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Low Oil Warnings Almost Half Way Up the Sight Glass


duegatti

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2016 RT with 23.5k miles. Got the warning on the dash, and if I scrolled through the multifunction display to the oil level, got the "Check!" warning. Went away one time, came back.

 

Out on the road I checked the level, and it was pretty much right where I'd expect to see it, based on my most recent inspection in my garage - over a third of the way up the circle. No sign of a leak from the filter or drain plug. Bottom of the engine case was quite dirty (I don't wash down there), but not obviously wet; no oil visible on me or the bike.

 

I had previously run the oil level down lower than this going into both the 12k and 18k service, and did not trigger the low level warnings.

 

I've added 300 ml oil, which brings it up well above half way up the circle, as you would expect. Have yet to ride it like this. I'm obviously coming due for my 24k, and this happens to pretty much land on my annual service as well, so I'll certainly be talking about it with the dealer.

 

Any thoughts from folks here? Sender? I have no idea how they manage to measure to oil level on this thing. I wouldn't want to need to keep the level above the half way mark just to keep the warnings off.

 

Many thanks.

Edited by duegatti
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With oil in OK range on sight glass and the coming and going warning light suggest either loose wire/connection or a failing sensor. Start with inspecting the wires and connectors then sensor (should be some type of test you can do with a VOM meter on the sensor)

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2016 RT with 23.5k miles. Got the warning on the dash, and if I scrolled through the multifunction display to the oil level, got the "Check!" warning. Went away one time, came back.

 

Out on the road I checked the level, and it was pretty much right where I'd expect to see it, based on my most recent inspection in my garage - over a third of the way up the circle. No sign of a leak from the filter or drain plug. Bottom of the engine case was quite dirty (I don't wash down there), but not obviously wet; no oil visible on me or the bike.

 

I had previously run the oil level down lower than this going into both the 12k and 18k service, and did not trigger the low level warnings.

 

I've added 300 ml oil, which brings it up well above half way up the circle, as you would expect. Have yet to ride it like this. I'm obviously coming due for my 24k, and this happens to pretty much land on my annual service as well, so I'll certainly be talking about it with the dealer.

 

Any thoughts from folks here? Sender? I have no idea how they manage to measure to oil level on this thing. I wouldn't want to need to keep the level above the half way mark just to keep the warnings off.

 

Many thanks.

 

Morning Duegatti

 

The BMW oil level check sensor has been a bit of problem on past 1200 bikes.

 

If you are sure it is at the correct oil level then a trip to your dealer is probably in your future as it probably needs a new oil level float assembly. (those oil level sensors need to be perfect to not trigger a false alarm).

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For it to read properly--

 

Engine needs to be at operating temperature.

 

Engine needs to be idling for at least ten seconds.

 

Needs the side stand retracted (up)

 

Motorcycle must be standing upright & not leaning

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These readings mean--

 

OK= Oil level is correct

 

CHECK!= Check the oil level at next fuel stop

 

__________________________________

 

Usually a loose wire or bad connection will give you a ( – – – ) : Oil level cannot be measured

 

Edited by dirtrider
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Frustrated_Diver

How embarrassing -- I got this error and the dealer told me it was actually low on oil with the oil half way up the sight glass. Before you go chasing lose wires and faulty level indicators, ride the bike with the 300 ml you have added. Bet you won't see the error again. Must be the wet heads are a bit more finicky than the previous version of the engine because I could run the old bike (2007) down almost to the bottom of the window before the warning ( ) came on.

 

Rick

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I would rather get a reading to check oil than find out I caused engine damage because I neglected to check it. I got this same check oil level light on a trip through Florida last May. I stopped and checked the level and it was just below the half mark on the site glass. I added some oil purchased at the next gas station and the light went away. The bike had over 20,000 miles at the time. Apparently these bike like the oil level near top of the glass.

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How embarrassing -- I got this error and the dealer told me it was actually low on oil with the oil half way up the sight glass. Before you go chasing lose wires and faulty level indicators, ride the bike with the 300 ml you have added. Bet you won't see the error again. Must be the wet heads are a bit more finicky than the previous version of the engine because I could run the old bike (2007) down almost to the bottom of the window before the warning ( ) came on.

 

Rick

That's funny, because my prior '07 would give that low oil warning with the level (when properly checked, cold) at just a tad below the middle! :) I used to see it fairly often because that '07 used to burn about 3/4 quart in between the oil change, while the wethead burns zero!

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For it to read properly--

 

Engine needs to be at operating temperature.

 

Engine needs to be idling for at least ten seconds.

 

Needs the side stand retracted (up)

 

Motorcycle must be standing upright & not leaning

___________________________________

 

I think it needs to be either in gear or in neutral, too, although I forget which. Basically, check it at stoplights after it's well warmed up.

 

I have that function on my wethead GSA too, but i prefer to just check it on the centerstand before I start. I know the official method of checking the oil level is to get it up to temperature and ride 10 miles or more, then stop on level ground and place it on the centerstand. Once it's on the centerstand, wait between 5 and 7 minutes after shutdown while the moon is full and the sun is in Capricorn or some damn thing and check the level. OK, so I do that once. Then I look at it again the next morning when it's cold and note where it is and compare the cold level to what it was after the complicated procedure. Thereafter I do it the easy way and check it cold. It's worked for me for over 80,000 miles. And I've only had to add oil once, when the cam cover gasket was improperly installed and leaked, and even THEN it took 6,000 miles to leak enough to go below the bottom of the ring. So I added some oil and rode it another 2K to where I had a service appointment and new tires waiting.

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For it to read properly--

 

Engine needs to be at operating temperature.

 

Engine needs to be idling for at least ten seconds.

 

Needs the side stand retracted (up)

 

Motorcycle must be standing upright & not leaning

___________________________________

 

I think it needs to be either in gear or in neutral, too, although I forget which. Basically, check it at stoplights after it's well warmed up.

 

 

Evening WBinDE

 

My riders manual doesn't have anything about being in neutral or in gear to read the oil level (just mentions what I posted above).

 

I haven't tried it in neutral but it definitely reads OK when stopped in gear.

 

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+1 on low oil consumption on the new K5x motor. My R259 motor used about 3/4 quart between oil changes. So far I've not had any low oil warning light on the wethead. False low warning sort of kills the usefulness as at some point the boy who cries wolf gets ignored!

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Thanks to all.

 

Still haven't ridden with the added oil - weather is abysmal right now. I do expect the warnings will not appear. Bike is under warranty, and it's coming up on two services. If appropriate, I will lobby for a warrantied sender - I like thing to work correctly.

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Thanks to all.

 

Still haven't ridden with the added oil - weather is abysmal right now. I do expect the warnings will not appear. Bike is under warranty, and it's coming up on two services. If appropriate, I will lobby for a warrantied sender - I like thing to work correctly.

 

 

Morning duegatti

 

On the wethead it is called a "oil-level /oil-temperature sensor". It's kind of a pain to install so my guess is that your dealer will try every means possible to convince you that the warning coming on before the oil level is actually considered low is normal. (same thing that they told owners of the early hexhead bikes when their check oil indicators came on prematurely).

 

Once the BMW oil warning service bulletin was made public the dealers then had a more difficult time convincing early hexhead owners that the premature check oil warning was normal so they then started installing the updated float assembly & firmware update per the service bulletin.

 

I don't know your dealer but my gut-feeling-guess is that you will have to lean on them pretty hard to get them to change out your oil-level /oil-temperature sensor.

 

 

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My previous bike was a (comprehensive POS) 2013 Multistrada. I became well-versed in every philosophical nuance of logic and the scientific method during my three years of warranty repairing that dog. I feel I'm well-prepared for the BMW dealer - and I'm not expecting a hard time. I had the known problem of the left side bag failing to lock, and they were pretty quick to warranty the whole bag. Of course that doesn't involve the kind of labor that you're portraying, but they'll get paid just the same, and I'll shut up in the bargain. I've got a picture of the oil level when I was getting the warning, and I have a log book noting lower oil levels prior to the 12k and 18k services, when I was not. My position will be that the sender is not working, and it's not working the way it was working when it was new, which I think we can assume was correctly.

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120 miles yesterday; no oil level readings were observed. (I didn't have the multifunction display on oil level for the whole ride, but every time I looked, there was no reading given, and I never got the warning on the dash.)

 

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I have a 2014 Wet RT...the warning has never come on in 20,000 miles. The oil level has never changed in the sight glass. So far it burns no oil that is detectable. I change oil and filter every 5K. Changing it this weekend.....so not sure if systemic wet head issue or not but for me....no warnings.

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120 miles yesterday; no oil level readings were observed. (I didn't have the multifunction display on oil level for the whole ride, but every time I looked, there was no reading given, and I never got the warning on the dash.)

 

Afternoon duegatti

 

You won't get a reading until these basic requirements are met--

 

 

Engine needs to be at operating temperature.

 

Engine needs to be idling for at least ten seconds.

 

Needs the side stand retracted (up)

 

Motorcycle must be standing upright & not leaning

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