Oil consumption

[barb36jack31]

Anyone out there have a Spyder that is using oil? I had mine serviced at 620 miles and checked the oil level after I got it home. The oil level was correct. Over the next 2500 miles I have had to add approx. 600cc of oil. I broke the engine in according to the manual and am surprised at the oil consumption. I have never had a bike use oil before between changes. Also this is the first bike I have had that used synthetic oil right from the factory.

Jac H.

[sabunim5]

My bet is that, like mine and many others, you are not "burning oil". Oil is probably entering your airbox via the crankcase breather. The oil then drains out of the front right of the airbox and onto everything beneath. I know there are threads on the spydertalk website about this issue. Lamont has installed some sort of trap on his machine so you can find that thread on this website. I reported the problem to my dealer and temporarily installed a very porous filter material in the crankcase breather line. Pull the panel(s) it will take to see if you have oil coming out of the front right of the airbox. I hate to say it but I think you will find oil where it shouldn't be. Ride Safe and Enjoy :bigthumbsup:
sabunim5 :spyder:

[SPYMAN]

My bet is that, like mine and many others, you are not "burning oil". Oil is probably entering your airbox via the crankcase breather. The oil then drains out of the front right of the airbox and onto everything beneath. I know there are threads on the spydertalk website about this issue. Lamont has installed some sort of trap on his machine so you can find that thread on this website. I reported the problem to my dealer and temporarily installed a very porous filter material in the crankcase breather line. Pull the panel(s) it will take to see if you have oil coming out of the front right of the airbox. I hate to say it but I think you will find oil where it shouldn't be. Ride Safe and Enjoy :bigthumbsup:
sabunim5 :spyder:


I to have been getting oil in the air box. Ken with Evoluzione cyclesports is working on a performance air box / intake that will by pass the oil blow by valve back in to the intake & not in the air box. I hope I explained that correctly. I am waiting for it to hit the market my self.

:bigthumbsup: SPYMAN :bigthumbsup:

[barb36jack31]

Took off the panels so I could access the air box. There was an oily film on the bottom of the airbox, but nothing that would account for over 600cc of oil over the 2500 mi. time frame. Also there has been no oil drippings on the garage floor. I have the sneaky feeling that I have an oil burner on my hands. Again, this is the first bike I have owned over the 60 years of riding that came from the factory with synthetic oil. Also it is the first machine that has burned oil.

Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

Jack H.

[ICE]

I am also having excessive oil consumption. I've used 1/2qt + in 1500 miles. I pulled the right side panels and all is dry. I've also owned many Japanese bikes as well as 86 Harley and never have had an oil burning problem. My Harley has 112K miles and uses at most 1/4 qt between 3000 mile oil changes. Not a happy camper!

[Danimal]

If it was burning it you wouldn't find it in the airbox.

FYI... many bikes have the same problem of oil in the airbox... they make 'oil catch cans' for almost every bike out there... the crotch rocket boys and the HD guys.

Tharkun over on the CAT site came up with his own solution... using a special hard foam in the vent tube.... to let the air thru.. but not the oil.

[barb36jack31]

Took off all kinds of panels so I could look at the air box. Just exactly where is the tube that is sending the oil to the airbox. I have never seen such a complex machine in my life. I grew up on old British singles and over the years have adapted to the new technologies. (Somewhat). This one has me baffled. I love the Spyder and plan to ride it for many years. I just wish I could understand it better. Help!

Jack H.

[SpyderMark]

I broke the engine in according to the manual and am surprised at the oil consumption.

The manual doesn't really outline a break-in procedure per se, rather it only lists restrictions:

During the first 1 000 km (625mi):
– Avoid full throttle acceleration.
– Avoid prolonged riding.
– If the cooling fan operates continuously
during stop and go traffic, pull
over and shut off the engine to let it
cool off or speed up to let air cool off
the engine.

There has been a great deal of discussion about different break-in techniques both here and at Spydertalk.com. When you say you broke it in according to the manual, what did you mean?


Also this is the first bike I have had that used synthetic oil right from the factory.

Do you feel the use of synthetic oil during break-in has contributed to your engine oil consumption now? If so, how?

Have you discussed this with Can-Am or your dealer? If so, how much oil consumption does Can-Am consider "normal?"

Regards,

Mark

[DrB]

Hey guys,

In order to facilitate the diagnostic, make sure you follow closely the procedure for oil level verification. This is a dry sump system that requires some attention. Oil must be at operating temperature to verify level... refer to your operator's guide.

Having a system with too much oil will result in oil in the air box

[Putt-Putt]

The dealer changed the oil at 625 mile ckeck up. Now I just reached my first oil 3,000 mile time to change oil. I've had to add 2 Quarts of oil in that 3,000 mile period. I have checked the oil level both Hot and cold reads the same level. My BSA's --TRiumph's - and Nortons all had a dry sump system; never did I have to add oil between oil changes. The only place I ever seen oil was in the air box. No leaks on the floor any where parked. :(

[NancysToy]

The dealer changed the oil at 625 mile ckeck up. Now I just reached my first oil 3,000 mile time to change oil. I've had to add 2 Quarts of oil in that 3,000 mile period. I have checked the oil level both Hot and cold reads the same level. My BSA's --TRiumph's - and Nortons all had a dry sump system; never did I have to add oil between oil changes. The only place I ever seen oil was in the air box. No leaks on the floor any where parked. :(

We have only put about 1,200 on since the first service, but the oil level is exactly where it was then. My feeling is that these particular machines have a problem of some sort. I would report it to the dealer. Don't know the BRP spec, but 1,500 miles to a quart is bad in anything manufactured since the sixties.
-Scotty

[bjt]

That doesn't sound good Putt-Putt. Both dltang and I have over 4,000 miles on our Spyders and we have not put in even one drop of oil between changes. dltang's even had a fair amount of evidence of oil in the air box but her oil level never went below the add mark.

[Putt-Putt]

Well I don't know for sure were the oil is going. I don't have any leaks. I even had my wife ride her bike right behind me to see if it was smoking. She said there was nothing, even when I got on it several times. At just over 1500 miles and again at 2700 miles both times the oil level was at the very tip of the dip stick. So I don't know what to think. :( :'(

[SpyderBiker]

2700 miles on my lil' booger and no oil consumption. Because of this thread I check it today...spot on...didn't need a drop.

The spyder has a pretty well defined method of checking the oil...a little different than most bikes....if you are accustomed to other bikes check the actual procedure in the manual...maybe you got an eroneous reading and are adding oil when not needed?

Just a thought...probably won't help any.

[barb36jack31]

OK, here I go again showing off just how thick I can be. What is so mysterious about checking the oil level. If you wait a little while after shutting down and then check the level in the resovoir, then it would seem that you wouls be getting an accurate reading. The oil has run down out of the engine and the reading should be correct.

Comments please.

Jack H.