low oil pressure indicator light on even though adequate oil level

[manoj]

today i had left the bike to idle for like 30-45 min,when i returned back the low oil pressure indicator light was flickering.
Then the bike just would not move in gear and rpm did not rise even though i gave full throttle.
But couple of min later it became alright and low oil pressure light turned off.When i checked the oil level it was more than half way from minimum

what could be the cause of this(I had left the headlight in high beam ,would this have drained the battery and caused this) or with carburetors .
Manoj

[mister]

Idling for over half and hour! What the???

Did you check the oil on the center stand? Did you check it by taking the dipstick out, wiping it clean then Placing it back in Without screwing and Then reading the oil level?

Half oil gives you no buffer. Lose a bit and you're totally screwed. Lose some from full oil and you still got oil. Nice.

Check oil correctly, top up to full. Don't leave bike idling for half hour.

Michael

[manoj]

I have lost the ignition keys..so using the bike by making some temporary connection inquiring  of  ignition .So cannot shut off the bike until i disconnect the battery(still waiting for my ignition locks to arrive,bought one from fellow GS member).I had parked the bike idling and my work took longer than expected......so the bike idled for like 30 min
I always checked the oil level by screwing in the dip stick, i guess the oil level must have dropped too low

My bike is burning oil from maximum to min level in about 1000miles,I have to change spark plugs every 1000m(the bike has about 24,000 miles on it).how much oil does a GS engine in real good condition burn.
Manoj

[Gary856]

I always checked the oil level by screwing in the dip stick, i guess the oil level must have dropped too low

You're supposed to check oil with the filler-cap all the way unscrewed and just touching the top of the opening. If you screwed the filler-cap in, that means you've pushed the dip stick too far in for correct oil level reading. So if you saw 1/2 full with the cap screwed in, it'll be too low with the cap all the way unscrewed.

My GS doesn't seem to burn any oil. 

[Gary856]

Half oil gives you no buffer. Lose a bit and you're totally screwed.

I disagree. Too many people worry too much about the "exact" oil level, which is unnecessary. The engine takes several quarts of oil overall. It takes only a few ounces to go from min to max reading on the dip stick, so that's pretty insignificant compared to the total amount of oil in the engine, and I belive manufacturers have plent of margin built into the engine oil level relative to the dip stick reading.

I recently checked the oil level on my YZF600R and realized it was 40 oz too high for the last 1,400 miles!!! Yes, 40 oz too high! And get this, for the last 40 miles, I poured in another 20 oz of oil, so it was 60 oz too high!!! But the bike ran just fine. How did that happen? Long story:  

http://www.yzf600r.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=53600&p=640101&hilit=+pump+lotion+pump#p640101

[Paulcet]

Over-cooked the oil.  Thin oil=low pressure. 

[Big Shot]

Censored myself after much deliberation 

[trumpetguy]

Gee Big Shot, did someone pee in your Cheerios this morning?  Sounds like you're really upset over something pretty small (basically over semantics).  Call me names too, if it makes you feel better.

[sledge]

I agree with gary

[Big Shot]

And again...

Sledge, begone rodent!  (That can stay 


I did it again Josh - Bob!

[the mole]

Gentlemen, please, a bit of decorum, there may be ladies present. 

The GS doesn't take several quarts of oil, it takes 2.7. The difference between the high and low marks is about 1/2 pint. (I'm using US Quarts, sledge, but thinking in litres!)

The high and low oil marks do NOT represent zones outside of which your motor blows up. They represent a reasonable compromise between what the manufacturer thinks is the best oil level for average conditions, the likelihood of riders checking it regularly, how much oil an individual bike burns and probably a bunch of other factors. There are bad consequences for being very high or low, but if you ride carefully you can probably get the bike home with very little additional engine wear with only a quart in it. The consequences would be that the oil tends to get hot and it will wear out quicker because there isn't much of it, but as long as there is enough in there to maintain reasonable oil pressure it will be OK for a short distance.
I certainly wouldn't stress about checking the oil with the dipstick screwed in, unless you're running the bike flat out on the track. Just change the oil 500 miles earlier and check it properly from now on. It's obviously a good idea to keep it well topped up if you know it tends to burn a lot of oil, but don't go calling a tow truck if its 1/2" under the low mark, just get some oil at the next service station.

[Gary856]

Trumpetguy, I appreciate what you did. That shows character.  

[sledge]

.....and I agree with Mole 

[the mole]

Quote "Sledge, begone rodent!"   End quote.

Thanks Ratty!