2012 FXDC oil use question
#1
2012 FXDC oil use question
Curious, my 2012 FXDC has 3000 miles on it, I did the 1k service changing the oil and using conventional HD oil. Since then I have to add about 3 ounces of oil every 1000 miles and it seems when like the level will drop at once. I check the oil every fuel up and it's ok and then it needs some oil to bring the hot level to just above half way. Any other Dyna owners experience this?
#2
Welcome to engines 101!
All internal combustion piston engines burn oil! All of them! There are those that will swear over and over that their engine burns absolutely no oil! Were this true, then their engine isn't long for this world! Some burn more than others due to various factors! One being, how the engine was broken in! If you take a V twin Harley for example, a large displacement air cooled engine, and baby it (low RPM and light loads for the first 1500 or so) the rings will not seat to the cylinder walls and that engine will be a poor performer and burn lots of oil! If you take the same engine and get on a mountain road...climbing and descending, slowing for turns and pulling out briskly and allowing it to cool down some every half hour, it will seat the rings right away and burn normal oil thru out its life. What is NORMAL? On a 302 Ford, it was 6 to8 oz. every 3000 miles. Some more...some less!! I have no idea what it would be for a Big Twin...sorry! The same rules apply however! Oh...NEVER lug any engine, Harley or not!
You are mid to upper normal I would say, IMO.
All internal combustion piston engines burn oil! All of them! There are those that will swear over and over that their engine burns absolutely no oil! Were this true, then their engine isn't long for this world! Some burn more than others due to various factors! One being, how the engine was broken in! If you take a V twin Harley for example, a large displacement air cooled engine, and baby it (low RPM and light loads for the first 1500 or so) the rings will not seat to the cylinder walls and that engine will be a poor performer and burn lots of oil! If you take the same engine and get on a mountain road...climbing and descending, slowing for turns and pulling out briskly and allowing it to cool down some every half hour, it will seat the rings right away and burn normal oil thru out its life. What is NORMAL? On a 302 Ford, it was 6 to8 oz. every 3000 miles. Some more...some less!! I have no idea what it would be for a Big Twin...sorry! The same rules apply however! Oh...NEVER lug any engine, Harley or not!
You are mid to upper normal I would say, IMO.
#4
What he said! All engines have their own oil comfort zone too much and they spit it out or burn it off. IDfatbob has good information as well and they are both along the same lines of thinking. My question to you, does it seem to dump oil out of the breathers? Or in other words do you notice the oil goes down a lot after twisting the throttle hard? Any blue smoke coming out when the engine is cold - or hot? But your not burning tons of oil, 3 ounces times three your at 1/4 of a quart and nearly due for oil change. I think your fine. have you tried filling it to the full cold mark and see what happens?
#5
I try to keep the level at the cold fill mark,which makes it 3 marks down from the full when hot (see pic for hot level I try to maintain.). Today it was almost 4 marks down. There is some oil in the breathers but not a lot and not running out of the filter. The plugs look good and I don't see blue smoke. Usually notice a more drastic drop after riding 2 up.
I will try letting it drop and seeing if it stabilizes there. I just get a little nervous when the oil gets below half on the dipstick hot, maybe I am just paranoid.
Thanks for all the advise. I don't remember my sportsters being so hard to keep the oil level steady.
I will try letting it drop and seeing if it stabilizes there. I just get a little nervous when the oil gets below half on the dipstick hot, maybe I am just paranoid.
Thanks for all the advise. I don't remember my sportsters being so hard to keep the oil level steady.
#6
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^^^^ Well, I don't know if I agree with that. I've owned several brand new Harleys, and I've "babied" them during break in, and NONE of them ever "burned lots of oil" or were "poor performers".