J
jackdaniels
Guest
fuel gauge sticks on my fxsti.anyone know of a fix for this problem?
banquo
Club Member
Re: softail fuel gauge
Try jiggling the bike from side to side, at a time when it's stuck. Enough to make the fuel slosh about. See if the indicated level changes after doing that. Could be the fuel level sender is getting stuck, and jiggling might free it off..?
The sender is a resistor with a sliding contact, moved by a float on a bent wire. If it fouls anything, it could get stuck at some point in the travel. This is more likely if it's ever been stripped out, and not put back together very carefully.
Probably would need stripped out to fix and investigate more fully. Gauge could be faulty, but sender perhaps more likely?
Try jiggling the bike from side to side, at a time when it's stuck. Enough to make the fuel slosh about. See if the indicated level changes after doing that. Could be the fuel level sender is getting stuck, and jiggling might free it off..?
The sender is a resistor with a sliding contact, moved by a float on a bent wire. If it fouls anything, it could get stuck at some point in the travel. This is more likely if it's ever been stripped out, and not put back together very carefully.
Probably would need stripped out to fix and investigate more fully. Gauge could be faulty, but sender perhaps more likely?
Phil
Registered User
Re: softail fuel gauge
I was going to ask what year it is, but it really doesn`t matter.
This has been an ongoing problem on Softails that they have only recently fixed. We have dealt with dozens.
One of two things are probably going on: If it is pre 04 they had a problem with the fuel pressure line from the pump/regulator to the outlet at the bottom of the tank being a tad too long, curling around & catching the gauge float jamming it.
This problem manifests itself in several ways: The gauge goes to full, drops to half then stops, or goes from empty to half full & back. It may also in some instances just stick.
Some of the later models have a problem with the metal rod holding the float not being bent far enough away from the center of the tank, causing it to catch somewhere between full & empty.
This CAN be a do it yourself fix, but is a fiddly job.
PM me if you think you want to tackle it.
I was going to ask what year it is, but it really doesn`t matter.
This has been an ongoing problem on Softails that they have only recently fixed. We have dealt with dozens.
One of two things are probably going on: If it is pre 04 they had a problem with the fuel pressure line from the pump/regulator to the outlet at the bottom of the tank being a tad too long, curling around & catching the gauge float jamming it.
This problem manifests itself in several ways: The gauge goes to full, drops to half then stops, or goes from empty to half full & back. It may also in some instances just stick.
Some of the later models have a problem with the metal rod holding the float not being bent far enough away from the center of the tank, causing it to catch somewhere between full & empty.
This CAN be a do it yourself fix, but is a fiddly job.
PM me if you think you want to tackle it.
J
jackdaniels
Guest
Re: softail fuel gauge
as you said the gauge goes from half to full.can you explane how to fix this problem.many thanks j.d. its an 04 model
as you said the gauge goes from half to full.can you explane how to fix this problem.many thanks j.d. its an 04 model
weedavie_j
Club Member
Re: softail fuel gauge
Like many other Softails, mine has the same problem and is being sorted by the dealer under warranty.
They tell me it's the sender unit which needs replaced.Other guys who've had the same thing say that the recent version of sender unit is more reliable than their original.
Time will tell with mine.
Wacko
Like many other Softails, mine has the same problem and is being sorted by the dealer under warranty.
They tell me it's the sender unit which needs replaced.Other guys who've had the same thing say that the recent version of sender unit is more reliable than their original.
Time will tell with mine.
Wacko
rocking rooster
Club Member
Re: softail fuel gauge
Had mine replaced under warranty, no quibbles. I phoned the service manager and said I had a duff fuel gauge, he said "You must have a Softail then"
My gauge was stuck on full all the time, they replaced the sender and now the gauge does move, but still tells porkies, i.e. I've just done 140 miles and it reads well over half full.
Had mine replaced under warranty, no quibbles. I phoned the service manager and said I had a duff fuel gauge, he said "You must have a Softail then"
My gauge was stuck on full all the time, they replaced the sender and now the gauge does move, but still tells porkies, i.e. I've just done 140 miles and it reads well over half full.
J
jackdaniels
Guest
Re: softail fuel gauge
well call me thick but i rode round for 2 weekends and i thought hey this injection is brill,.a lot of riding and me guage still reads half full.shortly after this thought, yes you guest it,fart,splutter,cough n spit. woops im out of fuel its mothers day,im stuck on m27,its pissin down wiv rain n i was on my way to dockgate with wife on the back as she is picking up her neww 883.well she was not amused she had a face like a twisted slipper.all ended well as we were rescued by docgate n she got her new bike.
well call me thick but i rode round for 2 weekends and i thought hey this injection is brill,.a lot of riding and me guage still reads half full.shortly after this thought, yes you guest it,fart,splutter,cough n spit. woops im out of fuel its mothers day,im stuck on m27,its pissin down wiv rain n i was on my way to dockgate with wife on the back as she is picking up her neww 883.well she was not amused she had a face like a twisted slipper.all ended well as we were rescued by docgate n she got her new bike.
weedavie_j
Club Member
Re: softail fuel gauge
Been there, done that, got the feckin shirt etc.
Wacko
jackdaniels said:
Been there, done that, got the feckin shirt etc. Wacko
banquo
Club Member
Re: softail fuel gauge
Can happen to anyone, especially a stupid 19 year old ...
1973, heading down to mates house to fit new Wiseco pistons to Suzuki with known 'almost' hole in top of one of the old ones. Half way there, dies on me.
Push it all the way there (miles), knowing that piston has gone at last, only to whip off heads to find piston still intact...
It had run out of gas, and all it needed was a switch to reserve...
Can happen to anyone, especially a stupid 19 year old ...
1973, heading down to mates house to fit new Wiseco pistons to Suzuki with known 'almost' hole in top of one of the old ones. Half way there, dies on me.
Push it all the way there (miles), knowing that piston has gone at last, only to whip off heads to find piston still intact...
It had run out of gas, and all it needed was a switch to reserve...
V
Veggie
Guest
Re: softail fuel gauge
Oh yes, done the full tank but ran out of fuel thing. The AA rescued me,
with his whithering look and a jerry can of fuel.
Guage is still a bit dicky, but I can live with that. One of the quirks of owning a Harley I suppose.
Easy solution is to look down the hole
03 Heritage
Oh yes, done the full tank but ran out of fuel thing. The AA rescued me,
with his whithering look and a jerry can of fuel.
Guage is still a bit dicky, but I can live with that. One of the quirks of owning a Harley I suppose.
Easy solution is to look down the hole
03 Heritage