FUEL GAUGE INDICATION PROBS CAUSE PLT CONFUSION AS TO FUEL AVAILABILITY.

Narrative

THE PROB STARTED WITH ME NOTICING THE R MAIN FUEL GAUGE READING LOWER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE. I SWITCHED TO AUX TANKS ON BOTH SIDES. I RAN THE AUX TANKS TO WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE DRY. THE R AUX TANK STILL WAS SHOWING FULL-I BELIEVED THE TANK TO BE ALMOST EMPTY AND THE GAUGE TO BE STICKING. I RAN THE MAIN TANKS THE REST OF THE WAY HAVING PLANNED TO HAVE 1 HR RESERVE ON BOARD. KNOWING MY FUELED LOAD BUT HAVING ODD FUEL GAUGE READINGS I STAYED HIGH-ABOVE 8500 FT UNTIL 10 MI FROM THE FIELD. THE R ENG QUIT FROM FUEL STARVATION FROM THE R MAIN TANK BEING EMPTY. I CROSSFED THE R ENG FROM THE L MAIN FUEL TANK 20 MI FROM THE ARPT STILL ABOVE 8500 FT. I TOLD THE APCH CTLR I HAD MINIMUM FUEL BECAUSE THE L MAIN FUEL GAUGE WAS SHOWING LOWER AND GOING DOWN FASTER THAN I THOUGHT IT SHOULD. I BELIEVED I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL BUT THE GAUGES WERE STARTING TO SHOW THAT I COULD POSSIBLY NOT IF I HAD DELAYS. WHEN TURNED OVER TO THE TWR CTLR; SHE ASKED IF I WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER; I REPLIED NO. I BELIEVE SHE ASKED ME A SECOND TIME AND I AGAIN SAID NO. THEN SHE ASKED IF I WANTED THE FIRE DEPT TO STANDBY. I SAID THAT WOULD BE OK AND 1 MIN LATER TOLD HER I HAD THE FIELD MADE WITH NO PROBS. UPON LNDG AND CHKING THE AIRPLANE I FOUND THE R AUX TANK TO BE FULL (15 GALLONS) AND THE L MAIN TO HAVE 11 GALLONS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS; IF I WAS TIRED AND DIDN'T SWITCH TO THE AUX TANK. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS TO BE SO SINCE I WAS SO AWARE OF THE GAUGES. I CALLED MAINT AND THE CHIEF PLT TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THE SIT. I DID NOT WANT TO DECLARE AN EMER. I DON'T BELIEVE I HAD ONE BUT WANTED TO MAKE THE TWR AWARE IN CASE THE SIT DID DETERIORATE.