Fuel tank/size problem? Help!

[Kiwi_Spyder]

Hi all,

I am going nuts trying to understand what's going on in my 2012 RSS.
I start with the fuel reserve light on, and refuel, putting in 12-13 liters.
Where are the other 12L???

Also, commuting to work (90% highway) I can only do around 140-160km depending on how aggressively I am driving.

Granted this is a 2012 RSS with 28000Km but I bought it for riding around New Zealand. I don't see how I will do that having to refuel every 140km. Specially where I am in the middle of nowhere in the South Island (which happens often)

Any thoughts please? Service said it might be a faulty floater but I doubt it.

E.

[billybovine]

You're not filling the tank up for starters. Fill until the fuel is visible at the baffle. I can then drive 250 or more kms before the light comes on.

When the light comes on you will have a lot of fuel left. I will have 5 or more liters left and will take me another 50 or 60 kms before running out.

So I figure that I can go 300 kms before looking stupid on the side of the road. Your results may vary depending on how and where you ride.

[ARtraveler]

Thanks for the Monday morning math conversion problem.

I know this about the US numbers:

From the US standpoint--the refill light should go on about 150 miles and there are about 184 miles in the tank before running it dry.

I am wondering how full you are doing the tank before shut off. I always fill to the inner ring. It sounds like you are not getting enough fuel in the tank. The fuel level becomes visible as it approaches the inner ring. Stop filling and it will settle a bit. Refill one time to the ring. You should be getting the equivalent of about 28 to 31 miles per gallon on the 998 two cylinder. I get the same numbers from all four 998's that I have owned.

I am going to leave the conversions to someone else.

Looks like Billy Bovine has put it in metric perspective.

[Kiwi_Spyder]

Guys, really appreciate your help in this.

I am filling up the tank to when it automatically stops. I then do not fuel more.
What do you mean to fill it up to the baffle?
Looking in the tank when the pump automatically stops I can see the fuel clealry in the tank but there are at least 7-8 cm between the fuel cap thread and the fuel itself.
I read to stop fuelling the spyder when the pump stops on its own? Should I not do that? Should I fill it up just below the fuel cap thread?

Cheers!
E.

[loisk]

Hmmm.
The fuel light does come on early. You have to really start to worry when it's on for ages then goes out! Panic stations. At that point I recall I had less than a litre left. Petrol stations can be few and far between sometimes - after that heart in mouth episode, I started taking spare fuel with me on solo trips, but never needed it. Ps this was in the RS and ST.

I suggest you you pack a spare 5L, fill up normally, go for a drive and note how many km you get up (down) to one bar. It will be more than you think... Then you'll know.

[Kiwi_Spyder]

Yep already did that! I drove around from full to 1 bar. Light was on.

170km! That's just not possible.
The service guys are telling me that the floater in the pump is not working correctly.

[JerryB]

Hi Kiwi,

Re: there are at least 7-8 cm between the fuel cap thread and the fuel itself.

For the non-metric crowd, 7-8 cm is about 3". IMO that is WAY down there.

Fill it up to the baffle/ring/etc. Just slow down as you get near the top.

Jerry Baumchen

[JerryB]

Hi Kiwi,

Re: The service guys are telling me that the floater in the pump is not working correctly.

It could be this type of a problem. Also, the fuel gage is not linear. Do not think that a reading of 1/4 tank, 1/2 tank, etc is a true value.

Jerry Baumchen

[Spyder_Cowgirl]

Hi Kiwi,

Re: there are at least 7-8 cm between the fuel cap thread and the fuel itself.

For the non-metric crowd, 7-8 cm is about 3". IMO that is WAY down there.

Fill it up to the baffle/ring/etc. Just slow down as you get near the top.

Jerry Baumchen

I agree with Jerry .... you are only getting a partial fill up if you have that much head space between the ring / baffle and the fuel. Go slow as it gets near the opening (ring / baffle) and with the nozzle just a few cm's in the tank. I usually let it sputter a few drops, shut if off to let things settle, then do a short bit of fill until it sputters again. When done, I can just see the fuel lap at the lower edge of the ring ... did this on my 2012RT and was able to go 160 miles, on my 2016 RT I do the same and have traveled 220 miles on a single tank.

I really do think you are just not getting the tank full .... all the best .... Ann

[Kiwi_Spyder]

Thank you so much to all of you!

I will fill it up just below the fuel ring/baffle and report back! Hope it is just my mistake!

Cheers!
e.

[SpyderAnn01]

Don’t insert the nozzle all the way in. I insert it about 1/2”

[Kiwi_Spyder]

Will do

Thank you!

[Bfromla]

It does happen & am currently fighting on my 13STL Is just enough to not be predictable So I rely on trip meters (bike & GPS)& the low light. what mine will do is not show all pegs when full, same miles 90% of time & most fill ups my gauge will not go to full. Usually will be 2 pegs low. So I've tried cleaner additives & saw some improvement, but not reliable & adding at the pump every time is more than I want to do, already taking notes of my mileage & price for my Fuelly app.(was Gas cubby, but changed with update) Not to mention keeping the additive with proper measurement container on the bike. I would like to have more accurate process & constant numbers but my driving routes & traffic conditions change too much. So according to the app my average is 27.9MPG & best was 38MPG back on trip to spyderfest. Talked with tech & more than likely the resistor on sensor is failing but is attached to the $500 sending unit & can be P.I.T.A. To fool with if you dont have to. So I've learned to deal with & keep enough spare miles between tanks. I hope to finish my tourtank install I've failed to finish for some time now that will require removing the sending unit where I can inspect & or replace what I need to.
have a pic but is invalid file Srz wont load

[Freddy]

Hi K-S, what you describe is normal on the earlier models. The tank has a 4-5 litre air lock above the filler neck tube (which is enclosed by yet a second tube) and was complained about by most owners and eventually acknowledged by BRP in Oz. The tank can be filled by trickling the fuel in from that point, which causes the trapped air to escape via the tank breather and is very slow to do. The mod, if you're brave and skilful enough, is to drill a 4mm hole thru the vent slit you can see then thru the second tube behind it, which is the cause of the problem. This requires a lot of care due to fire risk and catching the bulk of the drillings with a tea-spoon coated in grease held below the tube. I had a fan blowing on the work area to 'eliminte' the fire risk as the drill motor itself has sparks generated by the internal brushes. If drilled slowly, sparks should not be generated by the drill bit itself. However, do the above knowing the risks involved and take appropriate steps to prepare the job - and big ones quickly is a fire starts. Any drillings that go to the bottom of the tank will not cause a problem as the fuel pump has a filter on the suction port as well as the external the pressure filter.

[JerryB]

Hi Ann,

Re: I insert it about 1/2”

And for the metric world, that is 12 mm.

I couldn't help myself,

Jerry Baumchen

[ahh-cool]

This is what I do.
I stick the nozzle all the way in and pump the fuel till it stops. That's normally about 3 gallons.
I then pull the nozzle almost all the way out of the tank. I fill it till I see fuel coming out of the air holes on the top of the filler tube.
I then look in the tank. if it's about a 1/2" to an 1" from the top I'm good. otherwise I keep filling it. I stop each time the fuel starts to come out the top holes.
As far as 189 miles, I don't think so. I normally get about 23 miles per gallon. I try to fill it each 100 miles

[Chupaca]

Fill normally till it cuts off. Back the nozzel till it is just inside and slowly fill the fuel bubbles at the slots around the filler hole. Now if you do not get the little wedge (triangle) and the top of the bar guage you did not fill it all the way or your gauge is off....

[Kiwi_Spyder]

Cheers all!
And specially Freddy for the explanation! I will not be brave enough to do the modification so I will live with it I guess!

Wonder if Can Am Service can do something about it even though warranty is expired since a long time ago?

[ARNIE R]

I have had the single bar show up, then disappear completely, then panicked. Still, I have never gone more than 5.2 gallons upon filling up after that.

[Peter Aawen]

And just to cap it all off Kiwi_Spyder, don't forget that modern EFI engines & fuel systems like our Spyders have REALLY DO NOT LIKE running out of fuel - EVER!!

So it's probably better to be safe than sorry, & ryde to keep at least a couple of litres in the tank as per the recommendations in the manual & refill a bit earlier than you might otherwise, if that's what it takes so you don't inadvertently run dry.... cos no matter what or how you do it, running dry IS going to do some damage to the injectors &/or fuel system - yeah, it possibly might not be too much damage if it only happens once, but it's still there & if it happens more than once accidentally or otherwise, do you really want to hafta pay for a new fuel pump, or new injectors, or maybe something worse/more expensive??

We've got more wide open spaces here in Aus than you do in NZ, & probably more & longer 'no fuel available' stretches, so while I do like touring out there, I still make a practice of re-setting one trip meter at every fill up & then ryding within a 'known safe' range of 250kms or so, & filling up/carrying spare fuel accordingly so that I can tour without worry.....

[ARtraveler]

This is what I do.
I stick the nozzle all the way in and pump the fuel till it stops. That's normally about 3 gallons.
I then pull the nozzle almost all the way out of the tank. I fill it till I see fuel coming out of the air holes on the top of the filler tube.
I then look in the tank. if it's about a 1/2" to an 1" from the top I'm good. otherwise I keep filling it. I stop each time the fuel starts to come out the top holes.
As far as 189 miles, I don't think so. I normally get about 23 miles per gallon. I try to fill it each 100 miles

Can't verify 189 but went 184. It took 5.8 gallons to top it back off. I did not run out of gas. Not brave enough to do further testing.

[PistonBlown]

Ahhh now you know the reason why I have panniers, the only way I can get around the rural New Zealand at night is having them packed like this:
DSC03340.jpg

There was some bits of the TT2000 route last year where I had to do 400km between petrol stations.

This may be useful for you as well, its a map done by Skinny of the 24 hour garages in NZ:
http://www.thinman.co.nz/24-hour-petrol-stations/

The fill-up issue is a pain but as others have mentioned you can fit quite a bit more in, it just takes some patience and a slightly different approach while filling up to get that last bit in.

I've not done the Australian mod because I'm not brave enough - the idea of drilling near fuel vapours is too nerve racking for me:-)

Also just to mention I've never got fuel figures near to our American friends. I suspect that's just because our sort of riding is so different as it's constant changes of speed, sharp cornering and hills. I also don't ride in a 'fuel efficient' manner;-)