fuel sending unit fix (gas gauge)

[hotrod_sxty8]

First off thanks to Sidefx for the video link.

http://www.jetskidetailing.com/tips_and_tricks.htm

I thought posting a few pics of the fix would help anyone still using dialup.

this fix is on my 93 seadoo xp but if your fuel sender looks like mine you should be able to fix it using this guide.

To test the sending unit use an ohm meter to see if there is any resistance if there is a reading then you might just have a blown fuse.

If there is no restiance then more than likely this fix should help.

1st NO SMOKING!!!!! you have to remove the fuel sending unit, be sure to mark your lines because they need to go back in the same places on the sender.

Try to get the fuel tank as empty as possible ,pull off the fuel filler tube, tank straps, and fuel lines going to the sender also the lower sending unit clamp. next move the tank foreward (towards the nose of the ski).
Now with a twisting pull remove the sending unit.
I went ahead and pulled the whole tank assembly so I could get any gunk outta the tank since I had it apart already.

ok now for the fix:
1st let the sending unit dry out before doing anything else gas is very dangerous to be working around so NO OPEN FLAMES OR SMOKING!!!!!

ok now that it's dry flip the lil buggar (sender)over and look at the bottom it should look like this;




now see the end cap how the plastic is melted together? the end should pop off with a lil help from a screwdriver mine took almost zero effort.

now that you have the end cap off turn the sender back over and the float should slide out it looks like this one


it's that half moon looking thing. ok now your gonna have to find the lil magnet in your tank more than likely that's where it went to the bottom of the tank just get one of those telescoping magnets a mechanic has lying around or tie a magnet on a string and go fishing...lol
I have a small red square showing the approximate size of it (because I had already glued mine in place bafore I thought hey this would make a good sticky.....)

now get some good adhesive I used some 3m #847 rubber and gasket adhesive it says gas and oil doesn't affect it so we'll see.

and glue the lil magnet back in the little groove I put the "red magnet" in the slot to show where it goes.

you can see in that pic where I glued the actual magnet.
now your almost done..
after the glue dries slide the float back into the tube in the video I think it says to put it back in with the magnet at the top but when mine came out the magnet location was at the bottom so that's how I put it back in.
In the next pic you can see it in the tube with the magnet on the bottom of the float and take a close look at the meter in the pic now it has a reading showing on it showing that the sender is reading the float!!

now your about halfway done..
you need to reattach the lower tube cover and either glue it or use a soldering iron to re-fuse the plastic together. I used the soldering iron method.here's how it looked


it looks crappy but it'll work.

Now I plugged mine back in and turned the motor over for just a sec and the needle jumped to full...I put the sender upsidedown in the hull so the float would be in the full position.
now all you have to do is put the sender back in the tank and hook up the hoses and plug it in and you should be good to GO!!!!!


edit 11-25-2010: ok heres a small update to this, my unit failed again...I am going to say the glue finally gave up the ghost I didnt think it would last being submerged in fuel for a long time this was afterall a temporary fix that lasted for over a year!!, sometime this coming spring I am going to pull the unit again and use a better type of adhesive, I may mix up a few different types of epoxy and see how they hold up submerged in fuel and make a reccomedation on here as to which type holds up best..

now I'm going to try the same thing on my 97gtx when I get the xp put back together when I finish posting this..
hope it helps
Andyj


btw if you guys wanna sticky this please do
I'm not trying to take anyones credit for this fix just thought it would help
thanks again SideFX

[RX951]

Good post !

I have a very similar How-To thread I posted a bit back over the Sea-Doo sending units.

http://www.greenhulk.net/showthread.php?t=3489&highlight=sending+unit

I just made your thread a sticky too !



..
.
.

[hotrod_sxty8]

thanks!
I got the sender off the gtx and it's different, well the mechanism is the same but the float has 2 magnets in it. I tested mine and had no resistance so I pulled it thinking it was the same problem, well it's not the float, it's either on the (pickup) board or where the wires pass thru into the sender that part is sealed so I guess I'll just have to pick up a new/working one later.
ok I just re-read the post and checked out your sticky. so I'm gonna try this maby later today since I just put it back together...lol at least the GTX is easier to pull the sender out of you don't have to pull the tank out for it just remove the little storage tray under the bars.

[RX951]

at least the GTX is easier to pull the sender out of you don't have to pull the tank out for it just remove the little storage tray under the bars.

yup, tru dat

[Spike]

Thanks for the info, I just had this problem the last time out with my 96XP
The magnet dropped off. I put it back in the float and sealed it with plastic from a zip tie.

[billp91311]

Seadoo Challenger 2000

Problem: My gas gauge quit working totally on my Seadoo jetboat.

The sender unit looks the same but it is longer on a boat than on the post attached. The float on my sender unit is different too. It has 2 roller magnets that were in place. It did however have some gas in it so I drilled 2 small holes, emptied it and sealed it with melted wire tie. I do not think that this will make a difference at all but maybe it will read more accurate?

The fix was the F1 fuse on the board that was blown. The red oil light on the gas gauge would flash on when the key was turned on but the gauge was dead on empty. Removing and reinstalling the sender unit was easy. Just mark the hoses accordingly to where you remove them. I used a sharpy and some masking tape to label each hose and marked the unit on the plastic accordingly.

Once removed from the tank, the rubber coupler has to be removed by sliding it up and over the wires. We cut the unit open at the top side where the hoses are located on the side of the board that has the reed switches. We did not have to make the second cut as in the diagram attached. The F1 fuse was there and it gave an open reading. We removed it and soldered a piece of wire across it. After that we were able to get meter readings across the wire and when the float was slid up and down. There are 3 wires on the connector and only 2 are used so make sure you are monitoring the correct ones because before I jumped the fuse I did get a reading on 2 of the 3 wires but they were the wrong 2.

Re-installed and now the gauge reads. Yahoo!!! This is the link and thanks to RX951 for taking the time to post.

http://greenhulk.net/showthread.php?t=26017

[G_Man]

Yes thanks to Sidefx for the video link. They are a great help! This site rocks!

http://www.jetskidetailing.com/tips_and_tricks.htm

Gary

[RX951]

Glad you were able to fix it !

[SideFX]

Glad it worked out

Thanks for the credits guys.
If you get confused with the hoses, just look at the sides of the tube connectors on the fuel dial as they are clearly marked. It has to come out of the console to see it, and is marked for ON, OFF, and Reserve I believe. It's also near the tubes on the plastic part of the sending unit in really fine print. I couldn't see mine through the build up of grease, dirt and other crud until I cleaned it off good.
I give our local mechanic Chester credit on this as he informed me when I got confused.

P.S.
Recently had an issue where my engine was nothing better than and idle and couldn't get the RPM's up even at full throttle. I thought it was water in the fuel, so went through the trouble of cleaning it bone dry. Turned out to be a loose plug wire in the booty. Who would have known? Chester did. LoL

[worldbarefootrec]

dont go buy a new one!!!!

thanks!
I got the sender off the gtx and it's different, well the mechanism is the same but the float has 2 magnets in it. I tested mine and had no resistance so I pulled it thinking it was the same problem, well it's not the float, it's either on the (pickup) board or where the wires pass thru into the sender that part is sealed so I guess I'll just have to pick up a new/working one later.
ok I just re-read the post and checked out your sticky. so I'm gonna try this maby later today since I just put it back together...lol at least the GTX is easier to pull the sender out of you don't have to pull the tank out for it just remove the little storage tray under the bars.

on the gtx pickup there is a fuse that blows and you can bypass it easly take a soldering gun at the top on the opposit side of the float cut a hole below the ring and there will be a board and it will have an f1 on it ull see a little red square fuse take it out and jump solder between the two points and bingo it should work then jbweld the plastic pieces and you did it. if you are doubting me i have been a seadoo cert tech for 9 years now

[hotrod_sxty8]

already did the GTX too.....thanks

[bamafutbal]

i have a 00 gtxrfi and my gas gauge works maybe 10% of the time, the 90% of the time i get no bars on the gauge and the long beep every couple of minutes (VERY VERY ANNOYING). the very first case of doing this it gave me a low fuel warning and beeping but never again. so mine cannot be a fuse as fuses work or don't work, right???
also my 00 xp gas gauge has never worked???

[bamafutbal]

anyone???

[hotrod_sxty8]

check out the other thread for the newer style sender fix.
have you tested the sender itself to see if the sender is bad?
if the sender checks out good it could be in the wiring going to the gauges or electrical box the connections could have corrosion in them or a short somewhere

[frbob]

Can this be the same problem that I have on a recently purchased 2000 RX? I also noticed(I think) that you did not replace the fuse. Any reason not to?