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[mjb765]

I have.  After 0 miles till empty, I still had to ride about another four or five miles.  Never did run out but I put 6.23 in it.  Typical for HD gauges.....not accurate at all.  The fuel gauge has always been the worse of all the gauges.

Lets not forget the ambient air temp gauge...so you know if you should be freezing or sweating

[skreminegul07]

I've always been curious about the accuracies of the fuel gauges of my harleys and also cars.  There is no way a mechanical float operated fuel gauge can be accurate with an odd shaped, non symmetrical shaped tank without a great deal of more expensive technology.  Look at the shape of the tank, nothing symmetrical about it.
I'm not sure about the later years with the mileage to go, but that feature is coming from the ECM with intelligence knowing how long the injectors are active, etc, past MPG, but the fuel gauge is actually a voltmeter.  A set voltage usually 8 volts (to account for varying battery voltages) is fed to the float assembly which is a variable resistor that is operated by a float and rod assembly.  Ground is the other end of the variable resistor.  I have made these a bit more accurate (2000 Deuce) by bending the float rod.  My FXR when full only reads 3/4, so if I bend the rod to read full it will be more accurate at the full end, but may be off at the low end.   

[Chuck Pryor]

rolled into the gas station today with the "lo" readout (less than 10 to go) in my tank... this is what it took to fill it to the top. 

CAP

[Wheelsnkeels]

rolled into the gas station today with the "lo" readout (less than 10 to go) in my tank... this is what it took to fill it to the top. 

CAP

Bad pump?  Now you know where yours stands! apparently not the same from one to another

[grc]

Bad pump?  Now you know where yours stands! apparently not the same from one to another

Unfortunately, the best you can hope for is to determine how your particular bike reads versus reality.  Asking that H-D actually make them all read the same is just a bit too much for their feeble capabilities.  Don't forget, they're working with a $5 budget for the entire 4 gauge set.

My suggestion for anyone who has an issue with the gauge (not the miles to empty readout) is to first attempt to get the dealer to fix it, and then after all the laughing dies down just fix it yourself.  If the gauge reads too high, it's easy to insert a resister into the circuit that will let you adjust the gauge to read lower.  If the gauge reads too low, you will need to pull the sending unit and bend the float rod.  Be aware that it will be virtually impossible to make the gauge accurate on both ends of the scale.  Since most of us don't really care about the top half of the scale, I suggest making the adjustment so the gauge is most accurate in the 1/4 to E range.  Once you know for instance that when your gauge hits the 1/4 mark you have 1.5 gallons of fuel remaining, it's much easier to determine when you need to stop for fuel without having to rely on that miles to empty readout which can be off fairly significantly if you didn't fill the tank completely last time.

One other point.  The last automobile I owned that had a totally undamped fuel gauge was a 1960's era Volkswagen.  Speed up, fuel gauge dropped.  Slow down, fuel gauge rose.  I have to assume that H-D hired the same person to design their gauges way back when, and they just haven't gotten around to redesigning them yet.  Maybe by the next century.


Jerry

[WestCoastRuss]

Not many things worse that can ruin a ride than worring about running out of fuel.  Don't pass up too many gas opportunities.

[SteveFLHTK]

Once you know for instance that when your gauge hits the 1/4 mark you have 1.5 gallons of fuel remaining, it's much easier to determine when you need to stop for fuel without having to rely on that miles to empty readout which can be off fairly significantly if you didn't fill the tank completely last time.

I don't believe it "assumes" you filled up the tank.  The MTE has to be taking an entry from the float at some point or how else will it know when you put gas in?

[skreminegul07]

rolled into the gas station today with the "lo" readout (less than 10 to go) in my tank... this is what it took to fill it to the top. 

CAP

I had this same issue with my Deuce and it's 5 gallon tank.  At one point it took 5.5 gallons.  I thought the pump was bad.  I called HD and found out that capacity is based on level, with the fuel level 1" below the lowest point of the metal bung.  Filling your tank on the stand and to the very top will let you add quite a bit more gas.  That's why MPG can vary s o much, it depends on how consistant you fill the tank.

[Yoda]

Fuel Remaining 259 miles on full tank

Wow, 259!?  The most I have ever seen on my '08 UC is around 200.  Before the engine build my gauges were more accurate.  Now when the fuel light comes on and I immediatly go to the gas station I barley put 4 gallons in.  I have taken her to beyond lo and them most I have put in is around 5.5 gallons.  Plenty of fuel left.  Oh and I expected a big drop in MPG with th engine build and it hasn't been that much.  I think the AFR adjustment makes it better. 

Someone else mentioned that when the fuel lite comes on it reads more than 40 remaining.  Mine almost always comes on at 30.

[Rooster]

My light comes on just a hair below quarter tank and stopped for gas at just a hair above the empty mark and filled with just over 4 gallons. I just try to get gas when I hit a quarter tank or just under. The Zumo is a great gas finder.

[HD Rider]

My experience has been the same as yours.  I fill up early because I don't trust the guages.  Enjoy the ride!

[Yoda]

Just last night coming back from Bike Night at Journey's End, Camdenton, MO the fuel lite came on and it read 33 remaining.  It is about 40 miles back to the house and it was getting late. The daredevil in me decieded to give it a shot.  Well it went to lo at about 25 miles out and when I got gas at the end of the ride, I only put in 5.401 gals.  That was after 190.5 miles.  So 35 mpg, not too shabby for 104 hp and 111 tq.  Filled up the gauge said 209 remaining.

[HD4CPA]

Thanks for all the responses.  I guess my gauge is typical.  My fuel remaining is much more reliable than the actual gauge but it too is a little conservative.

[9 1/2 Beers]

I think when the light comes on you have about 1 gal left. depending on how many mpg you are getting , that's the amount of miles you have left, I normally get about 35 miles after the light comes on.

 

 Marty

[Yoda]

Last weekend rode 206.5 before putting in gas, r read 20 miles and I put in 5.077.  Thats 40 mpg and after the engine build that is spectacular.