interesting phenomenon
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 626
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From: The Coma
interesting phenomenon
So the other night, as I go to start up the bike to head home from work, I bump the kill switch right after pushing the starter and, well, it kills the bike.
Then I start it back up and my low fuel light comes on, which I assume is because I am low on gas and parked on a bit of a hill.
As I ride home, I notice my fuel gauge makes its way up to a little under half a tank, but still the low fuel light is on.
When I get home, I turn off the bike, remove the key and give it a few seconds before turning it back on. Light still on...
So I head inside, get to the computer, head over here to the forums, look up the trouble codes to try to diagnose any issue, head back out, put the key in to check the codes and the low fuel light doesn't come back on. I check the trouble codes anyway, and nothing. Not a single one...
Is this a normal reaction on the bike's part to what I did when I started it and accidentally killed it immediately? I'm not too worried about it because it's running fine and there are no trouble codes, I just thought it was weird that it just needed to be turned off for about 5 minutes to "fix" itself. Has this ever happened to anyone else?
Cheers,
Jimmy
Then I start it back up and my low fuel light comes on, which I assume is because I am low on gas and parked on a bit of a hill.
As I ride home, I notice my fuel gauge makes its way up to a little under half a tank, but still the low fuel light is on.
When I get home, I turn off the bike, remove the key and give it a few seconds before turning it back on. Light still on...
So I head inside, get to the computer, head over here to the forums, look up the trouble codes to try to diagnose any issue, head back out, put the key in to check the codes and the low fuel light doesn't come back on. I check the trouble codes anyway, and nothing. Not a single one...
Is this a normal reaction on the bike's part to what I did when I started it and accidentally killed it immediately? I'm not too worried about it because it's running fine and there are no trouble codes, I just thought it was weird that it just needed to be turned off for about 5 minutes to "fix" itself. Has this ever happened to anyone else?
Cheers,
Jimmy
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,212
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Using the kill switch doesn't harm most Harleys. They are wired in such a way that it is equivalent to turning off at the ignition switch.
The low fuel lights are triggered by a switch that alters its signal by the level of a float in the fuel tank. Once it comes on, it will stay on until the circuit is reset (turn the key off/on) and the float no longer indicates low fuel.
The switch itself is slow to react, so it usually takes a minute for it to recognize it is no longer on "low fuel", even if it was switched off/on again.
How Fuel Gauges Work
The low fuel lights are triggered by a switch that alters its signal by the level of a float in the fuel tank. Once it comes on, it will stay on until the circuit is reset (turn the key off/on) and the float no longer indicates low fuel.
The switch itself is slow to react, so it usually takes a minute for it to recognize it is no longer on "low fuel", even if it was switched off/on again.
How Fuel Gauges Work
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 5,477
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From: New Braunfels, Texas
how low do you have to be on gas for it to come on? Once it showed empty, checked the computer and it said it could go another 36 miles. When I went to fill it up it had about a gallon in it. Light never came on
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2009
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They are notoriously inaccurate. You are much better off using your trip counter and estimating when you are getting low.
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 626
Likes: 2
From: The Coma
I don't think it was the float in this situation.
And @axel, no paranoia, just confusion. But I figure if it's running fine and I got no trouble codes, then there is no problem... Right?! Haha!
And @axel, no paranoia, just confusion. But I figure if it's running fine and I got no trouble codes, then there is no problem... Right?! Haha!
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,919
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From: Seattle, WA
When my fuel gauge shows around half or a little less maybe (as verified by my trip odometer reading), when I first start up, the fuel light will sometimes come on ... depending on how long I'm riding, sometimes it will shut off (usually takes about 10 or 15 minutes of riding) ...
... as the fuel gauge is 'coming up' when I'm getting ready to start my bike, it doesn't seem to register with the light switch ... which is why the light comes on ...
... when I am riding and the fuel runs down, the light ordinarily doesn't come on until the needle on the gauge drops to the red line (looks like less than a third, but more than a quarter) ... this usually occurs sometime between 110 and 13o miles on the trip odometer ...
... sometimes when the light comes on 'prematurely' (when I have more than a quarter tank left) ... I let the fuel gauge needle come up to settle above the red line ... then quickly switch the key off and back on and the light will go out ....
My bike is an '05 (so 'old technology') ... doesn't have the count down feature ....
R/
'Chop
... as the fuel gauge is 'coming up' when I'm getting ready to start my bike, it doesn't seem to register with the light switch ... which is why the light comes on ...
... when I am riding and the fuel runs down, the light ordinarily doesn't come on until the needle on the gauge drops to the red line (looks like less than a third, but more than a quarter) ... this usually occurs sometime between 110 and 13o miles on the trip odometer ...
... sometimes when the light comes on 'prematurely' (when I have more than a quarter tank left) ... I let the fuel gauge needle come up to settle above the red line ... then quickly switch the key off and back on and the light will go out ....
My bike is an '05 (so 'old technology') ... doesn't have the count down feature ....
R/
'Chop
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