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Fuel Gauge Issue

O

otbiker

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Has anyone ever gotten a legitimate answer from BMW about our fuel gauge issues? Since new, after fill up, if you don't wait 20 seconds between turning on the key and starting the bike, the fuel gauge never updates. The other issue is, regardless of how long you wait, if the fuel gauge is 3/4 or above, toping off never updates the fuel gauge. Acts likes it just never happened.
 
I've never had either of these issues. (Mine is a 2013 GT for what that's worth.) It must be annoying: you fill up and it shows no fuel was added. But you have me curious - I understand the "update" you're talking about must mean it does not show more fuel. On the empty side - does it eventually update on its way down and show the fuel light at the correct point of being empty? That you'd hate to miss for sure!
 
I have never experienced this problem either, although, I don't time my fuel to start time. Read the past posts on this, other people have had this problem.
 
On the secondary issue, you fill up, and the gauge never changes. You'll have a low fuel light inside of 100 miles.
 
justscootin said:
I only had the issue once and that is when I filled up on the side stand, since then I always have the scooter vertical (I sit on it when filling).
Click to expand...

This brings up a thought. I've always fueled on the side stand. I'll try filling up on the center stand. Anyone else?
 
As long as we are talking "fuel" here, what sort of real-world mileage does everyone get? I ride pretty hard (NO, not like THAT, Jaime...:rolleyes:) most of the time, be it freeway, sweepers or through the mountains twisties. What is everyone's usual mileage, in what type of riding; touring, just a freeway commute, hard mountain riding, etc.:cool:
 
I've never had these issues. Always fill on the side stand. BUT, I always reset one of the trip meters at the refueling stop. I haven't ridden in a couple of months now (winter) so I don't remember if it's Trip 1 or Trip 2. When it's hits 150 miles, I'm looking to refuel, regardless of what the fuel gauge tells me.
 
Skutorr:
I am on a site called Fuelly and have the following tracking:
AVG 38.7mpg
best 46mpg
6000 miles
$11.76 per tank
.10 per mile
54 fuel ups

in Seattle and thru the mountain pass several times a year.
 
Skutorr said:
As long as we are talking "fuel" here, what sort of real-world mileage does everyone get? I ride pretty hard (NO, not like THAT, Jaime...:rolleyes:) most of the time, be it freeway, sweepers or through the mountains twisties. What is everyone's usual mileage, in what type of riding; touring, just a freeway commute, hard mountain riding, etc.:cool:
Click to expand...

(First, LOL!)

My mileage varied (past tense for now) between low 40s to low 50s depending upon some of those factors you mentioned plus a temperature factor. And thanks for subtly acknowledging our no-ride temps back in your former home state (-8f last night and barely above 0f today, even with the sun). No doubt I'll get a call or two from my brothers that live in FLA asking me if I am feeding the sled dogs.
 
Never did the math. I usually fill up around 170 miles on the odometer, haven't yet had to put more than four gallons in. I once stretched it out to almost 180 miles with the low fuel warning light glaring at me for far longer than I felt comfortable... but it didn't QUITE need four gallons to fill up. According to the specifications, the tank holds 4.2 gallons (that's what BMW's website says NOW... but I'm pretty sure when I bought my scooter the site said it held 4.4 gallons).

Oh wait! I now see it says "Usable Tank Volume." Hmmmm... interesting qualification there. So it actually holds 4.4 gallons, but .2 gallons isn't usable?? Or maybe that's the volume that includes the area around the fuel filler and up. That makes some sense. You can only fill UP to the fuel filler opening, but there's still .2 gallons of space above that. Guess maybe they got hit with a "Truth in Advertising" suit or something somewhere...

For reference, the most I ever got out of the TMAX was about 160 miles of steady highway. Yamaha rates the TMAX with a fuel capacity of four gallons. Most I ever remember putting into it was about 3.5 gallons. Yamaha also specified 91 octane minumum for the TMAX. Around here, that's "Premium" grade fuel. BMW specifies 89 octane for their scooters and around here, that is the cheaper "Plus" grade.
 
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Never had the problem with fuel gauge, most of my fill up done on the center stand. My scooter is a C600 Sport using since Nov 2012.
 
My fuel light comes on at about 155 miles. I have gotten over 50 mpg once since owning the bike since Thanksgiving 2014. Usually about 45 mpg.
 
Over the course of about 6,000 miles here in the foothills of Colorado I regularly get 60 MPG. My low fuel indicator comes on at 190 - 200 miles. I don't do a lot of higher speed riding and my average speed usually comes in around 40 MPH. Very predictable. Maybe it's the Geezer factor?
 
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