[wanabehog]

(btw, this bike is new to me- have had it less than a week)

the guy i bought the bike from told me that he filled the tank for me. no big deal, but got the "need gas" lamp lit yesterday, and thought that was strange. i have driven about 100 miles or so.
i drove a few more miles and today went and got gas.
barely could get 2.5 gallons in-
does not make sense that a 4.5 gallon tank gives a low fuel warning at about half full!!

anyone else have this issue or ideas why this is happening??

 

[Kainam]

I'd take it in and let the dealer sort it out under warranty.
Could be either a bad potentiometer that the float arm attaches to in the fuel tank or the float arm got bent in assembly throwing off the reading.

I have the LED gas "guage" that replaces the analog dummy fuel cap guage on my bike, and its pretty predictable when I need to fuel up.... the last LED starts blinking red just about the time I hit reserve.

 

[wanabehog]

o.k.- so its not normal...
thx, will take it in

 

[Jarhead08]

Gas idiot light

Just to let you know my bike does the same thing it usually comes on after 120 miles or so but runs farther than that. im assuming if it is a 4.5 gallon tank that if the bike gets no less than fourty miles to the gallon, you should be golden for 160 miles or so depending on mods, driving slow or fast, etc. They said nothing wasw wrong with my bike at the mechanics so im guessing your deal is the same as mine!

 

[wanabehog]

wow thats a gorgeous paint job!!!


thx for the reply- so that means that not only do i not have a reserve tank like i am used to, but i have a gas gauge that tells me when i am a bit less than half full!!!

guess i just have to check it each time the light goes on and then i can figure out how many more miles i have left... would prefer not to have the light go on when i have about a half tank or so.

 

[Jarhead08]

Thanks for the comment

Thanks for the comment and hope my info helped, I am anal about making sure I have gas, too many friends who forget to fill up and I won't ride my friends on the back. lol!! They can push their rice rockets to the nearest station. LMAO

 

[ccairo]

I was wondering the same thing. I just bought my 2009 Sportster 1200 two weeks ago, The gas lite comes on and and I take it to the gas station and it only takes 2.83 gallons. It's a 4.50 gallon take, why in the world is this lite coming on so early?
Carol

 

[wanabehog]

yeah- seems to me that the gauge is kinda meaningless-
wish i had a reserve tank!!

wonder if there is an aftermarket fix for this...

I was wondering the same thing. I just bought my 2009 Sportster 1200 two weeks ago, The gas lite comes on and and I take it to the gas station and it only takes 2.83 gallons. It's a 4.50 gallon take, why in the world is this lite coming on so early?
Carol

 

[sirbOOm]

Doesn't the Nightster have the 3.5 gallon tank? I'm going to confirm in my manual. I'm having a vague memory that it said 3.5 gallons.

 

[EZE RIDER]

I find the best way to know how much gas you have left is the odometer. It never lies. My VROD has the same problem.

 

[Kainam]

Doesn't the Nightster have the 3.5 gallon tank? I'm going to confirm in my manual. I'm having a vague memory that it said 3.5 gallons.

Thats it, close anyway. The EFI sportsters like yours with that style tank is 3.3 gallons.
http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/Specs/full_specs/full_specs_09_popup.jsp?locale=en_US&dwp=&market=US&model=xl1200n

Wannabe's sportster is a custom with a 4.5 gallon tank.
http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/Specs/full_specs/full_specs_09_popup.jsp?locale=en_US&dwp=&market=US&model=xl1200c

 

[Kainam]

I find the best way to know how much gas you have left is the odometer. It never lies. My VROD has the same problem.

Thats pretty much what I do. I reset the "A" trip meter every time I fill up with gas, and reset the "B" trip meter every time I change oil.

 

[GAZOO!]

I believe the light should come on when you have 0.9 gals left. Check your Owners Manual to be sure. Mine is pretty accurate.

 

[kingpin]

Low Gas Light

My 09 Nightster gas light comes on after 67 miles. I have a 3.3 gallon tank so by my estimation it comes on at a little less then half a tank...give or take the .3 gallons or so.

 

[GAZOO!]

My 09 Nightster gas light comes on after 67 miles. I have a 3.3 gallon tank so by my estimation it comes on at a little less then half a tank...give or take the .3 gallons or so.

Dealer time, something is screwy. Congrats on such a nice bike, by the way.

 

[mrk halen]

I have an 09 that does the same thing. I just tend to note my milage when ever I fill up.

 

[wolvie66]

I took mine to the dealer about the same thing I have a 08 1200L Sportster and my lights comes on when I hit 100-105 miles. They told me that they been having people coming in asking the same question and that they don't know what the fix for it is. They said for me to keep checking back to see if they heard of any fixes for it. I told them if so many people are coming in saying the same thing call the manufacture and have them look in to it and make a recall for it?
Thats my two cents.

Wolvie

 

[hgburgess]

I have a 08 883 sportster and the light comes on at 1oo-110 miles but I do have a smaller tank

 

[Pete]

XL883 Gas light

I have a 2008 XL883 with a 3.3 gallon tank. The gas light comes on when it is down 2.1 gallons.

When I bought the bike the salesman said that when the light came on that I had better get to the first gas station that I could find. In the real world, I can safely drive another 50 miles after the light comes on.

Considering that I ride in a lot of places where I have to watch my gas consumption carefully. I don't mind that the gas light comes on a little early.

Mostly I use the second trip odometer to track my gas usage.

Pete

 

[confederate]

My fuel light comes on in the 90-95 mile range. Has done this since new. I can get anywhere from 120-135 miles per tank depending on riding conditions. This seems to be the norm among Nightster owners elsewhere. The best advice is simply reset your odometer with each fill up.