Fuel gage misreading

[dryheat]

Anybody have any experience with the fuel gage going awry? When I fill up, I only get 4-5 bars, and then the level rapidly drops and the low fuel light comes on after travelling only about 80 miles. Filling up again will only hold 2 1/2 gallons, so I'm not really empty. Next time I rode for 50 miles on the light, filling up at 130 miles and took 4 gallons. Since I'm on a road trip and still 800 miles from home, I stopped in at the local dealer here in Colorado Springs. He did a quick check on BUDS, and pulled the cluster to check for a bad contact, but yielded no info.
He called BP and they said they had no history of any sending unit failure. I will just have to keep an eye on the odometer to get home.
I figured this forum is the best place to see if there are any other ideas.:dontknow:

 

[Dudley]

Sounds like a bad sending unit which should be located in the gas tank. Trust your trip miles and reset with each fill up.

 

[NancysToy]

How are you filling it? If you project the nozzle into the opening, you will not get a complete fill. If you are doing as before, but it has suddenly changed, I would agree that the sender is bad, connection is loose/corroded, or you have a bad gauge. There has been at least one bad guage/sending unit reported on a forum previously. Similar symptoms. Whethr or not BRP has seen it before, it is up to them to fix it. Easy for dealer to check without BUDDS. If they fill the tank and it does not read full, it is kaput.
-Scotty

 

[dryheat]

How are you filling it? If you project the nozzle into the opening, you will not get a complete fill. If you are doing as before, but it has suddenly changed, I would agree that the sender is bad, connection is loose/corroded, or you have a bad gauge. There has been at least one bad guage/sending unit reported on a forum previously. Similar symptoms. Whethr or not BRP has seen it before, it is up to them to fix it. Easy for dealer to check without BUDDS. If they fill the tank and it does not read full, it is kaput.
-Scotty

I have about 9000 trouble free miles so I can't really complain too much. :spyder: I have always filled the same way, and got the gauge reading full, so I'm confident it's not me! I suppose the tale-tell symptom is the low fuel light coming on and only being able to get 2.5 gallons in. I have to give the dealer here in Colorado Springs some props. I swooped in from out of town, unannounced, and he had someone look at my ryde immediately. No fix, no charge, but he gave it a shot and checked with BRP, too. Now it will be up to my local shop when I get home.

 

[Cundiffla]

Sounds like a bad sending unit which should be located in the gas tank. Trust your trip miles and reset with each fill up.

Yep this is What I do now.... Ran out of gas once, gas gauge was wrong! So now reset miles when get close to 160 start looking for gas!

 

[bone crusher]

I have about 9000 trouble free miles so I can't really complain too much. :spyder: I have always filled the same way, and got the gauge reading full, so I'm confident it's not me! I suppose the tale-tell symptom is the low fuel light coming on and only being able to get 2.5 gallons in. I have to give the dealer here in Colorado Springs some props. I swooped in from out of town, unannounced, and he had someone look at my ryde immediately. No fix, no charge, but he gave it a shot and checked with BRP, too. Now it will be up to my local shop when I get home.

Didn't read this thread in depth, but you can usually put in over a gallon when it clicks off...must be an odd shaped tank but unless you get to the 1/2 bar at the top, you're not truly full...

I also fill up the tank until I can see the gas when I pull the nozzle out...I probably have a couple of inches at most...

If I rely on the gas nozzle and when it clicks off automatically, I'd never fill the thing as it clicks off waaaaay too early...

 

[Batmobile]

Didn't read this thread in depth, but you can usually put in over a gallon when it clicks off...must be an odd shaped tank but unless you get to the 1/2 bar at the top, you're not truly full...

I also fill up the tank until I can see the gas when I pull the nozzle out...I probably have a couple of inches at most...

If I rely on the gas nozzle and when it clicks off automatically, I'd never fill the thing as it clicks off waaaaay too early...

I fill up to where I can see it also, when the gas light comes on with one bar left and 150-160 miles on the trip meter. I can only put in 4.5-5 gallons. Does that mean there are still 2 gallons in the tank? What are the most miles anyone has gotten out of a tank of gas? Maybe this should be a new thread.:dontknow:

 

[bone crusher]

I fill up to where I can see it also, when the gas light comes on with one bar left and 150-160 miles on the trip meter. I can only put in 4.5-5 gallons. Does that mean there are still 2 gallons in the tank? What are the most miles anyone has gotten out of a tank of gas? Maybe this should be a new thread.:dontknow:

Most people really start looking to fill up at or before 150 miles...when the light goes on, figure you have 1 gallon (30 miles) left. I wouldn't try pushing the bike to 180 miles though...you'll be likely to run out of gas....

It's always better to play it safe.

I fill up anytime I'm close to 125 miles...that way I don't have to worry about anything...

The tank holds more than 6 gallons, but it must have a funny shape because truly filling it is an experience.

I just go by the bars...when the last 1/2 bar if filled in, I know I've really filled it...

 

[dltang]

I fill up to where I can see it also, when the gas light comes on with one bar left and 150-160 miles on the trip meter. I can only put in 4.5-5 gallons. Does that mean there are still 2 gallons in the tank? What are the most miles anyone has gotten out of a tank of gas? Maybe this should be a new thread.:dontknow:

Hey Batmobile, if I didn't say it already then I will now, welcome. Also, if you check out the search you will see many threads on mpg, how much fuel will the gas tank take etc. Here are a couple for you to start with Fuel tank capacity fuel gauge question gas mileage and one more big one spyder gas mileage Happy reading.

 

[Dudley]

I fill up to where I can see it also, when the gas light comes on with one bar left and 150-160 miles on the trip meter. I can only put in 4.5-5 gallons. Does that mean there are still 2 gallons in the tank? What are the most miles anyone has gotten out of a tank of gas? Maybe this should be a new thread.:dontknow:

How much left has been discussed before. IMO the gas gage is just that, a gage. It is not meant to be a rocket science precise instrument. It is there to alert you that you have been driving for a while, and your gas is to the point of needing your attention. How many miles anyone has gotten out of a tank of gas is relative. We all have different driving habits and terrain. Determine your own habits, etc., and drive according to you, not someone else. It seems like most Spyders are getting 30+ mpg. A lot of times the joy of riding is consumed by the paranoia of precision of instruments. Ride and enjoy!

 

[bone crusher]

How much left has been discussed before. IMO the gas gage is just that, a gage. It is not meant to be a rocket science precise instrument. It is there to alert you that you have been driving for a while, and your gas is to the point of needing your attention. How many miles anyone has gotten out of a tank of gas is relative. We all have different driving habits and terrain. Determine your own habits, etc., and drive according to you, not someone else. It seems like most Spyders are getting 30+ mpg. A lot of times the joy of riding is consumed by the paranoia of precision of instruments. Ride and enjoy!

actually, it's a 'gauge', not a 'gage'...but who's looking? It's getting close to 'gag', and that's something we don't need to be doing here! :roflblack:

 

[Dudley]

actually, it's a 'gauge', not a 'gage'...but who's looking? It's getting close to 'gag', and that's something we don't need to be doing here! :roflblack:

I beg to differ with you. A gage is an instrument. A gauge is the result of using a gage.

 

[Some Guy]

I beg to differ with you. A gage is an instrument. A gauge is the result of using a gage.

Interesting. It just goes to show I really do learn something everyday. :thumbup:

 

[bone crusher]

I beg to differ with you. A gage is an instrument. A gauge is the result of using a gage.

Isn't it nice when we're all right!

Gage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gage may refer to:
Historical Usage:
Something, as a glove, thrown down by a medieval knight in token of challenge to combat.
A medieval name meaning (defining one).
Modern Usages:
In measurement:
Gage is a widely used alternative spelling of the word gauge.[1] This spelling is generally preferred in the mechanical engineering field in reference to various instruments for geometric dimensioning and tolerancing. i.e. thread gage, depth gage...[2]

 

[frleo]

With the experience of over 30,000 hours of flight time, hundreds of thousands of vehicle driving miles, including motorcycles, I NEVER take the indications of a gage/gauge as definitive measurement. Indications of an electronic or mechanical instrument, to me, are relative to experience and gut feel.
Many aircraft accidents have been attributed to "believing the gauge/instrument."
Know your machine, believe your gut and avoid the misery of running out of fuel. Pushing the spYder to a fuel station wouldn't be fun.

---leo---

 

[bone crusher]

With the experience of over 30,000 hours of flight time, hundreds of thousands of vehicle driving miles, including motorcycles, I NEVER take the indications of a gage/gauge as definitive measurement. Indications of an electronic or mechanical instrument, to me, are relative to experience and gut feel.
Many aircraft accidents have been attributed to "believing the gauge/instrument."
Know your machine, believe your gut and avoid the misery of running out of fuel. Pushing the spYder to a fuel station wouldn't be fun.

---leo---

That might have been the problem with the Air France crash...faulty gauges/gages...

 

[frleo]

I won't get into an airliner disaster speculation here, or anywhere for that matter, BUT the possibility of faulty instruments is why we have back up systems on airliners 3-7 layers deep.
To rely on a motorcycle fuel quantity gauge as a definitive instrument is counterproductive to reality. Even my 50,000$ + Beemer speedodo and fuel indicator are suggestive at best.
With my spYder, I am like the saying about old men, Don't pass up a restaurant or rest room... and I add fueling station. :chat: I think most long distance rYders make provision for spare fuel. I would.

---leo---

 

[M2Wild]

A good suggestion from someone on this forum

I forgot from whom but the suggestion worked real well for me.

1. Insert the nozzle no more than one inch into the tank
2. Do not fill at top speed
3. Stop immediately when you see a little bit of spitting from the vent holes.

I was able to get that half bar plus the little triangle to lite up every time by following that suggestion. No spills and no gas smell.

 

[bjt]

I forgot from whom but the suggestion worked real well for me.

1. Insert the nozzle no more than one inch into the tank
2. Do not fill at top speed
3. Stop immediately when you see a little bit of spitting from the vent holes.

I was able to get that half bar plus the little triangle to lite up every time by following that suggestion. No spills and no gas smell.

Thats the same way I do it. Works good. :thumbup:

 

[dryheat]

I forgot from whom but the suggestion worked real well for me.

1. Insert the nozzle no more than one inch into the tank
2. Do not fill at top speed
3. Stop immediately when you see a little bit of spitting from the vent holes.

I was able to get that half bar plus the little triangle to lite up every time by following that suggestion. No spills and no gas smell.

I do the same and always worked (until two days ago, anyway!). A frustrating situation now... the gauge started working again today! :gaah:
Nothing like an intermittant problem to PO both owner and dealer!