v11 lemans transmission oil color

[frankwalter]

hey so this is my second post and i have a question about the transmission oil color as seen through the sight glass. i know its supposed to be a clear golden color like new oil but it is not any more it is now a milky yellow and i know that is no good and it is hurting her. my problem is i am four states away from home and cant afford to "drop her off" at the local shop as i dont have the money so how bad is it? like what is going on in there. also she is back firing, and miss firing at all speeds and rpms. when i get home she is going to be stripped down for a complete overhaul so that is the good news. why is the oil milky looking? is it water or something even more sinister? any help would be great as well as not giving me any shit about not fixing it before i left as i know that and have been kicking myself all week. thanks

[Kiwi_Roy]

hey so this is my second post and i have a question about the transmission oil color as seen through the sight glass. i know its supposed to be a clear golden color like new oil but it is not any more it is now a milky yellow and i know that is no good and it is hurting her. my problem is i am four states away from home and cant afford to "drop her off" at the local shop as i dont have the money so how bad is it? like what is going on in there. also she is back firing, and miss firing at all speeds and rpms. when i get home she is going to be stripped down for a complete overhaul so that is the good news. why is the oil milky looking? is it water or something even more sinister? any help would be great as well as not giving me any shit about not fixing it before i left as i know that and have been kicking myself all week. thanks

 

My guess would be water in the oil, just get a bottle of fresh stuff and drain it out somewhere.

 

The missing might be your ignition switch, toggle it back and forth a few times se if that improves it.

You could also try jumpering across the safety circuit to pick up the ECU relay in case it's something in the safety circuit

Guzzi Wiring - Simple.pdf

[guzzimeister]

Hi

 

Roy's right, if the bike has been used on a series of short journeys condensation will leave water in the oil making it milky. Change it when you get a moment, but it won't hurt it in the short term. Guzzis are aircooled so no other chance for the water to get in there.

 

Misfiring can be due to, in rough order of occurrence:

- ECU relay or injection relay (4th and 5th from left) not connecting properly, usually due to the connector working its way down in the realy block. Pull the relay out, it you can't see all the connectors properly, that's the problem

- ECU or injection relay failing, rarer but not unknown

- the same applies to fuses in the fusebox

- safety cutout circuits as Roy advises

 

All the above apply if the misfiring occurs under all speeds and all loads. If it is only when the engine has warmed up and is under load eg accelerating, it is something breaking down electrically as it warms up. If its both cylinders, replace the injection or ECU relay. If it's on one cylinder only, it will be, usually in this order:

- HT lead from coil

- spark plug cap

- 12v supply to coil

- coil itelf

- very rarely the spark plug itself

 

If the misfing occurs at low throttle openings independent of load, it will be due to a lean fuel mixture. Check for air leaks at the injector rubbers, these must be perfect condition. Afer that check the TPS setting (covered elsewhere in this forum. Failing that check the balance of the injectors (also covered elsewhere).

 

Good luck

 

Guzz

[The Monkey]

Water makes milk, loose clamps on intake boots and clogged fuel filter makes shoddy running. Standard procedure on a guzzi roadtrip.

[docc]

Definitely, some simple things for you to square away. No need to "completely strip and overhaul!"

 

Sure all the little things that may need attention can take some time to work through, but she'll get better every step of the way!

[Kiwi_Roy]

If you suspect it might be an intermittent electrical fault (going open) I suggest

Get a small 12V lamp perhaps one for testing auto wiring

Attach it to the handlebars and wire one side to ground.

Run the other side to Fuse 8 if you have the electric petcock

or wrap ti around the small pin on relay 4, careful not to cause a short

 

The light should stay on as long as the key's on, no flickering

 

If it flickers something is dropping out the ECU relay, Ignition Switch, Kill Switch, side-stand switch.

 

Guzzimeister Said

"Misfiring can be due to, in rough order of occurrence:

- ECU relay or injection relay (4th and 5th from left) not connecting properly, usually due to the connector working its way down in the realy block. Pull the relay out, it you can't see all the connectors properly, that's the problem"

 

That makes sense, the connectors click into place, if one wasn't home it might sit there and break contact. The connectors get spread after a while also, just need a gentle squeeze.

See "Relay Base Repair" under the FAQ heading

 

Good luck

Roy

[twhitaker]

Done much riding in the rain? The transmission breather is on the back cover directly in line with water thrown by the tire. Edge on this board made some 'Edgeguards' to prevent this. As has been already mentioned, drain and refill.