Uh, oh oil troubles

[slug]

I may be out in left field on this one, but were you riding in the rain when this started to happen (or do you wash the bike often)? My oil light has turned on when riding in heavy rain because water can get in/around the sensor, short circuiting it and causing the light to come on. The guys at my local shop also told me that the same thing happens fairly often after they wash a bike.

 

Just a thought...

[Guest slowpoke]

All good suggestions however, it is not an oil level problem. There is plenty (topped up) of Amsoil synthetic in the crankcase. A matter of fact, when the light first started coming on I figured that I was low on oil and decided to change it. But I was wrong! There was plenty of oil and the bike has never lost much oil between oil changes (every 2500 miles). I also drove the bike home 11 miles with the light on. Now , when I was driving home I noticed that if I revved the engine up and immediately let off on the throttle the light would go off. So, that's how I drove home. "Vroom--bluum...Vroom--bluum. I'm going to order a new oil pressure switch and before I install it I'm going to open some areas of the motor and see if I have pressure. Thank God I have the Triumph to ride.

[richard100t]

All good suggestions however, it is not an oil level problem. There is plenty (topped up) of Amsoil synthetic in the crankcase. A matter of fact, when the light first started coming on I figured that I was low on oil and decided to change it. But I was wrong! There was plenty of oil and the bike has never lost much oil between oil changes (every 2500 miles). I also drove the bike home 11 miles with the light on. Now , when I was driving home I noticed that if I revved the engine up and immediately let off on the throttle the light would go off. So, that's how I drove home. "Vroom--bluum...Vroom--bluum. I'm going to order a new oil pressure switch and before I install it I'm going to open some areas of the motor and see if I have pressure. Thank God I have the Triumph to ride.

90329[/snapback]

An easy way to check pressure is to unscrew the oil fill cap while the engine is idling! If you have oil pressure you'll know it very quickly lol.

[Guest Nogbad]

It the oil pressure light went off when you revved the engine that is indicative of faults like a partly stuck relief valve, loose filter or filter mount / valve block or associated gasket. Hopefully there was enough residual pressure and flow to keep all the bearings supplied, and I wouldn't be too hasty in blaming the sender.

 

Certainly a sump off job to check, and if you don't find anything amiss, I would put a pressure gauge on the sender port to confirm pressure is within spec and rule out any problem with the oil pump.

 

On an optimistic note, senders can fail this way if the diaphragm leaks and oil gets behind it. When pressure increases the contacts separate until the oil coming through the small leak equalises the pressure. When pressure falls the oil comes back out and the cycle can be repeated until the sender is totally full of oil on both sides of its capsule. If it has gone this way you will usually see a slight weep of oil where the steel is crimped to the plastic.

[mike wilson]

All the sender specs I have seen seem to indicate a 4-8lb/sq in switch. High pressure lubrication systems generally work in the 25 - 60 lb/sq in region. Riding 11 miles with oil pressure down in low single figures would certainly have resulted in a trashed bottm end.

 

m

[Guest slowpoke]

One thing I did to my Indian when I had it in Hawaii was install an oil pressure guage. It was quite surprising. At idle when the engine was thoroughly heated the pressure would read 2 lbs. I talked to a number of guys that had Harley's and Indians and they said this was normal. That is the reason for blipping the throttle at idle. One would assume that the Moto Guzzi has different specs because it is a wet sump but I can't imagine that it has high pressure at idle. If there is serious problems with the V11 anybody out there want to buy it? I'll make you an incredible deal!

[jrt]

If there were a serious design problem with the V11, I think we would have known about it by now. Hell, we would have known in the 70's since it's the same motor.