FUEL EQUIP PROB 'NOTORIOUSLY UNRELIABLE' FUEL GAUGES.

Narrative

BE-58'S ARE NOTORIOUS FOR UNRELIABLE FUEL GAUGES AND; WHEN I GOT THIS ACFT; IT WAS LESS THAN FULL; SO I COULDN'T BE SURE EXACTLY HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ON BOARD. IT HADN'T BEEN FLOWN SINCE THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND THE PLT WHO HAD FLOWN IT WAS UNAVAILABLE. I ESTIMATED THE FUEL I THOUGHT TO BE ON THE ACFT AND ADDED ENOUGH FOR THE 1ST 3 LEGS. THE FACT THAT I DIDN'T KNOW FOR SURE HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ON BOARD WAS A FACTOR THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. FINISHING THE 3RD LEG; I ADDED MORE FUEL. I COULDN'T ADD TOO MUCH OR I WOULD HAVE A WT PROB WITH THE ANTICIPATED PAYLOAD. I FLEW THE NEXT LEG; AND AS I WAS PREPARING TO RETURN; I WENT THROUGH THE CHKLIST AND NOTED FUEL GAUGES INDICATED ABOUT 1/4 TANKS. I TOOK OFF AND 20 MINS INTO THE FLT NOTICED THE L GAUGE ON 'E.' BECAUSE I COULDN'T PROVE TO MYSELF THAT IT WAS WRONG; I TOLD THE CTLR I HAD A LOW FUEL SIT AND DESIRED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. HE GAVE ME PRIORITY HANDLING TO ILN. ONCE ON THE GND; I REFUELED IT; TOPPING IT OFF. I DISCOVERED THAT I HAD 4 GALS MORE ON BOARD THAN I HAD CALCULATED. THERE WAS PLENTY OF FUEL ON BOARD; THE GAUGE WAS INACCURATE. I'M NOT SURE I WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY; BUT IF WE HAD A SYS IN PLACE WHERE THE PREVIOUS PLT COULD HAVE TOLD ME HOW MUCH FUEL HE HAD LEFT ON BOARD; I WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE CONFIDENT OF HOW MUCH I TOOK OFF WITH.