Oil check confusion

[golfsferr]

I got another chance to take myout yesterday for a couple of hours. I only have a couple thousand miles on it, but when I got home I thought since its at the normal operating temperature I'd check the oil level. So I stopped it pulled the panel, restarted, let it run for 30 seconds, shut it off then waited a couple seconds to check oil. The dipstick was dry as a bone. I waited a while longer then checked, still no sign of oil on the stick. I waited several more minutes, still no oil on the stick. I kind of panicked. I had it our for 2 hours, but never saw any kind for warning light. While I know the temperature gauge is not oil temp I suspect that had my engine been running too low on oil it would have affected my water temp significantly and my oil pressure light would have been on. But temp gauge never got higher than 4 bars. I went to the manual again and clearly I had followed the right oil check procedure and my oil level should have been near or at the top mark on the stick at normal operating temperature. Plus I noticed that it does tell you that if you check your oil level at room temp it should be at the half way mark on the stick. I went out and got a quart of the recommended oil. I started adding while checking the level periodically. I only added a half of the quart when it started to show at the half way mark on the stick. After all this time, it had cooled down. So I started it up again and let it get back to the operating temp. I then followed the manual's stated oil level checking procedure again, but this time the oil level was slightly above the top mark. Since I only put about a half a quart in to get it to show at the half way mark at room temp, why would it now suddenly be overfilled at the operating temp and should I drain that little extra out? It's overfilled by just short of 2mm's.

Part of the confusion for me is that the most talked about way to check the oil is after it's at the operating temperature but the manual clearly states also at room temperature the oil level should be at the half way mark on the stick. So in my simple mind if its at the half way mark at room temp then we're good. What am I missing because the other way wasn't accurate for me?

Sorry for the long winded post. Thanks

[Cruzr Joe]

Operating temp (similar to a 15 minute ride temp) is the only way that i know of to check your oil level accurately.

Cruzr Joe

[billybovine]

When the oil level is below the add line (bottom of the dipstick), add oil. 1/2 quart should fill it from the add line to the full line. Running your oil level below the add line is not a problem and will not cause any harm unless it is extremely low. There is no need to keep it at the full mark. It is expected that it will go below the add line before you add oil, that is why it is called an "Add line" not your engine will blowup line.

[warp10]

I check the oil at the end of a ride. I pull in the garage and right away pull the panel and check the oil, no need to restart the bike as the oil is at operating temp, unless you are in the northeast, then the operating temp will be in july.

[Chupaca]

this is the way I do it. If you do short rydes (under 100 miles) I do it every third time. Have had check engine light come on and adding oil cleared it but never so low oil pressure light came on. The oil useage will get better with time...

[vondalyn]

Within the last 6 months someone at my dealership (can't remember who now) said that BRP had contacted them about "oil check confusion" and wanted them to make sure that they covered "how to check your oil" with all their customers. They said that the perfect time was 30 seconds after turning off after a ride where it had gotten up to operating temperature. They said they found 30 seconds was about the same amount of time that it took to pull the cover, unscrew the dipstick, wipe it off, fully reinsert it (screw it fully back in) and then pull it back out again.

I basically pull into the garage, leave the sypder running while I grab a paper towel and then turn it off and do the checking. Mine seems to be more of an oil burner than some others I've read about. I usually have to add a little (2 bars on the oil bottle) every 3-4 rides (avg 100 miles per ride).

[3 Wheel Addict]

Get the oil level where it needs to be and then check it cold, make a note of where it is on the stick then you can check it before you start it up and have at least a decent reference to the oil level. On my 13 RTS the cold level is right at the bottom of the stick just over the solid part into the hash marks. Now if they would just make the dipstick so the damn o-ring would stay on it!!

[Cruzr Joe]

Get the oil level where it needs to be and then check it cold, make a note of where it is on the stick then you can check it before you start it up and have at least a decent reference to the oil level. On my 13 RTS the cold level is right at the bottom of the stick just over the solid part into the hash marks. Now if they would just make the dipstick so the damn o-ring would stay on it!!

You may laugh at this, but if you turn the "o" ring around, it will stay where it belongs. Take it off the dipstick and turn it around and it will stay in place. (No Joke)

Cruzr Joe

[warp10]

Get the oil level where it needs to be and then check it cold, make a note of where it is on the stick then you can check it before you start it up and have at least a decent reference to the oil level. On my 13 RTS the cold level is right at the bottom of the stick just over the solid part into the hash marks. Now if they would just make the dipstick so the damn o-ring would stay on it!!

This will not work, the cold oil level is not consistent, if it were they would just have made the dip stick longer. The oil drains back into the sump system when engine is shut off.

[finless]

I will say and agree it is a screwy check! After a ride home from work (35 miles all freeway at 75 MPH) when I pull in the garage I stop the engine and check the oil. It is within 30 seconds or so and IS up to temp!

I pull the dipstick, wipe it off, screw it back in and out and check. It will read right at full. If I repeat that again I notice the oil has dropped a little. If I repeat that yet again it has dropped more!
So I agree this is a screwy system.

Now on other days, this does not happen right away. It will take like 20 minutes before the reading drops on the stick. I can see how this can confuse people and make them think the oil is low only to over fill it. I HAVE done that myself because of the screwy way the oil check is.

Also, if you add oil and go around the block and get it back up to temp, IT MAY not read right! It's like WTF? That is how I got mine overfilled a little once. I was reading low (or so I thought), added oil, road around the block a few times, pulled in and it read OK. Went to work the next day, came home, pulled in, read the stick and now it showed slight overfilled! Again talk about WTF?

Scotty has explained why this is before and I "get it" but man.... What a pain in a *ss.....

So in the end, I just don't try and get it right up to the full mark but a little lower especially if I have not gone for a longer freeway speed ride after adding a little. Doing it this way I have never had a over fill condition.

FYI, I check my oil level every 3rd gas tank. I basically don't "chase the full mark" anymore and just watch for "add" mark condition.

Bob

[fireplug98]

Every 3 gas fill ups, check oil and top off.
To me, seems the easiest way to go. Oil never gets too low. No worries !!!

Tommy J.

[billybovine]

This will not work, the cold oil level is not consistent, if it were they would just have made the dip stick longer. The oil drains back into the sump system when engine is shut off.

but the kicker is it will sometimes drain back and other times not!

[Sarge707]

How much drains back and your cold oil level depends on outside temperature averages , atmospheric pressure, humidity and ALL of the above combined!

[M109Dreamer]

It sure would of been nice for BRP to put a sight glass on the tank. That way you could of removed the cover after a ride, after it had been in idle in "N" for 30 seconds and just read the oil level on the gauge and been done.

Man the wifes V-Star was so much easier. I feel your pain.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Bob Denman]

Dry sumps are fun; aren't they?
If you follow the manual's instructions TO THE LETTER; you'll never have problems!
Don't try to use "wet sump" techniques...

[bruiser]

'14 is easier to check, eh Bob?

[Bob Denman]

Yup!!

[Highwayman2013]

The oil check is the same on my Kawasaki 1700 engine. I overfilled that by a quart the first time I added oil.

[fireplug98]

The oil check is the same on my Kawasaki 1700 engine. I overfilled that by a quart the first time I added oil.

OOPS !!! I hate when that happens !!!


Tommy J.

[TexAmRider]

You may laugh at this, but if you turn the "o" ring around, it will stay where it belongs. Take it off the dipstick and turn it around and it will stay in place. (No Joke)

Cruzr Joe

I'm gonna try to turn the oil dip stick O-Ring over. You say it will work, gotta believe you.

[Bob Denman]

But Joe is old and retired now . He has nothing else to do all day; except to tell tall-tales, and see what kind of trouble he can cause!

[garb55]

But Joe is old and retired now . He has nothing else to do all day; except to tell tall-tales, and see what kind of trouble he can cause!

I wonder if flipping the O ring over took Joe a long time
Now that he is retired his thinking has slowed down

[warp10]

They say the mind is the first to go. He retired in December, but no one told him to stop going to work until April.

[coz]

When the oil level is below the add line (bottom of the dipstick), add oil. 1/2 quart should fill it from the add line to the full line. Running your oil level below the add line is not a problem and will not cause any harm unless it is extremely low. There is no need to keep it at the full mark. It is expected that it will go below the add line before you add oil, that is why it is called an "Add line" not your engine will blowup line.

Billy, you crack me up.

[NancysToy]

I got another chance to take myout yesterday for a couple of hours. I only have a couple thousand miles on it, but when I got home I thought since its at the normal operating temperature I'd check the oil level. So I stopped it pulled the panel, restarted, let it run for 30 seconds, shut it off then waited a couple seconds to check oil. The dipstick was dry as a bone. I waited a while longer then checked, still no sign of oil on the stick. I waited several more minutes, still no oil on the stick. I kind of panicked. I had it our for 2 hours, but never saw any kind for warning light. While I know the temperature gauge is not oil temp I suspect that had my engine been running too low on oil it would have affected my water temp significantly and my oil pressure light would have been on. But temp gauge never got higher than 4 bars. I went to the manual again and clearly I had followed the right oil check procedure and my oil level should have been near or at the top mark on the stick at normal operating temperature. Plus I noticed that it does tell you that if you check your oil level at room temp it should be at the half way mark on the stick. I went out and got a quart of the recommended oil. I started adding while checking the level periodically. I only added a half of the quart when it started to show at the half way mark on the stick. After all this time, it had cooled down. So I started it up again and let it get back to the operating temp. I then followed the manual's stated oil level checking procedure again, but this time the oil level was slightly above the top mark. Since I only put about a half a quart in to get it to show at the half way mark at room temp, why would it now suddenly be overfilled at the operating temp and should I drain that little extra out? It's overfilled by just short of 2mm's.

Part of the confusion for me is that the most talked about way to check the oil is after it's at the operating temperature but the manual clearly states also at room temperature the oil level should be at the half way mark on the stick. So in my simple mind if its at the half way mark at room temp then we're good. What am I missing because the other way wasn't accurate for me?

Sorry for the long winded post. Thanks

I'm not sure what year Spyder you have, but unless there has been a change in the manuals this last year or so, it always has called for checking at "full operating temperature" except immediately following an oil change (dumb to do that IMO, by the way). That is not just a matter of having the coolant gauge read normal, it means the oil and metal have to be fully warmed, too. that takes at least a 10-15 minute ride. Overfilling a tiny bit is of little consequence, especially on any Spyder after the first couple of years of production or on the RT, but it might make you blow some oil by to the air box. Being low a little also does little on a dry sump engine, as long as it has oil to pump, but the SE can have shifting issues at lower oil levels. There is no oil level warning, only low oil pressure, so it is up to you to check the oil frequently. If you get a low oil pressure warning, engine damage is likely to have already occurred. I believe BRP recommends something like every 300 or 500 miles. I'd do that until you gauge how yours holds up. If it doesn't use a lot, you can check less frequently. Always check following dealer service...they may overfill or underfill.

One of the biggest reasons for checking the oil at full operating temperature is the repeatability. Room temperature can vary with climate and other conditions. The oil temperature is pretty constant once the machine warms up. The oil is also expanded to a bit more volume than you would see in a cold garage. Unless you have a 2014 RT, which may have a different procedure, I'd stick by what has been shown to work. Come back from a ride, pull off the panel, shut off the engine, wait about 30-60 seconds (or some other period that is about the same delay each time), and check the oil. Remember that the dipstick has to be fully screwed in to show the proper level.