Air Bubbles?

[dndfindley]

When checking oil level and air bubbles are found on the dipstick I know that one cause for that is the oil was overfilled. Are there any other reasons to explain air bubbles on the dipstick?

 

[BajaRon]

When checking oil level and air bubbles are found on the dipstick I know that one cause for that is the oil was overfilled. Are there any other reasons to explain air bubbles on the dipstick?

Some oils foam a lot. BRP oil seems to be one of these. Let it sit a few minutes and you should see less foam.

 

[Chupaca]

Have to agree..!!

different oils foam more or less at high temps. I use the brp semi synthetic which foams more as the viscosity thins. But measuring after a ryde has never been a problem. We pull in take off our gear and put it away then check oil level top off if needed....:thumbup:

 

[dndfindley]

Some oils foam a lot. BRP oil seems to be one of these. Let it sit a few minutes and you should see less foam.

Thanks for the quick reply. I use the BRP oil so I guess that's it.

 

[dndfindley]

different oils foam more or less at high temps. I use the brp semi synthetic which foams more as the viscosity thins. But measuring after a ryde has never been a problem. We pull in take off our gear and put it away then check oil level top off if needed....:thumbup:

Thanks for the quick reply. I use the BRP full synthetic and it hasn't been overfilled so I just wanted to make sure I didn't have an undiagnosed problem. I always check the oil IAW the manual.

 

[NancysToy]

Bubbles in the return oil are a characteristic of dry sump oiling systems. In order to keep the engine sump evacuated of oil, the scavenging pump must pump faster than the oil supply pump. That means it will pick up some air from time to time, and return it to the tank. The bubbles should remain near the top of the tank, while the oil supply is pulled off the bottom, so no harm results. The bubbles usually dissipate quickly, but some oils retain them longer than others. My advice is to wait 30-60 seconds or longer before checking the oil level. The entrapped bubbles will give a false reading.

 

[Bob Denman]

Question: will waiting longer have any effect on the accuracy of the oil readings? I thought that BRP kind of had a strict timeframe in place for this dance... :shocked:

 

[NancysToy]

Question: will waiting longer have any effect on the accuracy of the oil readings? I thought that BRP kind of had a strict timeframe in place for this dance... :shocked:

Their stated time frame is one ended...they say to start the engine and run it for at least 30 seconds to evacuate the oil from the sump. They do not tell you how soon to check it afterwards. I would not wait forever...the oil volume decreases as the oil cools, and the tank could drain back to the sump over time, depending on the position of the oil pump rotors and condition of the check valve. I would recommend reading in 30-60 seconds, but you would probably be good for up to 3-5 minutes unless you had a real bad check valve/oil pumop, or the ambient temperature was real, real cold. The real important things are to have the engine at full operating temperature (after a ride is best) and be sure to screw in the dipstick. Beyond that, doing things the same way each time would be the best. If you wait a minute to read, do it all the time that way.

 

[1551retired]

Their stated time frame is one ended...they say to start the engine and run it for at least 30 seconds to evacuate the oil from the sump. They do not tell you how soon to check it afterwards. I would not wait forever...the oil volume decreases as the oil cools, and the tank could drain back to the sump over time, depending on the position of the oil pump rotors and condition of the check valve. I would recommend reading in 30-60 seconds, but you would probably be good for up to 3-5 minutes unless you had a real bad check valve/oil pumop, or the ambient temperature was real, real cold. The real important things are to have the engine at full operating temperature (after a ride is best) and be sure to screw in the dipstick. Beyond that, doing things the same way each time would be the best. If you wait a minute to read, do it all the time that way.

Good information Scotty. I changed my oil (BRP) and filters back in November on the 2010 RTS SE5. Used the stated quantity of oil in the manuals like I have always done. I took it for a 10 or 12 mile run and pulled back in the garage to check the oil where I found it right at the full mark. All good, right? :thumbup:

Well I'm in FL for the winter and finally made a 65 mile run this afternoon and just to be on the safe side decided to check the oil before putting it back in the garage. This time I'm getting a consistent 1/4 inch above the full mark (no bubbles). It's still in the cross hatches marked on the dipstick above and below the full mark so I guess I shouldn't be too worried. I just can't figure out why it's now showing overfull.:banghead:

 

[finless]

My oil level drops pretty fast!
I stop after a good long ride home, pull the panel, pull the stick, wipe it off and take a reading (yes it's foamy on firt pull out). Stick it back in, pull it out and it's dropped a little already! Do one more reading and it has dropped again! It doesnt always do this that fast but sometimes does.
Makes it hard to trust your oil level sometimes.
Yes I am checking it with it at running temp!

Bob

 

[BajaRon]

My oil level drops pretty fast!
I stop after a good long ride home, pull the panel, pull the stick, wipe it off and take a reading (yes it's foamy on firt pull out). Stick it back in, pull it out and it's dropped a little already! Do one more reading and it has dropped again! It doesnt always do this that fast but sometimes does.
Makes it hard to trust your oil level sometimes.
Yes I am checking it with it at running temp!

Bob

Foam will give you a false, high reading. Foam usually goes away fairly quickly. My guess is you're getting a foam reading at first and not a true oil level reading. You can get 1/4" of foam sitting on top of the oil level. On the stick it's nearly impossible to tell the difference as the foam will leave a "Oil Level' mark on the stick.

 

[finless]

Foam will give you a false, high reading. Foam usually goes away fairly quickly. My guess is you're getting a foam reading at first and not a true oil level reading. You can get 1/4" of foam sitting on top of the oil level. On the stick it's nearly impossible to tell the difference as the foam will leave a "Oil Level' mark on the stick.

Yep and thats why I use the second reading with no foam but if it still has some foam the 3rd reading but by then, it is starting to drop pretty fast, the 4th reading it has dropped too low (like 1/2). Again though, this does not always happen that way. I noticed this more as some miles were adding up on the oil. Maybe because it has gotten thinner?

FYI Ron, I will be doing my 4500 mile oil change this weekend using the kit and oil you sent me! :yes:

Bob

 

[DrewNJ]

Just be consistent with your routine and how you check it and the time between shutdown and checks and you'll be fine.
I check mine with the bike idling and that gives me the most consistent levels. I shoot for no higher than halfway up the scale on the stick and like it closer to the lower level. Works for me....

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