Accuracy of Fuel Gauge

Macklin

'07 GS211 - how far down on the gauge can I go before running to the ramp to put her up for the winter? Ethanol is bad stuff and you want as little of it as possible to sit for more than a few weeks. I will probably suck out what is left and burn in my cars. But curious about the gauge just for general knowledge. I have not gone below 3/8 on mine.

Ernest_T

It depends a lot on the shape of your fuel tank. On many boats the fuel tank is a wedge shape with the point of the wedge pointed down toward the keel of the boat. This makes it easier to fit in the tank. Other tanks have weird shapes depending on how they fit into the hull. What I've found on my boat is that the fuel gauge moves very slowly at first as the fuel level changes very little as fuel is removed from the widest top part of the tank. As the level drops the tank gets narrower and the gauge drops more quickly. The bottom line is that when my tanks gets to the 1/2 way point on the gauge, I really have much less than 1/2 a tank of fuel left. In fact, when my gauge shows 1/2 tank, I really have closer to 1/4 of the actual amount of fuel in a full tank. If my tank gets to the 1/4 mark, then I had better be very close to a fuel pump. I typically refuel at the 1/2 tank mark just to be safe.

donmat

I fill my tank almost full and add startron fuel treatment. I have done this several years now with ethanol fuel and have never had a problem with water in the gas. In fact, when I change my fuel / water separator filter each year, there is no water in it. Just a thought as an alternate. Just make sure you use the additive which I add with each fuel fillup all summer.

cjjjdeck

I second Donmat's comment.  I've been using Startron for a number of years as well with no fuel problems (especially after winter storage).  I also use this additive for ALL my small engine driven devices/toys (snow blower, lawn mower, pressure washer, generator etc.).  I know some people that use Valvtect Marine fuel additive and have had the same results.

FlyingV5

Don't use ethanol. Evil swill. Marinas sell straight petroleum gas and stations near the water sometimes do too.