Inaccurate gas gauge
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5str48
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:13 am
- Location: Reno, NV 89512
- Motorcycle: 1986 GL1200A Aspencade
Inaccurate gas gauge
1988 GL1500 - gas gauge goes from full to empty after 3 gallons. What would be the most likely culprit - faulty sender unit or the gauge itself. Could I try bending the float arm if it is the sender unit?
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Andy Cote
- Posts: 1176
- Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:38 am
- Location: Windham, ME
- Motorcycle: 2015 Goldwing, basic black
Re: Inaccurate gas gauge
Not uncommon on a GL1500. There are several posts on this topic, most of which are resolved by bending the float arm.
2015 Goldwing, basic black
Previously: GL1200 standard, GL1200 Interstate, GL1500 Goldwing, GL1500 Valkyrie Standard, 2000 Valkyrie Interstate, many other Hondas
Previously: GL1200 standard, GL1200 Interstate, GL1500 Goldwing, GL1500 Valkyrie Standard, 2000 Valkyrie Interstate, many other Hondas
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AZgl1800
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'02 GL1800 lives in Dawsonville, GA now.
My son is going to enjoy it for many years to come.
Re: Inaccurate gas gauge
Pull the fuel pump.
empty the tank, then pour in exactly 3.0 gallons of gas.
key on, OFF/ON/OFF switch to OFF.
Bend the float arm until the gauge reads exactly 1/2 tank.
the result is:
the 1st 100 miles it still shows full.
from the 1/2 mark, it is almost accurate to the 1/2 gallon of gas as it goes down.
at Empty, there is about 1/2 gallon or less of fuel...
To me, it made life a hell of a lot easier to know exactly how much gas is LEFT in the tank, not how many miles are on the Trip Meter.....
Varying terrain, and a heavy throttle has a lot of effect on MPG.
the gauge will be accurate for you, no matter how many miles down hill you coasted off that mountain.
empty the tank, then pour in exactly 3.0 gallons of gas.
key on, OFF/ON/OFF switch to OFF.
Bend the float arm until the gauge reads exactly 1/2 tank.
the result is:
the 1st 100 miles it still shows full.
from the 1/2 mark, it is almost accurate to the 1/2 gallon of gas as it goes down.
at Empty, there is about 1/2 gallon or less of fuel...
To me, it made life a hell of a lot easier to know exactly how much gas is LEFT in the tank, not how many miles are on the Trip Meter.....
Varying terrain, and a heavy throttle has a lot of effect on MPG.
the gauge will be accurate for you, no matter how many miles down hill you coasted off that mountain.
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Rambozo
- Posts: 3923
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- Motorcycle: 1992 GL1500 Aspencade
Ducati Monster
Re: Inaccurate gas gauge
Honda
While the gauge is about useless, I find the low fuel light is very predictable.
Last edited by Rambozo on Thu Mar 04, 2021 2:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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offcenter
- Posts: 1299
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- Location: Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey
- Motorcycle: 99 Gl-1500 SE
76 GL-1000
77 Honda Trail 90
Re: Inaccurate gas gauge
I use the trip odometer.
My bike gets a fairly consistent 42 miles to the gallon.
So when the trip odo reads 200 miles, it's time to start
looking for gas. With 200 miles showing, it's nice to know
that there is still about a gallon of gas left.
My bike gets a fairly consistent 42 miles to the gallon.
So when the trip odo reads 200 miles, it's time to start
looking for gas. With 200 miles showing, it's nice to know
that there is still about a gallon of gas left.
George in Jersey.
99 Goldwing GL-1500 SE
76 Goldwing Gl-1000
77 Honda CT-90 "Trail 90"
99 Goldwing GL-1500 SE
76 Goldwing Gl-1000
77 Honda CT-90 "Trail 90"
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Solo So Long
- Posts: 588
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- Motorcycle: 1999 GL1500 50th Anniversary SE
1989 GL1500 FOR SALE
A pack of Super Cubs
Z50A (pre-headlight)
Formerly (in order):
Honda Super Cub (bought 1968, sold ?)
Kawasaki Coyote (early 1970s)
Honda 350 (mid 1970s)
Kawasaki KZ900-PS (1977)
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Kawasaki KZ1000P (various years, 1980 - 2005)
Honda 360 (1983)
BMW R1150RT-P (2001)
BMW R1200RT-P (various years 2007 - 2018, NEVER AGAIN)
Re: Inaccurate gas gauge
There is no law or regulation regarding gas gauge accuracy for motor vehicles. In fact, the only such law that I know of is regarding airplanes, and it merely says that the gauge must show empty when the tank is empty.
On vehicles that I know have a working fuel gauge, my poilicy is to never pass a gas pump if the needle is at or below 1/4.
On vehicles that I DON'T trust the gauge, I figure out nominal miles per tank, and top it off when it gets to half of that number.
About 15 years ago, I rented a brand new U-Haul truck. It ran out of gas with 1/3 showing on the gauge.
On vehicles that I know have a working fuel gauge, my poilicy is to never pass a gas pump if the needle is at or below 1/4.
On vehicles that I DON'T trust the gauge, I figure out nominal miles per tank, and top it off when it gets to half of that number.
About 15 years ago, I rented a brand new U-Haul truck. It ran out of gas with 1/3 showing on the gauge.