New Pontoon Boat owner

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egore
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2018 5:47 am

New Pontoon Boat owner

#1 Post by egore » Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:41 pm

Our family has joined the pontoon world. After my bowrider sank last month, my wife and daughter "suggested" that we investigate a pontoon boat. I'm just glad that she suggested any boat at all! So we looked and found a 2004 Bentley 240 Cruise - in fantastic shape - and made the leap. I have to admit, I'm greatly enjoying it. Although I wouldn't mind if it had a larger motor, it's got a 90hp Merc, it moves the entire family, including grandkids, very well. We had 4 adults, 3 children and 3 dogs aboard on Sunday and was very comfortable.
Being a 14 year old boat, I'm finding that some minor issues with it. Some of the courtesy lights are inoperable, a few of the dash lights are also out, and the fuel gauge is stuck on E! Of all of the items, I'd like to fix the gauge most, but I don't know where to start. Can y'all teach an old dog a new trick? If this post now needs to move to a different section, please let me know and it shall be done.
I was a member of the forum of my last boat's manufacture, and I never was at a loss for assistance. Thanks in advance and thanks for being here.

Ed
Bentley 240 Cruise, 90hp Merc
Doesn't go fast, but it goes.

...and a donut with out a hole is a danish.

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Henpecked
Posts: 110
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2018 9:05 pm
Location: Ellis County, TX

Re: New Pontoon Boat owner

#2 Post by Henpecked » Thu Sep 13, 2018 3:57 pm

Welcome aboard. I'm still looking for my first boat, but I have free advice. Check the ground wiring for the fuel gauge. A bad ground would affect the lighting and the gauge reading. The problem could also be inside the gauge. Look between the lit gauges and the unlit gauges. They usually all have a common ground and it could be broken or corroded between the gauges.

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ROLAND
Posts: 4248
Joined: Sat Oct 03, 2009 4:29 am

Re: New Pontoon Boat owner

#3 Post by ROLAND » Fri Sep 14, 2018 1:09 am

egore.. welcome to the forum and congrats on the new to you Bently... I have an uncle that has a Bently and he loves it.. Sorry I can't help you with fixing your boat issues, but rest assured, there are plenty of knowledgeable guys on this forum that will at least be able to get you headed in the right direction... again, welcome to the group!
Roland & Jo
2010 Bennington 20 Sfi
Yamaha 75 4 Stroke
Shreveport, Louisiana

egore
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2018 5:47 am

Re: New Pontoon Boat owner

#4 Post by egore » Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:24 am

Henpecked,

Thanks for giving me a starting point. I'll check it out this weekend when we head to the lake. The rain is supposed to hold off until Monday.
By the way, love your avatar!

Roland, thanks. I've usually found that many owners are also very knowledgeable about their boats and can do maintenance themselves. More importantly,
will share the knowledge. That's what the rest of us bank on.

Ed
Bentley 240 Cruise, 90hp Merc
Doesn't go fast, but it goes.

...and a donut with out a hole is a danish.

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Henpecked
Posts: 110
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2018 9:05 pm
Location: Ellis County, TX

Re: New Pontoon Boat owner

#5 Post by Henpecked » Fri Sep 14, 2018 9:19 am

Just remember that advice is usually only worth what you pay for it. That's my personal body guard in my avatar. Next month will mark 27 years of marriage. Good luck on the fix.

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FLOUNDERPOUNDER225
Posts: 314
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2015 7:19 am

Re: New Pontoon Boat owner

#6 Post by FLOUNDERPOUNDER225 » Fri Sep 14, 2018 11:15 am

egore wrote:
Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:41 pm
Our family has joined the pontoon world. After my bowrider sank last month, my wife and daughter "suggested" that we investigate a pontoon boat. I'm just glad that she suggested any boat at all! So we looked and found a 2004 Bentley 240 Cruise - in fantastic shape - and made the leap. I have to admit, I'm greatly enjoying it. Although I wouldn't mind if it had a larger motor, it's got a 90hp Merc, it moves the entire family, including grandkids, very well. We had 4 adults, 3 children and 3 dogs aboard on Sunday and was very comfortable.
Being a 14 year old boat, I'm finding that some minor issues with it. Some of the courtesy lights are inoperable, a few of the dash lights are also out, and the fuel gauge is stuck on E! Of all of the items, I'd like to fix the gauge most, but I don't know where to start. Can y'all teach an old dog a new trick? If this post now needs to move to a different section, please let me know and it shall be done.
I was a member of the forum of my last boat's manufacture, and I never was at a loss for assistance. Thanks in advance and thanks for being here.

Ed
Fuel gauges are the easiest gauge to trouble shoot. on the gauge itself, on the back there are 2 wires (other than the lighting which will blue) normally a red on one side, and a pink on the other. power comes into the gauge on the red, and the gauge is searching for ground, that ground is controlled by the sending unit in the tank, the more ground potential the gauge reads, the higher the needle rises (towards full). it is a process of elimination, if at your tank you can easily see your sending unit wires, then start there, mine has a plug, yours may be hard wired. the pink wire coming from the gauge goes in and the black (or green) wire goes to ground. you can unplug, or cut those 2 wires, turn your key ON (no start) touch those 2 wires together (THE ONES COMING FROM THE CONSOLE) and have someone watch the gauge, if the gauge slams to full, your sending unit is bad. if nothing happens, your wiring is corroded (bad grounds as mentioned earlier) or your gauge is bad. do this and report back.
Pensacola FL
2015 Berkshire 231 RFC
Yamaha F-150

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TWB
Posts: 658
Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2018 7:40 am
Location: Navarre, FL

Re: New Pontoon Boat owner

#7 Post by TWB » Fri Sep 14, 2018 12:00 pm

Welcome to the club, egore!

My toon is a 2003 and had hung on the lift in salt air for 15 years. The one thing I found the hard way (more than once) was that any terminal connectors are likely corroded. Battery terminals? Corroded. Starter terminals? Corroded. On and on. I recommend you consider a small steel wire brush and the time to go through all connections - starting, of course, with the obvious ones. Scrub them shiny.

Takes a little time, but is much cheaper than replacing parts willy-nilly.

Just my $.02
Paul & Michele
2003 Landau DX 24' Cruise "Loretta Jane"
2003 Mercury 75hp
My Rebuild: http://pontoonforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=26135

"Don't waste brain cells over something you can do nothing about." --My Wife

egore
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2018 5:47 am

Re: New Pontoon Boat owner

#8 Post by egore » Mon Sep 17, 2018 5:56 am

I went to the lake on Saturday and did as was suggested. When I touched the wires together, nothing happened with the gauge. When I went to get the wire brush to clean the connectors, the wire brush wasn't where I had left it! (Thought I left it?) I disconnected the terminals and tried to clean them with my knife, but I don't think scraping them is the way to go. When we got back home, I immediately put the brush in the car for my next trip down. I'll let y'all know the results of the next step.
Bentley 240 Cruise, 90hp Merc
Doesn't go fast, but it goes.

...and a donut with out a hole is a danish.

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FLOUNDERPOUNDER225
Posts: 314
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2015 7:19 am

Re: New Pontoon Boat owner

#9 Post by FLOUNDERPOUNDER225 » Mon Sep 17, 2018 7:17 am

Just checking: Key was ON (correct)? your on the right track. Here is how you can short cut some time. If you can use a test light or voltmeter, first you must fine a good working ground, turn your key ON, test light clip to ground, test light probe touching the + Red Side on back of fuel gauge, if your light illuminates that's good, means the gauge is GETTING power. now take a home made jumper wire (key still on) and go from that good ground you were using, to the OTHER SIDE (probably pink wire) of the fuel gauge, have someone watching the gauge, if it slams to full, the gauge is good and now you know you have a bad wire
Pensacola FL
2015 Berkshire 231 RFC
Yamaha F-150

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bansil
Posts: 1103
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 4:10 pm
Location: Watâ'gi lake...Beautiful Waters

Re: New Pontoon Boat owner

#10 Post by bansil » Fri Oct 12, 2018 5:14 pm

Fyi, our gage was "grounded" from the sending unit to the synthetic deck...yes, i said that, :donno a quick wire to an actual ground fixed ours
Check out "Dudes" site www.whereisdude.com

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