What does each bar on the fuel gauge represent? Miles or fractions of gas?
- Thread starter dBuster_imp
- Start date
kenfyoozed_imp
Running like a top
Does gas pool on one side of the tank away from the pump? This may be why the last bar flashes but only takes 2.? Gals to top off. When it should be more as the light should come on .9 gals left.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
the Ferret
Road warrior
Well maybe one of the guys thats pulled a tank can comment but from looking at a parts microfiche, it appears the pump with float assy sits dead center on the bottom at the rear of the tank, and the float arm aims down to the bottom of the tank and maybe rises vertically? ( btw check out the price of a fuel filter..yikes...)
http://www.hondapartshouse.com/oemparts/a/hon/511a8dadf870022e4ccd3255/fuel-tank-fuel-pump
http://www.hondapartshouse.com/oemparts/a/hon/511a8dadf870022e4ccd3255/fuel-tank-fuel-pump
Lord Popgun
Road warrior
ferret, I'll pull them out of my camera and get them to you tonight.The ferret_imp said:
They aren't on my phone or I'd send them now!
When I pulled my tank, I drained it first while the bike was on the center stand. Pretty much, all of it drained out, except for a couple ounces. After I got the pump out I looked inside the tank and the fuel won't pool on one side. Well, unless you are leaningThe ferret_imp said:
You guys are only looking at half the picture... the sender. The ECU can do whatever it wants with that signal, and it does. I have read that Americans have a weird thing about gas gauges in that they don't like seeing the gauge tick down immediately after refueling, and so most vehicle manufacturers fudge the gauge so that the first tick stays there longer than any of the others. On my CB (and my Mazda), the first tick is worth more than any of the others, and it gets progressively less as it goes down (my Mazda is especially bad, the first block is worth about 125miles, and the rest average 20).
The first bar for me is worth about .8 gallons and the flashing red bar is worth somewhere north of 1 gallon. The in-between ones, I have no idea, and don't care. You can get about 200 miles from a tank if you try. I have begun refueling at around 175 miles, and have somewhere between .3 and .5 gallon left when doing so. I usually get about 50 mpg.
The first bar for me is worth about .8 gallons and the flashing red bar is worth somewhere north of 1 gallon. The in-between ones, I have no idea, and don't care. You can get about 200 miles from a tank if you try. I have begun refueling at around 175 miles, and have somewhere between .3 and .5 gallon left when doing so. I usually get about 50 mpg.
Gingersdaddy_imp
Running like a top
I agree, its just a gauge and a reference point and can very somewhat even on identical bikes.
flynrider
Road warrior
Therein lies the problem. Had Honda wanted to make the fuel gauge display linear, they could have adjusted the spacing between the contacts to account for the tank shape. Doing so would have resulted in each block representing an equal amount of gas.Lord Popgun_imp said:
I'm sure there were cost and manufacturing issues that went into the decision. Unless the gauge sender's part number is unique to the CB1100, it wouldn't be feasible to customize it to the CB1100's tank shape and volume.
Realistically, were talking about a bike fuel gauge. I'm satisfied that when all bars are showing, I've got plenty of gas. When few bars are showing, I have less gas. The important part is that the flashing bar warning is accurate (at least on my bike).
This is the first bike I've owned with a fuel gauge (and without a petcock). I was a bit apprehensive about it at first, but practically speaking, I manage my fuel pretty much the same as on previous bikes.
Deanohh_imp
Been there
The fuel sender depends on a simple float at the liquid surface. The shape if the tank itself has a huge effect on how far the surface of the liquid falls as fuel is used up.
on the wiring diagram, the sending unit signal seems to bypass the ecu and go directly to the fuel meter.
also the linearity of the gage is affected by the float arm geometry as the angle of the arm changes as it drops with the fuel level.
on the wiring diagram, the sending unit signal seems to bypass the ecu and go directly to the fuel meter.
also the linearity of the gage is affected by the float arm geometry as the angle of the arm changes as it drops with the fuel level.
ingobohn_imp
Been there
I think when I paged through the CB 1100's repair manual, I read that the float arm reads every 15 sec the fuel level inside the tank. But I am not sure whether this means that the float arm reads really every 15 seconds one time and sends the result to the ECU or reads the fuel level all the time but builds a 15 sec average which is reported to the ECU.The ferret_imp said:
The second way would smooth out some outliers of level measuring (driving steep up or down, accelerating/decelerating massively).
the Ferret
Road warrior
ok popgun sent me the pics from his fuel pump/sending unit removal. I am going to post 3 of them
Pic 1 shows where the fuel pump/sending unit is located in the tank looking from the bottom dead center in the middle rear
2nd pic shows fuel pump the fuel pump/sending unit removed and the float arm
[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/sendingunit1_zps5341a6ba.jpg.html]
3rd pic shows the contacts on the sending unit for the fuel bars (individual vertical dark gray strips) and the silver arm for the float. Notice they appear to be evenly spaced.
[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/sendingunit2_zps4a6e8c21.jpg.html]
Pic 1 shows where the fuel pump/sending unit is located in the tank looking from the bottom dead center in the middle rear
2nd pic shows fuel pump the fuel pump/sending unit removed and the float arm
[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/sendingunit1_zps5341a6ba.jpg.html]
3rd pic shows the contacts on the sending unit for the fuel bars (individual vertical dark gray strips) and the silver arm for the float. Notice they appear to be evenly spaced.
[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/sendingunit2_zps4a6e8c21.jpg.html]
kenfyoozed_imp
Running like a top
The last vertical pickup bar seems a bit further away than the others. I wonder the significance.?
Looking closer the front spacing and the last spacing look the same while the ones in the middle match each other but not the end spacing.
On the first pic of the tank..... It looks as if the area that the pump bolts to is raised / or lowered if it were sitting on the bike. If so with the slop of that area would the float arm bind against it when the tank reads empty? If so then area would still have fuel. This area would never Register on the gauge but would always have fuel. This could be why in some cases you can never get the 3.9 total when the gauge says your totally empty.
Looking closer the front spacing and the last spacing look the same while the ones in the middle match each other but not the end spacing.
On the first pic of the tank..... It looks as if the area that the pump bolts to is raised / or lowered if it were sitting on the bike. If so with the slop of that area would the float arm bind against it when the tank reads empty? If so then area would still have fuel. This area would never Register on the gauge but would always have fuel. This could be why in some cases you can never get the 3.9 total when the gauge says your totally empty.
Deanohh_imp
Been there
It wouldn't do much good for the gage to tell you when you were really totally empty. By then you would have run out of gas.
the Ferret
Road warrior
:rofl:Deanohh_imp said:
I've always wondered if when they, they being Honda, measure tank capacity.... if it is with the pump/sending unit included or completely void of anything in the tank and would be less with the fuel pump/sending unit in there.
I think someone on this board put in over 3 1/2 gals but don't remember reading about anyone who ran out of gas and then measured how much they put back in to fill it up.
I went 180 miles (before chickening out) on my way to empty but if memory serves me I was only able to put in 3.3gals.. theoretically leaving .6 gal still left in the tank.
dBuster_imp
Been there
Thread starter
One of the members with the fancy cases on their bike could theoretically put a 1 gallon gas can in there and then ride like a dickens until totally empty, unless that isn't good for something but the bikes are shipped dry, any how, ride until empty but make sure you are within a gallons worth of gas of a station. Then we might get an idea of that members range per tank.
Now if I did it, my range with my mostly having city driving of course would be less than those who can stretch the bike out and are getting say that elusive 50mpg...
I must say though I thought this would be a bad thread but in turn it is turning out to be one informative thread!
Now if I did it, my range with my mostly having city driving of course would be less than those who can stretch the bike out and are getting say that elusive 50mpg...
I must say though I thought this would be a bad thread but in turn it is turning out to be one informative thread!
terrydlargo_imp
First service completed
When we write this much about a subject like this, boy, we know it's too cold to ride!!
the Ferret
Road warrior
I imagine CA200 and a few others are looking at about 36" of snow right about now. Snowing real hard here but only supposed to get 3-5 inches tonight.
Take THAT Arizona and So Cal contingents. You don't get to see all the pretty snow!
Take THAT Arizona and So Cal contingents. You don't get to see all the pretty snow!
kenfyoozed_imp
Running like a top
Deanohh_imp
Been there
Forget the 3.9. Unless that is the first thing verified, all the other figurings are no good.
dBuster_imp
Been there
Thread starter
Up here in La Crosse we are supposed to drop to 1 degree tonight and also no snow at the moment but 3 to 5 is due in on Sunday! The light fluffy stuff though.Ole_imp said:
As far as the Arizona Contingent goes, they do get snow in Arizona! Been to see it when I lived out there for 18 years. You have to go up to Flagstaff though... or drive to the mountains in California on your way to San Diego but that snow generally doesn't last long after it falls.
