Grumbling Noise When Coming to a Stop

[solidgranite]

Excellent! I'm glad you were able to discover the problem and repair it! I removed the tupperware side panel, but couldn't see anything "obvious", and nothing was loose when I tried to shake it. Turns out it WAS the sprocket... The Can Am dealer's service dept. diagnosed it quickly, and changed out the sprocket with a new one. I'm picking the bike up on Monday, and am mighty thankful it wasn't something much more serious and expensive! :-)

[lwe6576]

My 2016 F3 Limited locked up on me, however, I didn't know it. I rode it, parked it, then when I went to ride it a couple of weeks later, it wouldn't start. Thought i might need a new battery since I'd bought the F3 late 2016 & here it is 2021. Friend got it started & didn't realize you had to have the bike hot to check the oil level so it showed no oil, but when it finally started & got hot, the oil registered, but was low. He added oil to get it started. Now it sounds like there are marbles in the transmission. It makes a noise when I slow down like the gurgling marbles going on, & there is a dragging kind of feel when I left off the gas, then it stops doing that & the marbly sounds start. It happens on the left side nest to my left foot & leg. It's not just when I'm coming to stop though, it's also when I shift up or down & when first starting it up & moving in 1st gear. It happens no matter what gear, but only happens when I slow down. Could it be the sprocket, loose bolt, belt, or what? I'm going to take it to the shop before I ride it again because I don't want it to lock up on me riding at 60 mph in the mountains with no phone service. Ok, that's the worst that could happen, I guess.

[Peter Aawen]

My 2016 F3 Limited locked up on me & it was because it needed more oil - does not use oil & had been serviced. Locked into 1st gear & would not start. Got a new battery. Friend got it started & didn't realize you had to have the bike hot to check the oil level. He added oil & it finally started. Now it sounds like there are marbles in the transmission. It makes a noise when I slow down like the gurgling marbles going on, & there is a dragging kind of feel when I left off the gas, then it stops doing that & the marbly sounds start. It happens on the left side nest to my left foot & leg. It's not just when I'm coming to stop though, it's also when I shift up or down & when first starting it up & moving in 1st gear. It happens no matter what gear, but only happens when I slow down. Could it be the sprocket, loose bolt, belt, or what? I'm going to take it to the shop before I ride it again because I don't want it to lock up on me riding at 60 mph in the mountains with no phone service. Ok, that's the worset that could happen, I guess.

That certainly could be the sprocket, but if you haven't already removed the excess oil that your friend added, then I'm sorry, the sprocket thing isn't the worst thing that could happen, not by by a long shot!!

Too much oil in a modern engine with fine tolerances that mean it doesn't normally use any oil, like the Rotax ACE 1330 motor in your F3, can be really damaging to the engine &/or gearbox!! You need to get any excess oil out ASAP!!

A smidge over the Full mark on the dipstick shouldn't be too bad, but anything much more than that could be drastically bad! Maybe you should cconsider draining ALL the oil out before refilling it with a little less than the recommended amount (if it's had an oil & filter change recently, then there's no real need to remove the filter/s, but you'll hafta reduce your refill qty a bit more to compensate for the oil still in the filter/s!) so that you can safely run it for a while & top it up later if necessary. Remember, especially if it's been run recently, then any oil showing above the Low level on the dipstick means there's going to be enough oil in there to safely run/ride it for a while, even if you shouldn't plan on heading off on a couple of hundred miles of riding like that! So you should be plenty safe enough to ride it around gently for 30 mins or so & then check the oil level properly before topping it up as necessary.

So I'd suggest that you check that you haven't got too much oil in there before you start worrying about/searching for other issues; and don't forget that these 1330 cc things do sorta sound like a half-filled can of marbles at idle anyway. Besides, now that you're worrying about it, every little thing will sound drastic, even if it was always like that before! So sort the oil level properly first, to make sure that's not causing those things you're concerned about before you start worrying about/looking for anything else. After all, a stripped spline on the drive sprocket is a bit of a moot point if you first blow up the engine &/or trans cos it's been over-filled with oil!

[AbNormy]

my rear wheel bearings on my 2012 RT SE5 bit the dust around 32k. thats what i would have guessed but I didnt read you mentioning miles on your odometer. that was around the time of my 3rd rear tire...

[davev1pa]

I see the front sprocket dilemma posted around...Questions: My 12 RTL is part #705502137 front sprocket 28 tooth and has an additional "flywheel" that fits on the outside..so a 2 piece system which I assume the flywheel rarely needs replaced. My 2014 RTS is part # 705503239 which is a 28 tooth "all in One" component that includes the "flywheel" attachment....(this part # runs through 2021) . Will part # 70503239 the "all-in one" flywheel/sprocket fit on my 2012 if I need it to-these look and sound identical..

[Bangorbob]

My 2016 F3 Limited locked up on me, however, I didn't know it. I rode it, parked it, then when I went to ride it a couple of weeks later, it wouldn't start. Thought i might need a new battery since I'd bought the F3 late 2016 & here it is 2021. Friend got it started & didn't realize you had to have the bike hot to check the oil level so it showed no oil, but when it finally started & got hot, the oil registered, but was low. He added oil to get it started. Now it sounds like there are marbles in the transmission. It makes a noise when I slow down like the gurgling marbles going on, & there is a dragging kind of feel when I left off the gas, then it stops doing that & the marbly sounds start. It happens on the left side nest to my left foot & leg. It's not just when I'm coming to stop though, it's also when I shift up or down & when first starting it up & moving in 1st gear. It happens no matter what gear, but only happens when I slow down. Could it be the sprocket, loose bolt, belt, or what? I'm going to take it to the shop before I ride it again because I don't want it to lock up on me riding at 60 mph in the mountains with no phone service. Ok, that's the worst that could happen, I guess.

I know this an old post, but I had/have something similar. 3 days ago I started from a stop and it felt/sounded like I was between neutral and first gear as it felt like it finally caught a gear and ran fine. Yesterday I was rolling to a stop and I think I was in 2nd gear slowing down to a stop. Couldn't have been going much more than 10 MPH. I sounded like marbles in the trans. I am due for an oil change, but don't think that would have this kind of effect.

[solidgranite]

Could be the front sprocket. I don't have a home-shop or the required tools, so had to take it to the dealer. Turned out to be the front sprocket. They replaced it, and the noise went away completely. You may be able to check the condition of the sprocket yourself. Some of the posts above tell how to do that. Good luck, and safe riding!

[Bangorbob]

Could be the front sprocket. I don't have a home-shop or the required tools, so had to take it to the dealer. Turned out to be the front sprocket. They replaced it, and the noise went away completely. You may be able to check the condition of the sprocket yourself. Some of the posts above tell how to do that. Good luck, and safe riding!

Thanks for the info. I will take a peek at the sprocket.