• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Fuel Problems - when guage gets in the red

  • Thread starter Thread starter JMHJ
  • Start date Start date
J

JMHJ

Guest
My '83 850 seems to have some kind of fuel starvation problem that shows up when the guage gets down to about the red zone, but while there should still be plenty of fuel left (based on capacity and mpg). It will gradually lose power or surge, and eventually die. Changing to "Reserve" helps, but the problem sometimes still persists until I refill the tank, then it's gone.

I've learned to deal with it just by switching to Reserve when the guage hits the red, or when I hit about 100 miles on the trip meter, but I'm reluctant to try and go too far on a tank. Neither one of my previous two GSs did this, and I could run them down to the "E" before I ever switched to Reserve.

The guy I bought the bike from (original owner) had the fuelcock rebuilt or replaced as part of prepping it for sale, so I wonder if that has something to do with the problem. Anyone know what's wrong?
 
Are you sure of how much is in the tank when the gauge is in the red? I've learned over the past couple of years that fuel gauges can be quite inaccurate even when working correctly. Appearently designing the gauges and float mechanisms can be tricky due to tank geometries.

- Tim
 
Sounds like the petcock is partially blocked. When the tank is fairly full there will be more pressure/better fuel flow. I never take PO's claims at face value unless they can be verified. Strip and clean the petcock yourself - a half hour job, then you'll know for sure. You can also adjust the float arm in the tank to read more accurately if necessary.
 
Thanks. I'll put that on my list of stuff to go over early this summer. I'm sure actual fuel level isn't the problem, since mid-30s on the mpg and problems at 100 miles translates to about a 3-gallon tank or less.
 
Take a flashlight and look around in the tank. Maybe you'll find a tube full of $100 bills. ;)

Seriously, though. You need to empty out the tank and take out the petcock. There's a screen in there which may have gotten clogged up due to someone storing the bike full of fuel in the past. It's possible the screen is only clogged to the reserve depth.
 
Yeah that sounds real possible. I do see rust inside the tank, too. I got some mild hesitating tonight at 60mph, with just over 100 miles since my last fillup, and with Reserve selected. I filled it up and it was fine again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top