FUEL GAUGE ADJUSTMENT?

[Smartbazza]

SOME OF YOU MAY BE AWARE FROM MY POST LAST WEEK THAT SOME `PEOPLE`TRIED TO NICK MY GS LAST WEEK. WHEN RUMBLED THEY DROPPED IT AND RAN. THE FUEL GAUGE NOW READS EMPTY EARLIER AND DOESNT REGISTER AS FULL WHEN FILLED TO THE BRIM. WHILST I KNOW IT`LL DO ABOUT 190MILES TO EMPTY IT`S QUITE HANDY TO HAVE THE GAUGE WORKING CORRECTLY.
WHAT TURNS THE FUEL LIGHT ON IE WILL THE LEVEL AT WHICH IT LIGHTS BE AFFECTED? ANY ADVICE ON THIS WILL BE MOST APPRECIATED. `99GS1100.

 

[Iain Hogg]

Sounds like it might be time to change the fuel filter - 'cos when you are in there you can bend the floaty thing and really screw up (or perhaps fix?) your fuel guage

Seriously though, I beleive that teh guage works off a float inside the tank and it sounds like the dropping has bent/dislodged it.

The warning light, I think, is independant of the float and should still work as it did before.

You could try fisshing about in the tank just to check the free movement of the float. Remember, that if you remove the filler, the rubber O-ring expands and will need about 24 hours in the fresh air before it will fit again.

Good luck,

Iain

 

[Mick Fagan]

Barry, your bike could well have suffered a bit of damage in the tank. The fuel gauge is a piece of wire with a float on the end. As the fuel level drops the arm starts to come down. The arm actuates an electrical switch sort of like the volume control on a radio. It is possible that something may have happened, but I think it unlikely.

My bike has the annoying problem of me filling the tank up to the brim and the RID shows 1 bar missing. Normally I have to use close to half the tank before that 1 bar goes off the RID. All the way down as the tank emptys the bars go off before they should. Eventually I have the amber fuel light showing 1 bar before it should come on.

I found out that there is a possible culprit causing this little gremlin. The fuel tank has a main electrical cable coming from the fuel pump/gauge. This cable is on the right hand side of the tank. If you pull the black plastic panel under the tank off you'll see the cable and it connects with a largish plug.

This plug contains 4 pins (I think) these pins both the male and female ones seem to get dirty and don't pass the information on as well as they should. Pull the plug apart (don't forget to squeeze in the little tabs to get it to pull apart) and then clean the pins carefully. I then push and pull the plug in and out about 5-6 times and hey presto the fuel gauge works correctly again.

Now I'm not saying that this is a definite fix for your problem, but it works on my bike and also on quite a few friends bikes as well. I think it's age and useage related along with dust and whatever, but it appears that this is a problem that may occur when these bikes are 20-30 years old and everyone will know about that fault, maybe.

Mick.

 

[simon thomas]

BARRY,

Taking the fual gauge, pump, filter assembly out of the tank is'nt difficult, although a degree of patience is required as you will need to pull and turn the whole thing in order to bring it clear of the tank.

Make sure to make a note of of the correct allignment of the bolts-to-holes before removing as you will need to ensure that when you put the assembly back in, is is located and rotated correctly. If not, although you gauge will work, it wont be acurate.

Cheers
Simon T

 

[Goosey Gander]

DON"T DO IT!!!

Removing the fuel pump assembly is a great hoot but bear in mind that if you do it'll never, ever work correctly again. Sounds like a BMW 'querk' to me, just adapt to it.



Goose.

 

[Hughesy]

My gauge is doing the exact same guys have been looking for cures and will start with the Mick Fagan approach. sometimes simple is better. looking round the net came up on another adventure bike type forum( oh now I just feel cheap and dirty!!) here the link if your curious. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=364152 could be a bit of a tech head approach for some guys though. I'd be more of the measured by laser adjusted by hammer kinda guy. it may help?