Fuel Gauge Accuracy

Qualish · Post by **Qualish** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:58 pm

Hello all,

My wife and I are new to the Buddy world. We just picked up a lightly used 2008 Buddy 125 and have been loving it very much.

One thing I have noticed is the fuel gauge does not seem very accurate at all. It almost consistently registers a 1/4 of a tank regardless of it just being filled up or after running for 20-30 miles. Do any of you have suggestions or tips on how to remedy this? Is this a part issue, fuel filling technique issue, or user error?

Any thoughts are much appreciated! Thank you.

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 6:03 pm

The Buddy fuel gauge is extremely inaccurate. However, if your is consistently only registering 1/4, it sounds like a stuck float or some other part failure.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 6:13 pm

Are you certain that you're filling the tank? You can't rely on the auto-shut-off on the pump; you have to watch it and stop when you see the gas reach the little ledge just inside the tank.

Qualish · Post by **Qualish** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 6:25 pm

Thanks for the quick responses!

@Tocsik - Is there a way to 'un-stick' the float? Does any one know of good trouble shooting steps?

@TVB - I have been relying on the auto stop but I've also not stuck the nozzle in as far as it could. I try to get it just past that ledge you're speaking about. When I finish fueling up I can see the gas level so I'm certain it is more full than the gauge is registering.

Again, thank you all for the thoughts and replies. My wife is using the Buddy mainly as a commuter to her job (about 4 miles from our house). I'd just hate for us to start ignoring the faulty gauge and have her run out of gas in between!

scootergator · Post by **scootergator** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 10:03 pm

I just keep an eye on my mileage and make sure I stay in the tanks range.

Qualish · Post by **Qualish** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 12:15 am

Hearing these responses at least comfort me knowing I'm not alone. I'll have to keep an eye on the mileage and try not to get too close to the max range.

In the meantime if anyone else has a tip or trick to make it read more accurately it would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Post by **ericalm** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 12:39 am

When filling a motorcycle or scooter tank, gas from a pump has a tendency to "bubble up" back up the nozzle, which can prematurely trigger the auto shut off. A friend who's an experienced rider once ran out of gas on a long trip just a few miles from our last gas stop. The pump had stopped and he didn't look to see how much had gone in.

While you don't want to overfill the Buddy's tank (which can cause more problems than underfilling!), you can sometimes take a peek down there and see how much room is left. You want to leave some room—maybe an inch or so below the neck—especially in warm months (gas expands easily and can cause vapor lock/vacuum lock which results in stalling).

The gauge should read full when full, though. One way to test to see if the gauge is working may be to fill from a can. Or maybe dangle a cork on a string in there to see how full it's getting?

Chances are, if anything's amiss, it's the floater/bobber inside the tank. These can sometimes (but rarely) get stuck or dislodged during transport. If it's really not working, your dealer should be able to fix it under warranty.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 1:07 am

FWIW, I have always had very consistent fuel level readings and mpg from my Buddy. The gas gauge does tend to decline faster during the last 1/4 tank compared to the first 1/4 tank, but that is really the only variance.

Once you know how to fill up your tank to the appropriate level you should on average get within 5-10 mile of the same distance from every tankful depending on riding conditions. At least that is the case for me. Filling up to capacity and then deliberately riding until you run out of gas is a good one time test to learn just how far you can go between fillups in an emergency. For example, on my stock St. Tropez, the max I have gone is 120 miles before filling up again. I didn't actually run out of gas, but that was as far as I was willing to push it.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 4:39 am

Skootz Kabootz wrote:The gas gauge does tend to decline faster during the last 1/4 tank compared to the first 1/4 tank, but that is really the only variance.

Yeah, even when I'm getting ~100 miles per fill-up, the last "1/4 tank" is usually only about 10 miles or so.

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 4:44 am

My gauge is very consistant. But as others have said, it moves faster the closer it is to empty. The last 1/4 is only 10 miles or so for me.

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 5:07 pm

Yeah, the last 1/4 tank goes quick! My gauge is consistent but inaccurate just because of the small volume.

I don't know nuthin' 'bout unsticking a stuck float. Best to let the shop take care of it if it really is the culprit.

TVB brought up the point that should have been addressed first: Don't rely on the auto shut-off at the pump. It's best to just insert the nozzle in the tank "just enough" and watch the level rise. Don't squeeze the handle all the way; try to fill the tank slowly and leave space before the neck of the tank.

The fuel gauge and odometer are both imperfect making calculating MPG's on these small bikes difficult. Plus, any variations in filling volume is magnified when the total volume is small.

Here's what I get:

KRUSTYburger · Post by **KRUSTYburger** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:29 pm

I didn't realize this was even a problem. My gas gauge is spot on... the speedo on the other hand....

edit: I never use the auto shut-off at the pump, if you did that you'd only be filling up like half way every time! Also tocsik, very nice chart (and avatar). I tried keeping track of all that and I always forget. Then again I always start things I can't finish!

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 9:11 pm

KRUSTYburger wrote:Also tocsik, very nice chart (and avatar). I tried keeping track of all that and I always forget. Then again I always start things I can't finish!

Yeah, it's not as bad as it looks. I just keep a pencil tucked in the bungee cord for the tool kit under the seat and I jot my mileage on my gas receipt. When I think about it, I enter them in the Excel spreadsheet and it tracks my miles and MPG's plus gives me a good way to keep track of service and stuff.

Bucky Katt rules!!!

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 10:36 pm

Boy, my last quarter tank is no where near as bad as only 10 miles. Heck I still get 15+ miles when my needle is all the way on empty. Guess this is an example of the variance we are talking about.

Another option for tracking fuel consumption info is to use www.Fuelly.com . I've been using them ever since I started riding and find it really simple and easy. I just wish they'd make an iPhone app... Just click on the avatar in my signature to see all things Skootz fill up/fuel economy related...

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 10:44 pm

Skootz Kabootz wrote:Another option for tracking fuel consumption info is to use www.Fuelly.com . I've been using them ever since I started riding and find it really simple and easy. I just wish they'd make an iPhone app...

http://m.fuelly.com/ works quite well as a webapp on the iPhone. (It even (optionally) uses the phone's location-awareness, to help them track gas prices by location.) The only catch is that you can't update info offline.

Milktown · Post by **Milktown** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:09 pm

with my 125 i can go about 50 miles an the needle dosnt move a millimeter. then when it gets to about 3/4 i know i only have about 40 or 50 miles left.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 5:46 am

TVB wrote:
Skootz Kabootz wrote:Another option for tracking fuel consumption info is to use www.Fuelly.com . I've been using them ever since I started riding and find it really simple and easy. I just wish they'd make an iPhone app...
http://m.fuelly.com/ works quite well as a webapp on the iPhone. (It even (optionally) uses the phone's location-awareness, to help them track gas prices by location.) The only catch is that you can't update info offline.

Excellent! It even added a nice little Fuelly icon to my home screen. Sweet! Wow. What else shall I wish for today?

Qualish · Post by **Qualish** » Mon Feb 22, 2010 10:00 pm

Thanks to everyone for the thoughts, suggestions, and dialog. To close the loop on this I can confirm it was user error. (yay!)

ericalm had it exactly right about the gas bubbling and frothing in the tank causing the auto shut off to stop prematurely. When I peeked in it looked full, however this last fill-up I took the time to pump a bit, peek, pump a bit more, peek until it was just shy of that neck in the tank. It actually surprised me how much gas it took after it looked like it was full (where the auto-shut off would have triggered) to when it really was full. I just took my time, let the gas in the tank settle after each pump, and gave the scooter a bit of a bump to better see the surface level.

That tip may be old news to the seasoned veterans but hopefully I'll save another new rider the same confusion I had.