Fuel Gauge Oddity

[Seaking]

Here's a new one I haven't heard about before. I'd been asked by a gent who owns a 2010 RSV with 50,000 kms on it about this issue..

 

He says that on a recent long trip he had filled his fuel tank way up to the brim while sitting on it in the upright position, trickling in the fuel until all the air bubbles passed through, squeezing in as much fuel as possible for each leg of his trip.. a little squirt of the fuel nozzle at a time until he could get no more in the tank etc..

 

Now he's noticing that when ever he's fueling up and filling the tank up to the bottom of the tube, the fuel gauge always reads one notch lower than it should.. At a full fuel fuel tank, it's ready one notch down from full etc.. He's feels that he might have 'bent' something on the fuel sensor floats or something..

 

Ever hear or experienced anything similar to this?

[Ventureless]

Here's a new one I haven't heard about before. I'd been asked by a gent who owns a 2010 RSV with 50,000 kms on it about this issue..

 

He says that on a recent long trip he had filled his fuel tank way up to the brim while sitting on it in the upright position, trickling in the fuel until all the air bubbles passed through, squeezing in as much fuel as possible for each leg of his trip.. a little squirt of the fuel nozzle at a time until he could get no more in the tank etc..

 

Now he's noticing that when ever he's fueling up and filling the tank up to the bottom of the tube, the fuel gauge always reads one notch lower than it should.. At a full fuel fuel tank, it's ready one notch down from full etc.. He's feels that he might have 'bent' something on the fuel sensor floats or something..

 

Ever hear or experienced anything similar to this?

 

Mine started doing the exact same thing this past week. I ride to work every day so I fill up about every 3 days or so. After 2 or 3 fill ups and then it sitting this past weekend except a short 10 mile or so ride, it went back to normal. Not sure what happened, but it was the same thing you described as happening to your friends bike.

[Rancher Rod]

Do you have leveling links? Mine starting doing the same, after installing leveling links.

[Ventureless]

Do you have leveling links? Mine starting doing the same, after installing leveling links.

 

I believe mine has the leveling links, but if so they have been on there since I bought it last October. So I am not sure that is it.

[bongobobny]

Yes, float position would be the usual suspect, along with the rheostat it controls...

[Seaking]

the gent with the 2010 RSV doesn't have levelling links (he didn't know what they were).

 

I had a somewhat similar experience a couple of years ago around this time of year which resolved itself with a good application of Seafoam in the tank.. My thoughts at the time was that due to the age of the bike, over time fuel might have gummed up the works or that the 'winter fuel' formula they use up here might have given a different reading.. The problem went away a few weeks later when things warmed up nicely.. well nicer anyway....

[Sailor]

Mine has similar problems. When I fill up it does not read full until I am a couple miles down the road. When it runs out the gauge still reads 1/4 full.

[darthandy]

Mine recently started showing one notch down when filled up after I put in a new battery. It has showed full a couple of times when it was full but only for a couple of km then it drops to one notch down. It stays there for quite a while before it starts to move down again. No levelling links and the only change was the new battery. Glad this bike has a trip meter and a reserve position on the petcock!

 

Andy