Forums > Maintenance > Fuel gauge R 1200 RT

The fuel gauge on my '07 RT also seems...uh...less than reliable...fickle...greedy? I haven't really worried about it, don't know why not. But the light comes on early and the gauge usually reads low, so I guess the error has always been on the "fill up now" side of the equation and keeps me out of trouble.

 Jack

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"There ain't no Devil, there's just God when he's drunk." -- T. Waits

I had a stubborn problem with the gauge on my R12GS. After several attempts to fix, it turned out to be a software glitch. But I still zero out the Odo now at each fill up after running out of gas......twice.Bob

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"Go out, things happen. Stay at home, they don't" .....................Ted Simon

 

Motorcycle fuel level gauges are notoriously unreliable for some reason, even beemers.  I've heard failure stories from all makes and models.

I've seen aftermarket plastic tanks with a clear sight window in the side.  That's pretty cool.

However, the best and most reliable fuel gauge is still the odometer.

I'm just saying . . .

You know . . .

C

 

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Another sunrise, These bright and crystal moments, Crow flies overhead.

I know some RT owners have had their fuel guages fail, or just be inaccurate, and recalibration has solved the problem.  For me, I can say that my guage is conservative, but certainly accurate enough to rely on.

I JUST FILLED MY TANK AND I WAS BEING TOLD I ONLY HAD 15 MILES LEFTBEFOR PUSHING. BUT

IT ONLY HELD 5.2 GALLONS!

NICE TO KNOWBMW IS NOT PERFECT. NEITHER WAS MY GL 1800/A.

It does take the capacitive sensor time to react.  I suppose this gives a better. less jittery, reading when comsuming fuel.  Mine might take 2 minutes after I fill the tank to show a full tank, but it works just fine.

If yours does not, it is broken, and it can be repaired.

With less than 3k, the gas gage on my 1200gs now only shows 3/4 full on a full tank and the yellow triangle and fuel low warning comes on when tank is about 1/2 full. The readings have become unreliable. Dealer says faulty fuel strip. Anyone else having this problem?

2008 1200RT two months old.

I was stranded (out of gas) last night with 1/4 tank registering on the gage. No idiot light and no warning. This is the second time I have been stranded. The first time was EWS failure. I found out there was a recall on the key sensor. Now the gas gage works until you get to a 1/4 tank then your out of gas. I called the service department and found out that there is an onboard computer problem recall that needs an upgrade. I don’t know haw many recalls there are on this bike but I seem to be getting stranded with each one. The service department can’t get my bike in until next Saturday so back to the odometer to keep track of gas usage. I hope this latest recall upgrade will take care of the bugs for good.  I thought a new BMW would be a little better than this.
Dave Rose

The problem I had was repaired by a recalibration of the fuel gauge...and the software update... so far so good

 

a few months back my fuel gauge stopped going below half full... took it in and asked them to look at it along with a few other issues and they told me they ended up having to replace the sensor after dinking around with it for half a day.

 

great, it was then working flawlessly until last week and then bam, i'm at about half full and notice it suddenly jump back up to reporting a full tank during my commute to work.. figured I'd wait till i refill to see if it resets itself.... after I refilled the tank and turned the bike on, my amber exclamation point indicator immediately came on and the fuel gauge went to zero and told me I had 330 miles to empty.. woohoo! sounds like a challenge to skip work and go for a ride in the mtns!

the 330 miles to empty counted down almost by the second as I rode away from the gas station and well.. within about 350 seconds of riding I was running on fumes, pretty funny stuff really. got another appt scheduled with the dealer on the 16th.