Carver Owners Forum

dkitchen wrote:I have lurked here for some time, drinking up the collective wisdom from this site without contributing because, as a newby to Carver boats and to boats in general, I had nothing to add . . . until this post!

I have a ‘94 350 aft cabin, which appears to be the same boat. My gauges read a bit differently, in that the port tank reads half of its starboard brother. Since one gauge works fine while the other does not, I presume the issue is with the sending unit. I was not able to get the port sending unit out while in storage this winter, but it is on my spring list. All of which is a long way of saying: I know how to get to the sending units!

Port side: the sending unit is under a floor hatch that is under the aft end of the couch in the salon. You’ll have to pull the couch to the stair to get enough room behind the couch to get in there.
Starboard side: in the salon, just forward of the stairs to the aft cabin, is a two door cabinet. The rearmost door on my boat opens to a liquor cabinet, with a piece of plexiglass cut with holes in the bottom of that cabinet. Under that piece of plexiglass is the removable bottom of the cabinet. Take out both and you should find another hatch, below which should be the starboard sending unit.

Let me know if I can be of additional help. I’m in Grand Haven.

To dkitchen, thanks. New to this forum and new to the Carver. Fuel access ports exactly where you described. I took off leads and cleaned with wire brush and merry Christmas all gauges read perfect. Thank you so much.

Ray...

I have a non-functioning fuel gauge (port tank) and as soon as I'm allowed to get to the boat will be going through the full diagnostic set of tests, as well as trying to clean out the tank. Not looking forward to that, I admit!

PossiblyPaul wrote:QR_BBPOST I have a non-functioning fuel gauge (port tank) and as soon as I'm allowed to get to the boat will be going through the full diagnostic set of tests, as well as trying to clean out the tank. Not looking forward to that, I admit!

This video may give you an idea of what cleaning the tank entails...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=savQVi38wYA

That video is about pumping the diesel around through a filter (and a water separator that is not working very well when on its side I think) so you're filtering your fuel but not your tank. when splashing it back into the tank, the dirt whirls up and gets filtered in at some time but this is going to take a long time and will never clean the bottom of the tank very well. If there are bacteria already in the tank, this method is not getting rid of them all.

If this procedure shows a pretty dirty filter, I'd do it again with another filter. If then clean: ok, leave it as it is. But if not: you'll have to get to work and pump it into something else, clean the tank and have a look at what you took out.

Cleaning the tank is a much bigger job, depending on how it is mounted and where the large openings are. I'm unlucky to have the tank in the center of the boat under the cabin floor (because it smells as someone in the past probably spilled fuel) and also lucky as the hatch also covers a man-hole so I can open a 5" opening at the low side of the tank. It's going to get messy though, that's for sure.

It's a complex discussion on wheter to fill the tank or not before laying-up. Should the fuel be in need of taking out for cleaning or old-age, I'd rather not have a full tank. Preferably empty the tank and take out any moist (if any, other discussion) before you fill.

Having a big drain at the bottom of the tank would definitely be on my list when designing a large tank in a thing that is left unused for longer periods of time. Easier to clean/flush the tank. The pick up tube can't do that as it would pick up the dirt when mounted so low.

best to avoid contamination of course, but I've heard of young systems getting into trouble and old boats without issues ever. Complex matter with some variables one cannot be in control of.