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General Category => Maintenance => Topic started by: Imkruzen on June 16, 2009, 09:11:38 AM

Title: Fuel gauge
Post by: Imkruzen on June 16, 2009, 09:11:38 AM
This is the next annoyance I'm perusing on this 84, now that the dash lights all work.
The fuel gauge doesn't go up to the F. Sits at about ¾ when I fill up. Then when I'm at 60km. the gauge is showing ½. From there to empty I put 230km before it goes to E. Last time I let it go until the light came on so I could pull the fuel sending unit. I did that. Cleaned the contactors on the rheostat and the harness plug. Reassembled it and went to fill up. It took 13L of the 24 full capacity? So it appears that the low fuel light indicator is coming on prematurly as well.
Is it possible that the whole assembly is sitting too high up in the tank or bent upwards?
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: racerman_27410 on June 16, 2009, 12:42:47 PM
sure its possible.......i bent the wire on mine so the low fuel light comes on with exactly 1 gallon of fuel left.


KOokaloo!


frank
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: Andrea70 on August 06, 2009, 05:41:59 PM
Hi guys, can someone tell me how many kilometers do you run before the tank from total filled goes in reserve?
Today I run alla day long, not faster, around 70-100 km/h. And my total km was 190. I think it is not much, for close 16 litres of gasoline..
What do you think?  :scratch_one-s_head:
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: Ratchet_72 on August 06, 2009, 07:13:24 PM
Quote from: Andrea70 on August 06, 2009, 05:41:59 PM
Today I run alla day long
Andrea you even type an Italian accent...Priceless! :blum2:
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: Arnie on August 06, 2009, 07:15:35 PM
Hello Andrea,

I usually get about 250kms before the light comes on, 300kms before I need to switch to "reserver", and *once* got to 401kms before coasting to a stop :-(.  My '91 took just over 22L to fill from that point.

Cheers,
Arnie
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: Andrea70 on August 07, 2009, 03:00:06 AM
rnie, how possible you run for so long km?? I had difficulties to reach 200, and you made 400!! tell me the secret: you have someone who pull you from back.. uh?   :smile:

then I think my bike has some problems..   :dash2:
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: Arnie on August 07, 2009, 08:31:25 PM
Andrea,

Your bike may have some problems, but its hard to know exactly.

My bike has over 120,000 kms on it now and is is pretty good mechanical shape.

I have Uni dual-pod filters, slip-on exhaust cans, and the valves and carbs are properly set.
Frequently people will put big jets in thinking that will give them more power, when all it really does is waste fuel.  I have 17" radials F & R, which probably helps a bit.  The engine is no longer "tight", so internal friction is likely minimized.

On that run, I was just cruising along at about 100kph steadily.  No big accelerations, no stop/start city work.  Tires are at 36/42psi cold pressure.  I had also topped up the tank before starting, so might have had that last 1/2 L of fuel in too.  It was a pretty boring day, btw.

In more normal use, I get to about 300-350 before filling.  And, just to complete the picture, I am not a tiny boy @ 182cm and ~100kg.  I also have a fairly high screen extension.

There!  You have a goal :-)  Work to it :-)

Arnie
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: threejagsteve on August 08, 2009, 03:09:01 AM
When I was using my FJ for a daily 35-km commute on L.A. freeways, I would go about 300 km between fillups. That was mostly 2nd and 3rd gear, about 70 kph average speed.

I think that if you are getting such poor fuel economy, at minimum there is something wrong with the tuning of the bike. Have you looked at the condition of the spark plugs?

Cheers, and good luck!
threejagsteve
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: Andrea70 on August 10, 2009, 03:06:30 PM
Arnie, your 350 km are a dream for my bike!  :shok:

Today I reached 210 km before stopping to fillup the tank. Just a couple of times I run till 150 kph, for half kilometer. The traffic doesn't allow us to run faster. And I do not like to run too much faster. (fortunately no cops and no tickets   :good2:    )

Threejagsteve, I have my FJ since 3 weeks, the owner before me is a pedantic bike's mechanic, and he made himself all the works to put in the original set the FJ. So I consider he made all the works as Yamaha done in original.

I don't know what to think.. I will wait a couple of months, in hope the FJ will drink less than now. 
Cheers.
Andrea
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: Arnie on August 10, 2009, 07:36:35 PM
Andrea,

I wonder if you may be using the fuel guage as if its accurate, it is NOT.
I usually get to about 150 kms when the guage shows 1/2 full.  The needle is at the Empty mark at about 250 kms, but the bike doesn't cough till 300 km when I have to switch to "reserve".

If your tires are a bit soft, or your gearing is low, or you actually USE the acceleration the FJ allows, or you regularly keep the engine in the 5-9000 rpm range - your milage will be worse than what I'm quoting.

Also, using your figures of 190km for 'almost' 16L, you'd get 261kms from the actual 22L the tank holds.

I would perhaps look at the needles and emulsion jets for wear and replace them if needed.  You could also make certain that your air filter is clean.

Cheers,
Arnie
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: Andrea70 on August 11, 2009, 03:35:46 AM
Thank you alot Arnie, you wrote something very important. I mean that in middle tank fuel I reach around 150 km, and it's the same like you. My thought was that when the gauge is on the "E" (empty), I thoght to go to fillup. But as you wrote, I've to wait to switch in reserve, then not when the gauge is up the "E". Even if yesterday the needle was in "E" on 210 km (missing 40 km more..)
Last time, when I filled up, the gauge was upper the "F" for 40 km. I filled until 2 centimeters from the top.
I don't think that half kilometer run on 160kmh needs one liter of gasoline. Cause if it's right, tomorrow I sell the bike!  :dash2:  :flag_of_truce:
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: Bigfoot on August 12, 2009, 11:02:45 PM
Does the 84 have a reserve switch? If so, where is it? I haven't found one yet on mine.
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: doright1 on August 13, 2009, 06:02:06 AM
No reserve, just a low fuel level warning light.  Mine comes on when I have about a gallon left in the tank.
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: Bigfoot on August 13, 2009, 07:45:50 AM
Thanks, that is what I thought. My fuel gauge never goes all the way to full either and the last time my warning light came on I still had 2 gallons left. Guess mine needs some adjustment as well.
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: Andrea70 on September 19, 2009, 11:42:53 AM
Friends, good news!
After 2 times by feed pushing my FJ, and alot of bad curses to the hell, the mechanic reached the cause of the few kilometers.
The choke cable was blocked about the long time stopped.
Cleaned everything, now I hope I will run for at least 100 km more than b4.  :smile:
Title: Re: Fuel gauge
Post by: Shaun on September 21, 2009, 10:53:59 AM
All good info, as I was just out for a ride yesterday. Now some was "over the hump" to Port Alberni. Nice mountain road lots of curves, a lake to ride by and mountains to ride through (92km from home to Tim Horton's), sometimes a gathering of cars, drats. From Port Alberni back "over the hump" and up to Comox on the Inland Highway. Now I filled up at the beginning of the ride 18.5L and had to fill up again in Comox before I could get home. The distance was 216 Km and it was 18.6L to fill it again. I'm still thinking that even though there was a stretch of, I dunno 60KM at about 130Km/h it and two mountain passes that it shouldn't drink that much. What I have noticed is that it always smells rich, warm or cold. Plugs are new and the old ones checked out reasonable, with a fine white speckling on them ( I don't know the age of old plugs, bike is new to me). Bike has a K&N filter and some slip on cans. When I got home from my ride I noticed a fair bit of black soot build up in the pipes, not something I expected as I did run it fairly quick for about 80 km @ anywhere from 140-160km/h. Also when starting the bike the choke works fine for the first 30s-1 min then the rpm drops of and almost stalls, have to give it a couple of blips to get it cleared. In this time the motor is still cold if you put the choke away too soon the bike will stall. Other than that I've had no real problems, 90 3CV soon to be reworked for the coming spring, I think it is carb rework time.