Fuel gauge is never full

[Guest]

I'm brand new here as of this past week when I picked up a 1982 GS1100G. Getting ready to make it my own but that's for another thread.

My issue is with the fuel gauge never showing full, even though I fill the tank to the brim. I did a search prior to posting but couldn't find anything and my local shops tell me to ride it until it stops and check what the milage was on the tank - and reset every time I fill up. (I didn't find that very useful as that's what I've been doing and it's getting annoying)

Is there a way to adjust the float in the tank without tearing the entire thing apart or is this best left until the off season when I start "making it my own".

As it stands, the needle moves from E to 2/3 and sometimes 3/4 full so it's not frozen.

Any help/advice/sarcasm/words of wisdom would be appreciated.

Cheers

[Big T]

It's not that hard

Pull the tank, empty it and pull the fuel gauge out by removing the overflow, then the bolts

Wiggle the float out and bend it down some more

Check the gauge to confirm that it's not corroded

Assembly is the opposite

Time=about 1 hour

[Steve]

While you are taking the time to adjust your fuel gauge float, why not calibrate it, too?

There are many theories on how and where to calibrate the gauge. Personally, I like to know when I am about to have to turn the petock to REServe, so I calibrate the gauge to be at the transition from the white line to the red line about the time I need to turn the petcock.

To do that, connect two hoses to the petcock and put the tank on the bike, with the bike on the centerstand. Run the fuel hose into a container that will hold whatever amount of gas you have in the tank. With the petcock in the RUN position, apply a vacuum to the vacuum hose to allow the fuel to flow. Turn the key ON, watch the fuel gauge. When the flow stops, note the reading on the fuel gauge. If it is lower than you would like, remove the float and bend it DOWN. If it is higher than you would like, remove the float and bend it UP. Repeat as necessary until you are happy with the reading.

Now that you have the REServe transition indicated on the gauge, move the petcock to PRIme to let the tank empty into your other container, while watching the gauge to see where it points when the fuel flow stops. Now you will know where EMPTY is, too.

Calibrating the gauge in this manner will not only give you a reading to REServe, it will also track your REServe portion to EMPTY.

Other riders prefer to show EMPTY when the gauge gets to the bottom of the red line, still others like to know when they are at HALF the tank's capacity, etc., etc. Many riders, many preferences.

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