms you get. Compare it to the chart in your service manual.I think yours is same as mine. 0 ohms for full tank-90 ohms for empty. Check gauge by shorting out its pink/pink-black leads , push Start button (without the lanyard), It should show Full.
If readings are off try removing the upper magnet and see if it makes it read right. Good luck.