Explanation of 2014 Fuel Gauge

[the Ferret]

That would be my guess to JPT. i've also noticed the additional bar showing up and dissapearing when going up or down hill

Btw there is a float arm in the tank and a panel with 6 contacts that the back half of the float arm contacts. i have a pic someplace and will see if I can find it.

[Lord Popgun]

Well I was going to say our bikes do have a float and that there are some pics of it somewhere, but Ferret beat me to it! Here is a link to it in the parts diagram, but I can't remember where the real pics are. http://www.partsfish.com/oemparts/a/hon/...-fuel-pump
OK, here is the link to the pics http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread....=fuel+pump

See post 30. Please know that I took the crappy picture and Ferret posted it. Don't blame him for the blur!

[metalmaven_imp]

Thanks for the thread it was helpful!

I also notice every time I start the bike that it shows more gas than is actually in the tank. Kind of annoying, but I guess I should just be happy I have a sweet digital gas gauge at all! It works great after a couple minutes of riding it will update to the correct level of fullness.

[the Ferret]

photos provided by Popgun

Ok, in the center/rear bottom of your fuel tank is where the fuel pump/float unit is mounted

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/sendingunit_zpsbddeca05.jpg.html]

here is the fuel pump/float unit for the fuel gauge

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/sendingunit1_zps5341a6ba.jpg.html]


Here is the sending unit. There is a contact that rotates over the 6 strips on a plate, and as the fuel level rises or falls the arm floats lower or higher in the tank and the angle of the arm makes the contact points different for the fuel gauge to read.

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/sendingunit2_zps4a6e8c21.jpg.html]

I've noticed that the gague mechanism is a bit erratic.

For example, it will, in the morning on a cold startup, show one segment more fuel than it did when I parked it. Actually, thats almost always true after a shutdown. Must be the angle of the side-stand.

When it gets to the flashing segment, it will bounce back and forth. Again, actually, that's pretty common over the range...it'll be full, then drop one segment, than it comes back up, back and forth until it stabilizes one down.

When it's at the last segment, if it comes up a bit it turns off the flasher feature and will revert to odometer. It will do that several times, before deciding it really is coming up on empty.

I'm guessing it's the gas splasing around on the electronic sensors that take the place of a tank float.

Which is another good reason for using Trip B for tank mileage. In the morning when I start the bike on the side stand, while it is warming up I look at the gauge and the gauge may be showing 3 bars or 1/2 tank of fuel (since there are 6 bars right)? Cycling to Trip B shows me there are actually lets say 135 miles on that tank which is about 15 miles before going to 1 bar and 35 miles to going on flashing reserve, so there is no way there is really 1/2 a tank in there as indicated, and I will need to stop for gas before heading away from the service stations. Of course once you straighten up and ride it soon drops to the proper number of bars.

[JustPassinThru_imp]

Interesting. For some reason I thought the tank had a sort of dip contact strip.

Don't know where that came from. Maybe from my BMW experiences. Or maybe from one of those nights with too many whiskeys...

[the Ferret]

BMW does use a dip contact strip and the R 1200R owners have been having lots of issues with them

[JustPassinThru_imp]

BMW does use a dip contact strip and the R 1200R owners have been having lots of issues with them

That must be what I'm remembering.

I had, at different times, an R1200GS and an R1100RT. Both were short-term ownership - although I really logged the miles on them. I had 18,000 miles on the GS in less than three years - but I'm getting too old to do acrobatics getting on and off, and just finding ground at stoplights was a gut-churning event.

The R1100RT was a used model - prone to transmission issues. I had a scare - and the potential estimate of repair was more than the book value of the machine. When it was fixed for essentially nothing (shift rod under the fairing came loose) I figured I wasn't rich enough to afford the ticket. Time to sell.

Neither of them were around long enough for me to discover the joys of the dip-strip in the gas tank...

[Cormanus]

Must be an Australian thing: my CB came with one of those square sticks with notches. The manual says to stop every 220.4 kms and dip it. If it's below the lowest notch, I add fuel.

[JustPassinThru_imp]

Must be an Australian thing: my CB came with one of those square sticks with notches. The manual says to stop every 220.4 kms and dip it. If it's below the lowest notch, I add fuel.

Oh.

Hey, if you lose yours...they sell them here with the HARLEY-DAVIDSON crest on them. Only $99.99 plus shipping & handling.

Hurry...they're always in short supply...

[neuro_imp]

I'm assuming this is an upgrade for 2014... because my 2013 doesn't do this.