CHECKING OIL PROPERLY, OR DESTROY YOUR ENGINE

[skynxnex]

how far up the exhaust do I put the dipstick ? Do I  have to keep the engine running ?

I'm not sure if you're joking or not. The exhaust has nothing to do with checking the oil.

Insert the dipstick into the oil filler hole (i.e. the hole that you unscrew the dipstick from). And as natewesselink said, leave the engine OFF

Okay, I don't know for sure if a previous owner caused this by checking the oil while the engine was running... but I can't think what else it'll be.

So shut that engine off!




(also, please let me know if the images don't work... I've never posted images to this board before.)

[ben2go]

Pics came through.Either the po checked it while running or threaded the dipstick in wrong.

[theUBS]

how far up the exhaust do I put the dipstick ? Do I  have to keep the engine running ?

I'm not sure if you're joking or not. The exhaust has nothing to do with checking the oil.

Insert the dipstick into the oil filler hole (i.e. the hole that you unscrew the dipstick from). And as natewesselink said, leave the engine OFF

Okay, I don't know for sure if a previous owner caused this by checking the oil while the engine was running... but I can't think what else it'll be.

So shut that engine off!




(also, please let me know if the images don't work... I've never posted images to this board before.)

I'm going to guess that groff22 WAS joking, but obviously, someone else wasn't all that bright!  Yikes!   That's gotta be good to have floating around in there with moving parts.

[yooblonder]

the 500 has a dipstick and not a window? 

thats funny, I didn't even notice yet. Although to be fair, I've owned it for a week and not run it yet, or even gone over that part of the bike. Since the engine is SOOO similar to that of my '78 GS400, I assumed it would be the same. I've never owned a bike with a dipstick yet

A window?!  Is that common?

[DoD#i]

Yup. Both 1982 Yamaha's I have owned (one I still do) had a window. That one is glass, at least, unlike the "specially made to degrade upon exposure to sunlight and brake fluid" plastic used by both Yamaha and Suzuki (and probably others) in the brake reservoirs. Jerks.

[theUBS]

Yup. Both 1982 Yamaha's I have owned (one I still do) had a window. That one is glass, at least, unlike the "specially made to degrade upon exposure to sunlight and brake fluid" plastic used by both Yamaha and Suzuki (and probably others) in the brake reservoirs. Jerks.

My 2002 EX500 (Ninja) had sight glass too.

[jonathanneely]

STICKY THIS TOPIC!!!

I blew my engine back in early May cause I'm a dumba$$ and wasn't checking my oil levels properly. I ride about 400 miles a week and I check it at least twice a week now.

[ragecage23]

Yup. Both 1982 Yamaha's I have owned (one I still do) had a window. That one is glass, at least, unlike the "specially made to degrade upon exposure to sunlight and brake fluid" plastic used by both Yamaha and Suzuki (and probably others) in the brake reservoirs. Jerks.

My 2002 EX500 (Ninja) had sight glass too.

same goes for my 2002 EX250. The sight glass takes a fraction less amount of time to check, but me being as lazy as I am I prefer a sight glass.

[ojstinson]

It's getting so bad here that I think a person could make a decent living by investing in an at home GS500 engine rebuilding business.

[ojstinson]

Looks to me like that damaged dipstick may have come in contact with one of the drive gears while the engine was running---and even at that he would have to have inserted it at a very strange angle to even make contact.

[Viperz]

So how much oil does your GS500 burn? I had to fill up about a 1/4 liter after ~1200 km.

Thanks!

[Shaddow]

My little GN250 I had before my GS500 had been run dry of oil at some point. The GNs tending to eat their oil to the point of topping them up fortnightly. The previous owner had run it dry and since the cam is suppose to sit in a journal full of oil (so no bearing even) it had eaten into the head. When I bought the sucker I thought it just had seriously out of whack valve gaps and the seller told me nothing other then a story that confirmed my first thought  .
Got it home adjusted it and well still noisy. Took it to someone more knowledge and he told me it was a sound he had heard before. (This person being an ex suzuki mechanic from years before my time). I was a little peeve. Bought another head and the week the new second hand head turned up the cam had eaten through enough of the head to sit to low, jumped the timing chain off, did all sorts of lovely things with my valves.
It did live again, just wished I had changed the piston and bored it out when I changed the head cause after the noisy cam and timing chain noise was gone, I could hear the piston slapping. Oh well. Sold it to another fellow who learnt on it for about 4 months, got his P plates and sold it to another learner. The bike made us both a profit.

[JAY W]

Quote,
`Having checked mine both hot, cold, on centerstand and just with me sitting on it, I've found almost no difference. The lazy way is just as good, and since it's easier and quicker, you'll do it more often. The EXACT level just isn't a big deal, and like other fluids, oil doesn't expand that much between hot and cold. Don't take my word for it, compare it for yourself`.

Oil is checked hot not for oil expansion but to allow the oil to of been pumped to the cylinder head etc,thus giving opperating level.

[cbrfxr67]

I just had to say that I knew this chic who tried to change her own oil on her hyundai.  She filled it up all the way to the oil cap on top of the engine! 

[burning1]

Saw something similar this weekend with fork oil. Someone had filled this dude's forks to the top. I'm surprised as hell he hasn't blown a seal.

[Allen]

Yeah, I knew a hyundai that was overfilled by the dealership, about double, they had to replace the engine!

[ben2go]

bump

[twocool]

Every gas fill up is best.

Well let's be realistic then! Putting the bike on the centerstand isn't super convenient when at the gas station, and unscrewing a hot dipstick sucks. And what if it's low? Do you have oil with you? I have a few more realistic suggestions:

At your house, BEFORE going out to ride, with the bike on its kickstand and on fairly level ground and engine cold, unscrew the dipstick.
Sit on bike, get it upright so it's well balanced.
Pull out dipstick, no wiping needed because when it was on the kickstand the level was below this point.
If oil is between the hashmarks, you're ready to ride. Replace dipstick.

Having checked mine both hot, cold, on centerstand and just with me sitting on it, I've found almost no difference. The lazy way is just as good, and since it's easier and quicker, you'll do it more often. The EXACT level just isn't a big deal, and like other fluids, oil doesn't expand that much between hot and cold. Don't take my word for it, compare it for yourself.

Takes 10 seconds to put the bike on the centerstand.

Oil should not be checked on center stand...bike should be on flat surface, both wheels on the ground...bike held vertical....it's easy......

But I don't check at gas station....I check before and / or after may ride....at the home garage...

Cookie

[jfoley]

Weird, I read this today and checked 30 minutes after and it was low. It smoked slot on startup a week ago and suddenly it is down 250ml. Filled it up and it ran real nice.

[MysterYvil]

Per the manual:

1.  Hold the motorcycle vertically without the center stand.
2.  Start the engine and allow it to idle for a few minutes.
3.  Stop the engine and wait three minutes.
4.  Check the oil level.  The oil filler cap threads should not be run in but just touching the filler hole upper edge.

'Nuff said!