Fuel Guage Overreads

[Explorer]

1150 GS, on recent trip, in more or less continuously rainy conditions, the fuel guage twice got 'stuck' on showing full (all the bars lit).

On the first occasion it sorted itself out when the fuel was down to about half a tank. It is still stuck on 'full' at the moment from the second time.

Anyone know anything about this issue? Is there a fix, or is it just wet weather issue that cannot be sorted?

 

[John Armstrong]

I'd try a squirt with some WD40 on the connector that goes between the tank and the frame and is on the RH side of the tank. From memory its long and thin

 

[Stewart H]

I would bet on water getting somewhere it shouldnt, next time it does it pull the black sidecover on the right side of the bike back and give the four way connector behind it a blast of WD40.

Stewart

 

[elevensies]

WD40

 

[Explorer]

Thanks

Thanks for the ideas. It seems the answer is good old WD40.

 

[John Armstrong]

Thanks for the ideas. It seems the answer is good old WD40.

Tried it yet?

 

[Explorer]

Ok, I tried that and it did not work.

Took off the black plastic panel, opened the connections (cleaned one of the pins that looked a bit tarnished) and sprayed it all with WD40.

Gauge still reads full, but I know there is only a half tank in there.

Is it a float that might have got stuck? Or is the level of fuel measured by an immersed sensor?

Any more ideas gratefully recieved!

 

[Stewart H]

Ok, I tried that and it did not work.

Took off the black plastic panel, opened the connections (cleaned one of the pins that looked a bit tarnished) and sprayed it all with WD40.

Gauge still reads full, but I know there is only a half tank in there.

Is it a float that might have got stuck? Or is the level of fuel measured by an immersed sensor?

Any more ideas gratefully recieved!

My float was stuck for a long time, it was not intermittent in my case, why not take the tank off and give it a shake ? if the float sticks intermittently that ought to shift it.
Stewart

 

[King Rat]

I wish my glass was stuck on full all the time.

It sounds like you have a "Gordon Brown" fuel guage. Or maybe an "Alistair Darling" one.

A good shake up should sort out either.

 

[Explorer]

The BMW Dealer says the gauge is a float and it may have stuck (later models had a strip sensor).

Their recommend is either to shake it and/or fill it to see if it frees up. Or take off the filler cap and very gently (so as not to bend it) free it with your hand.

 

[Stewart H]

Mine was stuck at full for ages, I took the pump/sender unit out, the float arm moved freely enough so I reassembled it and it has worked fine ever since.

Stewart