Bad Low Fuel Light on 99 Aspencade


Information and questions on GL1500 Goldwings (1988-2000)
Post Reply
User avatar
zeoran
Posts: 233
Joined: Wed Apr 17, 2019 12:11 am
Location: Santa Ana, CA United States
Motorcycle: 1999 GL1500A, 2002 Honda ST1100, 1982 Honda Interstate (sold)

Bad Low Fuel Light on 99 Aspencade

Post by zeoran »



About 8 months after I picked up my 99 Aspencade, I was riding home and suddenly the bike died without warning. I knew it was low on gas, I was on my way to the gas station at the time, literally on the freeway offramp at the time it dies. I know for a fact that the low fuel light was working prior to this, so I presumed that I was OK since the light hadn't come on yet.

So my light suddenly stopped working. Any ideas on what might have caused it and how I could fix it? And bear in mind that if any of those ideas involve tearing apart the gas tanks itself, it's a no-go for me.

God bless,

~Mark


User avatar
MikeB
Posts: 4137
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:54 pm
Location: Tacoma, WA
Motorcycle: Current
1998 - GL1500 Aspencade
205K Miles
2017 - GL1800 Audio Comfort
46K Miles
Previous
SOLD 1999 - GL1500, 161K Miles
SOLD 2003 - GL1800 ABS w/117K - Sold
SOLD 2003 - GL1800 w/67K Miles
SOLD 2001 - ST1100 w/33K Miles
Contact:

Re: Bad Low Fuel Light on 99 Aspencade

Post by MikeB »

Does the light come on when you first turn on the ignition. There is a lamp test where all of the warning lights come on. The low fuel light should illuminate. If it doesn't just replace the bulb.

If the light works during the bulb test, then removing the fuel pump to replace the thermistor is almost a certainty.
MikeB
1998 - GL1500 w/205,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/46,000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
gford
Posts: 231
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 8:55 pm
Location: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Canada
Motorcycle: 1999 Goldwing SE

Re: Bad Low Fuel Light on 99 Aspencade

Post by gford »

Like mike said, replace the thermistor, easy job
User avatar
zeoran
Posts: 233
Joined: Wed Apr 17, 2019 12:11 am
Location: Santa Ana, CA United States
Motorcycle: 1999 GL1500A, 2002 Honda ST1100, 1982 Honda Interstate (sold)

Re: Bad Low Fuel Light on 99 Aspencade

Post by zeoran »

I should have specified in my original post, yes the light comes on with the ignition, so I know it's not a bad bulb.

From what I've been told before, replacing the thermistor isn't a simple job. It requires tearing down quite a bit of the bike to do it, which isn't worth it necessarily just for a low-fuel light. Is that my only option?

Praying for Ukraine,

~Mark
User avatar
DenverWinger
Posts: 2441
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:20 pm
Location: Denver, CO
Motorcycle: (s)
'80 GL1100 STD Vetter (2005-)
'93 GL1500 Aspencade (2017-)
'83 Trav-Lite Camper (2010-)
Past rides
'72 CL350 (1980-1988) sold
'78 Suzuki GS550 (1985-2005) sold
'77 GL1000 (2002-2006) sold

Re: Bad Low Fuel Light on 99 Aspencade

Post by DenverWinger »

Only need to remove the seat. The fuel pump is accessible on the top of the tank right there, and the thermistor is attached to the fuel pump assembly. Just remove fuel pump assembly. Be sure less than half a tank of fuel first or you get a flood.
A local inventor has figured a way to turn a sausage grinder backward to manufacture pigs. :lol:

♫ 99 Little Bugs in the Code, ♪
♪ 99 Bugs in the Code. ♫ :(
♫ Take one down, Patch it around, ♪
♫ 127 Little Bugs in the Code. ♫ ♪ :shock:
~Mark
gford
Posts: 231
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 8:55 pm
Location: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Canada
Motorcycle: 1999 Goldwing SE

Re: Bad Low Fuel Light on 99 Aspencade

Post by gford »

On my 1999 se Honda Goldwing it was necessary to remove the seat to get to the nuts that hold the fuel pump in position in the fuel tank. Once you move the fuel pump the replacement of the thermistor is easy.
While i had the fuel pump removed I reached inside the tank and bent the float on the fuel level sensing arm down a bit, doing this made my fuel gage read more accurately with regards to the amount of fuel remaining in the tank.


Post Reply