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+--- Thread: What does each bar on the fuel gauge represent? Miles or fractions of gas? (/showthread.php?tid=698)
What does each bar on the fuel gauge represent? Miles or fractions of gas? - dBuster_imp - 12-04-2013
Okay let me try this again, my tablet updated it's app and I lost the whole post just as I was about to post it.
Splintering this away from the miles per gallon thread!
Okay who is going to take this on and figure out for us all what each bar on the fuel gauge represents? Is it certain miles or a certain amount of has for each mile?
At least it will be for that one bike and might she'd some light for the rest of us but it might not pertain to more than one persons bike...
Things to consider:
Could barometric pressure play a factor in it?
Could ambient temperature play a factor in it?
Could the actual fuel makeup play a factor?
Could different octane levels play a factor?
Could a tank protector play a factor on the contents inside?
The big one, could your oil viscosity play a factor in it?
I am sure there are a lot more factors that I didn't list but please can someone figure this out?
Does anyone have a contact at Honda to find out what their engineers had in mind when they engineered this handy fuel gauge?
I invite one and all to help get to the bottom of this and most definitely invite foolardi as it sounds like he may already be working on this.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4.2.5 - non pro version.
Ok - the Ferret - 12-04-2013
In theory ... Each bar would constitute 1/5 th of the fuel in the tank, but in practice it sure doesn't seem to work out that way. When I was first tracking my mileage I noted when each bar disappeared and there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it. As close as I can tell you one disappears approx once every 30 miles, but not exactly at 30 mile intervals, sometimes more, sometimes less.
It's magic! Lol
RE: What does each bar on the fuel gauge represent? Miles or fractions of gallons - kenfyoozed_imp - 12-04-2013
first bar for me gone at 36 miles this fill up.....
(12-04-2013, 12:47 PM)dBuster_imp Wrote: Okay let me try this again, my tablet updated it's app and I lost the whole post just as I was about to post it.
Splintering this away from the miles per gallon thread!
Okay who is going to take this on and figure out for us all what each bar on the fuel gauge represents? Is it certain miles or a certain amount of has for each mile?
At least it will be for that one bike and might she'd some light for the rest of us but it might not pertain to more than one persons bike...
Things to consider:
Could barometric pressure play a factor in it?
Could ambient temperature play a factor in it?
Could the actual fuel makeup play a factor?
Could different octane levels play a factor?
Could a tank protector play a factor on the contents inside?
The big one, could your oil viscosity play a factor in it?
I am sure there are a lot more factors that I didn't list but please can someone figure this out?
Does anyone have a contact at Honda to find out what their engineers had in mind when they engineered this handy fuel gauge?
I invite one and all to help get to the bottom of this and most definitely invite foolardi as it sounds like he may already be working on this.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4.2.5 - non pro version.
I think the biggest factor is where the diesel is produced? and what......squirrel!
RE: What does each bar on the fuel gauge represent? Miles or fractions of gall - ingobohn_imp - 12-04-2013
The bars on my fuel gauge disappear relatively reproducible with each 50 km.
RE: What does each bar on the fuel gauge represent? Miles or fractions of gall - yetanotherGerman_imp - 12-04-2013
(12-04-2013, 04:51 PM)ingobohn_imp Wrote: The bars on my fuel gauge disappear relatively reproducible with each 50 km.
Yet the bars represent the fuel consumed rather than the mileage. There is no "mile counter" in the tank, there is only a volume measurement. You can tell because as soon as you fill her up the bars are all back there, no matter if you zero the mile counter or not.
In theory the factors like atmospheric pressure or temperature do influence the bars. In real life you will only notice the effect when you fill her up to the brim with cold fuel then park her in the sun. Fuel volume grows when warming up, fuel spills from the overflow tube underneath the bike.
Ingo if you drive real fast (I mean the fast fast
) it will be less miles before each bar disappears. If you always drive Grandma style you see the 50km = one bar ratio. 
RE: What does each bar on the fuel gauge represent? Miles or fractions of gall - the Ferret - 12-04-2013
(12-04-2013, 04:51 PM)ingobohn_imp Wrote: The bars on my fuel gauge disappear relatively reproducible with each 50 km.
Hmmm doing the conversion 50 km equals 31 miles 120.66 yards ..interesting
RE: What does each bar on the fuel gauge represent? Miles or fractions of gall - ingobohn_imp - 12-04-2013
(12-04-2013, 06:59 PM)yetanotherGerman_imp Wrote:Okay, I fear you can call me "Grandma Ingo".(12-04-2013, 04:51 PM)ingobohn_imp Wrote: The bars on my fuel gauge disappear relatively reproducible with each 50 km.
Yet the bars represent the fuel consumed rather than the mileage. There is no "mile counter" in the tank, there is only a volume measurement. You can tell because as soon as you fill her up the bars are all back there, no matter if you zero the mile counter or not.
In theory the factors like atmospheric pressure or temperature do influence the bars. In real life you will only notice the effect when you fill her up to the brim with cold fuel then park her in the sun. Fuel volume grows when warming up, fuel spills from the overflow tube underneath the bike.
Ingo if you drive real fast (I mean the fast fast
RE: What does each bar on the fuel gauge represent? Miles or fractions of gall - Lord Popgun - 12-04-2013
(12-04-2013, 10:08 PM)The ferret_imp Wrote:(12-04-2013, 04:51 PM)ingobohn_imp Wrote: The bars on my fuel gauge disappear relatively reproducible with each 50 km.
Hmmm doing the conversion 50 km equals 31 miles 120.66 yards ..interesting
Hmmm doing the conversion 50 km equals 31 miles 120.66 yards ..interesting
If you take the fuel pump out of the tank and look at the assembly, you will see the float arm is attached to a wiper that sweeps across a small circuit card with contacts etched onto it. As the fuel level decreases, the float drops and the wiper moves to a different contact. The contacts are equally spaced (if I remember correctly). The float drop is not linear due to the shape of the tank so our bars do not work as we would like.
(I have pictures of it, but still don't really know how to post them. If anybody is that interested, I can email them to ferret and he can post them.)
Being an electronics tech. (but not an engineer) my thought was they could have spaced the contacts differently or maybe I could trim them some to be narrower or whatever, and maybe adjust the bar operation. BUT, too much work and I really don't feel like messing with that.
I think Honda could have done this, but, that adds cost in design and manufacturing. Or maybe they just didn't think of it.
Gas Pains - The Spaceman_imp - 12-04-2013
According to Honda, the CB1100 fuel guage display is based on a complex formula that includes such factors as the current price of sushi-grade tuna, the riders blood pressure average since starting the bike, and the phase of the Moon.
They also stated that any correlation between the display and the quantity of fuel in the tank is purely coincidental.
Popgun - the Ferret - 12-04-2013
Email them to me, i'm sure many would be interested in seeing them. I would.