How many have a fuel flow sensor?

[MnLakeBum]

I’m wondering how many of you have a fuel flow sensor and specifically if any R5/R7 owners with the Garmin Glass Cockpit have one? I have the R5 with the Garmin glass cockpit and there is a setting for fuel flow but my dealer is telling me this is only included for the twin engine Cobalts which seems odd. There is a Garmin accessory, GFS 10 fuel flow sensor that is available for about $150 that I’m wondering if anyone has added it. Right now my fuel gauge was calibrated by the dealer at my dock but it is not accurate. It stays above 50% until there is about 20% or less of the fuel left and then it drops to zero rather quickly. I’ve done the recalibration a couple times but it doesn’t seem to help. I’m hoping that adding the fuel flow sensor would make the gauge much more accurate and reduce the number of times I have to fuel the boat as currently I fill it whenever the gauge gets below 50%.

It’s frustrating to have such an inaccurate fuel gauge on my 2018 R5 when the Cobalt analog fuel gauge on my 2016 Marker One is very accurate.

[jma2@fuse.net]

I'm not sure I understand your question, but I'll try to answer. I'm assuming your boat does not have the glass cockpit, and that you have an analog fuel gauge that doesn't accurately show your fuel level. The modern VP engines use a "J1939" protocol to send engine data to output devices capable of reading the data. The protocol includes fuel flow, so you already have the technology with your engine. However, while your engine has digital fuel information, if my assumptions are correct, that data is actually being output to an analogue gauge--go figure. However, the small LED on your tach does show GPH, which is evidence that your engine has the fuel flow data. The problem is that Cobalt has not installed gauges capable of reading all the data that your engine can send. Thus, you do not need the GFS 10, and I would not cut my fuel lines to install one anyway.

[Big Block Power]

Jm he has the glass guages so he would want that reading. His marker one has the analog guages not the r5.

[MnLakeBum]

I'm not sure I understand your question, but I'll try to answer. I'm assuming your boat does not have the glass cockpit, and that you have an analog fuel gauge that doesn't accurately show your fuel level. The modern VP engines use a "J1939" protocol to send engine data to output devices capable of reading the data. The protocol includes fuel flow, so you already have the technology with your engine. However, while your engine has digital fuel information, if my assumptions are correct, that data is actually being output to an analogue gauge--go figure. However, the small LED on your tach does show GPH, which is evidence that your engine has the fuel flow data. The problem is that Cobalt has not installed gauges capable of reading all the data that your engine can send. Thus, you do not need the GFS 10, and I would not cut my fuel lines to install one anyway.

My R5 Surf has the Garmin Dual 7607 glass cockpit but my dealer is telling me the fuel flow function is only included on twin engine Cobalts which I suspect is just an excuse for them not to fix it. Either the fuel flow sensor was included from the factory or I can add it. I’m trying to determine if other 2018 and newer Cobalt single engine owners with glass cockpit have a functioning fuel flow from the factory or if I have to have to buy the sensor and have it installed. I’d obviously like to get this done now while it’s not in the water rather than waiting until boating season is here.

[tbully]

Both R7's that I've owned have Fuel Flow readout on the glass. I'm assuming it is actually a calculated flow from injector pulse-width time as I don't see a fuel flow sensor on the network. (deep in the Garmin settings)

Weird that yours isn't working..... I don't agree with your dealer.

[puttsputts]

I have a 2018R3 with the glass cockpit as well. The fuel gauge has never been accurate. Dealer said the fuel flow feature does not come with the cockpit (even though the screen shows the item - its not populated with data.) To use it the sensor has to be added as an option. I'm not sure this will help make the cockpit any more accurate but will put the burden on you to read the fuel flow info.

[Gail Force]

I feel your pain. In our R5 with the glass dash I went thru everything you guys are talking about, same conversations with dealer, same result. We kept a book of engine hours and stopped for gas every 8 hrs. Stupid. 130,000 dollar boat with 2000 dollars worth of gamin computers. I refused to go thru the same with the 2019 R7. Found the Volvo Penta Trip Computer give everything you need. Gallons per hour and gallons left in tank. I cant tell you how much it cost but I really didn't care. It was all software as to my understanding. Told dealer to install and have it working for delivery day. There was a incentive to solve the problem for me.

[Ytmsn]

Bum, from what I've seen on just about every Cobalt and the wiring... If the option is there on your screen then all you'll need to do is buy the sensor and plug it in. If they have the option for twins, then the plug is back there somewhere.

Now, I'll be the first to tell you I'm not a wiring guy and wouldn't usually have a clue, but too many people have come onto this site to install this or that only to find Cobalt uses a wiring harness that have a place for every conceivable factory option already there. It's just a matter of plugging it in.

[puttsputts]

Have experienced the same surprise- adding a 3rd amp for the tower and found power cable was already run to CB board and dead ended up near the amps. now just if I can find where the tower speaker wires are run thru.

[BobRae99]

It's pretty disappointing to read that the feul gauge on the R series boats is not accurate. From a safety point of view, you would think that a properly functioning fuel gauge would be a given. If I had that problem and the dealer couldn't correct it, I think I'd be reaching out to Cobalt directly for some additional support.

[Photo_G]

Bum, from what I've seen on just about every Cobalt and the wiring... If the option is there on your screen then all you'll need to do is buy the sensor and plug it in. If they have the option for twins, then the plug is back there somewhere.

Our 210 displays both Fuel Burn Rate and Fuel Level on the digital readout, but the latter appears to just provide a numeric indication of what's on the dash fuel gauge (which looks analog, but is actually digital according to my owners manual - even though I'm pretty sure it gets the data from a float in the tank). Is there something available that could potentially be plugged in to a wiring harness, which would allow us to read out estimated fuel level based on a calculation of the variable burn rate against tank capacity? If so, this might be a better indicator than the fuel gauge, which moves around a lot and reads high while underway.

Thanks in advance,
G

[dsthomas]

I realize that this is an older thread. I just ordered a new 2020 R7 surf... we have about 12 hours on her now. Was out today and noticed the Gal per hour at Zero when under way. Anyone have any more info on this. Thanks in advance for your time.

[tgrace98]

Crazy you all report this because mine is pretty accurate and I’ve asked others on the dock and they say the same. Earlier this week I was at 26% and threw in 62 gallons (R7 has a 78 gal cell) so at that time it was off by 5%. Which I assumed was just from not being level or gas slouching around in the tank. I’ve ran mine down to 10% before and put 70 gallons in it.

[HairyGorilla]

I realize that this is an older thread. I just ordered a new 2020 R7 surf... we have about 12 hours on her now. Was out today and noticed the Gal per hour at Zero when under way. Anyone have any more info on this. Thanks in advance for your time.

I have a 2020 R5 Surf and also have no output on the fuel flow. I asked the dealer and they said it was not included in this boat. They removed the icon from the Garmin Glass and said the fuel gauge was all it had.

Regarding the fuel gauge, mine seems consistent but maybe not perfectly accurate. The first half of the tank lasts slightly longer than the second half. Also, I believe this is common in most boats but the fuel gauge reads much more accurately when sitting motionless rather than while driving (usually shows 10-20% higher than actual).

[ajcampen]

My fuel gage on my ‘14 220s merc powered boat is crap. However, vessel view Mobil is pretty accurate with their calculated reading based on engine burn rate data. When I fill up I add the amount of gas in the app and it Keeps track