Flying w/faulty gas gauge

-I understand that functional fuel gauges are required equipment for day VFR
-flight.

The function of a fuel gauge in a Cessna is to tell whether or not the master
switch is on.

-
-Would you fly this airplane?
-

If the mechanic said the gauge was OK (just to cover my butt) and since I don't
use the gauge to determine anything anyway, I'd go. If the gauge fails and the
FAA finds it on a ramp check, "Gee, the mechanic fixed it and it worked just
fine until ten seconds ago."

Jim



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

Jim Weir wrote:

The function of a fuel gauge in a Cessna is to tell whether or not the master
switch is on.

Yeah, the gauges in my Skyhawk have never worked worth a damn. Every
couple of years my mechanic does some scraping on the electrical
contacts of those crappy little float things accessed behind the
filler caps and they work well enough to pass inspection. I forget
how many hundred dollars it was going to be to replace them. Doubt
replacements would do any better considering how poorly the gauges
seem to work in most Cessnas.

Jim Rosinski
N3825Q

I'm in the process of replacing the Stewart-Warner steam gauges in the 182 with
the Mitchell modular line. We're doing both fuel gauges and both oil gauges.
I'll do an analysis of my installation for a Kitplanes column, probably about
this time next year for the whole process to take place.

Jim



(jim rosinski)
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

-Jim Weir wrote:
-
- The function of a fuel gauge in a Cessna is to tell whether or not the
master
- switch is on.
-
-Yeah, the gauges in my Skyhawk have never worked worth a damn.

Doubt
-replacements would do any better considering how poorly the gauges
-seem to work in most Cessnas.
-
-Jim Rosinski
-N3825Q

Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com