Massive fuel consumption

[Ouiji]

Hey all...
Jackal has gone from 200 mi/ tank to 100 mi / tank.
No gas smell....
Maybe temp sensor..?.. what else am I missing....
FI suggestions..?
I'm so old now I'm brain dead...

[fotoguzzi]

Were you going 90 into a wind? Happened to me once.

[Alfetta]

Assuming fotoguzzi response, or you started racing, or you have gained 150 pounds, is off the table...

I would stick my finger up your pipe, to see if your all black inside, and i would pull on your plugs to see if they are rich.
If that all checks good, i would start looking for undue drag, (brakes hanging, wheel bearings, low tire pressure etc...)

[Wayne Orwig]

Mouse nest in the air box?

Take a ride and at your normal cruising speed switch off the motor. Pull the spark plugs and inspect the color of the ceramic.

I have no idea how you used to get 200 miles per tank in the first place. I was walking to a gas station more than once on my EV which is basically the same, at under 150 miles.

[flower_king001]

I get 35-38 on my 1998 EV as well as my 1996 Cali i

[Tom]

175 mi.  max for me.  I would fill at 100 mi.  just to be sure.  My SP1000 gets way better mpg and further range.

[pehayes]

Maybe temp sensor..?.. what else am I missing....

Ouiji:  Is this something that has been developing gradually?  Or did it happen suddenly on one tank of fuel?  Were you riding in the same general geographic location?  Some states alter their fuel blending for seasonal changes in combustion and localized air pollution.

What year Jackal is this?  Where is your engine temp sensor?  I suspect your sensor is located in the right cylinder head.  If so, those were mounted it a plastic housing which ages and gets brittle with heat.  Once the plastic cracks, the actual sensor tip no longer contacts the head metal and you get a false temp reading.   Grab it gently and see if you can wiggle it.  Any motion is a bad idea.  Replace the plastic holder with a brass one for permanent fix.

Find someone with the GuzziDiag software and hook it up.  It will read out the engine temperature data.  Tells a lot.  Your forum profile and signature don't give any suggestion where you are located.  Might be someone helpful just down the road.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[pehayes]

No gas smell....

Lack of smell may be a red herring.  Old carb bikes were gravity feed and they would leak and smell while parked.  Newer fuel-injected machines might only leak when running and the lines are under controlled pressure.  In that case, the spilled fuel and odors are blown backwards in the rushing air stream and you might not detect them as a rider.  Park and run at idle with a box fan up front for cooling.  Walk around to inspect and sniff carefully.    These version of Guzzi California based bikes are notorious for cracking and splitting various fuel hoses.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[Huzo]

I would stick my finger up your pipe, to see if your all black inside,

Do you think it would be worthwhile checking the bike first....?

[Motormike]

Do you think it would be worthwhile checking the bike first....?

Just be sure and wear a rubber glove!

[Huzo]

Just be sure and wear a rubber glove!

Use two digits, no harm in a second opinion..

[Ouiji]

Wow.....
Unbelievable fast and lots of responses.
Thanks all... !
1. Yea...I have gotten 200 mi out of a tank.
Got pretty sweaty. Light comes on at 150-160-170...depending.
2. I truly am losing my ability to think these things thru.
71 and ....just losing it.
3 At this point I'm leaning heavily toward Temp Sence.
Plugs completely sooted up. Should have pulled them
Before posting here ....but I'm glad I did.
What an Unbelievable resource.
Now to find the temp sence... didn't see it on first looksee but I was actually addressing charging issue with *help from my good friend Ray  ....help consisted of him welcoming me back from 3mo. In Fla
the night before by drinking beer and sipping my Jamesons.
(Walgreens Fla.  37$ / 1.75 !!! How could you not ???
I pay 34$ / .750 here in RI)
Did a feeble wire wiggle /disconnect..push together again
routine at an impossible to get at spot/ no wire slack/ butt plug
between upper frame tube...partial tank removal ...PIA
job that will need a do over SANS Ray and Jamesons
but once I saw 14.4 v I slapped iher all back together
and finally had a look at the plugs. Ahhh...now where's the temp sensor??  Gave up and moved on to sipping and picking guitar with Ray.... what he was patiently waiting to do. 
I was knackered.... freshly home from long drive- hotels- grand children -junk food and suicidal cell phone drivers and big rig
bandits jockeying for position up over the Blue Ridge Mts.
Now to find that temp sence and order a new speedo cable.
Yup...lost all 3 on 1 ride... Voltage reg, temp since, speedo.
This while I was trying to get up to Mouth OF Wilson for nostalgic bragging rights to the old boys. My group had been thru there
In the 80s ....
We were visiting grandchildren in NC on our way back from
Fla. and I needed a break from "Go Fish" and hide and seek and Tommy Train.
Now....back to 1st. Day back to work and don't look at
what's to do in the yard..... 😞
Thanks all...


 

[Ouiji]

OMG !
I AM brain dead !!!
It IS that giant blue thing on the head.
Looked just like an FI on my old Jetta... or some old POS
I always worked on ....
Well .... coffee...coffee is helping. ...
Better order that speedo cable because I don't want to take the tank off twice. ... while chasing the VR wires around I saw a connector without a home. Real small cylindrical shapped with a pin and a
pin hole inside. It's really in an impossible place to get at and don't look like even removing the tank will help.
Onward and upward. 1.5 hrs before reporting to work and reality again after 3 Mos.  Start saving for next year.
The old Jackal deserves a better home.
It really should be brought up to pristine.
Great old bike. Bought it to haul the old gal around on because
she didn't do well on the LeMans...or the Duc.
Now looking at a V7 iii... ...
Guess I'll go peruse those pages

[Huzo]

OMG !
I AM brain dead !!!
It IS that giant blue thing on the head.
Looked just like an FI on my old Jetta... or some old POS
I always worked on ....
Well .... coffee...coffee is helping. ...
Better order that speedo cable because I don't want to take the tank off twice. ... while chasing the VR wires around I saw a connector without a home. Real small cylindrical shapped with a pin and a
pin hole inside. It's really in an impossible place to get at and don't look like even removing the tank will help.
Onward and upward. 1.5 hrs before reporting to work and reality again after 3 Mos.  Start saving for next year.
The old Jackal deserves a better home.
It really should be brought up to pristine.
Great old bike. Bought it to haul the old gal around on because
she didn't do well on the LeMans...or the Duc.
Now looking at a V7 iii... ...
Guess I'll go peruse those pages

You’re a bit weird Ouiji.
I reckon we’ll get on famously. If Luap ever finishes up this board, you can start one...
We’ll call it the Ouiji board.

[pehayes]

while chasing the VR wires around I saw a connector without a home. Real small cylindrical shapped with a pin and a
pin hole inside.

Ouiji:  I ask again for your general location and the production year of this bike.

Can you take and post digital pictures?  Add them here or post to a photo hosting site.  Would be nice to see this suspect connector you are questioning.

Around that production time there was a fuel pressure regulator under the tank.  That regulator had a small, naked hose barb that got attention from many people who thought something was missing.  In reality, that hose barb is used at the factory for setting the adjustment of the fuel pressure regulator and then never used again.  Is that the fitting in question?  If so,  you're about the 1,000th to ask about it.

Did you ever find any looseness or movement in that 'blue' head temperature fitting?

The California series had only two different engine temperature sensors.  The very early versions of '97-'98 used a sensor drilled directly into the left side valve cover.  It protruded into the oil mist of the left rocker chamber and sensed temperature from there.  Lousy idea.  Cooled down too much in winter temps and gave false/low engine temp readings to the computer.  The upgrade was a switch to the blue fitting you found in the RIGHT side cylinder head.  That one has a sensor making direct/intimate contact with the head aluminum stock.  But, if it gets loose and loses contact then again it can give false/low temp output to the computer. 

Of course, you could always have a direct breakage fault in the sensor or wiring.  But the most likely is a loose sensor.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[Ouiji]

Apologies to Patrick and all.
I'm not seeing a way to reply directly to anyone..
Jackal is 3000.
It lives in RI
I'll try to post unknown connector.
Its Not the aluminum fuel pressure thingy withe the counter threaded connectors I fought with for 2 days up in Deer Isle
Last summer..
0p

[John A]

Apologies to Patrick and all.
I'm not seeing a way to reply directly to anyone..
Jackal is 3000.
It lives in RI
I'll try to post unknown connector.
Its Not the aluminum fuel pressure thingy withe the counter threaded connectors I fought with for 2 days up in Deer Isle
Last summer..
0p

That connector is the type used on the ambient air temp sensor.

[Ouiji]

That connector is the type used on the ambient air temp sensor.

It's heading towrd instead cluster...
Maybe light for MIA Tach?
Meanwhile looking for far end of temp sence...make sure that's not the prob.

[John A]

Unplugged It’s probably telling the ecu it’s cold out so it would adjust the mixture rich . Plug it back in, I’m not sure where it is on your bike but look for a small sensor near the intake snorkel inlet. My 99 has it on the right side under the tank about halfway between the front and back of the tank .
Turn signals and other stuff use a similar connection so it may not be it. What color are the wires?

[MattP]

I wish I knew then my 95 cali  would get 45 insted of 8 mpg,s  I got a couple of haurley nice carbs excel pumps  ect.got to mock up the manofolds I put over a 100,00 on the old bitch kind of miss riding it, ridding a 91 turing now. The 95 did go swimming at money creek in 07 Thou.Matt

[redrider90]

   These version of Guzzi California based bikes are notorious for cracking and splitting various fuel hoses.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

My Mille had a cracked fuel line hose that was dripping directly on header pipe.  Caught it as it was smoking.

[John A]

Yeah that unhooked connection is probly the tach light. When you look for a fuel leak, after a fill feel the bottom edges of the tank, they sometimes spring a leak on the tank split lines. The tank is a lot easier to handle when it’s mt, I was surprised at how heavy gas is! When you put it back on it helps to put some lube on the front rubbers. Have some 5/16 injection rated fuel line on hand to replace any lines that need it. Don’t mix up the connectors on the left side, one is for the petcock and the other is the fuel level switch for the light. Keep us posted!
I’m guessing the most likely cause is a fuel leak.