Fuel Guage

[David Arnold]

My fuel guage needs to be replaced.  Where do I get a replacement for a standard Catalina guage that would have been used in 2004?

[Jim Hardesty]

The fuel gage or the sending unit in the tank?  I had to replace the sending unit in the tank and just used an aftermarket one from the local marine supply.  It works fine.
Jim

[Ron Hill]

David : The most probable part of the fuel system that has gone bad is the sender.  Remove the aft cabin panel and check the wire as a just in case.  You can get a sender at any marine Chandelry.

You might want to look in the Mainsheet Tech Note and read my article on changing out that sender. 

[David Arnold]

Ron,
A friend checked the voltage, resistance, etc.  All checked out and the voltage at the fuel guage was 11 volts.  We figured a full tank would give us a reading of 12 volts and I know the tank is just shy of full so 11 volts would seem to indicate that the problem is not with the sending unit but with the guage itsef.  Would you agree?

[Tom Glennon]

Suggest you "troubleshoot" the guage as described in the tech notes... short the Send/ground?? the needle will jump to FULL if the guage is ok... 
I am having problems after changing out the sender on my '87   guess I need to double check the ground and the send wire now... good luck

[bclery]

My two cents...

I just put in a new sender unit I purchased from Catalina, price was ok.  I spent 24 hours in the Atlantic with a full tank and the sender unit was shot.

I removed and disassmbled the unit and found the it was a low-tech wire wound rheostat.  The continual rocking of the fuel, and thus the float arm wiggle, wore the rheostat wire clean through.  Open circuit dead sender unit.

I am starting to look at the Centroid capacitance units:
  http://www.centroidproducts.com/sensor.htm