| Author | Message | ||
     Roysbuell |
About 6 weeks ago I took my 2009 Lightning XB scg for it's 5,000 mile service and upgraded to synthetic at that time. My bike's warranty expired shortly after the service was done. My bike has been running poorly lately so this morning I ran her for about 20 min's between 3000-3500 rpm as soon as I got home I checked the oil. (I learned oil doesn't need to be checked often so I rarely check it.) Well when I took the cap off oil started pouring out. What did they screw up? What should I do? | ||
| Dfishman |
Do your own service.That way the oil level will be correct. I would drain the oil & put 2 1/2 qts back in. | ||
| Roysbuell |
How many quarts would be in engine, transmission and primary? | ||
| Barkbuster |
2 1/2 quarts in the swingarm with a filter change 1 quart in the primary (Message edited by barkbuster on September 26, 2011) | ||
| Dfishman |
Do not OVERTIGHTEN the drain plug in the swingarm it will strip out.Some of the manuals had misprinted torque values. | ||
| D_adams |
The bike needs to be warmed up to do a proper oil change, correct? Almost sounds like they did it cold and overfilled it. (Message edited by d_adams on September 26, 2011) | ||
| Badrap |
It's definitely over filled. Either have them drain and refill with the 2 1/2 qts or do it your self. I hope no damage was done. Also check the air box, its probably a mess. | ||
| Roysbuell |
Yea, I'm sure the airbox is a mess. The bike has been running crappy for the last couple weeks. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
My dealership once returned my uly and charged me an extra $6 for a quart of H-D premium awesome chocolate flavored oil. That said it was a quart low and I need to check it more often. I felt like crap; I had been neglecting my bike so badly that it ate an extra quart in the 500 miles since I changed it! 100 miles after the dealership serviced my bike, I popped the oil filler to check the oil. Oil POURED out. never mind the dipstick! I gave them a friendly call and they apologized and refunded my $6. Are Buells the only bikes they mess up with the oil levels? | ||
| Badrap |
After thinking about it. I'd take it back and tell them to dump the oil and put in 2 1/2 qts (per the service manual) of new synthetic oil and then have them clean up all the oil in the airbox and intake. I would also have them change the plugs because they are probably fouled up. Insist that all of this should be done at no cost to you. | ||
| Greg_e |
Less than 2.5 if they keep the filter installed, it is 2.5 with a filter change so probably 2.25 for what you need done. If it has been burning a lot of oil you could have issues with the valves no closing due to deposits on the seats! Wrecked my machine, needed valves, valve job and probably wrecked the rings while it was at it. Not sure how long it was consuming oil and never did seem to show any use, but the damage was definitely done. Check your plugs and I bet at least one will be all black and wet. | ||
| Roysbuell |
What spark plugs would you recommend? I'm just nervous these morons are going to strip the threads. | ||
| Nobuell |
I have had very good luck with the NGK Iridium # DCPR9EIX. The bike seams to run a bit smoother down low since I started using them. | ||
| Brumbear |
vrod plugs I think they were? | ||
| Nobuell |
Personally, I would drain the oil and install a new filter. After the change, check to oil when hot with the bike idling. Note the oil level. That is your baseline level. Do not go over that level when and if additional oil is required. My bike registers 2X after a fresh oil change. HD overfilled my XT when they replaced the swing arm under warranty. I routinely check all work performed by the dealer. You would not believe the things I have found. I recommend always doing your own work if you have you can. | ||
| Yool |
Sorry to hear about your troubles mate. I reckon the best thing you can do is to talk to your dealer calmly about what youve found. It's real easy to flame these guys for doing a crap job, but they are only human. The service manager will probably go down and personally kick the 1st year apprentice's ass, and he will never make that mistake again, and that's good for the rest of us.......much better result than the dealer going broke cause no-one will take their bike there. +1 on the home servicing......Learn to do as much as possible yourself, this site has awesome information, and it's FUN!!! (sometimes)  | ||
| Roysbuell |
Ok, I have a battle in my brain going on and would really like your opinion. I called the dealer and they offered to look at the bike. They said they need to inspect it to make sure that there is not another reason why the oil overflowed. As per the service the guy that serviced my bike got 4 quarts of oil for my bike. They said it is not that he poured it all into the bike it could have been that he only poured 3.5 quarts into it. I paid over $300 for the 5,000 mile service and for that amount I was expecting them to be meticulous in the service. So here is my dilemma: Take it back to the dealer and have them inspect it. Pour out that oil, add new oil to the correct level, clean the airbox and check for fouled spark plugs. (I am afraid of them cross threading the spark plugs) OR just bite the bullet and do it myself? | ||
| Badrap |
So, they are saying that someone else screwed up and over filled it (I doubt it) and so they should over fill it also even though the FSM states 2.5 qts. Nice excuse. Idiots! I would make it their problem. You paid good money for the service, they should make it right! | ||
| Roysbuell |
They said they needed more then the books "2.5 quarts" because they also drained the primary, transmission and the case. | ||
| Badrap |
The 2.5 qts is if you drain the motor and put on a new filter. Harley sell a different fluid for the tranny, it's not motor oil, even though some do use motor oil in there. The tranny only uses 1 qt. and is not connected to the motors oil system. So a total of 3.5 qts of fluid would be correct but not in the same hole. I wonder if they put any fluid in your tranny, they may have put it all in the swingarm. Since it's a dry sump system, there is no fill hole in the motor. The whole thing would have me concerned. I have a feeling they are real idiots. | ||
| Reepicheep |
That'd be about right. 2.5 qts for motor, 1 qt for tranny. So if it was overfilled by more than half a quart, it came from another bottle that wasn't on your bill. | ||
| Badrap |
Even 3 quarts would'nt make it flow out the fill hole. Someone got carried away. | ||
| Roysbuell |
Here are a few pictures I took with my phone of the overflow. http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm316/ChicagoRo y/Buelloilspill.jpg http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm316/ChicagoRo y/Buelloilspill3.jpg http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm316/ChicagoRo y/Buelloilspill2.jpg I seem to have forgot how to post pictures directly on the forum...sorry. | ||
| Badrap |
That oil looks real dark for being fresh. That would also concern me. | ||
| Roysbuell |
Everything they did (didn't do) concerns me. I am concerned they didn't actually check the bearings and other spec's they should have checked during the maintenance service they did. | ||
| Buewulf |
Perhaps they forgot why they got out that extra quart. Might want to check and make sure your primary isn't empty.  I'm only half joking. I can't imagine you would not have had a major failure after six weeks if they didn't refill your primary. But I'd still have to check. I would drain the oil into a container and measure how much is in there. It will surely be more than 2.5 quarts. Then talk to the dealer. | ||
| Motorbike |
Personally, I would haul it back to the dealer as is. If you drain it yourself, the dealer will probably assume no responsibility on their part. I too would check the primary. I'll bet they never drained it and then put all 4 qts in the swingarm. They probably tilted the bike level upright and checked it cold, as you would do with some Jap bikes and thought the level was OK. I would be pissed. This is why I do ALL of my own work. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
That looks like pretty much the same volume that slopped out of mine from my little story above. I doubt your spark plugs would be messed up as mine went another 15,000 miles after my "Valdez incident" | ||
| Motorbike |
Another possibility: Maybe they drained the primary but forgot to drain the swingarm. Then they added 2.5 qts. to the swingarm and 1 qt. to the primary. That would probably fill it to the top. Or, maybe they drained the primary and then dumped all 3.5 qt.s in the swingarm??? I sure hope not! I'm dying to hear how this turns out and sure hope they didn't ruin your bike. PS I love those red wheels! | ||
| Sifo |
My guess is that it was in the front wheel clamp on the lift when it was filled and checked cold. Dumb mistake by an untrained tech. |
