2008 gas gauge

[dave3d]

Hi,

I picked up my 2008 FJR1300A 8 days ago. The gas gauge showed 3/4 filled but I didn`t look into the tank. Today the gas gauge showed only one bar left so I decided I better fill up. It only took 3.5 gallons and the gauge showed 3/4 fiilled again. Has anyone with an 08 had the same problem? It has to be the float inside the tank or the gauge itself.

Thnaks,

Dave

 

[ynotride]

Hi,I picked up my 2008 FJR1300A 8 days ago. The gas gauge showed 3/4 filled but I didn`t look into the tank. Today the gas gauge showed only one bar left so I decided I better fill up. It only took 3.5 gallons and the gauge showed 3/4 fiilled again. Has anyone with an 08 had the same problem? It has to be the float inside the tank or the gauge itself.

Thnaks,

Dave

If you just shove the gas nozzle into the hole you will not fill it up all the way. You need to pull back the black outer cover from the nozzle then slowly fill your tank. Just keep riding and it will get easier

 

[SkooterG]

Is the bike upright? Float for the gauge is on the right side of the tank so if you are on the sidestand, it will read low.

That, and what ynotride said.

 

[08'Bullet]

Got an 08'AE and mine does pretty much the same thing.....when I'm down to one bar you would think that your pretty much down to 1 gallon or so but I will fill the tank all the way up to the hole and only squeeze in 3 3/4 gallons. That tells me that even though the last bar is blinking and you should be pretty much out of gas I still have 2 gallons or close to 3 left. I really wish the gauge was dead on accurate. I hate a gauge car or bike that wont read exactly.

 

[7xray]

Got an 08'AE and mine does pretty much the same thing.....when I'm down to one bar you would think that your pretty much down to 1 gallon or so but I will fill the tank all the way up to the hole and only squeeze in 3 3/4 gallons. That tells me that even though the last bar is blinking and you should be pretty much out of gas I still have 2 gallons or close to 3 left. I really wish the gauge was dead on accurate. I hate a gauge car or bike that wont read exactly.

Try standing the bike up straight (not leaning over on the sidestand) before starting it up.

 

[madmike2]

Try standing the bike up straight (not leaning over on the sidestand) before starting it up.

What does the gauge read when the bike is on the center stand? When my '05 is parked on the side stand it typically reads 1 or 2 bars below the reading when standing upright.

That's also why I fill the tank with the bike on the center stand.

(Of course, that's easy for me. I just lift it up with my manly right arm and flip the stand down with my left hand....just like SkooterG taught me!)

 

[08'Bullet]

Got an 08'AE and mine does pretty much the same thing.....when I'm down to one bar you would think that your pretty much down to 1 gallon or so but I will fill the tank all the way up to the hole and only squeeze in 3 3/4 gallons. That tells me that even though the last bar is blinking and you should be pretty much out of gas I still have 2 gallons or close to 3 left. I really wish the gauge was dead on accurate. I hate a gauge car or bike that wont read exactly.

Try standing the bike up straight (not leaning over on the sidestand) before starting it up.

That is with the bike standing straight up.....I never fill up with the kickstand down...afraid bike might slip in some gas or oil. I either stand up and straddle the bike when filling up or put it on the centerstand.

 

[dave3d]

I read the manual last night. One of the 2 statements were right. One, when you turn the key on, all segments should show to full which it did today. Second, says when 2 segments from empty it should flash but mine didn`t. Also, today before I headed out I looked into the tank with a flashlight to see were the gas was from when I filled up yesterday. Fuel was about 1/2 from bottom of filler. I don`t think that about 1/2 inch from bottom of filler would equal about 1.5 gallons. I did also check when I started today and had the bike level, it still showed 3/4 full. Sounds like the 08 gas gauge is NFG. Yet the miles per gallon and the miles left seem to be right. I am enjoying the bike to much to worry about the gauge. Let the dealer worry about it on the first service.

 

[08'Bullet]

I read the manual last night. One of the 2 statements were right. One, when you turn the key on, all segments should show to full which it did today. Second, says when 2 segments from empty it should flash but mine didn`t. Also, today before I headed out I looked into the tank with a flashlight to see were the gas was from when I filled up yesterday. Fuel was about 1/2 from bottom of filler. I don`t think that about 1/2 inch from bottom of filler would equal about 1.5 gallons. I did also check when I started today and had the bike level, it still showed 3/4 full. Sounds like the 08 gas gauge is NFG. Yet the miles per gallon and the miles left seem to be right. I am enjoying the bike to much to worry about the gauge. Let the dealer worry about it on the first service.

I was thinking much along the same lines as you when my first service came up at 600miles. I told the service manager and his response was "all motorcycle gauges are notorious for not reading correctly." and that was the end of that conversation. I was in a hurry that day and did not want to push the issue but I will at the next service. Last time I had a motorcycle, before the FJR, the bike was made without a gauge so I don't really know if the guy was BSing me or not. Anyone else want to pipe in about the worthiness of typical motorcycle gauges?

 

[madmike2]

I am enjoying the bike to much to worry about the gauge. Let the dealer worry about it on the first service.

I was thinking much along the same lines as you when my first service came up at 600miles. I told the service manager and his response was "all motorcycle gauges are notorious for not reading correctly." Anyone else want to pipe in about the worthiness of typical motorcycle gauges?

Yes......I do.

Having a gas gauge that it THAT far off is not what should be passed off to you as gospel. The FJR doesn't have a "reserve" but it is electronically calculated by the level in the tank and warned by a flashing gauge and recording the miles driven on "Reserve". SO, in my opinion, an accurate gas gauge is critical.

IF these gauges are reading as faulty as you say, it is a warranty problem. Perhaps a faulty float assembly. Nevertheless, it is an issue that should be corrected, regardless of any service manager says.

This HAS NOT been reported before on any other model year. Yours are the first 2 that I have read about so if it were mine, I'd pursue it.

On my '05, when the tank is full the gauge reads full. Daily commuting I can count on the flashing "reserve" warning between 190 and 205 miles, every time, and it will take about 5 1/2 gallons. That's just about what I figure it should be.

 

[08'Bullet]

I am enjoying the bike to much to worry about the gauge. Let the dealer worry about it on the first service.

I was thinking much along the same lines as you when my first service came up at 600miles. I told the service manager and his response was "all motorcycle gauges are notorious for not reading correctly." Anyone else want to pipe in about the worthiness of typical motorcycle gauges?

Yes......I do.

Having a gas gauge that it THAT far off is not what should be passed off to you as gospel. The FJR doesn't have a "reserve" but it is electronically calculated by the level in the tank and warned by a flashing gauge and recording the miles driven on "Reserve". SO, in my opinion, an accurate gas gauge is critical.

IF these gauges are reading as faulty as you say, it is a warranty problem. Perhaps a faulty float assembly. Nevertheless, it is an issue that should be corrected, regardless of any service manager says.

This HAS NOT been reported before on any other model year. Yours are the first 2 that I have read about so if it were mine, I'd pursue it.

On my '05, when the tank is full the gauge reads full. Daily commuting I can count on the flashing "reserve" warning between 190 and 205 miles, every time, and it will take about 5 1/2 gallons. That's just about what I figure it should be.

Point well taken. I will place a call into my dealer again and see how they want to proceed.

 

[Fourteener Rider]

For what it's worth I have a 2008 and have not had any issues with the gas gauge.

 

[ponyfool]

I haven't heard of the 08 guage/display being different than any other 2nd gen. On my '06, when I have it parked on the side stand, it takes about 2-3 min before the gas gauge will "correct" itself from being on the side stand, and will read 1 to 2 bars low until it has corrected.

When I have 2 bars left, park it on the side stand, and then come back to start it, it will flash and many times go into reserve mode on the display. Again, that corrects after just a few minutes.

When I fill up, I always do it on the center stand. The bike will read full (all bars). However, after only about 15 miles of riding, if I put it on the side stand, it will read low until it "corrects".

If this is similar behavior to what you are experiencing, I'd say it's normal. If you are not getting a full indicator at fill up, and you are actually filling it up to the bottom of the metal collar at the top of the tank, your gauge or sending unit is FUBAR.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Somebody trusts the gas gauge? hahaha

Like Mike said, at about a certain point in mileage (230), I know to get gas and I do it on the centerstand. That said, if we're beating in the mountains rather than commuting and the gauge is down to the last bar or two I fill 'er up and it's so far been pretty accurate. (Gen 1 bike) Using the top-most bar takes longer than to go through the other bars and mine starts to flash on the last bar, not the second to last.

Bob

 

[madmike2]

I haven't heard of the 08 guage/display being different than any other 2nd gen. .......If you are not getting a full indicator at fill up, and you are actually filling it up to the bottom of the metal collar at the top of the tank, your gauge or sending unit is FUBAR.

Somebody trusts the gas gauge? hahaha

EXCEPT, the issue is (as these two are reporting the story) when the bike is filled on the center stand and ridden:

1) The gas gauge reads 3/4

2) At 1 bar, it took 3.5 gallons

That isn't likely a faulty gauge cluster as suffered by other models (mpg readout @ 17 mpg) but more likely a bad float assembly. And since bot bikes were under 600 miles when this has happened, to my thinking, it is a warranty issue that should be resolved rather than always checking the mileage (which I do, anyway).

There are those occasions where fuel consumption will be altered by wind, speed or terrain and a more accurate fuel gauge would be a nice tool to rely on.

 

[ionbeam]

This definitely should be a dealer issue since your FJRs are essentially new. If you can not get your dealer to do anything and you have exhausted your resources (Yamaha regional tech, Yamaha USA, several dealers), it is possible to remove the fuel pump assembly and bend the float arm to adjust the level reading. The arm is too low and needs to be bent up.

To keep the gas gauge from flickering up and down as you ride, the ECU only updates the fuel level indicator once every minute or two, it takes a quick snap shot of the fuel level then updates the display. This is why it appears to take a while for the fuel gauge to correct itself after starting on the side stand.

 

[DailyCommuter]

Got an 08'AE and mine does pretty much the same thing.....when I'm down to one bar you would think that your pretty much down to 1 gallon or so but I will fill the tank all the way up to the hole and only squeeze in 3 3/4 gallons. That tells me that even though the last bar is blinking and you should be pretty much out of gas I still have 2 gallons or close to 3 left. I really wish the gauge was dead on accurate. I hate a gauge car or bike that wont read exactly.

I think you're backward on that. 1 bar left is low fuel the fact that you are stopping after 3 or 4 gallons just means you aren't filling it all the way up. Don't go riding off with one bar thinking you can make it 100 more miles, you will be disappointed, and tired after you push it to the gas station!

 

[twowheelnut]

Meh, when the trip odo reads 220 I know it's time to gas up.

If you want a wonky gas gauge, let me introduce you to the V-Strom: it reads full with 120 - 150 miles on the tank and then plummets like a bad day on Wall Street as it nears 200 on the odo.

Out of all the bikes I've owned with gas gauges, none have been worth a damn.

 

[08'Bullet]

Got an 08'AE and mine does pretty much the same thing.....when I'm down to one bar you would think that your pretty much down to 1 gallon or so but I will fill the tank all the way up to the hole and only squeeze in 3 3/4 gallons. That tells me that even though the last bar is blinking and you should be pretty much out of gas I still have 2 gallons or close to 3 left. I really wish the gauge was dead on accurate. I hate a gauge car or bike that wont read exactly.

I think you're backward on that. 1 bar left is low fuel the fact that you are stopping after 3 or 4 gallons just means you aren't filling it all the way up. Don't go riding off with one bar thinking you can make it 100 more miles, you will be disappointed, and tired after you push it to the gas station!

u miss understood..........my gauge will read 1 bar and it only takes 3 or close to 4 gallons to fill ALL the way up to the filler hole. If the gauge is reading correctly at one bar it should take around 5 gallons or a little better to get all the way to the filler hole. AND yes this is when the bike is on centerstand.