See full version: How to Wire a Marine Fuel Tank Gauge
Daisy-chain the "I" wire of the fuel gauge to the power terminal of the instrument next to the fuel gauge. Daisy-chain the "-" wire to the ground wire--which may be also be marked "-" or "GND"--of the instrument next to the fuel gauge.
Disconnect your boat's battery. Look at the back of the gauge. There are four male blade terminals, one for the lights (marked "L"), one for the power (marked "I"), one for the ground (marked "-") and one for the wire from the fuel tank sender (marked "S")
Installing a new fuel gauge may not seem like a cause for celebration, but if you install and wire it yourself, you've saved enough money to throw a couple of very good steaks on the grill. Wiring a fuel gauge is much the same as wiring any other gauge on your boat: one wire comes from the ignition to the instrument, one wire comes from the sensor to the instrument, one wire comes to the instrument light and one wire from the instrument goes to the boat's common ground. The wires may follow a seemingly unusual path, but the system works. more
Slip the female blade terminal of the stranded copper wire onto the "L" blade terminal of the fuel gauge. Remove the blade terminal for the instrument light of the instrument nearest the fuel gauge. Slip the stripped end of the stranded copper wire from the "L" terminal of the new fuel gauge into the female blade terminal for the instrument light for that existing instrument. Replace the female blade terminal on the blade terminal for the instrument light of the instrument next to the fuel gauge. This is called "daisy-chaining" the instruments.
Pull the wire from the fuel sender up through your boat's dash. Slip the female blade connector on the wire from the fuel sender onto the "S" terminal of the fuel tank gauge. Install the newly wired fuel gauge in your boat's dashboard. more
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Float is installed in our mockup of the tank and positioned just off the bottom of the tank. more
Cut down sender is adjusted to half the depth of the fuel tank and the clamps tightened. Center of float pivot point should be the reference for half the depth. more
I had to use the sending unit supplied with my VDO fuel gauge because it registers empty at 10 ohms and full at 180 ohms, the same as new VDO gauge senders. The standard aftermarket senders now measure the fuel capacity at 33 ohms empty and 240 ohms at full. Bolt pattern was rotated slightly to match the six-hole pattern on my stock '32 tank. Large hole is for fuel pickup tube.
The finished unit provides for the signal to the fuel gauge and site for the fuel pickup. [links]
12 volts, ground, and the light circuit don't care which gauge it goes to first. As long as one gauge is jumpered to the next, then the next etc., the gauges will work. If you don't know if the purple wires have 12 volts measure it. If it is not 12 volts the battery is low or this is not a primary power circuit. Only you can determine that. [links]
Got it! I follow that so mine gets it from the harness. I don't know I guess I'll try to connect the red one from the ignition that is hanging loose, to the loose one hanging from the fuel gauge. Both are red, does this sound logical? more
Fellows, I just checked another wiring diagram and they have the red from the ignition switch hooked to positive terminal on battery (via a fuse) my red is just hanging loose. Could this be the cause of my dead gauges? [links]
Question does all the power normally come from the wiring harness to the motor?
in relation to the dash board or does the dash have its own power? more
answere to your question yes just finishing my project boat, turn key and motor runs great, took vro pump off, all is good except for the dash items, all lights accessories work the whole 9 yards. Just blew out 35gals of old gas that was in the tank, the gauge show E when it was 3/4 full and just the dash is dead. more
I have a 1988 or 89 u.s. marine force motor 125hp. "please no dissing the motor have heard it all already", I have the motor on a 87 bay liner trophy series fish and ski boat. [links]
from pos. battery to electronic fuel sensor, from fuel sensor to gauge then from gauge to neg on battery. Is this right? more
1. backwards but it would still work (I think). Positive from "I" terminal of ignition switch to one terminal of the gauge. Other terminal of gauge goes back to tank sender unit. Sender unit will either be grounded to tank or will have a separate groung that goes to battery negative. The "I" terminal only has power when the ignition switch is on so you don't drain the battery. [links]
1. This is how I think the fuel gauge should be hooked up. more
2. what do I need to do to wire my tach to my motor. more