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Low Fuel Light

7K views 63 replies 35 participants last post by  Zokambaa 
#1 ·
My low fuel light comes on at about 125 miles every time. Is that normal? I've filled up a few times and my gas mileage is about 50 mpg every time. Thats about right.
 
#4 ·
Mine would typically fade on and then off, depending on the topography of the road at the time, at the high 130's and would stay on at about 140 miles. She runs out at about 190.

Since I have installed all my Givi Luggage and have been riding 2 up pretty much since, she comes on steady in the low 130's. I haven't calc'd my mileage since the install but before, the best I ever had was about 45mpg.

Get an MSR Camp Fuel bottle and fill it with 87 octane. Run your sled out of gas a couple times and learn the limits. Just plan ahead where you'll be riding when she conks out. Best to be on the side streets when it happens.
 
#6 ·
Good post! i was wondering about this myself! sounds like i m normal tho. my light flicks on and off too sometimes. i err on the side of caution tho and get gas asap when that happens. good to know its the topography tho and not a loose wire or fuse!!
 
#11 ·
Do remember California models of the SV have a smaller fuel tank by 1L (~1/4 gallon). Although this doesn't sound like much, it makes my fuel light blink on around 125 miles, a good 15-20 miles before a friend's non-California SV.
 
#19 ·
good point although 15-20miles could easily be a matter of riding style, when i hit the canyons my light somes on around 115miles, highway commute during the week(40miles a day in CA traffic, splitting lanes) i usually don't start flashing till 135miles. this morning i rode all the way to work with solid light :) also depends what slope you are on. Going down a steep hill will make the gas cover different parts of the sensor in the tank, riding up a steep hill can make the sensor think there is more gas. I always try to remember to get gas when it starts flashing though.
 
#12 ·
Glad to see my fuel light isn't the only one that seems to come on a bit early. I filled up and rode a max of about (no gauges so i'm extimating here) 130 miles and my light started doing the blinkie show as well. Not wanting to risk running out I filled up, but I thought that seemed a bit premature. I guess not tho since she took almost a full 4 gallons. Also my riding style is... well... noobish. Since I have no tach/ speedo/ trips I'm using my ears, maps and head (math are hard) to try and figure my milage as well as when I need to shift and such. makes life interesting to say the least
 
#13 ·
before I got my m4 slip-on and pcIII I was regularly getting atleast 190 miles before the light came steady on. about 70% of my riding is highway. Now after the mods it dropped to about 170 miles. I also shift between 4k and 5k And always stay in the highest gear possible. Thats just my 2 cents.
 
#14 ·
I average 160 between fill ups, not many hills here in FL, the low fuel light should start blinking when getting low 1.1gal of fuel left, once under .4gal it should stay lit and no blinking but than again not all fuel gauges are the same so don't push your luck too far if no gas station near by;D
 
#17 ·
This is the first bike I've had and when I bought it the guy told me the flashing/solid light thing when you need to refill... I was new, didnt really know what to expect, I was riding the speed limit and shifting at ~4k rpm... ended up finding out my fuel light doesnt work and ran out of gas at 211 miles. Since then I just refill around 120 to be sure since my riding has gotten a bit more aggressive.... now to figure out how to fix my light...
 
#20 ·
If your lights flash when you turn on the ignition, the bulb is ok... you can do the test of the system as per the manual.. I forget the procedure...


and if you really want to be sure... drain the gas out and hip the sensor in some gas and see if the light goes out... if it doesn't light up when out of the gas then replace the unit... it is easy.. unplug harness.. get a crescent wrench... undo the nut with the unit and pull it out... very easy except even if you have little gas in the tank it still gets everywhere...
 
#27 ·
The fuel light on my 2003 comes on and stays on solid when gas is low.

When I got my 2007 I was surprised to see the fuel light flash instead.

I believe the 2003 and 2004's have solid fuel lights only, and the 2005 and later flash when low, then go solid as fuel gets critical.
 
#28 ·
The fuel light on my 2003 comes on and stays on solid when gas is low.

When I got my 2007 I was surprised to see the fuel light flash instead.

I believe the 2003 and 2004's have solid fuel lights only, and the 2005 and later flash when low, then go solid as fuel gets critical.
yeah, first gen had the 2 stage light (or at least 99s did) I thought it was just 2003 that didn't have the 2 stage... but then they went back to it for the rest of the 2nd gens... but it is possible it was 2005 when the change back happened


I wonder if it is a simple swap of the fuel level sender from other 2nd gen bikes, and if the rest of the circuit is compatible... it seems like it is a pretty simple system but I don't know what sensors are involved and if it is just the sensor going to the dash or if it goes to the computer too...

it'd be cool if all it took was a swap of a newer fuel level sender

I guess it doesn't really matter... I fill up as soon as I can when the light comes one even if I have the 2 stage light... what is the point in trying to see how far you can go before you run out of gas? ?
 
#30 ·
yeah my 03 svs doesnt flash...i kinda like it that way...id rather have a solid light to tell me "hey you have like 25-30 miles left'....than a flashing light ...i think it would get kind of annoying...but yeah mine usually comes on at around 140miles....one day i filled up and i had 210 miles on the tank...i was impressed...but then another i took that for granted and it ran out of gas on me at 187 miles...i was 3/4 mile away from a gas station...had to walk the bike on the sidewalk in hot and humid florida weather...it sucked
 
#31 ·
Saftey alert: Be careful of this type of situation if you are running low on fuel.

Instead of fuel lights or gauges, bikes back in the 60's and 70's had fuel petcocks with a reserve position.

You would ride until you started to run out of gas (you could feel the engine begin to stumble), then flip to reserve and find the next gas station. I loved this method, right up to the time when IT ALMOST KILLED ME!

Here's how. I was waiting to turn left against on coming traffic. When there was an opening to go, I let the clutch out and the bike moved forward, stalled, and I fell over right in the middle of the oncoming lane with a car bearing down on me!

Fortunately the car saw me and swerved around without hitting. Had I cut it close, I would have been dead meat. Apparently the bike was on it's last float bowl of fuel as I was waiting to turn and finally ran out just as I gave it the gas.

This is probably why manufactures are so keen to recall vehicles with any type of stall problem.

-TeeRiver
 
#33 ·
did you not notice the bike surging for a mile or so before it cut out? every bike I've ridden that ran out of gas (most had a reserve switch) surged for at least a mile before sputtering to a stop...

I ran out on my 99 and it was exactly the same as the old bikes with the tap...

another thing is you should know your bike... watch the speedo meter... you should know around the time you should fill up again... if the light doesn't come on... then either you have filled without resetting, only were riding highway (when usually do stop n go) or have a faulty light...

If you had a bike with a reserve switch... guess what, you would have had the exact same problem.... the only difference is you would have had to switch it over and hope you could re-prime it so it would fire up on reserve...

It would be nice to have a physical reserve tap as a 3rd backup and even a fuel gauge but I suspect people who disregard the light are the same ones who drive their car on empty untill they get the flasher on the car...

Consider the first flashing stage (unless you have an 03) the E on your car's meter.... and the solid light on the sv the same as the blinker on the car... and your trip meter as your guide... 0 miles/km on the meter means F and fill in the rest as you go...


Saftey alert: Be careful of this type of situation if you are running low on fuel.

Instead of fuel lights or gauges, bikes back in the 60's and 70's had fuel petcocks with a reserve position.

You would ride until you started to run out of gas (you could feel the engine begin to stumble), then flip to reserve and find the next gas station. I loved this method, right up to the time when IT ALMOST KILLED ME!

Here's how. I was waiting to turn left against on coming traffic. When there was an opening to go, I let the clutch out and the bike moved forward, stalled, and I fell over right in the middle of the oncoming lane with a car bearing down on me!

Fortunately the car saw me and swerved around without hitting. Had I cut it close, I would have been dead meat. Apparently the bike was on it's last float bowl of fuel as I was waiting to turn and finally ran out just as I gave it the gas.

This is probably why manufactures are so keen to recall vehicles with any type of stall problem.

-TeeRiver
 
#34 ·
Hi Zokambaa,
Yes, I would always get advanced warning like you said, maybe a mile before you actually ran out. What I believe happened in this case was my stop was on an incline, so when the gas shifted in the tank, bye bye warning!

Another petcock reserve experience I had was when my brother borrowed my bike. Being the responsible teenager he was at the time, he ran the bike to reserve and returned it without filling the tank.

The next time I went for a ride, I felt the tell tale out of gas surge. When I reached down to flip the reserve, I find out I'm already ON reserve, and far from a gas station!

Cheers!
-TeeRiver
 
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