Fuel Sensor light, when should it come on?

[ltcorwin]

Hi guys,

So I'm well into my second tank of petrol on my FZS600, 99 boxeye.

My Dad and I did lift the tank last week to try and wire in a Battery Voltage Monitor, and I'm  worried we may have messed up the wiring, though all we did was pivot it at the back end.

I'm getting worried though, the fuel light hasn't come on yet, and the gauge is nudging below a quarter.
The fuel light still comes on correctly as part of the circuit check when starting my bike, so does that mean it's all well and good, or can it get disconnected/fail and still test properly?

To be fair I can't remember for sure where on the gauge the light came on last time, and I don't know how far I'd ridden that time, but I've done north of 140 miles on this tank, about half urban and ringroads, half A and B road yomps, so it's possible my mileage is just better this time, but......

Any suggestions/reassuring words?

Sorry for asking such noobish questions...

LTC

[Bigfellabuck]

Hi Ltc, I have been out on a run recently and when I got back I had done 166 miles and the light on my 99 fazer still aint come on mate, dont worry as it'll probably come on quite soon. My first tankful came on at around 150 ish and consumption varies with weather , speed , hard riding and all sorts so give it a whirl and I'm sure your worries will pass.


Buck

[ltcorwin]

Cheers Bigfella,

I figured I was worrying over nowt, but I long ago learned it's better to ask questions and look like a noob, than never ask questions and be doomed to eternal noobdom

Only my second tank, so you can understand my lack of experience.

LTC

[darrsi]

I've never seen my fuel light come on yet, once it gets to around a third of a tank full i just fill it up!

[noggythenog]

My fuel light typically comes on at about 150 miles & im always squirting about rather than economising.


Im led to believe i could squeeze another 50 miles outta the tank as the light is very conservative.

[bandit]

Itcorwin,you could syphon some out using some tube into a petrol can then see if the light comes on, just checking that when you lifted the tank that you gave the three breather hoses between the engine & centrestand a good tug down as it's been known that they can get kinked causeing back pressure & when you open the fuel flap you'll get a face full of fuel,nasty.        

[Dead Eye]

Pretty sure my fuel light doesn't come on until the needle is practically sitting at the end of the gauge. The needle on the Fazers goes from pointing somewhere near the bottom / middle of the E to up past the F when full

[Bigfellabuck]

Just to re-iterate, I've just been to fill up and the light has come on at 174 MILES!!!!  How good is that ? Well pleased, but then again I don't drive it hard and it only took £19 bang on to the top.


Cheers Buck

[limax2]

 
Itcorwin, I don't think there is anything to wory about. The light on my 2001 600 starts to flicker on when the gauge is about midway between 1/4 and E. After another 10 miles or so the light is full on.
with fairly leasurly riding I usually average close to 60 mpg and the light comes on after about 180-190 miles.
Just for interest I once took some measurments of how much fuel is in tank against gauge reading with the following result.
1.5 litres in tank before fuel flows out of tap. (Due to shape of tank and stand pipe on tap).
Further 2.3 litres (i.e. usable fuel) before sender registers a change.
5 litres usable = just under 1/4 on gauge.
10 "       "      =   "      "     1/2 "     "     .
15 "       "      =   "      "     Off top of scale.
That's with the bike level and stationery so probably a bit different when your on the move and the fuel is swishing about.
 
 

[ltcorwin]

Thanks all,

Well the fuel light came on at 0100 this morning, so I thought sod it and I'll get petrol next time I'm out, I was onlyabout 2 miles from home.

Thanks for the guides limax.

I got 48 mpg on my last tank, but that's mainly urban riding, I'm not keeping the revs too low, as you do need to keep ahead of the cagers round here

LTC

[stevierst]

Just got to 175 miles and my light started to come on. Its now at 195 miles. I've got 220 out of a tank before now, but that was riding conservatively.
Best I ever got on fuelly was 73mpg!! That was riding like a nun though, boring as hell.

Stop polishing it and ride the bloody thing!

[simonm]

My advice is to judge it based on the trip rather than the fuel light.

If you run it till the fuel light comes on, then fill it up completely you'll know where your fuel light comes on based on the year of the bike and the number of litres in the tank.  That in combination with the occasional glade at the fuel light should be a telling indicator of problems with the bike that affect range too. If you look at people's fuelly stats you can see what your predicted range estimate should be :-)

[Chris]

I get 55ish mpg out of my bike.
 
I've just done 204 miles on my last tank and the fuel light hadn't come on yet, I think I could have got 230ish miles but didn't feel the need to risk it. It took 17ish litres to fill it up again. My fazer is a 2002 model so has the 22litre fuel tank which will obviously mean my overall range will be higher than yours if you have the older 18 or 20 litre tank.
 
Chris

[elbrownos]

Just broke my record yesterday - 240 miles before the light came on (60 MPG)

[Chris]

Just broke my record yesterday - 240 miles before the light came on (60 MPG)

Nice one 
 
Chris

[stevierst]

Just broke my record yesterday - 240 miles before the light came on (60 MPG)

good work!

Sent from my AT300 using Tapatalk 2

[His Dudeness]

On mine the light comes on with a quater tank left which is silly imo. It doesn't run out until the needle passes the centre line of the E on the gauge.