Ground wire for fuel filler tube?

[Todd in NY]

I have a green wire that looks like it connects to the fuel filler tube, judging by the area the wire comes from at the stern. I assume it is the ground wire for the fuel filling tube, but what should it be grounded to? It's not long enough to connect to the fuse block at the center of the stern, and I have no idea what it was connected to before I bought the boat. It was hanging at the stern ever since I bought the boat. I can't see what it is attached to under the transom either. The fuel filler tube is the only thing on the rear port side of the boat that would have any wires leading to it or from it. I don't have pictures of the part of the boat I am referring to. Any ideas?

[GrumpyFisherman]

Typically a Ground wire will go from the sending unit of the fuel tank to the back side of the filler outlet housing. If you can trace where the Green wire is coming from, then you will be able know for sure that is what the Green wire is for.........

[smallboat]

The green wire you are referring to is a grounding wire for the fuel fill.  It is there to prevent a spark when you put the nozzle from the pump into the fill pipe.  This wire is NOT part of your electric system but should be wired DIRECTLY to the negative bus bar or negative post of your starting battery with a minimum 14 ga. green wire.

 

On a larger inboard boat, this wire would be part of the boat's bonding system and wired into that system.

[Todd in NY]

The wiring on the boat was so bad when I bought the boat that I hired a marine electrician to rewire it. That green wire was the only wire he had trouble tracing. I'll look again when I get the cover off. Thanks!

[smallboat]

The color of each wire in a boat's electrical system indicates its function.   All boat manufacturers follow ABYC guidelines for color coding wires so, assuming this wire is original to the boat, the green color indicates grounding or bonding. Green is not used for any other purpose in marine 12 or 24 volt systems. All marine electricians should know this.

[Todd in NY]

That was the problem with this boat, much of the wiring (minus the main wiring harness) was replaced by previous owners. We're pretty sure it is the ground for the fuel filler tube. The only way to confirm this is the remove 1 or 2 panels, and by that point he was out of time and I was out of money. He worked on that electrical system for 2 days, charging by the hour, and that was all my budget could handle at the time.

[jimski2]

In extreme cold weather I saw a car burn when filling his tank with a plastic gasoline can. When filling your portable boat tanks you must put them on the ground to

prevent a spark. Your built in tank needs a ground wire installed and a metal fuel nozzle for safety.

[Todd in NY]

In extreme cold weather I saw a car burn when filling his tank with a plastic gasoline can. When filling your portable boat tanks you must put them on the ground to

prevent a spark. Your built in tank needs a ground wire installed and a metal fuel nozzle for safety.

 

That's a great reminder to put plastic gas cans on the ground when filling them. I've seen people leave them on the tailgate of their trucks when filling them. Even if it's a one in a million chance of something bad happening, I don't like those odds.

 

I'll have that green wire properly grounded this spring before my boat hits the water.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Todd in NY