[Joe7911]

I had my bike towed to the dealer yesterday after noticing a small puddle of oil under the bike. Since I use Motul 7100 its red easy to spot. What is really puzzling is that now the site glass if full instead of it on its mark like it was.

I when for a ride sunday mostly on the expressway it was very little traffic so I cruised 55 to 65mph most of the trip. I healed nothing and bike ran perfect. the next day I find the oil puddle under bike.
Has anyone heard of anything like this on a burg man?
I can only think that the transmission oil or water somehow got into the engine oil. Very confusing. Bike is a 2013 with just under 1,000 miles.

 

[westnash]

Still under warranty I hope? Will be interesting to find out what it is. Good luck.

 

[Buffalo]

There are a lot of places on the bottom of the engine where oil leaks could occur but there have been very few actually reported. A couple that I can remember are a leak in the oil level sensor and a leak in the oil seal on the water pump shaft. Neither of those would account for your oil level rising though.

The water pump shaft has two seals. One keeps oil from getting to the water side of the pump and one keeps water from getting to the oil side. Between them is a weep hole that drains anything that gets past the seals out on the ground. If both seals on yours had failed that spot on the ground would have included coolant.

I don't really think you could get much if any migration of oil from the transmission into the engine. The oil on the engine side is under pressure and the oil on the transmission side is not. That implies that any migration past the shaft seal between them should be from the engine side to the transmission side.

As westnash says, it will be interesting to see what the dealer comes up with.

 

[NormanB]

Maybe the problem is that the engine is overfilled with oil.

 

[GK13]

I know that happened with my 400 when all the oil that was in the air box came back down the line and overfilled it. Had oil everywhere but still had a full dipstick. I think it came out of where the stator is. Not 100% on that though.

 

[Joe7911]

I had my bike towed to the dealer yesterday after noticing a small puddle of oil under the bike. Since I use Motul 7100 its red easy to spot. What is really puzzling is that now the site glass if full instead of it on its mark like it was.

I when for a ride sunday mostly on the expressway it was very little traffic so I cruised 55 to 65mph most of the trip. I healed nothing and bike ran perfect. the next day I find the oil puddle under bike.
Has anyone heard of anything like this on a burg man?
I can only think that the transmission oil or water somehow got into the engine oil. Very confusing. Bike is a 2013 with just under 1,000 miles.

I had checked the oil several times since the 1st service the dealer did and the oil level was right on the line. Th bikes is in my garage unless I'm using it. I definitely have not added any oil my wife does not even gets near the bike or knows anything about them.
Also this bike you have to remove a cover to access the oil filler.
This is rattling my brain and hopefully today I will get an answer from the dealer.

 

[lipster]

Also this bike you have to remove a cover to access the oil filler.
This is rattling my brain and hopefully today I will get an answer from the dealer.

Actually, you don't. To see the filter from the side, you must remove a cover. But if you look up from underneath, there it is.

 

[Joe7911]

Actually, you don't. To see the filter from the side, you must remove a cover. But if you look up from underneath, there it is.

i din't even look at the oil filter. I saw that the entire bottom was full of oil, and that the oil level glass is completely full. oil had to come from somewere and caused an overfill creating the leak since oil is presuruzed and riding at 55 - 65 mph keeps that preasure higher.
I guess the dealer will find out what happenned.
Misterious at least,

 

[MagicMike]

I've found that it can be very easy to over fill the oil, so I always measure it as I put new oil in. I seem to almost always come up a little short, according to the sight glass, so I let it run a few minutes, shut it off and let it set a few minutes and then top it off to half way between low and high.

The oil leak I had was from the water pump shaft.

 

[azccj]

I am interested in what the dealer finds. The problem with letting the dealer who did the original service investigate the cause of the oil leak is if they screwed up they most likely aren't going to tell you they did.

I've had some bad experiences with dealers working on my stuff. It has been my experience they usually break two things for every one they fix. Damaged wheels, forks, broken tabs on bodywork, and one bike that burned to the ground.

Just after I bought my new 2013 Burg I discovered when the service department installed the battery they never even bolted down the negative battery cable. Just stuck the bolt through the cable and then through the hole in the negative battery post.

I always do my own work nowadays and it has nothing to do with saving some money. That way I know what was done and that it was done right.

Anyway I hope the problem with yours turns out to be something minor like a leaking oil filter or loose oil drain plug.

 

[RexMiller]

Wha?

…and one bike that burned to the ground.

Wha?? Is there a story there? I think I speak for all present when I say we'd like to hear that one. (Minor thread-jack, sorry.)

 

[azccj]

Wha?? Is there a story there? I think I speak for all present when I say we'd like to hear that one. (Minor thread-jack, sorry.)

Back in 2002 or so I owned a 2001 BMW top of the line K1200ltc. I bought the bike new from a dealer in Phoenix. After about 20,000 miles the cruise control went out and I took it to the dealer to fix as it was under warranty. The dealer kept the bike for 4 days and even gave me a loaner BMW while they were fixing it. I had done the research on the repair and knew the bike had to be taken apart and have the fuel rail removed to replace the part. I get the bike back, drive it home and all seems well. It sits in the garage until one week later I take it out for a night drive. A hundred miles from home it starts to sputter. I pull over lift up the seat and jump back as the fire starts. The bike is incinerated, only thing left was part of the motor. Dealer claims they did nothing wrong and only needed to remove a body panel to fix it. I ask why then if it was so easy did you give me a loaner bike for 4 days? They say because they were busy. I say ya right. BMW claims there's no proof anything failed on the bike to cause it to catch on fire. Which was true because there was almost nothing left of the bike. That was the last new BMW I bought, and probably ever will. And it was the last time I let a dealer touch one of my bikes.

I did receive a recall letter from BMW many months later concerning fuel hose clamps that could leak and start a fire. If this was the cause of the fire we shall never know. I just find it odd that I ride the bike for 20,000 miles without it bursting into flames, the dealer works on it and 150 miles later it's ash.

I have the same BMW model now but a few years newer and both the crappy BMW OEM plastic fuel quick disconnects have been replaced with metal ones. Great bike but I would never let a dealer touch it.

Below is a picture of my current 2005 LT. Next to it is a picture of what is left of my 2001 LT or more specifically the front wheel and forks. The nice firemen who arrived 30 minutes after the fire started sprayed the molten puddle of aluminum with their fire hose so I would have a memento of the night.

I'm sure their are some good dealer and mechanics out there but I prefer to work on my own stuff from now on.

 

[Joe7911]

I had checked the oil several times since the 1st service the dealer did and the oil level was right on the line. Th bikes is in my garage unless I'm using it. I definitely have not added any oil my wife does not even gets near the bike or knows anything about them.
Also this bike you have to remove a cover to access the oil filler.
This is rattling my brain and hopefully today I will get an answer from the dealer.

Still in a holding pattern from the dealer. They claim they think its the drain plug, so they have one on order. Today makes one week and still no bike or answer as to the problem. I don't think it was the drain plug, but I will have to wait and see. Patience is starting to run low. and I'm looking at any available options.
I will update you as soon as I know.

 

[ih8cages]

My recent oil leak was due to the oil filter loosening up. I'm sure I went a 1/2 turn past contact, but alas that apparently wasn't enough to seat it tightly. Next time......

 

[Buffalo]

My recent oil leak was due to the oil filter loosening up. I'm sure I went a 1/2 turn past contact, but alas that apparently wasn't enough to seat it tightly. Next time......

If you were using an OEM Suzuki filter with the round o'ring style gasket you have to tighten it 2 full turns after contact.

If you are using an aftermarket filter with a flat gasket then 1/2 turn works just fine. I run WIX filters on mine and 1/2 turn past contact is all I tighten them.

 

[Joe7911]

Finally I got my bike back.
They claim it was the washer and that the Suzuki washer didn't seal they used a Honda washer and leak stopped.
As for the overfilling I'm finding something out.
I drove home last night and parked with side stand after I rolled the bike on center stand and about a couple of hours I looked at the oil glass and again oil covered the hole glass. I googled it again and all I found is instructions how to ck oil, run for 3 minutes then let stand 3 minutes then ck. In the morning glass still showed completely full so I did as the instructions suggested and oil level is on the money, this afternoon same.
I will be more vigilant and ck oil by the suggested method from now on.