Tip for making your fuel level sensor last longer

["Steve Makohin" <wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello all,

I thought I'd pass a tip to you on how to slow down the deterioration of 
your fuel level sensor, as learned from unfortunate experience:

Short Version:
Don't leave your bike with low fuel in the tank frequently, or for extended 
periods of time.

Long Version:
Corrosion is a bitch, as is sludge build-up, or any other contaminant. When 
you let your fuel run low, all or part of your fuel level sensor is exposed 
to air, and is therefore more likely to corrode or to get fouled. The longer 
this condition persists, the more likely the sensor is to fail or to give 
inaccurate readings. This condition is at its worst when you are in the 
habit of storing your bike with low fuel, you store your bike for extended 
periods like a Canadian winter (silence you British Columbians!), and/or if 
you are in the habit of running your bike to a low fuel state, parking it, 
and then filling just before you go for your next ride.

The simplest precaution is to get into the habit of filling up your bike at 
the *end* of a run if your bike is "low" on fuel, where "low" means a fuel 
level at which all or part of your fuel level sensor is exposed to air (I 
don't know what that level is for your bike).

On  a bike with just a low-fuel warning light, a faulty fuel level sensor 
can manifest as false positives (light goes on when you have plenty of 
fuel), false negatives (light is off at low fuel state), and the false 
reading mean be intermittent (e.g., fill up your tank, 10 minutes later you 
get a low fuel light, a few minutes later it is gone, a few minutes later it 
is back, and so on).

- -Steve Makohin
 '01 R1100S/ABS
 Oakville, Ontario, Canada 

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