Well dang.............

[BoomerCPO]

Don't know if this the same for all Ventures but on MINE it sure is....

 

Filled the gas tank yesterday and put the gas petcock to Reserve. I normally switch it back th Normal after 25-30 miles. I do this because I don't want any gunk build-up in the petcock and this also ensures that I have good flow....

 

Well today I found out that with the petcock in the Reserve position the Low Fuel Light does NOT come on and the Trip odometer does NOT warn of impending Low Fuel as it does NOT zero out.

 

Luckily for me when I ran out of gas I was able to slap the bike over onto its kickstand and get enough gas to the left side of the tank.....which enabled me to haul a$$ to the nearest Exit and Gas Station.

 

Boomer....who sez ya gotta remember ALL the steps of any procedure ya use....even when it comes to thumping on the pygmies during periods of cheesecake withdrawal.

[Monty]

I leave mine on reserve all of the time, and both my fuel light and fuel trip meter work. If yours didn't, you may have something hosed up.

[BoomerCPO]

I leave mine on reserve all of the time, and both my fuel light and fuel trip meter work. If yours didn't, you may have something hosed up.

 

I'm not gonna lose sleep about it. Sooner or later I will be at Squid & Lonna's and will trouble-shoot it then. We recently cleaned and greased all the electrical connections in the front Fairing.....never touched the ones under the gas tank tho....sigh.

 

Boomer.....waiting on the Southern Gang to get together for some fun times and cheesecake.

[LilBeaver]

Boomer - It is likely the fuel sending unit that failed. I hesitate to say this is a 'common' problem, but I do know of a handful of folks that have had theirs fail (myself included). It is a cheap replacement - but since you have an 06, there really isn't any reason that shouldn't be covered under the warranty. New they are like 50 or 60 [if I recall correctly]. I got a used one from pinwall for 20 or so (including shipping) - but my 01 has been out of warranty for some time.

 

The fuel sending unit has two components, one that runs the fuel gauge and the other that runs the fuel light AND the F Trip meter.

 

I would say, get one of those pygmies to get it to the dealer and have them buy you a new one. Might as well have it working properly -- that's how I feel about it anyways.

 

Even though I have a working fuel light and F trip meter, I still like to use the on/reserve switch - to make sure I know and don't have to resort to the 'lay it over on the left side' method...

 

[Brake Pad]

I to leave if on reserve all the time. My fuel light comes on at two bars. then I know I can go 24 miles, but I only played that game once

[spear]

I leave mine on reserve all of the time, and both my fuel light and fuel trip meter work.

[BuddyRich]

Position of the petcock has no bearing on whether or not the low fuel light works. There's no wiring going to the petcock. You have a problem somewhere else..

[BradT]

never touched the ones under the gas tank tho....sigh.

 

Think we talked about those ones and what were the words ? Oops family site.

 

Highly doubt those would fix your problem. Most likely sending unit, just put it on Prime and then switch to reserve when needed. My lights and F Counter do not work but never run out if you use the prime setting

 

BRad

[V7Goose]

Don't know if this the same for all Ventures but on MINE it sure is....

 

Well today I found out that with the petcock in the Reserve position the Low Fuel Light does NOT come on and the Trip odometer does NOT warn of impending Low Fuel as it does NOT zero out.

Well, maybe if you turn your tool kit over so it is stored with the snap side down, it will solve your problem. I know it sounds silly, but that has EXACTLY the same affect on your fuel gauge as the petcock position does, so if ya think one changes it, so will the other.

 

Just for any newbies reading this thread - MANY of us choose to never take the petcock off reserve on these bikes, and everything works perfectly. My reasoning is that I have THREE different things to tell me I am getting low on fuel (the fuel gauge, the low fuel warning light, and the F trip meter), so I can't possibly be stupid enough to actually need to be reminded by forcing me to change the petcock too! After all, I been driving cars and truck for over 40 years with just a fuel gauge, and that seems to work fine all by itself in those vehicles.

 

Ride safe, and may ya always find gas when ya want it!

Goose

[gibvel]

Leave it to Goose to "punch it up" a bit!!

 

Mine works the same as everyone's on reserve... Correctly!!

[BoomerCPO]

Well, maybe if you turn your tool kit over so it is stored with the snap side down, it will solve your problem. I know it sounds silly, but that has EXACTLY the same affect on your fuel gauge as the petcock position does, so if ya think one changes it, so will the other.

 

Just for any newbies reading this thread - MANY of us choose to never take the petcock off reserve on these bikes, and everything works perfectly. My reasoning is that I have THREE different things to tell me I am getting low on fuel (the fuel gauge, the low fuel warning light, and the F trip meter), so I can't possibly be stupid enough to actually need to be reminded by forcing me to change the petcock too! After all, I been driving cars and truck for over 40 years with just a fuel gauge, and that seems to work fine all by itself in those vehicles.

 

Ride safe, and may ya always find gas when ya want it!

Goose

 

 

LMAO!!! I have never claimed to know everything about my Venture. It's nice to know that the experts here are willing to help and offer up a good helping of sarcasm and humor as well......

 

Boomer....who sez the Tool Kit was the very 1st thing I checked when I ran out of gas on the I-49 and had cars/trucks whizzing by at 75mph.....

[RedRider]

Boomer,

 

Before you go changing out the sending unit, take the plastic cover off from around your ignition switch. Check and make sure the electrical connector on the left is properly attached and clean. This is the connector to the sending unit.

 

Good luck buddy.

 

Happy Memorial Day.

 

RR

[BoomerCPO]

Boomer,

 

Before you go changing out the sending unit, take the plastic cover off from around your ignition switch. Check and make sure the electrical connector on the left is properly attached and clean. This is the connector to the sending unit.

 

Good luck buddy.

 

Happy Memorial Day.

 

RR

Thanks for the advice RR....I'll do that right after I double-check the position of the Tool Kit.

 

Ride safe buddy!!

 

Boomer....who sez good advice is easy to spot and appreciate.

[wes0778]

Hey I checked mine and there is not tool kit in it!!! Could that be the reason I have to switch to reserve with two bars showing on the fuel gauge? The low fuel light has only come on once and that was with one bar showing and 5 miles into the "F" reading...

[BOO]

I read most of the posts on this forum and that's the first time I have seen anything mentioned about the tool kit snap.

I went out and turned my kit over just in case. Does it also have to be snapped as well as having the snap side down.

Thanks in advance,

BOO

[starkruzen]

I'm confused...why run on reserve?

Thanks Mark:bagpipes-emoticon:

[BradT]

I'm confused...why run on reserve?

Thanks Mark:bagpipes-emoticon:

Some can't reach up and turn the little handle or are just lazy

 

Seriously just to get more useable fuel out of the tank.

 

Brad

[gibvel]

Dear Confused:

 

Some believes this keeps junk from building up at the lowest portion of the tank and causing problems, if you do have to switch, sucking said junk into the carbs. Others of us are just too lazy to bend down and switch it.

 

It's also possible that some have just gotten used to running on reserve because they used to have a 1st. Gen. where you have to stop and get off the bike to get to the petcock to put it on reserve... assuming they can even turn the bloody thing as hard as most of them turn.

 

As said there is the fuel gauge and the trip gauge that you can use to monitor your gas usage so there really isn't a reason to have a reserve anyway since you can just use those two things.

 

You welcome, Mark

[gibvel]

Some can't reach up and turn the little handle or are just lazy

 

 

Reach up? Brad, exactly where are you sitting while you're riding?

[BradT]

Reach up?

 

Mine is on the front of the bike so that is up Right ? Okay Reach forward and Down But even then some are not that Talented while riding

 

Brad

[V7Goose]

I read most of the posts on this forum and that's the first time I have seen anything mentioned about the tool kit snap.

 

I went out and turned my kit over just in case. Does it also have to be snapped as well as having the snap side down.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

BOO

I do not believe the use of the snap is in anyway near as important as the orientation of the snap, but I could be wrong. Perhaps we should conduct a detailed comparison test? Maybe I'll do that, right after I work up the energy and gumption to reach down and move my petcock. But if that answer is important, I wouldn't wait on me to overcome my inherent laziness to actually conduct the test - it could be quite a while!

I do think it was wise of you to turn the kit over, just in case . . .

Goose

[wes0778]

I do not believe the use of the snap is in anyway near as important as the orientation of the snap, but I could be wrong. Perhaps we should conduct a detailed comparison test? Maybe I'll do that, right after I work up the energy and gumption to reach down and move my petcock. But if that answer is important, I wouldn't wait on me to overcome my inherent laziness to actually conduct the test - it could be quite a while!

I do think it was wise of you to turn the kit over, just in case . . .

Goose

 

Oh No!!!!!!! I hope someone does not ask WHY???:Laugh:

[DragonRider]

Ok, since you leave it on reserve all the time, what happens if you run out of gas in the midldle of your high speed pass..........................Uh Oh.............problem:doh:

 

I run on reserve all the time because I don't want to be making a high speed pass and run out of gas and have to switch in the middle of it.

[Dave77459]

Ok, since you leave it on reserve all the time, what happens if you run out of gas in the midldle of your high speed pass..........................Uh Oh.............problem:doh:

If you can't be bothered to get gas in the 30-50 miles you have after the count up starts, you deserve to run out during a high speed pass.

 

I leave mine on reserve all the time. About two weeks ago I was fiddling with the fuel pump and accidentally left the petcock on Run. I did run out of gas then, because it never occurred to me that I couldn't go more than 14 miles on the count up. Oops, turned it to reserve and have left it there.

 

Dave

[Guest PlaneCrazy]

Just to necro this thread...

 

I recently found out just how far I could run this beast when everything said I was empty. Usually when I get a new bike I plan a trip with a small gas can in my bags and let her run right out so I know roughly how many klicks I will get after I switch to reserve. Unfortunately, i haven't had a chance to do that with my RSV. I do always run to reserve though, so I knew that on my bike, the fuel light comes on at 2 bars, then the bike runs for about another 15 kilometers before I have to switch to reserve (scary how accurate the sender is on this thing actually).

 

Well, I was on a 1400km trip to my brothers a little while ago and I had plenty of gas to get through Toronto and across the the service station I usually stop at. But then I got caught in 2 hours of parking lot traffic on the 401 and I was on reserve by the time I got through it. No Problem - I thought - Ill get off at Guelph. Well, the Guelph station was closed for renovations - OK, GPS time... hit closest service centre and I see one on the Drumbo exit 15 klicks ahead. Still have a bar showing on my gauge so I think I am ok. I know where Drumbo is so I am not worried about missing it until i come to where the exit is supposed to be and see only a mile long wall of barriers for road construction. Seems they moved the Drumbo exit BACK towards Toronto by a couple of miles and you were supposed to exit the 401 in a small break in the barrier then parallel the 401 for 4 or 5 klicks to the old exit. DOH! I finally made my way off the 401 and backtracked to the Drumbo station with no bars on the fuel gauge and 45 km+ on the 'F' trip meter and I still had not run out. So I am happy that I now know the limits.

 

As for switching to reserve, I am absolutely religious about running the bike to reserve and switching as needed as well as returning the switch to RUN when I fuel up. I've hit reserve on my new RSV about 10 times now on the highway and it's a non issue. You don't just slow down or stop... the bike just looses power as one or two of the cylinders start to starve a bit. All four carbs will NOT run out of fuel at the exact same time... and even if they did, the bike still has a hell of a lot of momentum. You switch to reserve and then after about 4 or 5 seconds, shes roaring full boar again.

 

The way I look at it, is this.. I have run out of gas quite a few times in the last 26 years of riding. Mostly when I forgot to switch the petcock back to RUN. The RSV is the first bike I owned that actually had a fuel gauge and forgive me if I don't trust it as much as my odometer for figuring out my range. Since a bikes mileage will vary greatly depending on your load, the winds, the speed you are driving... I don't trust just using a range in kilometers either to determine how far I can go. Instead, I use the range from when I switch to reserve, because I know that when I hit reserve, I will slow down and start looking for gas and drive the same as I always do at that point and therefore the range is pretty accurate from that point on. I do not pass traffic on single lane highways when I am running on reserve, so i will never have to worry about running out of gas at a critical point like that.

 

Just my two cents (Canadian cents at that!)