Fuel gauge doesn't register.

[John Schmidt]

Well crap! And after my son-in-law unexpectedly dropped by for a visit and helped install the tank. Was feeling pretty rough that day but decided to not look a gift horse...etc. I thought maybe the sender might be stuck having been unmoved by fuel for quite some time but after shaking the trike real good there was no change. Guess I'll trying lifting one side of the tank to see if the sender connection came loose somehow. It latches together so I'd be surprised if it did. If it isn't one thing it's six more to take its place. 

[Jess from VA]

I keep my bikes immaculate, but the wiring harnesses are 25 years old and crummy.  I lost my low beams in one bike and it's not a fuse or the relay.  Even my expert mechanic is scratching his head.  It's a testament to Honda reliability, but none of those many electrical plugs has ever been unplugged or cleaned in all those years.

Both my Interstates are pretty consistently 220 miles to reserve (cruising, not high speed freeway), and your trip meter is easier to watch than those stupid dim led bars which bounce down, then up, then down all day.  I think of it like 55 miles is a quarter tank, 110 is a half tank, and 220 is empty (with a 30 mile safety net).   

[John Schmidt]

Jess, I'm tempted to do that at least until I run all/most of the gas out. Kinda aggravates me that I had just dumped it nearly full so I could run around the area and it was then I noticed nothing registered. 

[Jess from VA]

Well, I suppose it may just be the sending unit hookup, and no sense in lifting a full tank of gas.  I only ever did that once.

And I have no idea but suppose the heavier trike doesn't get the same MPG a 2-wheeler does. 

Your average MPG is something I'd want to discover anyway going forward (gas gauge or not).

[TJ]

 

[GiG]

On these aging motorcycles, many glitches are often traced to the connectors. It is important to occasionally disconnect & inspect them. Plastic gets brittle with age & can allow pins or sockets to retract or misalign. It’s good to shoot a blast of contact cleaner in both sides then reconnect 3 or 4 times. A dab of lithium or conductive grease  is also sometimes necessary  
Don’t worry if the ancient plastic connector locking tabs snap off; a couple inches of electrical tape goes a long way  

[Willow]

Run it to reserve and note the mileage.  Carry extra gas (once) and run it to empty on reserve.  Note the miles between reserve and empty.  

Fuel gauges on my Interstates are nice to look at but not really that accurate.

I normally run any of my Valks to reserve before fueling.

You get better fuel mileage when the tank is closer to empty.  

[John Schmidt]

SNIP: "You get better fuel mileage when the tank is closer to empty."
======================================================
As a teenager I'm sure my dad thought that was my thinking. I got paid back when my girls started to drive, especially Toni and her oldest sister...like two peas in a pod. Drove like leading a funeral caravan until 3 blocks away and around a couple corners, then firewalled it. There usually was just enough in the tank when they got home for me to make it to the nearest gas station.

Fuel gauge update...it was my fault. When I dumped gas into the tank from a 5 gallon supply, I didn't really dump much in. I figured it would indicate something but didn't. This afternoon I was ready to go after whatever the problem was...turned out it was me. It kept weighing on my mind that just maybe there wasn't enough in the tank to register yet, plus Nancy also suggested I add more saying "you can always siphon it out if need be."  So, I went ahead and dumped the entire 5 gallons in, turned on the key and voila...it registered close to 3/4 tank. I've never run the gas that low on the I/S so had no experience on how low it will show on the gauge, now I do. On my '98 Tourer, I had an I/S tank with a sender installed so added a fuel gauge. On that setup I knew exactly where I stood with the gauge indication, I now have a better idea on the I/S as well. So tomorrow I concentrate on mounting the pod lights and buttoning up most everything else. I'll get my son in law to go for a ride on his I/S so I can do a good long test on this setup. Once satisfied with it, I'll address the electrical side of the reverse activation.

[TJ]

Was that a DUD moment ???     

[Jess from VA]

John, keep in mind that when the tank goes to reserve, the LED bar starts blinking at you (and that's all the gas gauge you get after that).

The thing to do, if you see it start blinking, is to reset a trip meter to 0 and count down to 30 (or so). 

If in search of a gas station, your tendency to now ride like grandma at low rpms will get more than 30, but 30's the safe bet.   

[Willow]

... but 30's the safe bet.   

Trike, Jess?