Fuel gauge fiasco, -Dealer comments - your comments welcome

I get your point but as said above the lights are a pain. Filling up long before you really need to is also a pain. I'm actually amazed that after 10 + years of these failing over and over again that bmw haven't actually managed through some research and development come up with a working solution to upgrade these strips with something that works instead of just fitting failing parts over and over again.
Mine is going back in to the dealer on Tuesday to hopefully have it fixed before I head to Europe on Friday. Fingers crossed.
Btw. Does anyone know how long a warranty there is on a new fuel strip. Though I will of course find out on Tuesday at the dealer.
 
gazza12adv said:
I'm actually amazed that after 10 + years of these failing over and over again that bmw haven't actually managed through some research and development come up with a working solution to upgrade these strips with something that works.
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They don't need to. All the bike that have them are out of warranty and they don't use them in newer bikes.
 
The Bear said:
They don't need to. All the bike that have them are out of warranty and they don't use them in newer bikes.
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Yeah I suppose you're right. Though as said previously we have to keep paying for them whilst the septics seem to get them fitted for free.
 
Broke last Thursday eve.
In to Wollastons last night. All fixed today and ready for my European jaunt from Friday. Good service as always.
I wonder how long this one will last. Lol
 
Marki_GSA said:
The mpg figures are pretty accurate so it is simple to use the trip unless you can't count of course.

Its all academic, there are 2 choices. Keep getting it replaced or do some basic arithmetic. Oh there is a 3rd option, buy a bike where the manufacturer knows how to build a fuel gauge.
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Personally I think the attitude of bmw to the probs fuel strips / FDs / fuel pump controllers / front engine case corrosion etc is a bit shite. FWIW re fuel gauges I kinda mix the ‘resetting a trip’ method with ‘acting on the yellow countdown warning’ when it appears (a belt n braces approach). Trip1 records mileage since last refill whilst trip2 records total miles for that journey. Trip1 is always put on display. As bike does around 54+ mpg (whether to Tesco or Teba), at around 200mi I start looking out for a fuel stop. Of course this system relies on methodically resetting the trip, brimming the tank, copious petrol stations etc. So incompetence demands ref is also made to the yellow countdown warning, which a couple of times has been run as low as ~ 10mi. My 04 1200gs has never had a prob with the fuel gauge so I guess the sensor is some earlier float based version and not a strip. So is the solution to the faulty fuel strips saga simply to retro fit the earlier analogue float sensor to get 100% reliability? A bit of signal conditioning may be required but surely this can be done or has bmw also thrown the towel in on this prob? Doubtless ‘someone’ will deride this attempt at a helpful suggestion but this system and sensor have served me fine for best part of 50k, so f*** em. Perhaps I should have put this stuff in the rant section but I’m clearly running low on bile.
 
Apparently bmw has even tried to retro fit a float and failed. The earlier and newer bikes with them are configured differently at the ecu. It isn't as simple as conditioning the signal either. There are lots of threads around the net with why this is the case. The best that has been done is to fool the ecu to as least switch off the warning triangle.
 
Ive fitted a 450mm long pole and float sensor inside the fuel tank. The cable box end is sealed with epoxy. It drives a standard 10 to 180 ohm digital instrument. 100 = full and something like 19 = empty though it can go to zero and still be running. Another time it will run dry showing 19.

It's a work in progress and the bottom end scale does seem to be less finely graduated. I may well turn it around so that 100 = empty or rather nearly empty - the sender head is about 2" tall.

The instrument is a 38mm diameter digital gauge 10 to 180 ohm reading 0 to 100. Cost £15. The pole sensor cost £33.

I've had hassles with the ejector system not emptying the tank right hand side so thinking about plugging the ejector and fitting a transfer link tube and fuel tap to give a handy reserve.
 
Ive just replaced my fuel strip with a float.

For it to work it does mean having to leave the fuel cap open when I ride, so I can see the float. Taking evaporation into account, I'm averaging 45 litres to the mile.











float-fishing.jpg
 
I'm on my third fuel strip and frankly I have no confidence in them at all, even the brand new one.

I recently filled up with 324 miles on the trip meter (the furthest I have pushed it), at this point the RANGE reading was reading over 100 miles left. I filled up with just over 28 litres; so I had just under 5 litres left, so why wasn't the amber reserve triangle showing? That worked out at about 52mpg so no way was I going to make 100 miles according to the range readout. I have decided to just trust the Trip meter and fill up anytime I get close to 250 miles. Shit technology that should have been binned when the first problems became apparent.
 
I use the trip (no other option) but my fuel mileage varies from high thirties to high 40s. I normally fill up at 250 miles but that can easily leave 10 litres in the tank but sometimes only one or two litres remaining. It makes the large fuel tank pretty pointless. Might as well fit a Harley peanut tank and fill it every 50 miles.

So that's why I'm working out how to use a pole float gauge. Te 400mm was bought from a Torquay boat chandlers for £33.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/POLE-TANK...166225?hash=item4d466f12d1:g:FCUAAOSwuzRXc5U-
 
I
Lord Snooty said:
I'm on my third fuel strip and frankly I have no confidence in them at all, even the brand new one.

I recently filled up with 324 miles on the trip meter (the furthest I have pushed it), at this point the RANGE reading was reading over 100 miles left. I filled up with just over 28 litres; so I had just under 5 litres left, so why wasn't the amber reserve triangle showing? That worked out at about 52mpg so no way was I going to make 100 miles according to the range readout. I have decided to just trust the Trip meter and fill up anytime I get close to 250 miles. Shit technology that should have been binned when the first problems became apparent.
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You actually could have had 7-8 litres left. I have run mine down to 10 miles range left on my old fuel strip and put in 35.5 litres in on quite a few occasions. I was lucky enough to get away with it.
I now need to get used to the calibration on my new strip as it seems to differ every time I've had it replaced.
I shall be doing that from Friday going across Europe. Btw did I mention I'm going away?:nenau
 
I
Lord Snooty said:
Thanks Gazza, I thought it was 33 litres
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Officially it is but it's possible to squeeze 36 litres in if you carry on filling slowly until it's actually full. Some have drilled the neck to allow this to happen easier but I haven't.
 
I fill mine with the pump nozzle right in. When its clicked once I pull it out to about 50mm down and fill to the next click. It holds at least 35 litres.

Removing and fitting the tank empty is easy enough tough the RHS rear mounting screw can be awkward. Do the job with a half full tank and you will be lucky to get that screw into place. I suspect the weight of fuel literally stretches the tank.
 
Someone mentioned earlier that BMW no longer use the "Strip" System.
When did they change to whatever System they replaced it with?
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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