Oil light

[Crackshot]

Hey all, time for me to tap this ever deep well of knowledge.

So after a long ride (about 180 miles) in approx 45 degree (f) weather, all of the sudden, the oil light cam on. Sure enough the oil was low (yeah, I am a horrible owner for letting it get that low). Alright, so I added roughly 3.5 quarts of oil, light goes off, all is happy. After another short trip (10 miles) the oil light comes on again. This time, oil is right where it should be.

What are the causes of the oil light to go on? Did I damage a sensor? or an oil pump? needless to say, i haven't ridden it since. Oh, and there are no oil spots on the ground, the engine and such is still clean, so I don;t think its leaking anything at all.

Any ideas?

Thanks, Crack

[SweetLou]

Check to see if maybe the sending unit wire has come unplug or something. That may be turning it on.

[Crackshot]

Hmm.. do you know where that is located at?

ps (thanks)

[SweetLou]

I can't remember off hand. It may be under the sprocket cover, or maybe it was on the other side. I dunno. I am sure someone will chime in soon with its location though.

[arsenic]

here's what will cause the oil light to come on. It's either electrical or in the engine lubrication system.

Electrical:
Oil pressue switch is defective - first make sure oil level is correct if so, disconnect the wire from the oil pressure switch, which is located on the right side of the engine. Turn the key to on and ground the wire. If the light comes on it is defective and must be replaced.

Oil pressure indicator light circuit - check for pinched, shorted, disconnected, or damaged wires.

Lubrication
Oil pump is defective

Oil level is too low

Oil viscostiy is low - old, thin, or improper weight oil. Use 10W40

Camshaft or journals are worn causing a drop in pressure

Crankshaft and/or bearing are worn

[The CyberPoet]

+1 on Arsenic.

He missed a couple mechanical possibilities:
(A) Oil pressure valve in the oil pan defective, blocked. Requires removing oil pan to check/test.
(B) Oil passage blocked by gunk. Happens with low-oil situations with the engine at full heat, especially if not using JASO-MA rated oil (car oils are notorious for doing this). Can be in about a dozen different places. Requires disassembly or use of an flushing method (light oil or engine flush).
(C) Oil pump pick-up screen clogged. Requires removing oil pan to check.
(D) Hole in oil cooler or in hoses/lines to oil cooler. If bike ran too hot, may be related to melted oil cooler line blocking internally.

Pray it's the sensor or the wiring to it, cause there ain't no joy in mudsville if it's not that.

Good Luck!
=-= The CyberPoet

[Crackshot]

did I ever mention that I wanted to have your guy's babies? thanks a ton.

[arsenic]

wow, can't say I hear that eveyday.

[The CyberPoet]

wow, can't say I hear that eveyday.

I do, but not from men... Wonder what crackshot would look like carrying our twins (think Schwartennegger from "twins").

Laughing
=-= The CyberPoet

[Crackshot]

Followup: Yeah, so when the old owner said he used Castrol GTX 10W-30 before, when I heard Thirty, what he said was ferty (Missouri rural america accent). So the moral of the story is,

Thirty = Ferty = forty is obviously wrong. thanks for the help!

[The CyberPoet]

Followup: Yeah, so when the old owner said he used Castrol GTX 10W-30 before, when I heard Thirty, what he said was ferty (Missouri rural america accent). So the moral of the story is,

Thirty = Ferty = forty is obviously wrong. thanks for the help!

GTX is wrong. 10w30 is wrong.
Castrol can be ok: use the ACT/Evo or the GPS in a 10w40 (20w50 if it's hot enough out to be uncomfortable standing on asphault barefoot).
Look for an oil that's JASO-MA rated.

Meanwhile, did you find the problem in the sensor? If not, you're in a world of hurt.

PS - GTX, like other non JASO-MA rated oils, can evaporate 50% or more when heated for extended periods of time. The API spec doesn't cover this, but the JASO-MA spec does -- no more than 10% evap

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[arsenic]

yeah do an oil and filter change, use a suitable oil and see what happends, I'd do that first. Maybe even change the oil and filter run it for like 100 miles than change the oil again (no need to change the filter the second time). Thatw ill get about 90% of the old oil out of the engine.

[Crackshot]

Yeah, you ever get the notion talking to someone that they know even less about something then you do, even though you know absolutely nothing. The guy (previous owner) is 100% grade A squid. He got a new triumph and says its great for wheelies, and told me that we could go ride sometime, but he likes to "show off" a little at stop lights and such... I respectfully declined :-\. At any rate, I'm gonna go pick up another round of oil next pay check (already got the filter) and stay off the thing until that happens. And I haven't been able to go check the sensor because the biek (under cover, of course) is buried under ice, slush, and snow. *sigh*. I swear, it was 60 not three days ago.

[arsenic]

yeah its snowing here right now. Put that ting in the garage!

[The CyberPoet]

...because the biek (under cover, of course) is buried under ice, slush, and snow. *sigh*. I swear, it was 60 not three days ago.

That only happens when you standstill and shut off the engine... The secret is to keep riding -- southward until you warm up. It was 78 today and I did 120 miles.

Oh, and on a sidenote (I'll cover it in another posting): I put in an oil temp gauge and sender this past weekend. 78 degrees ambient, within 3 miles the oil temp was higher than the 260 degree (F) top reading the gauge displays, and stayed that way cruising at a steady 85 mph for the next 45 minutes... Brand new oil, full up to the full line and then a little bit. Obviously I need a better gauge -- but it also shows how much more thermal stress oil-air cooled motorcycles like the Kat create than water-cooled engines (I've never seen a water-cooled engine's oil go past 245 or so).

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet