Gas not filling up all the way

[Dean P]

Still screwing around with both the dealer and Chapparal on this issue. Spoke with a Sr Manager at Chapparal and they agreed to replace the fuel pump which has the sending unit for the fuel gauge. They also agreed to set the float arm at the factory correctly. Apparently it is designed in the shape of a J and has to be bent to a specific angle using a jig. Lastly, in conversation with them they indicate that these fuel pumps and fuel gauge senders are off the shelf units made by another vendor and it would be costly to redesign them to make them more accurate. (I sense they are fully aware of the inaccuracy of the gauges in general.)
Even so, my boat seems to be unusually inaccurate, hence their agreement to replace the fuel pump/fuel gauge sender.
Will let you know how it turns out but may not know until I get the boat on the water in late April.

Have you gotten any answers from the dealer or Chaparral on this or still waiting???

 

[JBas10]

My boat sits in a lift on a lake with n0 gas pumps. I fill the boat using a 14g gas caddy. The gas is gravity fed and is very slow (i usually sit on the back and can finish a beer). I have been able to fill the tank to 100%.... once (which kinda sucked cause i spilled like a quart of gas in the lake). It seems you can fill the tank all the way but not under the pressure of a gas pump. When I filled the boat this Spring while on the trailer at a gas station I only got to 3/4 filled on the gauge. The first time I fill with with the Gas Caddy this year I will pay attention to the gauge and let you know if it goes above 3/4.

 

[waternutt]

The gas is gravity fed and is very slow (i usually sit on the back and can finish a beer).

Sounds like you drink too slow.

 

[Martin Moister]

It's been a roughly two years since I last commented in this thread and had been working with both the Dealer and Chaparral to get this gas gauge issue resolved and am now less than 6 months to the end of Chaparral's warranty. Long story short.....after multiple replacements of the fuel pumps and the float arms, as well as the dealer re-plumbing the vent lines, the issue is no better. I have given up and am just going to live with it for now. IMHO the fuel gauge is nothing more than an indicator that there is "something" in the tank and not how much. Any reading above 12% tells me there is some fuel in the tank but I have no idea how much.
I intend to replace the OEM fuel sender and fuel gauge with a third party solid state sending unit and gauge as soon as the warranty expires in June 2023. I've researched a number of options but haven't settled on anything at this point because I need to get eyes on the VRX fuel tank to see if there is physical room for mounting a third party sending unit. Having said that, I am leaning toward using capacitive technology from this manufacturer: https://kus-usa.com/products/liquid-level-sender/

On a related note, I too have had better luck with fueling the VRX from a gas caddy versus taking it to a gas station. With the gas caddy I am able to regularly fill it to a 97 or 98% reading on the fuel guage, assuming you believe the fuel gauge, which I don't. At a gas station it is hard to get beyond 75% or so.
While I love the 223VRX in general terms, it's fuel gauge absolutely sucks swamp water and feel Chaparral would have served it's customers better by either not providing a fuel gauge, or just provide an access window somewhere so you could physically see the fuel level. I'll get off my soap box now.