Author Topic: That pesky low fuel warning and the disappearance of the range function.  (Read 156281 times)

Offline denver6

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I'll take one! Email sent.
Black '12 C-14
Highlands Ranch, CO

Offline B.D.F.

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Yep, thought about all those things. Some of them are possible, some are not and mostly it is not feasible. Then again, given enough time and money a new instrument cluster could be built to display anything anyone wanted to but I suspect it would sell poorly.

I was originally planning on using a separate, remote warning in the form of a simple red LED that affixed somewhere on the dash. That way the bike would ignore the warning but the discreet LED would light when the 'low fuel' level was reached. The two basic problems with that method were cost and the fact that the remote LED would need to be wired onto the bike and a lot of people either cannot or do not want to do any dissemble, wire routing, possible drilling of holes, etc. This is the truly 'plug 'n play' version that can be added to the bike easily.

As to the other idea of displaying and removing the warning, it could be done but only sort of. There is a significant delay built into the system that cannot be overcome so if I sent the warning signal for, say, one second, the display would hold that warning mode for some time- something like one minute. And in addition to such a device not working the way I (and I think most others) would like, it would also be quiet expensive.

So like most of life, this is a compromise and a best effort for a reasonable adjustment, all in my opinion of course. It ain't perfect but it is workable, affordable and removes the biggest negatives without introducing any large negatives itself (again, in my opinion of course).

Brian


Great work Brian. Now, how about a newer improved model with a switch that allows the low fuel warning, then allows that to be switched off by hitting a button.  :)
OOOOHHH what he said...I like it.  :thumbs:

Brian, I think you could sell a lot more of these! (Charge more too!  :D )

Good question but not sure that is possible.  Will the bike revert to a normal condition if the "low fuel" alert line is removed AFTER is has signaled low fuel?  Sounds like it might be the best of both worlds.

Although I like the idea a lot, I am not sure I want to COMPLETELY lose the low fuel warning.  What I hate about the warning is that it is too difficult to remove while riding (having to press two buttons in perfect sequence ON THE DASH while MOVING is not easy nor safe- yet I do it every time).  And of course, that it then stops the ability to use the miles remaining.
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

KiPass keeping you up at night? Fuel gauge warning burning your retinas? Get unlimited peace and harmony here: www.incontrolne.com

Offline B.D.F.

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21 May 2013: all of these are sold at the moment. I will contact the people who actually got the stock I had and will let you folks know when more are available- I expect by the end of this week or the beginning of next week.

Thanks for all the  interest.

Brian
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

KiPass keeping you up at night? Fuel gauge warning burning your retinas? Get unlimited peace and harmony here: www.incontrolne.com

Offline TRBN

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21 May 2013: all of these are sold at the moment. I will contact the people who actually got the stock I had and will let you folks know when more are available- I expect by the end of this week or the beginning of next week.

Thanks for all the  interest.

Brian

I'm IN.  Let me know when you have more stock!

Offline gPink

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Brian, does a piggyback fuel controller screw up the ECU's range calculations?

Offline B.D.F.

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Excellent question! And the answer is yes with a but....

But overall it does not seem to make any noticeable difference in accuracy, bearing in mind that I have never gone below 7 mile remaining, and generally the maps for a C-14 that I have seen actually remove fuel at small throttle openings which is where most if not all of us would be interested in range anyway. In other words, if we were drag racing we really would not be concerned with the range.

Before I installed my PCIII, my fuel economy readings were astoundingly accurate. Now with a map 1/2 way between the standard Fuel Moto map and the economy map, my mileage readings are about 4% off toward the high side- my ECU thinks I am getting better mileage than I really am. So that would throw the range indicator off the same amount or about 2 miles error when the range indicator showed 40 miles remaining (there would really be 38 miles remaining). That error would have to be added to the other tolerances in the fuel tank size / shape (they are all a tad different), the fuel gauge calibration and a pile of other variables, none of which are particularly large. So overall my opinion and experience suggests that it does not matter enough to worry about but that overall inaccuracy is also why I suggest that no one ever go too close to 1 mile remaining. I am comfortable going to 15 miles, and still 99% confident there is plenty of fuel when the range indicates 10 miles but do not generally go any lower than that.

Brian

Brian, does a piggyback fuel controller screw up the ECU's range calculations?
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

KiPass keeping you up at night? Fuel gauge warning burning your retinas? Get unlimited peace and harmony here: www.incontrolne.com

Offline Ddfee

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Brian

Just saw this thread for the first time. Email sent then I saw you are out of stock, any new stock coming? I so need this for my next trip (vancouver to New Mecico, then north to Manitoba then west bound back home).

Thx
Dave
2011 C14
2003 Honda GL 1800
2000 Honda Blackbird
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Offline VirginiaJim

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I think that you'll survive.  It only scares you the one time you don't expect and from then on it's a PITA.  The miracle device does work and even I could install it.....once I found that darn harness.
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Offline B.D.F.

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Yep, responded to your PM.

I do have some in stock but am trying to set up a website to detail them as well as provide a portal to purchase them. I am hoping to have it up in the next few days and will announce the location of the website here when it is ready.

Thanks for the interest,
Brian

Brian

Just saw this thread for the first time. Email sent then I saw you are out of stock, any new stock coming? I so need this for my next trip (vancouver to New Mecico, then north to Manitoba then west bound back home).

Thx
Dave
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

KiPass keeping you up at night? Fuel gauge warning burning your retinas? Get unlimited peace and harmony here: www.incontrolne.com

Offline B.D.F.

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Finally I have a website up to take orders for the low fuel warning eliminator. <whew> A basic site, it does not yet have any information on the devices yet but it will be forthcoming. In the meantime, I do have some in stock and now a method in place that can be used to purchase them. As long as the 'Buy' function remains, I have stock; when the stock is gone the buy function will no longer work. Or so it is supposed to work that way.

www.incontrolne.com

Kirby even has his own space although the little guy does not know about it yet.... :-)

Brian
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

KiPass keeping you up at night? Fuel gauge warning burning your retinas? Get unlimited peace and harmony here: www.incontrolne.com

Offline B.D.F.

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Quick update- apparently these things STILL cannot be purchased- PayPal won't accept payments. Hmmmmm. Working on this issue with PayPal now, and will post when it is working. Sorry about this.

Brian
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

KiPass keeping you up at night? Fuel gauge warning burning your retinas? Get unlimited peace and harmony here: www.incontrolne.com

Offline VirginiaJim

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Good luck, you'll need it!
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Offline B.D.F.

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I am on the phone right now with PayPal.... in the Philippines. For the second time. That said, the first person's English was outstanding so I cannot complain. The tech. help was not quite as good :-(   It takes around 30 minutes to get to a human once the call is started. I am not complaining though 'cause there is plenty of room to go downhill from here....

I again apologize to anyone / everyone who tried to buy one of these farkles- you would think it would be simple but not so much. Dis here Interweb is.... pesky. :-)

Brian

Good luck, you'll need it!
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

KiPass keeping you up at night? Fuel gauge warning burning your retinas? Get unlimited peace and harmony here: www.incontrolne.com

Offline VirginiaJim

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Same here but with Directv....wanted to kill someone by the time I got to a tech.  Had to hang up three times and redial.  And to top it all off, I figured out what was wrong and fixed it myself.  :censored: :censored: :censored: and  :censored: !
"LOCTITE®"  The original thread locker...  #11  2020 Indian Roadmaster, ABS, Cruise control, heated grips and seats/w/AC 46 Monitoring with cutting edge technology U.N.I.T is Back! Member in good standing with the Knights of MEH.

Offline B.D.F.

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Well feel free to come by and fix mine if you want....

Tech support was very nice but not helpful. Going to go up the ladder.... on Monday :-(

Brian

Same here but with Directv....wanted to kill someone by the time I got to a tech.  Had to hang up three times and redial.  And to top it all off, I figured out what was wrong and fixed it myself.  :censored: :censored: :censored: and  :censored: !
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

KiPass keeping you up at night? Fuel gauge warning burning your retinas? Get unlimited peace and harmony here: www.incontrolne.com

Offline B.D.F.

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At long last, my website will now be pleased to accept payment for the farkles listed.

If anyone is interested, I will report on what the problem was in a day or two- I am still savoring the sweetness of the victory.  ::) 

www.incontrolne.com    for all your really important C-14 farkling needs, starting with the Low fuel warning Eliminator.

Brian
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

KiPass keeping you up at night? Fuel gauge warning burning your retinas? Get unlimited peace and harmony here: www.incontrolne.com

Offline alexx45

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Just finished ordering one from your website. Everything worked great. Looking forward to never again having my screen taken over by the screamin' LOW FUEL demon. Thanks for the fix I didn't even know I needed.  8)
Life is good.... At least from my perspective.
2009 Concours 14
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Offline B.D.F.

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Re: That pesky low fuel warning and the disappearance of the range function.
« Reply #37 on: August 01, 2013, 12:58:55 AM »
And don't forget that the range function will now continue to function all the way to.... well, no fuel.

Yours will go out first thing today (order came in last night) and you should see it by Sat. with a bit of luck, otherwise by Monday I would think. Tracking number already sent to you so you can watch it creep across the country.

Thanks for the order,
Brian

Just finished ordering one from your website. Everything worked great. Looking forward to never again having my screen taken over by the screamin' LOW FUEL demon. Thanks for the fix I didn't even know I needed.  8)
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

KiPass keeping you up at night? Fuel gauge warning burning your retinas? Get unlimited peace and harmony here: www.incontrolne.com

Offline Ddfee

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Re: That pesky low fuel warning and the disappearance of the range function.
« Reply #38 on: August 04, 2013, 10:08:18 AM »
Brian

Installed my low fuel warning eliminator harness...love it! No more low fuel warnings, I have an aux ful tank, so in trying it out, i rode the main tank down to showing 8 Kms remaining.

Thx again

Dave
2011 C14
2003 Honda GL 1800
2000 Honda Blackbird
IBA Member

Offline B.D.F.

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Re: That pesky low fuel warning and the disappearance of the range function.
« Reply #39 on: August 06, 2013, 06:28:23 PM »
Thanks for the kind words, and glad to hear you like the circuit. Glad to hear they work OK in Canada too.  ;D I think the long distance C-14 community is the big fan of this farkle- I have sold quite a few to people I know in the LD community. I think it is useful even around town but the range function continuing to work is a real plus for people riding in open areas, especially at odd hours and / or on weekends. I live is southern New England and I cannot sneeze without at least one fuel station hearing me but in the open western spaces it is great to know if you have 25, 15 or 5 miles of fuel left. Although 5 miles is cutting is too close for me (this bike pushes poorly, especially if you are in a hurry and have to run with it).

8 km might be a new record in low fuel readings too- that is about 5 statue miles and I have not heard of anyone testing a bike that far other than you (me included- I wussed out at 7 miles).

Brian

Brian

Installed my low fuel warning eliminator harness...love it! No more low fuel warnings, I have an aux ful tank, so in trying it out, i rode the main tank down to showing 8 Kms remaining.

Thx again

Dave
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

KiPass keeping you up at night? Fuel gauge warning burning your retinas? Get unlimited peace and harmony here: www.incontrolne.com