Single fuel gauge but boat has dual fuel tanks

[B.Henry]

We just got a 1986 Carver 4207. It has dual tanks, however there is only one fuel gauge. I hate to sound stupid but is this common? Shouldn't there be a gauge for each tank? The one fuel on the dash panel is missing the needle so I have no idea how much fuel I have.

Any help would be great,
Brad

[bud37]

Probably a switch there that allows you to see the level from one tank to the other ? Sounds like at this point you are going to have to replace the gage.......do you have the user manual.?

[B.Henry]

Yes, I have the original owners manual and a pdf version. Unfortunately all the text is faded off the dash plate so I don't any idea yet what any of the switches are for. I have been hoping to photos online but no luck yet.

[bud37]

If your gage is just above the shifters on the left side then the toggle should be to the left of the shifters , the bottom toggle........is yours like this ? Hopefully still in the factory location.

[Cooler]

Bud37 is correct. Toggle switch that goes from left to right at bottom of dashboard, below the spotlight controls. Kind of sitting there by itself. Ignition key must be on to operate switch. Are you sure the needle is gone and not just below the bezel? Needle just gone would be strange, but if the entire panel is faded out, then I guess it could have Make sure the appropriate breakers are in ON position for power to the helm panel also. Did you have the boat surveyed? The surveyor should have tested that and called your attention to the condition. You really need to know fuel level. One gauge for 2 tanks is normal. If you need to replace, pull the old one out first and make sure a new one is compatible with system. May need calibration. Good luck. er

[km1125]

I have the same setup. The switch is a momentary switch that goes left and right. It is similar to the voltage gauge, but that switch can be left in either the #1 or #2 position.

On the fuel gauge, it's better to scan the gauge and see EMPTY and have to remind yourself to hit the switch to check both tanks, otherwise you could be looking at a gauge monitoring one tank, while your engines are running on the other tank and running it completely dry.

You could put in dedicated gauges, but then you need to deal with the 1 sender/ 2 gauges or 1 sender /1 gauge issue if you have dual stations.

[RobGunn]

Bud37 is correct, there is a switch that activates left or right tank. I also check my fuel level the old fashion way just to be sure the gages are reading correctly. I have a plug in the top of both my tanks that I can unscrew and then feed a 1/4" wood dowel rod to the bottom of the tank. Doing this gives me a true tank reading. Of coarse you do want to be sure you get the plug back into the top of the tank correctly and have no leaks.

[SplashyLady]

I've got a fuel gauge of two laying around in my shop you can have for free if you want...

Take your pick:

[B.Henry]

Thanks everyone for the help. This weekend I will look into it further. One additional fly in the ointment is that all the text on the dash panel is faded and not legible. I have asked on another post if anyone could send a photo of their dash so I don't have to trace every wire back to where it came from. To answer you "cooler" we did not have a survey done. We bought quickly on a whim. I hope that decision doesn't come back to bite us.

[B.Henry]

SplashLady,

The one on the bottom in the middle looks identical. That's very nice of you!