Fuel gauge not working on R5 Surf

[Cobalt50r5]

Hello! I have a 2018 R5 surf and it appears the fuel gauge is not monitoring fuel flow or tank level. I filled up before going out, ran for 5-6 hours, and gauge still shows full. Any ideas?

[Ytmsn]

What motor? That's probably normal. In my 240 I could run around all day and the needle would never move. It had a 5.7 gxi 320 hp engine.

[Big Block Power]

4.3L so she's still full.lol
One of the new boat guys will chime in.

Maybe you could borrow your guage to Joe

I think they have to be programmed.

[williamg]

I am having the same issue. My new R5 shows a full tank even when I can put 25 gallons in it. Dealership is looking into it.

[Southernboatman]

Hello Cobalt50r5. You got a problem for sure. Should prob used 10-15%. Def should be showing flow. Dealer should handle. Until then fill up every time out.

[Southernboatman]

I am having the same issue. My new R5 shows a full tank even when I can put 25 gallons in it. Dealership is looking into it.

Welcome from south AL williamg from Montana (Sweet)! You too same thing.

[Norris_Boating]

My Brother just got an R5 and having a similar issue. Almost ran out of gas as it went from 40% full to 0% in less than a mile. Drove around for hours after it was filled and it was reading 92% when we pulled in to get gas and put 18 gallons in. So it should have been reading 64% Now we know boat gages aren't ever accurate but that was crazy off. Contacted the dealer and they sent a PDF of how to calibrate it. I am looking for the PDF but can't find it in my email anymore. It talked about taking off the fuel line, hooking up a tool/sensor and flipping up to simulate a full tank, then flipping down to simulate an empty tank. My brother and I are not engine people so that didn't happen. Talked to another dealer and they said that they always calibrate the tank before delivery because sometimes that doesn't get done at the factory (or some how in shipping it gets off).
So the dealer should know how to do it and if they don't find another dealer that does.

[UKMatt]

Hi Guys,
I’m new here and based in the UK, just taken delivery of a new R3 and I have the same issue. It’s got the garmin glass screen and the fuel gauge shows full constantly. Is this a common fault?
If others have had it does the calibration work or is it a sender fault?

Thanks

[Big Block Power]

To me it sounds like the dealers are not or don't know they need top calibrate or set these guages up. But I could be wrong.

[cmattj]

To me it sounds like the dealers are not or don't know they need top calibrate or set these guages up. But I could be wrong.

PDI fail.. just sayin

[MnLakeBum]

To me it sounds like the dealers are not or don't know they need top calibrate or set these guages up. But I could be wrong.

My fuel gauge didn’t work when they delivered the boat in June. It was a simple phone call for my dealer’s service department to Cobalt and they came out the next day to calibrate it at my dock. It took them just a few minutes but it certainly is not intuitive and is something Cobalt should absolutely do before delivery. My gauge shows a huge variance when underway. Last weekend it was showing 3% at idle parked at the dock and then 38% a moment later when we went surfing. I fill mine from a personal tank with no gallon gauge so I have no idea how empty it really was with the gauge showing 3%.

Does anyone have a newer R5 or R7 where the hourly fuel flow data actually works? My dealer told me that that is only available on Cobalts with twin engines.

[tkrahn]

I purchased a Cobalt R5 in the spring 2017. I had the exact same issues with the fuel gauge that everyone has been describing. I would drive 4 or 5 hours and the gauge would show around 95-100%. The next thing you see is the gauge will show 40 or 50% and then is down to 0. I had the dealership look at it and they said nothing is wrong. Is just the way it works. This fall because my kids took up surfing I traded it in and I am now a proud owner of a 2019 R5 surf boat. In 2 months I have 45 hours on it in and the fuel gauge is exactly like my original R5. Basically about every 6 hours I just fill up with gas as I do not think you can trust to fuel gauge. I really think this is been a problems since cobalt went to the digital cockpit. I had a 240 with an analog gauge which worked very well.

[Gail Force]

2018 R5 350 Volvo. Well wowee. Back in the day when I used to fish off shore we always installed “Floscan” gauges just to be sure you were going to get home. You would think with what we paid and the power of twin Garmins things would be more accurate and different. Ha Garbage in, Garbage out. The world of computers. I guess its why the wife keeps her book of hrs and gallons. Should of never switches from loran tds. Ha. Really showing my age.

[Big Block Power]

Looks like a couple of calls to the dealers should fix the issue. Glad you found the thread.

[mdadgar]

Does anyone have a newer R5 or R7 where the hourly fuel flow data actually works? My dealer told me that that is only available on Cobalts with twin engines.

It works on my 2013 A25.

- Mark