Moisture in Fuel Gauge

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Sep 4, 2005 | 12:41 PM

#11

HDF Tech

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Joined: May 2005

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RE: Moisture in Fuel Gauge

Never ceases to amaze me when there's a very common issue like this that we are led to believe that is "normal". Everything these bikes do out of the norm from every other bike or mechanical device is normal to the MOCO. Guess it's their way of saving $$$ on fixes. Must work!

Sep 4, 2005 | 01:17 PM

#12

Retired_Ted

Road Warrior

Joined: Feb 2005

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RE: Moisture in Fuel Gauge

There is NO perfect bike. Owned an $18,000 BMW before the RK and it had problems too. Just to mention a few - speedo was 5mph high at most speeds, oil was checked through a plastic "glass" - you had to get on your knees to read it and it was hardly ever accurate (there was a method to make it work), the PTTR (pull to the right) syndrome was awful - had a sore shoulder from trying to keep the bike on a stright line - wore out the front tire unevenly in 6-7K miles, no way to lubricate the tranny splines which would dry out and rust until they wore out in 36K miles unless they were serviced (8 hour job or buy a new tranny), kick stand tended to break off, bike would "surge" caused by the overly lean map BMW placed in the computer, and, the tachometer leaked water. I drove the RT 65K before I sold it and I got used to all the problems. The HD is a much better bike from a problem standpoint, imho, and - it looks, sounds, and drives like a real motorcycle. Just my 2 cents worth.

Sep 4, 2005 | 10:58 PM

#13

Wolf

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Joined: Jan 2005

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RE: Moisture in Fuel Gauge

Ted's right. I own a BMW and a Harley and neither has quality that is representative of the money paid for them. Makes me ask the question, is there a really high quality motorcycle made? What is it?

Sep 5, 2005 | 11:17 AM

#14

IU_Booger

Tourer

Joined: Jul 2005

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RE: Moisture in Fuel Gauge

Well in Louisiana I can't think of a more humid place.

Hell my glasses fog up from walking outside..when my gauges fog.. from washing it.. the ole leaf blower takes care of it. My speedo is acturate, its certified because it was a police ed.

Which raises a question how do you get it checked? it seems to me having a speedo off would work well in a speeding ticket scenario.

Sep 7, 2005 | 09:29 AM

#15

harleypete1450

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Joined: Sep 2005

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RE: Moisture in Fuel Gauge

Hello, I,m now on my 3rd Ultra. A 99, a 2001 and now a 2005. The moisture behind the gauges are common. During the winter they become annoying as the gauges fog up badly. But that fog disappears as the bike warms up. I removed the fuel gauge and outside of sealing it completly, it will get some moisture inside and doesnt appear to be doing damage. So I learned to live with it. I try to avoid spraying the bike directly with water and never direct a stream of water on the fairing. Pete who rides 12 months a year!

Sep 7, 2005 | 05:53 PM

#16

nfe

Tourer

Joined: Jul 2005

Posts: 373

Likes: 12

From: Minneapolis MN

RE: Moisture in Fuel Gauge

I have a '94 Ultra, and have the same issue with the fuel gauge.. Don't know why it only happens to that one, but the others are always crystal clear!

-NFE

Sep 7, 2005 | 07:33 PM

#17

solorider

Outstanding HDF Member

Joined: Sep 2005

Posts: 3,475

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From: Southeast Wisconsin

RE: Moisture in Fuel Gauge

Quote:

ORIGINAL: tom1340

The fuel gauge takes on moisture, the speedos are off 7 to 10%, the ambient air gauge was never intended to work. Harley's instrument design group is still producing products to AMF quality standards and their management is indifferent. Apparently so are most of their customers. Go figure.

Right on brother! The ambient air gauge on my '06 Street Glide told me that it was 100 degrees the other day when it was 75 degrees. The fuel gauge will stay on full for nearly 100 miles after a fill, show about 1/2 tank after 150 miles and then crashes to empty over the next 25 miles. And then there is the moisture thing...tell me, how can I trust the other gauges...or for that matter, any other electrical devices that Harley produces?

Oh yeah, you should hear the rattles coming from my fairing. The dealership replaced the mirrors but the problem didn't go away. I took the fairing apart and discovered that the speakers were the culprits so I took them out and put everything back together for a test drive...no more rattling. Put the speakers back in and the rattling was back. Harmon Kardon stereo that costs $1000 in the Harley Parts Catalog and Chinese made speakers that rattle louder than the sound they produce. Nice hey?

And the dealerships response to me doing my own investigating?..."You shouldn't be doing that, you are gonna void the warranty."