Dodgy fuel light

[Soutie]

I've got a '96 Firestorm, the fuel warning light is giving me a few headaches.
The other day I had done 130miles on a tank and the light still hadn't come on, so I stopped and filled up. the bike was running of fumes!!!! once it was full the light was flickering on and off.....

Where can I look for the problem?

[bazza696]

The first problem is getting 130 to tank. As a rule I don't wait for the light to come on, I keep my trip reading on and go by that, as I have a problem with mine. If my bike has been sitting on its side stand (sounds strange but she spends all her time on the paddock stand when she is asleep in the shed) around 75 miles on the clock, the light will come on and be intermittent. Its only till she has settled on the paddock stand that it will go out and stay out.

The only thing that bugs me about it is how bright the LED is, other than that I ignore it.

[tony.mon]

+1.
Sender is inside the tank.
I don't use the RLOD any more, just reset the trip every time I fill up.
It's got KMH clocks on, so start looking for more fuel at 100KMH and it'll run out around 165-180 depending on how gently I ride it -(not very, usually )

It's really a good idea to strap a can of fuel on the back and go out riding until it dies; that way you have a good idea of what's safe for you.
Better that than run out; they're a bloody heavy push.....

[bazza696]

or go out with other storm riders when it's sunny cause they will all be thinking the same this at around 80 miles "where's the next petrol station"

[benny hedges]

might be a sticking sensor? assuming it uses a float...
if i look down inside the tank (my 19L one) i can see a black plastic float thing on the right, in line with the filler cap.
check the wires as well - and the connector at the back of the tank where it connects to the loom, might not have been pushed in proper?

[Stratman]

Like others, I reset the trip each time so I can start looking for fuel around 100miles.

Inside the tank is a float and sender unit. If you take it out (you'll need to remove and drain the tank to access it from underneath) then you could see if there are dodgy connections or even if the float arm is sitting too high. The connector block to the tank is a good place to check and clean first though.

[Phil-VTwin]

No float on a '96 that didn't happen until the 19L tank in 2001, it may be nothing more than a loose connection, i had the same problem for a while until i found that the connector wasn't pushed in fully at the back of the tank, just in front of the battery.

[Stratman]

No float on a '96 that didn't happen until the 19L tank in 2001, it may be nothing more than a loose connection, i had the same problem for a while until i found that the connector wasn't pushed in fully at the back of the tank, just in front of the battery.

Well, mine is a 98 with a 16 l tank with a float assembly, which I have removed and replaced before now.

The 19l tank saw a completely different petcock assembly and sender unit

[Phil-VTwin]

Well strictly speaking the fuel sensor used for the low level indicator is not a float as its in a fixed postion.