May have screwed up - checked level & added oil cold!

[GlenCreek]

I have a 2013 rt limited. Fairly new to the spyder world. This morning getting ready to head out in a ride I checked the oil while the engine was cold. It showed low. So I added about half A quart. (I know now that was so very wrong). Anyway we road about 250 total miles today. About 3/4 of the way through the ride I noticed loss in power and the bike started vibrating. I know diagnosing something like this online is a crap shoot. But what do y’all think? Did my oil fubar cause this or is there another culprit?

Thanks in advance

[Peter Aawen]

Don't read too much into it yet, but DO fix the thing you KNOW could be an issue FIRST!! Make sure you don't have too much oil in there, draining/sucking some out if necessary.... THEN see how it behaves & give us a report on it then. With any luck, that'll resolve your issues.

Good Luck!

[GlenCreek]

Don't read too much into it yet, but DO fix the thing you KNOW could be an issue FIRST!! Make sure you don't have too much oil in there, draining/sucking some out if necessary.... THEN see how it behaves & give us a report on it then. With any luck, that'll resolve your issues.

Good Luck!

Thanks! Can you point me in the Right direction for the drain plug? Lol

[SNOOPY]

Thanks! Can you point me in the Right direction for the drain plug? Lol

It’s on the drain plug hole.



If you’re just trying to drain some (not changing it all) there is a drain at the bottom of the oil tank. It would be the easier one to get to, but you will have to warm the bike up a bit for it to fill before you can drain or suction it out.

.

[old Timer]

Thanks! Can you point me in the Right direction for the drain plug? Lol

Do you have an owners manual? All necessary info is in there.

[GlenCreek]

Ok so I warmed the RT up this morning. Used a siphon pump to remove oil. Had to add a little more. Still not sure I got it right. These things a bit a a pain to check imo. Anyways. Took it for a short ride and it seemed to be running just fine. It of course still has that spyder vibration at times. I’m wondering if it could have been hot? My group rides pretty fast.

[BajaRon]

Ok so I warmed the RT up this morning. Used a siphon pump to remove oil. Had to add a little more. Still not sure I got it right. These things a bit a a pain to check imo. Anyways. Took it for a short ride and it seemed to be running just fine. It of course still has that spyder vibration at times. I’m wondering if it could have been hot? My group rides pretty fast.

Checking the oil level on the Spyder is not difficult. You check it the same way you check any other vehicle. It's the timing that is important. Never check it cold. It's a waste of time on the 998 V-Twin. Always check it hot. I usually check when come back from a ride. Then, if there is no puddle of oil on the floor under the Spyder, I know the level is correct. The 1st thing you need to establish is whether or not you have the correct amount of oil, hot. Once that is established, you can move on from there.

Overfilling the oil can put a great deal of oil into the air box. This can create several issues. You can foul the spark plugs, gum up the throttle body butterflies, soak the paper air filter and give the MAF sensor fits. I would suggest taking the top off of the air cleaner and visually inspect for oil contamination, if you want to be sure all is well. I also highly recommend installing my crank case vent mod to keep oil out of the air box. I don't sell it because parts are inexpensive and readily available. This is a maintenance free fix for the 998 V-Twin.

If you treat your Spyder right, it will treat you right. You just need to learn your machine. Which is true of any ride.

Good luck!