Hi all , I purchased my 1996 heritage nostalgia 4 weeks ago and only just noticed the oil light has come on , bike has just over 18 thousand miles on it . Don't know how long the light was on for , I checked the oil pressure and there is no reading on the gauge at idle . Anyone have some pointers ? Regards simon .

 

What is your idle rpm set at? Evos need to be around 1000. If they are idled too low it can make the light flicker/stay lit. I know this is obvious, but make sure you have oil in it. If you can see in your tank, verify that oil is returning to the tank while its running. Does the light go out immediately when you rev it? What weight oil is in it, and what is the ambient temps where you are at?
If you need more help than this let me know, I had to go through all the checks on my 96 dyna due to a low oil pressure condition. There is actually a huge thread on it in the evo section with lots of info.

 

Also, does it do it cold, or only after the engine is up to operating temp? If it only does it after the engine is hot, and slightly increasing the idle speed makes the light go out, you probably don't have a problem... mines been doing that for 15 years.

 

Thanks for the reply , as far as I know the idle was a little
Higher when I checked it the oil pressure cause it was cold with the choke on , the bike had oil in the tank , not sure what kind of oil , the light has stayed on and has not turned off at all even when I was riding it back home . It doesn't look like oil is circulating but then again I wouldn't know if it was , it sounds like air is coming through the tank at idle ? I dunno if that makes any sense ?

 

Oh and the ambient temp is roughly 77degrees . Thanks .

 

Do you get any pressure on the gauge above idle? Pull the slotted plug on the tappet screen (located on case near oil pump) and make sure its not clogged, and pull the slotted plug on the oil pump (the outboard one) and verify that your relief valve plunger moves freely by removing it (might need a pencil magnet to pull it because of oil suction). Might be a little stubborn, but should come out.
If you get this far and everything seems normal I would suggest searching for and reading my oil pressure thread, as well as making a thread in the evo section. Those guys know their chit, and we'll help you through it.

 

Nah I checked to see if I brought the rpm up if it read anything but the needle didn't move at all , ok then ill give that a shot , hopefully it's nothing major . Thanks for the help . If it doesn't seem out of the ordinary ill post it up with the evo guys .

 

No problem. I think it goes without saying but I will anyway, DO NOT ride until you get this figured out!

 

Evos are notorious for low oil pressure if you have them idled low and the oil is hot...mine hovers near 0...but even then it has at least 30 PSI when riding...defiantly need to find the problem.

 

Just noticed? Rode home? Must be some oil pressure or the bike would have started developing more issues. Check your lifter screen. Put a gauge on this engine and check your rpm with a tach. Get a manual on EVO's.